Public Transportation I

Being a city by the sea, you'd expect that sea transportation is used widely in the city. Sadly, it's not. The only service plying commuters in the city is the small sampans or boats going to and from Pulau Gaya. There is a plan to introduce a hovercraft service from KK to the airport and the from KK to a mall (currently under construction) but that would only happen in 2008 and only for the benefit of mall goers not the general public. I've been to Sydney many times and enjoyed using the ferry services there. Maybe one day, the city planners will come to their senses and introduce something similar.

The main form of commuter transportation used in KK is buses, which come in two usual varieties:- buses and vans converted into what is called mini buses. The former are larger with around 30-40 passengers, while the latter are smaller with 7-9 passengers. You can an example of a minibus in the photo. Yes, they are color-coded by destinations. Anyway, there are more and more vehicles coming on the KK roads these days, so its wise that the authorities start to think of something.

Signal Hill Observatory Platform

The other day I posted a photo of the view of downtown KK. It was taken from the above, which looks like a platform in the middle of the jungle. Its not really, those are really thick vegetation in the hill behing downtown KK. Its another must-see or must-stop for guests coming to KK.

Rain is Coming

We've had a dry spell in KK for some time until a couple of days ago. Thanks to Typhoon Sepat, a Category 5 super typhoon, we've had a lot of rain for the past few days. Although Sabah is spared from the strong winds from those tropical typhoons hitting the west of the Pacific Ocean (hence the name Land Below the Wind), the strong rain and choppy seas are common. Anyway, those choppy seas can be dangerous to small boats and ships like the small white dot seen in the photo. A calmer version of the same island above is posted here. And if you curious how the typhoons are named, read this.

Arch II

The Arch is Tugu Peringatan Malaysia or Malaysian Memorial Monument. It dates back to 1963 when Malaysia was formed. The white building behind is the City Hall of Kota Kinabalu headquarters.

Arch I

This is one the more elaborate arches in KK. It is situated in front of the City Hall of Kota Kinabalu building.

Old Shops II

The photo above is a photo that comes with the previous post. Usually the shopkeepers would sell their merchandise outside of their shops. This one sells clothes for women mostly, some ready made and some to be made at the tailors. The merchandise are hung up high, which would attract the attention of passersby (see lady in white shirt in the photo).

Old shops I

Just a photo of the buildings in Segama area in the KK city centre. Many many years ago before the larger shopping complexes and malls opened, these were the shops that served the KK populace. These days the shops still serve the same, but perhaps those who can't afford to shop in the Centre Points, Karamunsing Complexes, Wismas Merdeka, Wawasan Plazas and Warisan Squares. But, you'll never know.

Way to Work II

Many posts back, I posted a photo of the road going to my workplace. This is another photo. Those are palm trees on the left. Yes, I stopped by the roadside to talk this photo. The road is called Coastal Highway and the area is known as Tanjung Lipat.

Gaya Street

This is another view of the building posted earlier. The building is located along Gaya Street, named after on the islands off KK. On the same street, you can go for the weekly Gaya Street Fair, a must for visitors to KK. Gaya Street Fair is on Sundays and runs from early morning until midday. Check out this site and this site for more information.

Old Building

This is the one of the oldest building in KK, built in 1916. It now houses the Sabah Tourism Board, but it used to be a government printing office and a post office. The earliest memory of the building for me was that of a post office.

Ice Cream

There's a chain of ice-cream selling outlets called Vedablu in KK. The locally made ice-cream is billed as premium italian ice-cream and has a lot of varieties, including the one pictured above - Durian, yes Durian. It's usually the one I ask for when I go to anyone of the outlets. Anyway, the price of a cup with one scoop as in the photo is a little below 5 Malaysian Ringgit, which is the price of a plate of rice with 3-4 kinds of dishes. So its a bit pricey but about half the price of a Haagen-Dasz or Baskin Robbins of the same size.

Grace Point Food Court

This the Grace Point food court, well just a portion of it. These are three of the food outlets there. The foodcourt has a large variety of food from Western to local Sabah cuisine, and a lot in between. I had lunch the other day with a friend. I had thai fried rice from the thai outlet but it was so so, so pass that one. I am definitely going to try the other ones later. Anyway, the foodcourt is managed by Sutera Harbour but the outlets are run by independent vendors. Did I mention that Grace Point is part of the park where the Double Six Memorial is located. You can read about the development of the area here and here.

From the past

This is the Double Six Memorial in Sembulan, Kota Kinabalu. I stayed nearby when I was much younger. The memorial used to be surrounded by seawater but the whole area, a very large area actually is now reclaimed. Now the memorial is on land and the area surrounding it is made up of a park called Grace Park, including an outdoor food court.

Local Daily Read

The above is the masthead of our very own local paper, Daily Express. Usually I read this for local news and a national paper for national news. The paper started in 1963, the year Malaysia was born as a result of the Federation of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore coming together to create a new nation. Anyway, the paper's claim to fame is probably the capture of Nick Leeson, who single-handedly brought Barings Bank down.

Pulau Sulug I

In the distance is Pulau Sulug, another island in the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Marine Park. I’ve never been on this particular island, so I can’t say much. Those who’ve been there said that it is the quietest of all islands in the Park. Maybe, one day I’ll go there when I need some solitude.

Pulau Mamutik I

It's been a little over a month since I started this website. It's not an easy thing to do, really. Anyway, I am trying to do my best to keep up the daily posts. It's going to be another busy weekend this weekend and I don't know if I get new photos then. Anyway, we'll see how it goes.

Oh ya, the above is another filler photo. It's one of Pulau Mamutik, another island in the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Marine Park. I haven't been there for some time. Anyway, for those wanting privacy, its a nice island to spend time in as there are fewer people. The downside is that the facilities are a little limited.

Scorching Hot

The photo doesn't do justice to the sun but it was scorching hot when I took it. It hasn't rained for some time in KK and at times like this, the sun gets to you. Some overseas friends say we are lucky to be in Malaysia for its eternal summer but sometimes too much sun is not good for you. My office is by the sea, maybe I should consider using some sunscreen now and then.

Typical suburban homes

A few posts back, I mentioned where I live. Well, the photo above shows one of the long blocks of terrace houses in the "housing garden" (yes, we call it that), where I live. No worries, my house is not in the picture. It is in one of the other blocks. Anyway, this is typical of homes in Malaysian suburbia.

Design Flaw

I was at this latest opened mall in KK over the weekend and one thing that struck me was another design flaw in the building. I just don't get it. KK is a seaside city and as such it is naturally hot, as in high temperatures during the day. When designing public spaces or buildings like a mall, one thing that should be considered is air conditioning. People come to malls to patronise the shops and not to enjoy the scorching sun. Ideally, the malls should be in an enclosed area with air-conditioning. There are a few other commercial development which do not take this into consideration. Like this one and this one. At least, the mall I went to is a bit further inland. The others are in the city centre and by the sea. What were the architects thinking?

Sabah Foundation Building

I have written about this building earlier. This is a bigger photo of the building. It was an overcast day, so the effect of the sun the glass of the building exterior cannot be seen.

Painted Houses

These are our very own painted houses in KK. Not quite the painted ladies of San Francisco, but they are colorful. The houses are located in Inanam, an area more known for light industries and motor vehicle spare parts. I live in one of the many housing estates in the same area. Yes, in those boring terrace houses.

Actually, it is quite common to see the kind of house shown in the photo around Sabah and the country. They are usually built on stilts to avoid the water when its flooding and in the older days, wandering wild animals. The stilts also allows good ventilation for the houses.

Manukan Island III

Photo of the blue waters off Manukan Island. Hidden behind the casuarina tree is Mamutik Island, another island in the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Marine Park.

Tanjung Aru Beach I

Photo of Tanjung Aru Beach in Kota Kinabalu.