A New Years Eve that will not soon be forgotten. Firstly I'm now in Borneo. Tintin and I arrived on Christmas day. We stayed in the city of Kota Kinabalu for 3 days, exploring the city and doing some day trips outside the city. On the 29th we began our trip to the top of Mt. Kinabalu, the tallest mountain on Borneo at 4,095 meters (13,435 ft).
We started with a 92 kilometer bike ride from K.K. to the Kinabalu Park Headquarters. We tried to get as much information on the route's road as possible. It appeared on the the map to be a nice road, following the coast for 30 kilometers than heading inland towards the mountain. Most people told us the road was littered with hills but that the park was more or less at the base of the mountain. We thus were expecting a somewhat easy ride. We were very wrong.
After 20 kilometers of flat gorgeous road, we began to climb, still on nice roads, but at ridiculously steep inclines. This continued until we reached the park. 70 kilometers of intense climbing. Around the 50k mark we finally found a small restaurant. It was the first we had seen since beginning the bike climb. Both Tintin and I were famished and were excitedly expecting to eat. We were told the restaurant was closed. I was not a happy person. We bought a few sodas each and climbed upon our bikes to continue onwards, praying to any God to supply us with some meager rations. Just as we were peddling off a lady came running out of the restaurant telling us to come in and eat! I very obediently obeyed her command. It turns out the restaurant was closed for her 7 year old son's Birthday. After gorging ourselves on noodles and pechoy we than took pictures with the birthday celebrant and all his friends. I than thanked him over and over, if we hadn't been able to crash this young man's birthday party, well I don't know, but it would not have been good!
Fifteen kilometers from the park we came across our first town, it had a number of Malay Noodle houses and we stopped to eat again. We struggled with communication, pointing at random things we wanted in our food before a man came up and began talking to us in fairly decent english. He helped us with our orders and we than asked him if the remanding 15k was uphill or downhill. It was running late and if it was uphill we knew we had to eat and head off ASAP to avoid biking in the dark and rain, as both were coming. He told us it was all down hill from here. We were relieved. So relieved we had two full meals each and sat around for a cup of tea.He lied.
That or there was some minor breakdown in our communication process. I prefer to think he lied and to blame the resulting 2 1/2 hours of riding my bike in the pitch black cold, raining weather on steep roads that traveled along deep ravines on him. I used his name in vain very often. I may never forget him...."Wilson."
An amazing hot shower at the Kinabalu Park Headquarters dorms lifted my spirits and prepared me for what was to come the following day. Hiking up 11,000 feet to the base camp accommodations of Mt. Kinabalu. Or at least I thought it had prepared me.
The hike took us 5.5 hours. A total of 13 kilometers. I started off fine, I thought I had a touch of a cold from the previous nights cycling adventures, but all and all I was in good spirits and ready to go. I stayed that way till we got within 2 kilometers of the base camp. From there it all went down hill. Unfortunately not literally but only figuratively. I thought the cold was gaining ground. I was feeling horrible, out of breath, no energy and very nauseous. Upon arriving at the dorms I quickly ate some food and retired to bed, we were to be up at 2:00 am for the summit push.
I didn't sleep a wink. I did throw up. At this point I should have been smart and realized I wasn't sick, but in fact was reacting very badly to the altitude. I'm stubborn and couldn't fathom not summiting. So at 2am on New Years Eve day I climbed out of bed, drank lots of water, cold meds, energy drinks, etc. As soon as I began the climb I entered a bit of dream world in my own head. Most of the climb I was far from the people in front of me and behind me. Leaving me lots of solitude to dive deeper into this dream world. I was fully dedicated on reaching the summit.
At 5:40am I did. I was exhausted and cold. It was zero Celsius. The coldest I have felt in 3 years. That didn't bother me, the exhaustion did. The sunrise was spectacular, the views stunning. I couldn't really appreciate either of them in that moment. I took some pictures, Tintin took some videos. Than all I wanted was to be off that bloody mountain. We started down.
By noon we were all the way down the mountain, at the Park Headquarters. Somewhere on the way down, about 2 kilometers below the base camp, I went from feeling like death himself to feeling like a kid in a candy store. I was chipper, talkative, full of energy and so happy I had not only summited but had gone from Kota Kinabalu to the summit of Mt. Kinabalu all on my own power, by bike and feet. Its amazing how quickly one can forget the misery of an event. This is when I started thinking clearly again and I began to realize I had not had a cold but in fact I had had Altitude Sickness (AMS). And yes, I know it was very unwise for me to summit, and yes I know I'm very lucky to be fine now. Lesson learned. Either way it was one hell of a New Years Eve morning. That was the Yin....Than came the Yang. After getting to Park Headquarters we were to sore, tired, and excited to do anything other than be on that mountain for NYE night to bike the 92k back to K.K. Even if it was down hill. We threw our bikes on a taxi and headed into town. We got in to our pension house, had a nap and dinner and headed out for beers and to celebrate the New Year along with our morning's achievements. It was only when I was down the mountain that the mountain made me feel on top of the world. The evening was grand, we went to some bars on the ocean front, met some really interesting people, a kiwi (New Zealander) that joined us on the mountain, a Brit who was in KK studying brain sugary, another brain surgeon, an Indian who had done Mt. Kinabalu 5 times and Everest base camp, and many more people. It wasn't that crazy of an evening but a very fun one. We sat and had far too many beers talking the night away till 5 am. It was a New Years Eve of extreme opposites and contrasts. It was my Yin and Yang to bring in 2008. I hope the year can have the balance of that day, minus the extremes....
Happy New Years to you all!
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! Yes typical, but I must send that greeting out to everyone. Must is the wrong word. I truly want to send that greeting out to all of you. I hope it finds you all in good health and high spirits!
The first day was not that bad. By not that bad, I mean Tintin wanted to kill me for talking him into biking this trip. He was, as was I, very tired at the end of the day. However compared to the following day it was not that bad. Most of it was very nice, well paved road. We did 84k, and stopped at a hotel just before the mountain, Mt. Data. The next morning we set off to finish the ride to Sagada. After the initial climb up Mt. Data most of the day was fairly easy, with plenty of downhills, but on very loose rocky road. The kind at that tied the front wheels of my bike up and sent me sumersaulting over the handle bars. But only once. I learned going that fast downhill, on that type of road with 16 kilos of wieght strapped to the back of my bike was not wise. Ten kilometers before reaching Sagada, the road took it's revenge with a 10k climb that was beyond difficult, on a very bad rough, loose, rocky road. I managed to bike the entire 10k without walking my bike but it took me nearly 2 hours. That is not fast.
Sagada was simply amazing. An extremely secluded town in what seemingly was the middle of nowhere. It contains sweeping vistas of mountains and rice paddies. We stayed for 3 days. While there we managed to do a fantastic day of spelunking in two separate caves which can be linked with one another. They were awe inspiring. At times we would climb through spaces that I swore I would not be able to fit through, only to emerge into huge caverns or into underground rivers and ponds. Other times we found ourselves descending on ropes into what looked like an abysses, not because of the depth but because of the light, or lack there of. We would emerge among gorgeous pieces of natures statues, stalactites and stalagmites. We also did a great trek to a large waterfall, of which I enjoyed tremendously. I always find waterfalls to hold a spiritual essence to them.
Biking back from Sagada was easier because we were on our way to being in better condition and shape, however I think it was a more difficult ride returning to Bagio than leaving from Bagio. On returning there was one stretch were we climbed at a fairly consistent steep incline for nearly 30 kilometers on mostly rough road. It took the better part of the day to do that 30 kilometers. Upon arriving in Bagio we were famished and took refuge in the king of comfort food, the Golden Arches. It was the best double w/ cheese I have ever tasted.
We fly out of the Philippines on Christmas day. Not the most lovely day to travel but it will surely be one I won't soon forget. By that evening I'll be in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysian Borneo. It really hasn't sunk in yet that I'm leaving the Philippines. It feels just like a long vacation from my home. Perhaps once I'm in a different country it will really hit me. We will see. 