Day 2 (13/8) - Ascending, Laban Rata
Left luggage cost us RM10 per piece. Gah.
Since I was too tired to scribble anything, I will let the photos speak for themselves. Unfortunately nature photography is not my forte. Or maybe it was because I was exhausted and breathless most of the time.
Carson Fall (sic)
Vandalism
This being Malaysia, more than half the rest stops were unusable, being under construction or renovation.
Forest rehabilitation
Some people were smart and hired porters. If I hadn't had any porters (my fellow party members), I'd have spent at least 12 hours climbing 1400m. If I would have made it at all. This was partly because I had the heaviest bag of all (about 9kg, compared with about 7 and 8kg) because I brought a lot of water and coklat (having been advised to bring it but eating almost none of it in the end).
I finally reached Laban Rata, at 3273m.
Only a Malaysian would build a volleyball court here. On a mountainside. With a 1400m plunge past the edge.
Postcarding at 3272.7m
Knowing the Malaysian postal service, Bunny Boy in Australia may see me again before he gets my postcard.
The room was heated, but the heater only turned on at 8pm, and it was turned on way too high. Even with the windows open, the room was too hot.
2 of us who elected to bathe in the evening found we had no hot water in our ensuite bathroom despite the lack of a sign informing us of such (as with the sign about the room heater). I had to infer from the sign in the public bathroom that the hot water stopped at 7:30pm (probably to save energy for the heating). Gah.
Quotes:
Lucky you're not in Law. If you become a prosecutory... 'Not guilty', you go 'Hurr hurr'... [Someone: Every session will be contempt of court in some way] (he will be charged with)
[On school mottos] St Nick's motto - 'We Love To Talk'. Melons and Miss Taupok.
[On stripping on Low's Peak] So you want to see my dick ah?
[On college life in the UK] This Caucasian guy was going, 'I screw my girlfriend 4 times a day. Once after dinner, once before sleeping, once in the morning and once between lectures. Is that too much?'
[Me: 'Knowing the Malaysian postal service you'll probably see me before you read this postcard'.] Gabriel, I feel very happy on this trip... Your loud praise for my country is repeated more times than Catholics pray in a day.
Gabriel, you write your postcard so sweet. Can let me read or not? [Me: No.] The postman's gonna read it. [Me: The postman can't read English.] (in such a sweet manner)
[On Malaysian Chinese girls] They have a simplicity that is not born of a desire to fleece you of your money, like a PRC girl.
[Me: American girls gain weight after college.] How about UK girls? [Me: They gain weight before college.] [Someone: How about Singapore girls?] [Me: They never gain weight.] How about Malaysian girls? [Me: Same.]
Italians are hideous. They like to wear big shades so you can't see their face.
[Said multiple times] Do you know ***? I don't know ***. Don't ask me about ***. This is off the record.