Freckled Faces + Favourite Places: The beginning of my solo misadventures...

View from Horizon Hotel 12th Floor.

It was about 11 p.m. when I decided that I was hungry during my first night in Kota Kinabalu. I thought it would be fitting to order room service. After being on hold three different times, for approximately 15 minutes, and one call back from the front desk staff, I discovered that 24 hour room service didn't exist, or at least in Horizon Hotel standards 24 hour room service means you can call the front desk 24 hours a day, but food is only served until 11 p.m. Drat, I had missed it. So, I thought there has to be some place close to the hotel that I could grab something to drink...maybe a 7-11 perhaps, which I was told earlier was close to the hotel. I headed downstairs determined to be brave. As I went outside the hotel there I stood, in a trance. I stared up the street. I stared down the street. I couldn't see a supposed 7-11 as the front desk staff had earlier relayed to me. Sigh. Back inside the hotel I go to burden the staff, again. This time a kind doorman says, "Come with me Ma'am I will show you." Uhm...show me? I walk again out the front doors of the hotel and this kind doorman says, "The 7-11 is just down the street Ma'am," as he points down the street from the hotel. I say, "down the street, how far down the street?" As there was no bright red, white and green sign that I was so familiar with. He went on to give me directions, "Ma'am just walk down this street, see that hotel (which was about a couple blocks away) it is just past that hotel on the other side." I reply, "on the OTHER side of the hotel?" "Yes, Ma'am, just on the other side." Uhm...I wasn't that brave. So, I decided that my thirst and hunger wasn't that bad and retreated back to my cozy room. I did not want to walk down a street which appeared to be lacking sidewalks past a hotel around the corner, which knowing my luck would be some dark alley, only to find the 7-11 closed. Ok, well we know the 7-11 probably wouldn't be closed but I wasn't willing to risk it.

Onto day 2 and the misadventures started early, well at least it wasn't till after breakfast. I awoke to blue sky with a bit of cloud, phew. It had been raining almost every day prior to my arrival so I thought I better take advantage of the sun and headed downstairs for my 'free' breakfast. I should not stay at hotels that have 'free' buffet breakfast unless I want to gain another 10 lbs. But, this was my vacation and damnit I was going to eat and be merry. There I sat eating my breakfast in my own little world and I look up to see what was on the television screen. Skating. An ice skating competition that was being held in Quebec of all places. I suddenly felt at home, even though I have never been to Quebec. I have been to the Toronto airport and Ottawa if that counts for anything.

After breakfast I decided that it would be appropriate for me to walk the few blocks to the shopping centre. A very kind staff member directed me out of the hotel and gave me the best instructions on how to get to the two different shopping centres. He also told me about the Filipino market which was also just a few blocks from the hotel. I went to two different shopping centres and wandered around checking out the bargains. I found one store that was selling flip-flops which I desperately needed since I brought two pairs with me to Malaysia and both have succumb to their demise. The sign said 15 RM, which is about 5 CDN, with any purchase, or 29 RM without a purchase. When I got to the till, the clerk said "these are 15 RM with any purchase." I handed him the 2.50 RM bracelet I found next to the till. He just smiled at me and rang through my purchase. I didn't think I needed to tell him I was cheap, or am for that matter, I think he figured it out all on his own.

I try to pride myself in the fact that I may be a big scaredy cat I try my best to be safe. So when I am in the elevator and there are others with me, I wait till everyone is off to push my floor number. Well...this did not work in my favour on this particular day. As I stood in the elevator with two other visitors and a cleaning staff I waited till everyone got off to press my floor. A creepy hotel cleaning staff however didn't press a floor number. I was forced to reveal my floor number unless I want to ride the elevator with him all day.

After everyone got off the lift he said: "Where you from?"
me: "Canada"
him: "You here alone?"
me: "Uhm...NO...I am just waiting for someone to arrive."

Maybe I was just paranoid. Yeah, that's it. I talked to my Momma after all my misadventures and told her about the elevator incident. She told me, "Shelley, I am sure he was just trying to be nice." I think she was just trying to make me feel better. At any rate, I am positive she is right and I am just being a wee, ok maybe a lot, bit paranoid.

So my first day of solo misadventures were tolerable and entertaining, even if it did result in me staying in my room for most of the night once the sunset. However, I did manage to venture out to the Christmas market again, but this time was able to actually watch the concert. The one thing that amazes me about Malaysia is its diversity. During the live concert they had not one but three different emcee's speaking English, Malay and Chinese. Not sure how much more diverse you can get.

Oh, and it was my intention to lay by the pool in the afternoon, maybe get a little sun. But it rained. Thank goodness it was after I was done my big shopping excursion. Besides I probably would have just turned into a lobster anyway. Sun and a pool...pfft.