The quest for the ‘floating’ mosque ……

Today we’re in Kota Kinabalu - capital of Malaysia’s Sabah state on the north west side of Borneo. It’s another ‘return’ visit, having been here last in 2006 in order to climb Mt Kinabalu - something I’d decided I wanted to do for my 50th birthday. It’s good to say we did it, and we did raise about £2000 for charity - but I can honestly say it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done! G suffered from altitude sickness at one point  but with some rest he was able to continue when we were called for our 2.00am start to reach the summit by sunrise! 

I can see the mountain rising out of the lower hills as we come into port - its jagged peaks clear before the usual cloud descends. 

Unfortunately, I’m not feeling too good this morning  - possibly down to yesterday’s overindulgence, possibly just tiredness. We’ve booked to go on quite a long excursion today to Kinabalu National Park, but I just don’t feel I’m up to it so G goes on his own. It’s one of the reasons cruising works well for us at the moment - I can just stay in the suite if I’m not feeling well.  

I indulge in some TV repeats on the BBC HD channel - usually we don’t even switch on the television when we’re travelling, but a couple of episodes of Silent Witness and Call the Midwife Christmas Special really do the trick! 

By lunch time, I’m feeling better and decide to take the shuttle bus into town - which is far more modern and westernised than I remember, full of shopping malls decorated extravagantly for Christmas. My real interest is to get to the ‘floating mosque’ - a beautiful building surrounded by water which obviously provides wonderful reflections. It will take me over an hour to walk there and the guide stationed in town advises against it - it is very hot and humid. A taxi will cost 20$ but I only have 10 and no way of getting any more money: as usual, I’m relying on Apple Pay. The only thing to do is come back later and try again. 

But I have 45mins to kill before the return bus, so wander down to the sea front where colourful wooden fishing boats line up, often with crew members either sleeping or eating after a night’s fishing and a morning at the fish market. The market is just in front of the boats, now quiet with just a few men clearing away the final remnants of the morning’s activities. 

Turning back towards the town, I come across the fruit and vegetable market - colourful as usual, though I’m disturbed to see that much of the produce seems to have been wrapped in plastic. As usual, I try to get some interesting portraits - always more difficult in Muslim countries, but I’m surprised how compliant stall holders are. 

I make my way back to the mall where the bus is waiting, get back to the ship, have some lunch and rest. Later I return - I’d hoped G would want to come with me, but having returned from his excursion, he’s not interested. 

I have money now, but there are no taxis around - and even if there were, it seems impossible to recognise one as none of them have Taxi signs! The guide suggests I go to a hotel and ask them to book me a taxi. This I try, but I’m told they can’t get one to take me, wait, then bring me back. I’ll need to phone for a taxi, but of course, I don’t have Malaysia roaming on my phone! 

In desperation I return to the guide who manages to find a taxi prepared to take me, wait etc - and off we go. 

We arrive at the mosque, and the driver agrees to return in 30 minutes to take me back to town. Great - plenty of time to get some lovely dusk shots. It’s a very impressive building, but it’s impossible to see the reflecting pool from the roadside as there’s a very wide boundary area that you can’t cross and a wall that blocks the view. I head to the entrance and as I step in I’m told in no uncertain terms that it’s closed! I don’t want to go into the mosque, I explain, in fact all I want to do is to get to the nearby corner where I know I’ll get a decent view. The answer is still no. A more communicative  man appears; the answer is no again. By now I have to admit I’m in tears - I’m hot, tired and incredibly frustrated. Another man appears and offers to take me to a point where I can get a reflection shot - as long as I don’t mind a long walk. 

I follow him around the perimeter until eventually we reach a gap in the vegetation and a small pond that provides a partial reflection. It’s better than nothing, but it’s definitely not what I was looking for. 

There’s still about 20 mins before my taxi returns, so I just wander around trying to find something to photograph.  A fellow ‘solo’ visitor starts taking to me - he’s from China and is just in the area for a few days. I’m grateful for the distraction.  

Eventually the driver returns and we head back to town where I have a good 30 mins to wait for the shuttle bus. I can see a faint glow of colour in the sky over the bay - Kinabalu has a reputation for fabulous sunsets but this isn’t one of them. Still, it’s beautifully soft and gentle, and I just about make it past the boarding that blocks off much of the seafront due to construction work to catch the last rays of colour. 

Exhausted, I walk back to the bus, grateful for the air conditioning, and eventually arrive back in port. It’s quite dark by now and G has begun to wonder what has happened to me. I’m hot, sweaty and generally exhausted - hardly the way to spend a day where I claimed I needed rest. 

It’s a quick shower, change, makeup on (I’m wearing makeup in the evening and rather enjoying getting ‘dressed up’ for a change) and out for dinner  …… what a day! 


Having given up trying to upload full size photos on our ‘free’ internet, I’ve made this one smaller so I’ve no idea of the quality. 


Once again, thanks for all the stars, hearts and comments and for following our journey.