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Why did I want to climb a mountain?? What possessed me this would be a good idea? Why did I choose Mt. Kinabalu, half the size of Everest and the largest in South East Asia?? Why? Why? WHY!!!! Anyway, here's the story ...
Flipping through the large yellow lonely planet SEA guide from my soft couch in LA (over 8 months ago) I first learned of Mt. K. "Oh, I'm so doing that!" I thought to myself, imagining how amazing it would be standing on top of such a high mountain. Stupid girl.
So I take a 4 hr bus from the Orang-utan place that drops me off at the park headquarters. I pay the park fees, which is a lot since the unpleasant Suter Sanctuaries company are greedy bastards that monopolize the park and its lodgings. There are a billion extra fees - not only a climbing fee, insurance fee, park fee, guide fee, transportation fee, and I beleive a few others. But still, I thought - how often do I get to climb a mountain like this?!
That night while hanging out in the hostel at the bottom of the mountain I met a cool pair, Damion and Marie, 20 something friends from NYC. We got along real well and decided to climb this huge ass mountain together. So maybe we weren't the most prepared to start off with - no hats, glovess, winter clothes, but this is SEA - who the hell brings these things ?!? That night we didn't have a chance to eat dinner since it was raining heavily all evening, but we did share some cookies and snacks plus chat - it was nice hanging out with some Americans again, it's pretty rare out here.
The next day we had breakfast then went to meet our guide Richard, a young guy who didn't really talk much. The first part of the trail is down hill for about 1/2 km, then it starts going up and up. Panting we climb, each time we turn a corner we see more uphill path and usually stairs built into the path. At the 1/5 km marker it starts to pour - fabulous. The rest lodge we are staying at is at the 6 km mark. This is not fun. Climbinb high mountains in the rain over slippery rocks and climbing endless stairs for 6 F---ing hours is not only not fun but completely pointless. Why the hell am I doing this? (Please see additional questions that where going through my mind at the beginning of this entry). Well, Damion went ahead, Marie (who was having as much fun as I) was at the same pace as me, and Richard stayed in the back talking with other guides or playing on his cell phone whenever the rain lightened. The last 1 1/2 km was the hardest. I can't even describe how miserable it was with the cold, rain, and high altitude. We finally make it to the lodge house to discover our bags are not infact waterproof. Everything is wet. Everything - my jeans I was wearing of course, a pair of pants I brought to change into, my pajama pants - everything, including the book I'm reading that is still readible, but swelled to a huge size and smells disgusting. My actual room reservation is for cheapest dorm, which happens to be unheated. Luckily this Swedish couple in Damion and Marie's room have decided to sleep in 1 bed since it is so cold and kindly let me use the other bed. The 3 of us go to te hot showers. They are the lukest warm water imaginable. I gave up showering, @#$@. I have no dry clothes to change into so I put on the shirt and sweater I'd been hiking in and wrap my towel around me like a skirt (with a scarf over it) in order to go downstairs for dinner. I look like a complete idiot and it takes 5 cups of tea before I stop shaking.
Anyway, I don't have time to finish this entry today - but all you people that always say how lucky it is to be traveling, please don't. Some time it is just fucking miserable. There is nothing great about being cold, wet, exhausted, aching, on the middle of a stupid mountain, half way around the world from friends and family who you are imagining sitting in comfy apartments, watching tv, or other such luxuries. :P
previous travel blog entry
Wondering Physicist says:
Well, if it makes you feel better, I sipped too hot coffee while reading this entry and burned my lip. It's no picnic over here either :-) This'll be one of those "character" moments that'll help you get though life's harder times.... eventually.