Most of today was spent on the bus heading from the Kinabatangan River up into the highlands close to Mount Kinabalu. The route roughly follows the route of the death marches in 1945. Interestingly the death marches are well known and recognised by the local population today.
The road over the mountains was not what you would call an easy drive. The flatter areas in the east soon gave way to soaring mountains and plunging valleys. It must have been heartbreaking to reach the crest of a hill and then see more valleys and hills in front of you. Historians have mapped out the path of the marches and key sites along the way.
We stopped for lunch at a tea plantation that marked the spot where Private Allan Quailey was killed by the Japanese. It is marked by a memorial stone. There are also signs marking the route the marches took.
We were headed to the village of Kundasang in the shadow of Mt Kinabalu where we are staying the night. We are now 1,450m above sea level so it is much cooler and there are no mosquitoes. Mt Kinabalu is visible from the village and soars 4,000m, it is really impressive.
We stopped off at the spot in the river where carp come and nibble your feet as you paddle in the river. I stayed on the bank and took photos!
Our hotel has amazing views of Mt Kinabalu but the clouds and haze have combined to obscure a lot of the mountain.
This side of the country is more catholic. The eastern side was Muslim. There are also far fewer palm oil plantations.
Tomorrow we continue on our journey to the west coast.Read more
October 17 in Malaysia