BahBoys III: Poring Never Boring

Believe it or not, KH and I woke up at 2:30 AM to have sex. Our slumber was interrupted by a power outage! Pitch black, except for the lights from the motorcycle of the maintenance guy. We went out to the patio to take a look, and were rewarded with a sky full of stars. KH's smartphone did a better job of capturing the night sky. In half an hour, the power was back on, and we went back to the warmth of the bed, and each other bodies. 

Actually, our room booking was inclusive of breakfast, but KH kinda missed that detail. Still in our jammies (not tanktop and jockstrap la), we walked out the main entrance to a few shops that were located on the other side of the access road. The Poring Station Restaurant served breakfast to the staff at the Poring Hot Springs. We had a delicious plate of fried noodles with a piece of fried chicken. The local coffee was Sabah standard (read: diluted). 

KH and I decided that we weren't going to soak in the hot springs. For one, the tubs were leaky and looked icky. Secondly, the weather was way too hot. But it was a perfect time to do it, because it was the fasting month, and there weren't many visitors at all. There were many side attractions at Poring, and we tried our best to visit most of them. First stop was the Ethnobotany Garden which was basically a counterfeit Hobbiton with moss and Astroturf. Finished that in a jiffy, and off we went to the canopy walk which was a more solid attraction. Paid the fee, and did a little hike up to the first station. Crossed five platforms in the tree tops, but we didn't see another soul.

Then it was a leisurely trip to the Kipungit Waterfall. On the way there, the serenity of nature was disturbed by the kerosene engines of a team of workers cutting grass near the waterfall! Found the scene to be so strange-- trimming grass in the jungle. Cannot compute. Once they were gone, we could finally enjoy some peace and quiet and breathe in fresh air instead of exhaust fumes.  The water was clear, but was freezing! Didn't take nude photos there (to SimonLover's disappointment). 

At 10:30 AM, we were at our next stop-- the butterfly farm. Because we were the first visitor's of the day, the ranger took a photo of us, same as what happened at the canopy walk. Slow season indeed. The sun beat down pretty hard, and it was not easy to get a clear shot of the butterflies. Before checking out, we took photos with a clump of bamboo that's Poring's namesake in Kadazan-Dusun. 

Drove slowly back to down to Ranau in rain and mist, where we stopped for lunch at Unggal Cafe. Truly shocked to see a long line of cars queueing in the vicinity of the small restaurant. Turns out it wasn't droves of fans of their curry noodles, just a bunch of parents lining up to pick up their kids from school. Quite a satisfying bowl of noodles with fresh seafood. 

Also went in search of Tamparuli Noodles, but somehow missed Tamparuli Bridge! Ate a second lunch at Kedai Kopi dan Restoran Lee Kun. Could have done without it. And during our stop, KH went to try his luck at STC 4D. Kota Kinabalu welcomed us back with gloomy and rainy weather as well. Checked-in to Horizon Hotel on the highest floor, which afforded us with a great view of Tugu Peringatan Malaysia (an arch commemorating the formation of Malaysia in 1963), and the Ramadhan bazaar at Lintasan Deasoka. Did a quick walk at the bazaar, but nothing caught our eye. 

Just next to our hotel was Seafood Garden KK, a halal seafood restaurant. Settled on that for dinner since we were too tired to venture out. Believe it or not, they served the best cup Teh C I had in Sabah. Really kaw, and on-point. The mangrove crabs were nice as well, and I was floored by the portion of the sang har noodles (but interesting to note, its not sang har). 

Grant who had been working as a pharmacist in Sabah for donkey years, came to pick us up at the hotel for a late night tour. We had cocktails at Sharikat Biru Biru, located at Lorong Dewan. From what I saw, KK has a bustling night life. Then he drove us around, pointing out landmarks, and famous eateries. That concluded our first night in KK, which was OK, because our batteries were already super low.