Climbing Mount Chili Crab
Nic and I got so excited over the big platters of chili crab and ginger steamed prawns that we decided to delay our shower and tuck into the food immediately.
Again, we ate overlooking the scenic panorama of a dusky skyline, emerald green mangrove trees and the calmly flowing river. Such an extravagant view and I forgot to snap a photo, forgive me!
The Vengeful Prawn
It was quite difficult to eat so much good food, observe so much beauty, and chat so much about everything we have experienced that day. I some how managed to pierce my tongue with the pointed head of a prawn I was sucking.
To think I have spent my life avoiding painful treatments such as tattooing or body piercing or armpit hair plucking, only to end up with an accidental tongue piercing!
At that time, the piercing didn’t stop me from living my life to the fullest but three days later, the pain would get so brain-numbing that I had to reduce myself to cold porridge, water soaked oatmeal, and milk cornflakes only. Worse of all, I wouldn’t be able to roll my tongue to pronounce my “R”s so my rulers became loolers and slow loris became slow lolis.
Nic had such a fun time imitating my short-tongued speech, so you know how compassionate my man is. Sigh…
The Fireflies Battled The Mid-Autumn Moon For Glory
Any way, we started eating before dusk, and by 8pm, we still hadn’t finished! However, this is the time that Kunang-kunang (fireflies) appear to beautify our world with their shining bum-bums, so we licked our fingers clean and switched off the lights.
The fireflies were fascinating, they were everywhere around us, some even came on our arms and shoulders. We walked out to the boardwalk to view them on the mangroves but when we came back to the lodge, we discovered our very ceiling is twinkling brightly!
The locals explained that it is usually a lot more firefly-filled had it not been for the moon peering down so brightly at us. So remember, do not visit fireflies when the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching!
The Haunted Toilet Room
After the unforgettable firefly experience, we finally decided to get ourselves cleaned. About three minutes after gushing myself with a generous spray of hot water from above, there was a power AND water cut! I was left soaking wet and in complete and total darkness.
Thankfully, I hadn’t started soaping myself and Nic was quick to rescue with a small beam from a plastic torch light. Truly he is Aaron, the bearer of light. 
Half an hour later, the power and water supply returned. This time, I waited with the torch like a fireman while Nic had his turn with the shower. However, it turned out that he didn’t need my rescue services. Oh well…
Meanwhile, I convinced myself that the three minute water gush earlier was enough to wash off all the sweat and mosquito repellent, and that citronella oil, unlike the chemical laced Deet, is absolutely harmless to the human body.
The Triple Strength Storm
Similar to Borneo Backpackers, our room is another six bunker dormitory but this time without air-conditioning. Its lofty ceiling with spacious ventilation kept us cool and comfortable enough.
That night, there was a windstorm, a thunderstorm and a rainstorm all at once. We heard an impressively loud crash as though a tree had caved our roof in, but couldn’t see any visible damage. I soon fell asleep.
The next morning, Nic and Mr. Tay told me that the three-storm combination followed by an aftermath of croaking frogs deafened them throughout the night. Nic didn’t realize I had flung our windows wide open before switching off the lights so he couldn’t do anything to reduce the volume.
I was so surprised to hear of their interesting night. Like a newborn baby, I had slept through the storm
Last year, Nic and I stayed at a beautiful multi-award winning hotel, the Kinabalu Pine Resort. Just before we checked in, we were shocked to hear from a friend that the beds in the hotel are full of bed bugs.
