Day 1
Checked in Changi T1 for our 830am flight to Kota Kinabalu via Scoot.
Bubu looked excited. She missed her hometown dearly. You can see that sparkle in her eyes.
The South China sea greeting a cloudless Sabahan sky, emitted shades of dreamy calmo blue.
We (Bubu, myself and travel spider Eugene) coughed out our hard earned RM10 and Grabbed 8km from KKIA to Le Meridian Hotel.
Nearby at Seng Hing, we dined with Bubu's Aussie friends on vacation. The coffeeshop was humid, UV overload and sweaty-friendly-cramped.
These type of coffeeshop usually sells memorably tasty food. I was right.
I ordered Tuaran mee (named after a place in Sabah) and curry chicken. As usual, they gave a cup of hot water to sanitise the chopsticks.
How can I miss my cup of sweet, sour, salty kit zai panas (plum with lime). Eugene insisted it's a Sabahan 土产 (local produce). He was right.
Its health benefits range from aiding digestion to dispeling heat to preventing Covid-19. Bubu shared that its actually a well-loved Filipino beverage introduced to neighbouring Sabah.
After checking in, we dashed downstairs, crossed the road and visited the Filipino market and pier - a paper aeroplanes throw across Le Meriden.
The market opens daily till midnight.
Full of ambience and local authenticity, its an instagramable site shunned ironically by locals and feared especially by Chinese. Bubu's one of em.
I had no idea why. Neither did Eugene. "太乱太复杂" Bubu claimed。"华人不敢去的地方。哈哈"
Eugene rolled eyes 100 times. I decided to drag Bubu in for fresh Kepala Mudah.
The market was neatly lined with stalls selling all kinds of spices, fruits, vegetables by 6am (I visited the next day).
Fishermen and islanders sell fresh and live catch, such as cuttlefish, lobsters, tiger prawns, mermaids and anything edible.
'Filipino market' is a lazy name for the combined stretch of Handicrafts Market, Pasar Malam Sinsuran and wet market.
Click the photos. Check out what they sell.
Bubu and I walked along the waterfront towards Suria Sabah, a large mall where we would have dinner with her sister in law and nephews.
Eugene roamed the streets, in search of his eat, pray, love inspirations.
But unable to resist, he ran back to Filipino market, bang table excited, waving at locals.
In fluent bahasa, he instructed stalls to grill him BBQ sotong, big fat juicy tiger prawns and chicken wings.
The light chaser also triggered a sunset time-lapse from his Seaview room.
"After gym you come, I give you power stuff," said Mr Kota Kinabalu.
Eugene boiled water and stirred me a cup of Kitzai drink. My stomach felt warm, comfy and happy that night. I slept smiling like a homecoming Sabahan.
At the store next day, Eugene pointed at the shelf. I grabbed two bottles. One for me and one for my little Bubu.
Thanks for reading, till then! 🐻
Comments