Hello Mt Kina

Hello, Mt Kina. How are you? How have you been? Has it been a long lonely silence, enveloped by your own grandeur? You are a mountain, bolted down to the earth. Could your own dreams ever lift you away?

This was one of the trips I decided not to tell too many people about, rather drop it nonchalantly when discussing dates of open houses and Raya plans. It was two weeks post raya, I opted to take the least favored week off because I am such a nice colleague - putting others ahead of me and letting my office mate enjoy a 2 week break in Indonesia instead.

I was not in shape, I try to be but it was fasting month, and I had a roller coaster of a ride keeping up pace with Mika alone at the time. He has been such an angel, and I had some major issues of my own to overcome. See how much I needed this?

The stars aligned and I got my slot without much fuss. Normally you would have to make bookings months ahead. I just gambled and thought I would have it, if it was meant for me. Else we could go rock climb or something in KL. 

The climb. Wow. Where do one begin? It is endless miles of stairs, steep, slopes, all I could think about was how massive my thighs must be post Kina. The cold wind is a contrast juxtapose making the climb both unbearable but pleasant?! We did it in a short climb of 5 hours, arriving at the base camp of Laban Rata way before dinner was served. The night of, I could not sleep. My chest felt heavy, and my head was spinning. Every creak and bounce of a spring woke me. I was doomed.

And doomed was I. The 2am upward climb to Low's Peak was a treacherous on, in poorly lit conditions and the cold air whipping in between the very threads of your clothes. All I wanted to do was sleep behind a rock. Everytime we stopped - at my mercy of course - I would try to steal 1 or 2 seconds of sleep. A few kind passerby's did ask me if I was OK.. Could not believe we eventually made it to the top. It was an infested site, almost like a sacred spot for the religious. A few ladies decided to shout in glee as they made it to the top but were shushed by the guides - ' you cannot tell who will be bothered by your shouting' totally zipped their mouths shut throughout the decend. The weather was lovely and cold up there. I wanted to spend at least an hour devouring the view and snapping pictures but my fingers could not handle such cold and numbness. I ate a 5ringgit piece of nestle chocolate wafer in greed as I sat at one of the corners. Battling lack of sleep, hunger, fatigue and awe all at once. 

Abby was our guide, he had the record of bringing up the water tank to Laban Rata, and as F would call him 'ayam lamo' as he tought me some basic local dialect and we discussed the track and how much more harder it gets as the distance goes by. We were rushing to Timpohon Gate. And to meet Pondok Kandis. 

Happy to be at square one, where we started, back home with Mika. But of course saddened to say goodbye to the majestic peak of my country. You are such a beauty, and I am so so so glad I decided to go say hello to you up close.