View from our balcony at Kota Kinabalu

Some of you have been wondering why I have gone MIA for more than a month! Isn’t it obvious? I had to lay low cause I had to go on a mission.

This mission called for us to be:

1.    Fit and strong
2.    It also called for us to be really really sound mentally
3.    Well equipped
4.    Strong willed
5.    Steadfast
6.    Committed
7.    Skilled
8.    Man this list is getting scary…..I better stop

Anyway here is the report of Mission Impossible Day 1: Are we ready for this?

It all started the day before as tension arised from a leaking of noses and itching of throats. Perhaps we have anticipated wrongly. Perhaps we’re not prepared enough. We in fact felt like calling it quits. With 3 out of 4 members down with the unknown‚Ķ‚Ķ.will we be halted from crossing the borders as suspects of the deadly HINI virus?

My spirit was devastated when one member called with the news that pulling out was being considered as an option. My heart skipped two beats. After such a long wait will we complete what we have set forth to do?

Only the night can tell. For we awoke the next day and decided to take the risk. Saying goodbye to my temporary quarters. It is time to set forth. See how drained we were?

Look how enthusiastic we look hahaha. We all looked like that

Goodbye my comfortable bed and room!!
At last, we’re all assembled. It is time to let it fly!

All ready at the airport and passports chopped!

All seated! Parachutes checked!!

Upon touch down‚Ķ.we needed to make contact with headquaters. Our Liaison: Sui Tsin. Home bred and well versed with the ways of that place, we needed her help to make sure we don’t go wrong anywhere. Meeting an old friend was such a pleasure. She brought us to our main HQ which was an awesome place to hideout. You won’t believe how much it cost us. It’s madness (So Cheap!).

View of our secret HQ

The living room

The Boy’s Dormitory

The Women’s Dormitory

Kitchen

Dining Area

It had a beautiful balcony which had a spectacular view!

Our Whitemobile! Zoom Zoom

All ready and enthusiastic to feast! We look better already but I was sniffing all the way hahaha

Grilled Seafood Platter (Leon’s Recommendation) Yummy!

Fried Seafood Platter (Chef’s recommendation) Super Yummy!

Immediately we decided after we had a scrumptious energy reviving meal of fish, cuttlefish, prawns and all the great things of the sea that we will conserve energy. ZZZZzzzzzzzzzz. Before we knew it, it was time to go for our closing quest of the day. Armed with tissues and a waterproof camera here we go!

Driving the coastal road

It was dark! Scary for many! But one of the members remarked, I like DARK. Its nice! Wahhahahaha I have the bravest crew in town. We have nothing to fear. Not even these!

See the elephant nose looking thing….eeeeee

Lalalalalallaa ( or something like that with a cute prawn)

Some weird creatures of the deep

We need more muscles!!!!

More slimy things…

Gayang Restaurant that is on the sea!! Beautiful

Looking at them, fear grips my heart. They look disgusting like that hahaha. Especially the elephant nose thing. I have never eaten that…….Also will I be allergic to any of them? Sighs who cares! I came here to die anyway hahaha.

Seated, we said our grace and it was time to consume the food we’ve waited sooooooo long for. Our stomachs we’re really really growling. First bite‚Ķ.AWESOME! I wanted so much more. It was sooooo fresh and nice. God, it really tastes soooooo good.¬† I’m drooling now even thinking about it. Look at how tasty it is‚Ķ..mmmmm

Elephant thingy cooked oooo so nice!

Makes me wanna sing lalalalalalala yup!

All our dishes together

Savoring the taste of the wild coconuts

Hungry Woman’s Plate

Satisfied Faces!

We called it a day having a minor mission debrief and as you can see we were all prepared for the next day coming up! We had to cause it was going to be an exciting one! Come back tomorrow for the next part!….

Just look at her excitement

Stocking up…..so high tech use iPhone hahahah

Henderson Waves….

A view on the bridge

At the end of the bridge

We walked on which for me seemed like eternity to Hilltop park which was just slightly different from Mount Faber and a bit smaller. I really liked this staircase though somehow….liked looking at it but dreaded walking on it…. we were about 3km through our journey….both of us filled with sweat…so much so I think all the tourists ran away as there were none hahaha.

Stairway to???

At the end of this park was Floral walk which was a long long stretch of an aluminum bridge connecting us to Hortpark which was a horticulture park at Alexandria Road. After all this walking, it made me reminisce on climbing Mount Kinabalu which was a million times more beautiful….maybe next year I should go. Anyone wants to join me? This place will be a good place to train though I was thinking…

no

Floral Walk’s brigde

I was still on the mission to see wildlife but we were nearing the end of trip and yet I saw none….except ants of course. At last lo and behold at the end of floral walk I saw a yellow coloured bird. I was estatic and my friend laughed at me. Hahahha. We reached Hortpark where we just sat down rested our weary legs and enjoyed the beauty of nature and well….buildings hahaha.

Pretty Flower

Some other wildlife

View From Hortpark

Me trying to model…hahha

The view from where I sat

Another beautiful tree

At last we were exhausted but we still had a long way to go. We were going to take a bus then walk to the night spots. Sadly, Elroi forgot to bring his tripod so the pictures weren’t as nice as they could be. But still here are some of those we took as we walked from City Hall to St. Andrews cross the Padang to Esplanade then towards Clark Quay. We thank God that the whole day it looked like it would rain and forecast predicted thunderstorms. Yet only when we have finished seeing all these places did it rain.

I was satisfied to the brim doing something not the same as my usual day to day. I hope Elroi enjoyed himself too haha. We talked a lot about life on the way….and I can only say thank God he came. I missed home so much and it was good to have someone to talk to and not feel like you only know them for a month.

At the end of it though, I want a camera now!!! A good one….I want to learn how to take photographs too. A good camera makes so much difference to the result of a picture. Still no time la to invest hahaha. I’m a happy man! Hehe.

Entrance to St. Andrews Church

Another View

The outside of St. Andrews where the Formula 1 Night Race will be held

How nice it is to be in love

Esplanade….I want to attend a concert there one day…

View from the bridge near esplanade…..

So as we were eating breakfast, I asked him about his plans for the day and he said he had none. Then I offered to take him around. Very clever of me since I have no idea where to go or how to go around haha. Oh well, I was all ready to have an adventure around and so was he, so lets go!

After settling some things, we proceeded to our first destination. Chinatown. Here we walked around while he took loads of pictures. He loves photography and therefore brought a nice camera along in which the pictures in this post all belongs to him.

First stop Chinatown

Man that was painting and doing chinese caligraphy

View of Chinatown

View from Chinatown overhead bridge

Soon Elroi and me would have to part ways with his parents as they had a separate appointment and we were heading to the Southern Ledges. I heard of it from a friend and thanks to technology, I managed to find how to get there with my tablet PC. Our mode of transport will definately be the MRT since it was cheap and easy.

We were headed to Harbourfront MRT station and from there we were going to find our way to Mount Faber which is a hill for your information as Singapore has no mountains hahaha. We were all ready to go but I realised I was not geared for it. I had my notebook and backpack and wearing casual shoes. I didn’t care because travelling back would be a silly waste of time.

We arrived at Habourfront and so I looked at the map…..Mount Faber looks quite far….but as soon as we set foot on the ground floor we saw a sign pointing towards Mount Faber. Looking at the map near the sign we were certain we were on the right track.

This was called Marang Trail

Yes as you can see their trail is all made of tar….so unreal hahaha. We started of fast but soon realised we were panting for breathe and the trail is not as short as it seemed. As we struggled on I was on a mission! A mission to find wildlife in Singapore. Honestly the most common living things I see besides humans are cockcroaches here. Really sad. So I wanted to see maybe monkeys, or squirrels….but they were nowhere to be found. Strange….well we finally reached the top panting and sweating and all I could think of was finding a shop to buy a drink.

View from the Top

We could also see the port but it was very hazy

We could also see the cable car running over to Sentosa Island

This is Singapore City, some call it the concrete Jungle

We walked on around the park and just enjoyed things around even though as you can see from the pictures, the view was rather hazy. Around the park though there were many trees and plants that were well upkept. So Elroi was enjoying taking pictures while this old man sat down to catch his breath. Actually both of us were the same age but well I was carrying the bag you see….excuses hehehe. I found a place selling drinks and man did they cut our throats. SGD 3.80 a bottle of Gatorade. Tourists sites always are crazy in terms of pricing. Like it or not I am a tourist in a certain sense. I was so thirsty so I didn’t care. But Elroi paid….so nice….ahhhhh feels better now

Catching my Breath

Flowers…obviously

Beautiful Fir Tree

Now this park is connected to another and then to another of a total distance of 6km…..and we were determined to walk through the whole long connection which is named the Southern Ridges……pretty daring of a super unfit guy like me hahaha.

To be continued……….