A Short Catch-up with Cousin in Kota Belud

After visiting the fruits farm at Kampong Sayap and before heading for home, we drove to our next destination - the residence of my cousin, Chris Foo in Kota Belud town. I was rather surprised to discover that it's been 10 years since I last saw him in Kota Belud during the opening of the new wing of the Kindergarten of BCCM Kota Belud in November 2014 (Read here).

Chris Foo's family together with the families of his uncles and aunties used to stay in a house within walking distance from my village house at the valley of the existing Istana back in the 1950's and 1960's. He is just four months older than me. 

When he was twelve years old, his family moved to Kota Belud to start a sundry shop business. The sundry shop was at the ground floor while the family stayed at the first floor of a row of two-storey wooden shophouses. In 2008, the sundry business had to close after the row of wooden shophouses was burnt down. His eldest brother passed away in the same year the shop was gutted and his mother died a year later in 2009. That triple tragedies greatly impacted him.

The row of shophouses have been rebuilt with a new 4-storey concrete building. He and the wife occupied the top two floor while the lower two floors are rented out.

Coincidentally, two of his sons joined the pre-marriage course organized by our BCCM KK (E) some years ago before their marriage. My wife and I were part of a team of facilitators of the pre-marriage course.

With his grandson (Daughter's son).

Fortunately, we are "scheduled" to see each other before the coming CNY. That's because I left my pair of reading glasses at his house and I have to collect it from him when he comes down to KK for his medical appointment. Another case of memory lapse:)

A Detour to a Fruits Farm in Kampong Sayap, Kota Belud

Another incentive for us to spend a night in Kundasang was to visit a fruits farm in Kota Belud after the wedding reception. A former colleague of my wife who has ventured into fruits farming soon after retirement from his school principalship has been asking her numerous time to visit his farm.

The decision to visit the farm also created an opportunity for me for the very first time to drive along the bypass that tee-off at a Junction at Km62 of KK-Ranau Highway that leads to Kota Belud.

Road junction at Km62 KK-Ranau Highway to Kota Belud.

****************************************************

The bypass did give some surprises in terms of scenery and terrains. At approx. 9Km from the tee-off road junction, we were confronted with a scenic river (Sungai Sinilou) spans across with a suspension bridge at Kampong Lingkubang. We immediately took a break and stopped to enjoy the beautiful scenery. I discovered later that during a clear cloudless day, Mount Kinabalu is easily visible from the suspension bridge!

Mt. Kinabalu was shrouded in cloud that particular morning!

Mt. Kinabalu is clearly visible in a clear cloudless day!

****************************************************

As it turned out, access to the fruits farm was not as easy as we were first given to understand. We were first given a google location by the farm owner which is just a mere 2.5Km from Kota Belud town. Once we arrived at the location and upon checking with the owner, we were told that's not the location of the farm. We were then directed through multiple phone contacts to the final location after driving another 25Km - some of which was bumpy graveled road currently still under upgrading work!

***************************************************

Upon reaching the farm, we were touched to discover that the owner had taken the trouble and erected up umbrella shed, table lined with drinks and titbits to welcome our visit. I could not imagine had we failed to make it to the farm!

Fruit trees planted in the farm are local green oranges, jackfruits, durian (20 species according to the owner), tarap and rambutan. The owner has great plan for the farm. His son who is currently studying a course in tourism is expected to eventually help to manage the farm.

Notwithstanding the current poor access road to his farm, he is upbeat about the potential of venturing into ago-ecotourism once the road is fully sealed. According to him, plenty of locals and foreigners come to do trekking at the nearby Eco-Edu Tourism Tinuman (Read here).

Durian trees.

Plenty of orange trees.

Just before we left, he handed us gifts in the form of his home-made cleaning agent, air-fresher (made from peels of oranges) etc. I must say that he is someone who is both creative and industrious!

Exploring Mersilau

With the free time available after the wedding lunch on 27.12.2024, we drove uphill to Mersilau Golf Course and the road that leads to Mersilau Nature Resort.

Back in 1995, our consultancy practice was appointed by Sabah Parks to improve and upgrade the existing 2.2Km long access road from Mersilau Golf Course to Mersilau Nature Resort. Two bridges were needed to be built across the upper Sungai Mersilau at points where the road traversed. first bridge is a 120-feet span steel girder bridge crossing while the second one at the higher elevation is a 110-feet span steel girder bridge. The completed road then allowed visitors easy access to the Resort built at the uppermost end of the access road. 

Then on 05.06.2015, a severe earthquake struck that forever changed the face of Mt. Kinabalu and its nearby area (Read here). Significant part of the road and the two bridges were destroyed (Read here) and (Read here).

The 120-feet span bridge has now been replaced with a baily bridge and the road has been re-instated with concrete paved road. 

We continued driving to the second bridge site and found it's been similarly replaced with a baily bridge. However, access across the second bridge was not allowed and hence we were unable to continue further to see the site of the Mersilau Nature Resort.

****************************************************

We also drove around hoping to find The Village Mersilou airb&b where we and our three children's families spent a night in Christmas 2017 (Read here). Somehow, we failed to locate the place and eventually ended at another homestay called The Clover. The unscheduled drive ended with my wife spending some time looking at the vegetable farms just by the road side around the Clover.

Another Trip to Kundasang

The invitation to attend the wedding lunch of one of my staff at Puteri Nabalu in Kundasang on 27.12.2024 gave us an opportunity to spend a night in Kundasang. In the last visit to D'Terrace in Kundasang on 26.03.2023, we didn't stay for the night but just had lunch with some ex-colleagues and friends of my wife.

D'Terrace is operated by the family of the ex-lecturer couple of Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Keningau (IPG), VJ and his wife, Dr. Vasanti (Couple at the left of the photo). Two ladies at right are former Directors of IPG Keningau.

****************************************************

While D'Terrace has a commanding view of Mount Kinabalu, it's lack of open space, car parks and the exceptionally internal steep road network are not ideal for casual outdoor walk and movement. For family with young children, Hill Kinabalu Homestay where our whole family gathered for overnight holidays back in July 2022 is probably a more suitable location (Read here).

****************************************************

Fortunately, the "site constraint" is somewhat makes up by a little cafe at the foothill where we had our breakfast the next day on 28.12.2024. We did enjoy the unique landscape and the mildly shrouded view of Mt. Kinabalu.

****************************************************

Notwithstanding 27.12.2024 was a working day, seven staff members and two Directors turned up for the reception lunch at Puteri Nabalu. The bride, Shera, an engineer is a fairly new staff who joined the company just over one and half years ago in June 2023.

The newly wed.

Group photo of staff and spouses with bride and groom.

CG 2024 Christmas Celebration

For the third year, we hosted the CG Christmas Pot-Bless Lunch Celebration at our home. The first was held in 2019 which was participated by 30 people (Read here). No Christmas celebration was held in the next two years because of Covid pandemic. In 2022, we flew to WA and spent our Christmas there, hence no Christmas celebration was held in our home that year (Read here). Last year, another Christmas Celebration was organized at our home which was attended by 19 people (Read here).

****************************************************

As the host, I was asked to say a few words for this occasion. In the Christmas celebration last year held on 15.12.2023 (Read here), I shared my blog written after our CG Christmas Celebration held in early December 2019 (Read here).

This year, I read another blog written just a day before the celebration (Read here).

****************************************************

Part of the program was devoted to celebrating the birthdays of "old boys" and "old girls" born in the months of October, November and December. Celebrating birthdays en masse has been on-going for a number of times. We had one after a morning run in August last year (Read here). The most recent celebration was held on 07.09.2024 for members born in the months from July to September after a regular fortnightly gathering (Read here).

****************************************************

The highlight of the gathering is eating and enjoying the different dishes prepared by members of the group.

After such happy time, it is normal to look forward to another chance of meeting up again for similar celebration in the days yet to come. Just before this gathering, 26 had signed up for the event. But a day before, a senior couple informed that they would not be able to join because of having contracted Covid while another senior was down with vertigo problem! For some of us, we realize that it will be increasingly more challenging to meet up as age is catching up fast!