Tip of Borneo

Bites Tale : I know how hard life is for you right now... you already have too much to worry about. But i felt like a game to you so i disqualified myself. I wish you well and will pray for you always..

It was a really "hard" drive from the town to the Simpang Mengayau a.k.a. The Tip of Borneo due to the seemingly endless gravels. Question of whether or not people will think it is worth driving all the way up from Kota Kinabalu to here, especially when we need to drive up the gravels for almost an hour just to be at The Tip of Borneo, kept popping out of my head.

But i guess, like the old saying of "someone's trash would be someone's treasure", and in this case, some may felt like it's not worth it to drive all the way just to look at scenery and take pictures for remembrance while some really appreciate the beautiful scenery of white sandy beach near the tip, the sea, the breeze etc.

Frankly, unless you are staying near Simpang Mengayau, not everyone gets to see the meeting point of 2 seas i.e. South China Sea and Sulu Sea. The view is simply stunning... Just like climbing Mount Kinabalu, there are lots of people who paid so much to fly themselve across from the other part of the world just to reach Kota Kinabalu and conquer Mount Kinabalu... while there're lots of Sabahan especially those from KK here have never ever attempt to climb Mount Kinabalu or even have the urge to do so... ashamed to say, i am 1 of them. (I'm still persuading myself to fight my fear of height and to at least try it once!)

It was still raining when we arrived, but we still enjoyed ourselves with the rain and the breeze, taking pictures of the scenery as well as the bronze globe that marks where we were --- Tip of Borneo.

Pic : It's raining... but it won't stop us from walking to the tip.

Pic : Walk, walk, walk

Look at the sea... i mean, seas

Walking back up for picture taking session of the Bronze globe...

I was there. ;)















Pic : The seemingly endless gravel.

Lunch @ Kedai Kopi Sin Nam Hong, Kudat

Bites Tale : I hope you could find someone you really trust to share with everything in your life.

The 1st thing we could think of is food when we came out from the Gong Making Village, so we stopped by at the nearest town of Kudat. This is not the main town, it's just some old shoplots near the town.

Pic : Kedai Kopi Sin Nam Hong

We were really hungry at that time and we could wait no longer for stuffing something in.. so instead of ordering some "freshly cooked" food.. we went to the stall outside the shop and get each of us these...

Pic : This is what i had...

Everything tasted so good (may be that is because we are hungry) ... felt like i want to try everything...

Pic : A variety of delicacies

As we still have along way to go, we continue our journey straight after lunch. Not even have time to walk around the town. This is the car we used for the whole journey... it's only 5 hours since we started our journey and it gets so dirty... wonder how it'd look like on the last day.

Pic : This is where the 6 of us spent most of our quality time in

Pic : This is how the shoplots look like.. (P/S : That's not the sun.. it's my camera flash..)

Gong Making Village, Kudat

Bites Tale : I'm scared that i fell into the trap again. It's time to come out.

Continue from here, here & here.... (Yes, i know... it took me more than half a year to post this trip.. and i'm still not finish with the 1st day yet!)

Sumangkap Gong Making Village is our 3rd stop for our 1st day driving trip.

Since we arrived around noon time and most of the gong making masters were not back from church or lunch yet. We missed out on the gong making process, so i don't have much info on gong making. :(

So there'll be only photos...

Pic : Gong storage

Pic: This is how the village look like... all of the houses have gong making equipments

Pic : The cutest thing we saw there... this puppy will not wake up even if people kicks him. (We saw that!)

Pic : Another house which is used to store gongs

Pic : These are for sale... by a whole set

Pic : And these.... the tools for gong making

Pic : It's been raining on and off since we started our journey

I hate myself the most...

Bites Tale : Batman - The Dark Knight is a must watch movie! Heath Ledger's acting is really impressive... i like him since the movie "10 things I hate about u"... that's one of my favourite movie. Have u ever watch it? Remember the poem Julia Stiles read? ---- "I hate the way you talk to me, and the way you cut your hair. I hate the way you drive my car. I hate it when you stare. I hate your big dumb combat boots, and the way you read my mind. I hate you so much it makes me sick; it even makes me rhyme. I hate it, I hate the way you're always right. I hate it when you lie. I hate it when you make me laugh, even worse when you make me cry. I hate it when you're not around, and the fact that you didn't call. But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you. Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all."

I hope i am doing the right thing...

If it is right, then why am i feeling so bad?

Why am i still confused?

And i just couldn't sleep...

Still remember my Dec 07 trip???

Bites Tale : 明明是想靠近，却孤单到黎明。

Pic : Never it crossed my mind that our boat capsized the next day and i nearly lost my life...

At last.... i've gotten all photos back for the December 07 trip...

I hope i can still remember everything... will blog about it soon after resizing the pics...

Steamed Pork Belly with Yam

Bites Tale : I don't wanna be fooled....

Everyone at home like this dish very much. But no one at home knows how to make it. We normally bought from people... and it's getting more expensive. So 1 fine day, mum decided to try making this herself.

It was her 1st attempt making this, but thumbs up... great job, really... overall we gave her a 90%.

Pic : Presentable huh?

Here's the recipe :-

Ingredients

1 kg Pork Belly

500kg Yam

Marinade

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tsp five spice powder

Gravy

4 tbsp Hakka Nam Yee

Shao Xin White Wine

Rock Sugar

Red Onions

Garlic

Oil for deep-frying

Method :

1. Cut pork belly into 4 pieces and mix with marinade ingredients.

2. Use a big frying pan. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown. Dish up. Drain the oil.

2. Use fork and prick holes on the skin then cut all pieces into about 1.5cm thick slices.

3. Cut yam into 1cm thick slices and deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain.

4. Arrange pork belly and yam (i.e. pork then yam, then pork then yam) onto a steaming bowl and pour over gravy. Let them soak in the gravy for 1 hour before steam.

5. Steam pork belly and yam for 2 hours until tender.

3 Days 2 Nights Kota Kinabalu Free & Easy Tour Package

Bites Tale : I'm feeling upset today...

The travel company i am working with is having this RM 488 nett per person promotion package... let's see what do you think of this...

Minimum 2 persons

Package inclusive of :

• 2 nights accommodation in Imperial International Hotel or similar hotel
• Return airport transfer
• Return land transfer from hotel to local restaurant in Kota Kinabalu
• Seafood dinner at local restaurant
• Return land transfer from hotel to Jetty
• Scheduled return boat transfer from Jetty to Manukan Island
• Sabah Park Entrance Fee
• BBQ Lunch at Manukan Island

Package exclusive of :

• Water sports activities
• Personal expenses
  
• Traveler's traveling insurance
• Tipping
• Return air ticket

Note : Peak season surcharge applies.

Kenangan terindah berada di Kuching...

Bites Tale : Smelly mud & rain at Rainforest Music Festival... but it didn't spoiled my mood... simply because i have great companions with me! We were having great fun together the whole day and dancing all night long!

I had a really great time in Kuching...

Get to know a lot of new friends...

Kak Jun, Fauziah, Susan, Ira, Sara & Karim...

So happy to be friends with you all...

And Nat.... my dear.... a very, berry, special thanks to you for hosting us... will miss you alot... and your saliva... just take out my toothbrush when u miss me.... (eyes red already lor)

Hope to see you guys next year!!!

Let's make this a yearly gathering for us!

;)

P/S : "Kenangan Terindah" and "Stop & Stare" will be our songs... always!!!!

Cheers to our friendship!!!

The time has come....

Bites Tale : Bad news is, I'm so exhausted... until i felt really moody today

Good news is....

At last....

Been waiting for this since last year...

I'm going to Kuching tomorrow...

My 1st visit there...

Rainforest Music Festival... Here i come!!!

And I've got so many food on my list that i wanted to try...

Everything broke down....

Bites Tale : My car is out from workshop already!!! (Happy!).... I'm still having problem with my phone line... urghhh... it's getting on my nerves.... Maxis.... why la???

There seems to be lots of communication breakdown today....

Can't make calls....

Sometimes can't receive calls...

Can't retrieve my emails...

Can't seems to talk with others... i just got them misunderstood...

Sigh...

Nice wedding gift...

Bites Tale : I'm feeling like a constipated cat today... don't come near me... By the way, my mum got me some "Mak Chao" (Hakka), it's some kind of grass... she said i should bring it with me... to keep bad luck and evil things at bay...

I was surprised to have received a nice, baby blue, big gift box from a friend whose wedding will be in the coming October. He brought this all the way from Taiwan... i wonder how many boxes he brought back... must be very stressful... O_O|||

Pic : Nice packaging.. even have the "wedding card" sticked on the paper bag

But, i really, really appreciate it.... ^_^

This is the nicest thing happened to me for the past 2 weeks... it instantly put a smile on me..

Let's share what is inside...

Pic : Can't wait to open it

Pic : Nicely packed even on the inside...

Pic : Hmm... a card... wonder what it is...

Anyone wanna guess what is it?

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Just by looking at it made my day....

Pic : The 1st tray

Pic : The 2nd tray

For it had becomes my breakfast the next day...

Hahaha...

















Pic: The best part.... it even comes with a nice butterfly hair clip for remembrance...