Kota Kinabalu: The City That Smells Like Salt and Fried Bananas
i woke up this morning with sand in my sheets and a vague memory of dancing on a rooftop bar with someone named "Mark" who claimed he was a "digital nomad" but really just sold herbal supplements online. it's humid here. like, the-air-is-trying-to suffocate-you humid. i just checked and it's 23.59°c right now, feels like 24.62°c, and the humidity is 100%. so basically you're gonna sweat through your shirt before you even finish your morning coffee. bring extra underwear.
kota kinabalu is weird in the best way. it's not trying to be anything other than itself-part fishing village, part backpacker haven, part karaoke bar explosion. the waterfront is lined with grills selling satay and fish so fresh it still looks surprised. i ate something called "sinalau bakas" which is smoked wild boar and it tasted like regret and joy had a baby.
i overheard a guy at a hostel bar saying the sunsets here are "the kind that make you question your life choices in a good way." he wasn't wrong. the sky turns into a watercolor painting that looks fake. like someone cranked the saturation slider too far in photoshop.
if you get bored, kuching and sandakan are just a short drive or flight away. but honestly, you won't get bored. there's always a new street food stall to try or a karaoke bar where the locals will make you sing bon jovi whether you want to or not.
someone told me that the raffles marina is haunted by the ghost of a british sailor who got lost looking for the bathroom in 1947. i didn't see him, but i did see a cat that looked like it had seen some things. maybe it was him.
i tried to go to the signal hill observatory tower for the view, but it was closed for "maintenance" which i'm pretty sure means "the guy with the key is on holiday." instead, i ended up at a tiny warung drinking iced milo and watching the world go by. it was better than the view anyway.
the people here are ridiculously friendly. like, "hey stranger, come eat with us" friendly. i got invited to a family dinner after chatting with a guy at the night market for five minutes. we ate stingray cooked in banana leaves and i learned more malay swear words than i probably should admit.
random tip: bring cash. lots of it. in small denominations. the ATMs here have a personal vendetta against tourists and the currency exchange places close whenever they feel like it. also, download a translation app. not everyone speaks english, but they'll try, and that's what matters.
i've been here three days and i already have sand in places i didn't know could hold sand. my clothes smell like the ocean and my hair has achieved a level of frizz that could probably be classified as a natural disaster. but i'm not mad about it.
this city doesn't try to impress you. it just is. and that's why i like it.
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