Short Trip to Kota Kinabalu - The Last Day

Kota Kinabalu, capital of the Malaysian state of Sabah

Saturday 27th -Tuesday 30th September, 2014

For breakfast on Tuesday 30th I tried "Nasi Le Mak" - that's how the paper pyramid was labelled.  It wasn't some anonymous repackaged French delicacy, but "Nasi lemak", one of the national dishes of Malaysia.   Inside the paper and banana leaf wrapper is fragrant rice which has been cooked in coconut milk with an added "pandan" leaf for flavour and a hint of colour.  Also in the package was a small amount of dried fish (anchovies or similar) and some peanuts (the small rounded type, not those normally found in Australia).  The Nasi Lemak and the local egg tart (a custard style) were washed down with a cold coffee milk drink. Not only did i enjoy a delicious breakfast but I had sampled one of the iconic Malaysian dishes without knowing it until later.

Breakfast

 After breakfast I returned to my room and read until checkout time, then left my bags at Reception and caught a taxi to the Sabah State Museum.  On the way I detoured via the Sabah State Mosque (Masjid Negeri Sabah).  This impressive building, completed in 1974, has a stately decorated dome and a single minaret.  Not far away id the Sabah State Mausoleum for state burials.

Sabah State Mosque, Kota Kinabalu
(sadly there's not much contrast between
the grey of the dome and the grey of the sky)

The Dome of the Sabah State Mosque

The Sabah State Museum is just a short distance from the Mosque.  Along the side of the museum are displayed a number of motor vehicles significant to Sabah's history.  They are in very poor condition but inside it's a different story. 

In the museum is an interesting and well-presented outline of Sabah's history from earliest known days, and a very comprehensive but easy to follow explanation of the political processes leading to Malaysia's independence.  The artifacts and especially the regional folk instruments are well displayed, and an explanation is given of the head-hunting practices common to the area.

The approach and entrance of the Sabah State Museum
(no photographs permitted inside)

 After a couple of hours at the museum, and outside watching a number of bird-lovers setting up their cameras (I couldn't see what they were preparing for) I returned to the hotel to get my bags and then set off for the airport. 

The road to the airport took me past a number of new commercial developments of diverse and interesting styles.  It was a different world from Bali.  As my window in the taxi wouldn't go down the next two photos are a little hazy due to the dust flim on the window.

The Muslim Bank, Kota Kinabalu
(seen through a hazy taxi window)

The BSN (Sabah Bank) building

Kota Kinabalu has the 2nd busiest airport in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur is the busiest).  A new terminal building was built in 2008 and then an additional wing was opened in about 2010.

The new KK airport entrance

Unfortunately the new airport building is not the one I used.  Air Asia, Cebu Air and other budget carriers use the rather less comfortable terminal 2 (aka "the old terminal").

Terminal 2 main hall
This Wiki picture looks better than the real thing!
The concourse is now crowded with small shop stands
replacing the seating on the right of the picture.

The simple boarding facilities at Terminal 2.
Fortunately it wasn't raining.  Note that this Airbus
A320-216 is sporting Boeing style "shark fin" winglets
rather than the traditional style of Airbus winglet.

The flight back to Bali took 2.5 hours.  After passing through Immigration with my required Visa on Arrival I was met by Santo, the Secretary of the Dhyana Pura Foundation (my hosting orgnisation) and driven north to Dalung.  It had been an interesting and enjoyable weekend away.

Paul in Bali
6/10/14