We reluctantly woke with the roosters at 6am the next day, driving down the road to a rubber plantation where Robert, the owner of the homestay (and the whole village, it seemed. He was a retired politician so received a nice pension from the government) showed us how to milk the tree for rubber, which was valued at about $3 per kilo. To get to the plantation, we had to cross a river, flowing strong and clear over smooth rocks and pebbles, which was an experience in itself. Robert walked straight in, shoes and dress pants and all, while the rest of us flailed around, only just managing not to fall in the river.
Afterwards, we wandered down to a nearby stream and waterhole for a swim (or in my case, a leg dip. I couldn’t help but think about carting wet clothes around and all the insect repellant I would have to reapply) and returned to the house for a huge breakfast of Singapore noodles, eggs and coffee. I spent the next hour or two unsuccessfully attempting to pack for the Mt Kinabalu climb, unpacking and repacking so many times I couldn’t even remember what I was packing for. Luckily our porters would take most of our cold weather gear up for us, so we would have dry, warm clothes waiting for us at the end of the first day of our hike.
Mt Kinabalu National Park was only an hour away, so after giving up on my ridiculous packing efforts and saying farewell to Robert and his family, it was a quick bus ride later before we were settled into our lodge at the base of Mt Kinabalu. The ‘single ladies’ dorm of four, including myself, decided to warm up our muscles by going on a gentle walk around the Botannical Gardens, venturing further afield on a longer trail that took about an hour altogether. It was a beautiful trail, the lush rainforest canopy above us, and picturesque wooden bridges crossing the river that we walked alongside for most of the way. The trail was only wide enough for one, and we quietly walked at a steady pace, enjoying the fresh air and peace.
I was glad I went for a warm up stroll, in the end. My uber-thick sports socks gave me blisters, and I freaked out at the fact that I had to climb a mountain with said blisters the next day. So while the others continued on, I walked back to the lodge and tended to my wounds, and attempted another round of packing (it was marginally better). It was good timing, as the afternoon clouds rolled in and the light rain drenched everything in sight.
I was, despite the blisters and the rain, beyond excited about the climb. I don’t know why climbing a mountain I’ve never heard of before excited me, but being completely surrounded by nature, miles from anywhere, breathing in fresh air and challenging myself with every step, is almost like therapy for me. It’s so calming, and such a solitary pursuit, and I couldn’t wait to get started. As long as the rain stopped. And my blisters didn’t make me cry. Yep, totally excited.
-Sarah
Sarah