Tuesday 14th July
This morning, we decided that even though it didn’t make for particularly spectacular viewing, we nonetheless would do some more snorkelling off the beach to kill some time.
Noon came, we checked out, and waited for a taxi to arrive. He picked us up around 12:30 and we began the 250km journey back to Kinabalu. In Australia, this would be a two hour trip, maybe 2 and a half. Here? 4 hours. We got to the airport around 16:30.
Along the way, I had received a text from the rental car company saying that because we had hit a pothole, we would be liable for the damage to the rental car and that that would come to RM3500 (about AUD$1200). I refused to discuss it over the phone and told the girl that we would talk about it when we got to the airport.
When we arrived at the airport, we dug out our copy of the rental agreement which stated that for vehicles under 1600cc, the damage waiver was RM2000. We told them that that was all we were going to pay. They agreed to this almost immediately. Then I explained that they owed us RM30 for the taxi from Kudat to our resort on Sunday night, a further RM230 for the taxi which had just delivered us to Kinabalu airport from Kudat, and that I expected a refund on the RM100 daily hire fee for yesterday (Monday) when we had been without a car. All in all, that got our commitment down to about RM1600, but of course, we then had to add the Malaysian GST of 6% to that figure. We ended up RM1700 out of pocket, but that was a lot better than the RM3500 they wanted to charge us!
We checked into our hotel, the Magellen Sutera Harbour, an absolutely stunning 5 star resort. Our Club Room includes access to the Club Lounge, which serves complimentary drinks (including top shelf liquor) and canapes from 17:30-19:00 every evening, and free tea and coffee all day. We partook, but with restraint, as we wanted to head down to the waterfront for dinner.
The waterfront area comes alive in the evenings when all the fishermen set up their stalls and you can buy fresh seafood and have it cooked to order. Sadly, the experience did not live up to our expectations. Why is it that these experiences are never as good the second time around? Do we glorify them in our minds, and make the original experience out to be more than it really was? Not sure. One thing both Cath and I did notice was that two years ago, there were hardly any white people here. We felt very much in the minority then. Tonight, I think white people made up more than 50% of the people in the marketplace. Something tells me that if I was to come back here in 10 years time, I would be horribly disappointed and that it would be nothing like I remembered. I really do feel like we discovered Borneo before it was a serious tourist destination, although anyone who was here 10 years ago would probably laugh at that suggestion.
Unfortunately, our almost full day taxi ride meant another day sans photography. 🙁
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