Beaufort – Kota Kinabalu – 98km ^67
None of my plans came to anything, and upon making inquiries, I received a
different answer each time. I, therefore, resumed my journey and discovered the
way busy and narrow.
Halfway to Kota Kinabalu, a high mountain range loomed ahead and I realised
never to become too blasé. Luckily, nothing came of the mountains as the road
followed a valley, a beautiful ride past lush green farmlands, interesting people,
hamlets and riverside settlements. Finally, I got into a sort of rhythm: the wheels
spun smoothly, making a soft, whirring sound on the tarmac and the kilometres
flew by. I pedalled past women carrying baskets strapped to their backs, past
Durian stalls and scrawny-looking dogs, too timid to give chase.
Intriguingly, the route went past custom-built concrete bird's nest factories. I read
somewhere that "edible bird's nests are among the priciest animal products
consumed by humans." The nests are used in Chinese cooking, primarily to make
bird's nest soup. Made of interwoven strands of solidified saliva they are high in
calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium.
Finally, I slinked into the big and modern city of Kota Kinabalu, or just KK.