| Blogs > bondjam33 > The pursuit of happiness |
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Paradise on Earth? Unfortunately the internet connection here is so slow it will only upload pictures if you are VERY lucky. I am posting this blog without pics but will add them if the connection allows and/or in Australia next week- (assuming more reliable internet) Borneo is everyone’s idea of a tropical island paradise. Sitting directly on the equator the island is exactly as you would picture it with virgin rain forests growing on rugged mountains under a blazing hot sun and surrounded by the blue waters of the South China sea. The island is divided between three nations; Malaysia occupies the North western half of the island and Indonesia the South eastern half. The tiny kingdom of Brunei, with its vast wealth of oil, sits on the coast in the middle of the Malaysian half of the island. In the northernmost part of the island is the Malaysian state of Sabah and the coastal city of Kota Kinabalu which has a busy international airport welcoming visitors from all over the world but mainly from China, Korea, the Philippines, Japan and Australia/New Zealand. It is obvious that KK (as it is called) has expanded rapidly since the British left in 1963 with high rise hotels and brand new malls dominating the city but it has retained a flourishing Chinatown and hidden bazaars selling local produce and inexpensive clothes as well as the ‘gold’ jewellery which it seems is de rigeur for all Chinese and Indian women to wear. The harbour at KK is blessed with a plethora of tropical islands dotted around and beyond its entrance ranging from the large islands of Gaya, Manukan and Sapi with extensive tourist development, to the smaller Islands of Mamutik and Sulug which are less developed and less crowded. All of the islands sit in the Tunku Abdul Rahman national park and conservation area. Boat trips out to the islands are frequent and relatively inexpensive through the morning with return trips until 5 pm, bearing in mind that the sun sets at the equator very quickly and regularly at around 6 pm.The islands offer sandy beaches with coral growing only 20 - 30m from the sea’s edge along with many native plants and short jungle walks. We chose the smaller island of Mamutik and spent the day lazing around the beach and scrambling on the rocks, chasing monitor lizards (baby ones only- the adults grow up to 2m or 6’6’’ long) and trying to identify the native flowers and birds. I have come to the conclusion that I could have been a beach bum in an earlier life. The island’s highest mountain (Mount Kinabalu - 4095m/13,345ft) overlooks the town and thunderclouds form over the mountain most afternoons, but we have not had a single drop of rain in 4 days here or for 6 days in India so our luck is holding. 
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