12/03/2008

Labuan & Kundasang Trip

Last few days were quite tiring, but we certainly had lots of fun. It's like a family trip since we haf little Jayden, and bringing him outing although tiring it was fascinating as well, cox he gets to see and learn new things. Uncle KingChing and family were here in KotaKinabalu for the past few days and we planned to travel by car to a few places. They reached here on Friday 28/11/08 around 3.30pm and after they checked in to our hotel, we drove them around town for a short trip. Tat nite, we drove to Gayang Seafood to haf our dinner. We had nice seafood for dinner, but i guess not for SiaoTing, my cousin sister. Poor darling... she juz doesn't dare to taste most of the weird shellfish which she'd never seen before. Luckily she still love the prawns and luckily too, Jason and Iris (ahTing's elder bro & sis) were enjoying their seafood meal. After our meal, we went to Giant Kolombong to get some tidbits. We'll haf a long trip the next day, heading for Labuan and sigh... i haven't even pack our bags yet!

Early the next morning, as early as 6.30am, we all squeezed into hubby's Ninja King. We need to reach the Menumbok Jetty before 9.30am. Although the ferry will depart at 10.30am, we need to check in an hour earlier and none of us had ever been to Menumbok before, so hubby said it's better we r off earlier so we can hunt for the place in case we got lost. He kinda haf an idea in mind where tis Menumbok is supposed to be, so off we all go on our way to Labuan. 2hrs drive and we reached the Menumbok Jetty. I tot we were early but the queue was already so long, so we queued our car and then went off to a stall on the opposite road to haf our breakfast. Hubby walked to the counter in front to check in first, and then we haf our breakfast wil waiting for time to pass. Our first time using the ferry, and it was really a not-so-nice experience.

We were stupid enuf, cox when the time came for us to board the ferry, then we all sit nicely in our car and while we were about to board the ferry, the man asked to see our passenger tickets. Okie.... none of us actually tot we need to get passenger tickets, somemore the check-in person at the counter didn't say anything at all. So my uncle & I rushed down to buy the passenger tickets, RM5 per person. The return ticket from Menumbok to Labuan for the car itself oledi costs RM116, so it's really not cheap.

Nvm... we bought our passengers ticket and after we parked our car, more like squeezed our car into the parking space (for we can only get down from one side)... then we went up the stairs to the passengers seating area. Oh My God... it was awfully packed! All the people there were so inconsiderate. Most of them didn't need tat much seats, but they were like putting their bags n plastic bags whole row across the seats from where they were seating. There were so many ppl wandering around, not having any seats at all. Imagine the management.... they juz hold out their palms, ask for money and not even providing the service they should be giving. First impression, Labuan Ferry Management sucks!

In the end, uncle paid for 3VIP seats in the lounge... which costs RM13 per person, so tat ahDen & me, ahTing and Iris can sit comfortably inside. The ferry only departed at 11.15am, imagined how much time they actually wasted from the actual departure 10.30am. So again, Labuan Ferry sucks! I remembered ngeebang telling me how 'lansi' ppl in Labuan can be. (Lansi - our term for describing snobbish & showoff ppl, 'berlagak' in BM, and 'ke leng ke si' in Hokkien) Yes, nb... i know for sure u'll be looking out for wat i'll be blogging about 'tu tu shua' . Previously, when nb was telling me about the 'lansi-ness' u can get there, i really disbelieved him, telling him it was him being sensitive. Now, i really believe him. The reason we could give was tat there weren't any competitions from other company, more like it's a monopoly kind of service. So their attitude eventually became snobbish, knowing tat u couldn't be getting similar service elsewhere, and in the end u'll still haf to go back to them!

Around 1.15pm i think, we reached Labuan. I really start to feel tired. Then everyone was rushing to get off the ferry. It was really hot in Labuan, and carrying ahDen, i really don't want him to be standing outside in the hot sun so we waited for hubby to move his car forward so we can get into the car. For his car was stuck in the middle, not having any space for us to board our car at all. Uncle KingChing, Aunt Catherine & Jason had oledi got off the ferry, and were waiting for us outside. We waited for the officer in charge of the traffic to ask hubby to move his car forward.

Finally when hubby drove his car forward, we got into the car. And then, the intolerable officer started shouting at us. He was like "u cannot board the car here. Why didn't get in juz now?" Hellooo.... mr. stupid officer, didn't u see how packed it was for us to even open our car doors.... how r we supposed to get into the car. Somemore i was carrying a baby and talking about being inconsiderate. If we weren't rushing, i'll be quarreling wid mr. stupid officer again, so after we all got into the car, meaning ahTing & Iris & ahDen & me, hubby sped off down the ferry for the officer behind was loudly shouting at us. Then another officer in front said, "Slow down, why the hurry??!!" Tis time i really couldn't hold back any longer... i rolled down my window and shouted back at him... i told him "the person behind was shouting at us, didn't u hear... so we hurried, and now, u said cannot hurry... need to slow down". For the 3rd time, LABUAN FERRY SUCKS!!!

I don't care whoever will be reading tis, but really i'm telling u all, the ferry service sucks. These are the ppl forever being stuck in small places, thinking their little island is the greatest place on earth. Try take a stroll out of ur little shell.... try looking at the world outside.... I tot Labuan is supposed to be a tourist destination too, but i am really surprised with the attitude u actually get from the ppl there. Talk about being friendly Malaysians.... talked about our culture of being 'berbudi-bahasa' , it was such a shameful thing! Where did tis virtue disappear to? We paid for ur service, and we didn't come all the way from Menumbok for free. And yet we didn't get the seats we were supposed to get onboard, but we tolerated, understanding it was profit and not customer's comfortability they are aiming for. At least, try giving first-timers there better impression of ur place.

We met up wid nb, and besides from bringing us around, he treated all of us to a great dinner at Restaurant Labuan. He actually booked the table 5days ago, knowing tat i'll be bringing my uncle n his family there to Labuan, and he said we all juz go out for a nice meal. He told me again, u need to book early, else there won't be any more tables left when u wan to dine there. Okie... u really haf to get use to the practice, "siapa cepat, dia dapat!" We had a magnificent meal, really paisei cox nb spent so much on us, but most of all was the companion we were getting. All my cousins and even my uncle & auntie enjoyed nb's jokes and laughters. My cousin sister, SiaoTing was busily asking us riddles and telling us jokes all thru our dinner, and nb was really entertaining her! =))

Oh ya, catching up on the things i missed out, tat afternoon, nb brought us to a duty free shop at Financial Park, and wow... the chocs there super cheap... and the beers, super-duper cheap! RM1 for one can, i was like okie.... even cheaper than Coke! Hahaha.... even cheaper than mineral water! Besides tat he oso brought us to the beach behind the Marine Museum. The beach was nice, and very funny cox hubby met a fren while we were strolling there.... and his fren suddenly called out "Hii Siew Hung" while we were walking face to face! Talk about Labuan being small... yes... small, then nb said hubby's fren Desmond, oso mek's fren.... then nb oso met him b4, i was like.... "WAH, Labuan super small!!" =))

So summary about Labuan, it's not such a bad place really... juz tat some ppl really 'lansi'! I rembered wat Piang wrote in her blog about the lady at the hosp giving her attitude, and how she felt no anger at all, til now i still salute her. Piang dearest forever so sweet, and honestly i m so different from her in terms of tempers. Summarize into one sentence, the nice things about Labuan... chocs, beers, beaches & TAN NGEE BANG! Tat's it... full-stop!


Photos of dearest hubby, ahDen & me at Labuan beach!

On Sunday, 1.30pm we board the ferry back to Menumbok. Tis time, smarter liao... went to queue earlier n even bought passenger tickets. ;)) While hubby, aunt & uncle went to get all the tickets, the rest of us went to tapau KFC. Then nb brought us to haf quick lunch at the most well-known chicken rice shop of Labuan, and we were really rushing. Really need to queue so long, but at least the service still okie. Sigh... why everything haf to queue n queue.... if u put KC in Labuan, i think he'll juz rot! =))

When we were back to KK, we rested one nite then the next day around 2.30pm we headed off for Kundasang. Wow... we r going to overnite at Kundasang. Uncle KingChing paid for our chalets at Mount Kinabalu Heritage or formerly Ko-Perkasa Hotel, and the view there was magnificent. Really surrounded by nature, and we had to cross a 'jambatan gantung' (suspension bridge) in order to reach our chalets. It was really cool and so refreshing, breathing in fresh air and you can even see butterflies fluttering around while we sit on the wooden bench on the verandah. Jayden was so amazed when he saw the butterflies... think it's his first time seeing butterfly. Tat nite, it was drizzling and the surrounding plus the chilling nature part, so heavenly. Although cold, but u actually enjoy the coldness. =))

@ the drawbridge leading to our chalets


Halfway to our chalets while carrying all our things up, we sat down n rest n eat buns!

When Jayden was in bed n floated to dreamland, hubby & I sneaked out to enjoy the view outside and the sound of the pitter-patter rain drops. Too bad no hot chocolate then... else really perfect! ;)) Early next morn, 6am+, we could see the clear view of Mount Kinabalu. Hubby said we were really lucky tat day, cox at times the mountain will be covered with clouds and fog and really cannot see at all. But tat morn, the whole mountain was so clear.... juz right in front of us! Wow.... really beautiful. My uncle juz keep on snapping, and snapping and snapping the photos. Hehehe.... til 800pcs+... *salute*

Magnificent view of Mt. KK!

After we checked out, we went to Ranau to haf breakfast and then off to Poring Hot Spring. My 1st time there and ah Den too, and oso uncle & his family. Little Jayden, wanted to get into the big bath tub there.... so my aunt said let him haf fun inside. I took off his long pants, let him dipped inside the water, then he started splashing. So we took off his shirt. Then, he wanted to sit down into the water... sigh.... so my aunt say better juz take off everything, and there goes his diaper and ahDen was naked in the big bath tub! =)) The funny part was when my aunt took off his diaper, he peed into the water. Hahahaha.... so the water, not only mixed with a little sulphur from the hot spring but oso ammonia from ahDen's urine! :p

@ Poring Hot Spring in the big bath tub!

Seeing Jayden enjoying himself so much, really makes me feel so happy during these few days' trip. We stayed awhile there, and then made our way down to KK, stopping at Tuaran around 2.30pm for lunch. Tuaran is famous for its noodle, and yes.... really nice. I wonder if partly bcox i'm hungry... but overall, the noodles really nice! ;)) Tat nite, we went shopping at 1Borneo. Then we tapau Big Apple Donuts, Sushi King & oso Pizza Hut and had a small feast in the family room upstairs. The next morning, only my uncle, auntie & Jason followed hubby out for breakfast and then to buy dried seafood at the market. The rest of us too tired and were still sleeping. Hahaha.... at 1.30pm, there were off to airport to board their plane back to Miri. Poor Jayden, he cried when they all drove off to airport. Sigh... he enjoyed himself too much these few days, now back to normal life liao... and lesser ppl to play wid him. Poor thing... ;))

Overall, we had such a wonderful time these past few days. Hopefully, we can make a trip back to Marudi soon, and i hope ngeebang will follow us back to Marudi too, cox my aunt say she'll introduce girlfren for him! =))

No comments: