Saturday, November 12, 2011

Reunion Sabah trip - Unforgettable taxi experience in KK town

4/11.(Friday)
         7pm- arrived at KK T2 airport.
         8pm- dinner at Welcome Seafood at Asia city
       10pm- checked in Tune Hotel KK
_________________________________________________________________________________
 Upon arrival at airport, we bought a airport voucher for MPV at RM42 to Welcome Seafood restaurant at KK town. The unscrupulous taxi driver drove us to another restaurant 300m, (Twin Sky restaurant if not mistaken), lying to us this is the place, and the MPV was gone in a blink. The waitress (who collaborate with the taxi driver)  from that restaurant tried to make us stay for dinner but with no avail. We insisted of going to Welcome Seafood restaurant. Starved, we dragged our bulky bags across few roads and reached the hotel in 15mins.
 Saefood is the selling point, the best shell dish had been sold out. We accidently ordered prawn mantis, which was RM120/kg. Here is how the waiter lured us into ordering that.
Waiter : Looked at this prawn mantis, fresh and the must-try in KK.
Me : How much is this? (being cautious)
Waiter : Arhh, not to worry, just take three prawns not going to cost much.
Me : Ok, but....... (my dad gave me a disapproving look for probing more)
End up having the seafood dinner at the bill of RM179 for 6 pax. Price moderate, just unhappy that the prawn mantis alone costing RM80 while the oyster is merely RM18 for 3 huge one!
                                                                     My favourite oyster





Finished the dinner at 930pm, I knew there was a free bus shuttle at the bus stop in front of Warisan Square, last trip at 10pm. Persuaded my parents into walking another 15mins only to found that the last bus was gone at 9:30pm instead of 10pm. The counter guy acted arrogantly when i queried the schedule discrepancy between internet and actual.


Pissed, we turned to the taxis lined up in front of us. These taxi drivers had been monitoring us since we walked up to the bus station, they knew we were were unable to get a bus to Tune Hotel, definitely had to go to them. Thus just stared blankly at us, without even bother to offer.


We were in the middle of the KK town, 5mins drive to Tune Hotel at One Borneo. Exhausted, with all the luggage around us, helpless to be slaughtered by these cold blooded taxi drivers.


We kept staring at each other for half minute, finally i gave up and walked up to them, putting up a smile and ask for taxi to Tune Hotel and the fare.
               "RM40 one car, you guys need 2 cars at least" Taxi driver A said.
Two taxi is fine with me, but I knew the taxi that goes by metre is about RM15, but i know he definitely wont agree.
              "Bang, tolong ON meter, kita ikut metre la" I pleaded.
              "Kalau nak meter, tunggu la sampai esok pagi. Malam tak der meter lagi" he folded             
               his arm arrogantly and turned away.
             "We are screwed, damn it!" I thought.
             "RM20 satu taxi, jumlah RM40, itu harga I bayar pergi One Borneo" i tried to 
               reasoned out, raising my voice to tell other taxi drivers around. 


The guys just sneered at me, ignoring my plea.


                  "Seems like there is no room of negotiation, fxxk it then!" I thought, 
                  start picking up luggage and all of us began walking.
                 "It was so late already and its fine for double charge...", my dad began murmuring.


Kept walking, I was struggling in my heart, praying for other taxi to pick us up, i know the fact that we couldn't walk far.
God answered my prayer! The other taxi drivers caught up with us, offering a ride at RM20 and we reached Tune Hotel safely. Thanks for the warm-hearted Samaritan taxi driver!


Thanks for being patience with my rather long winded description, there is a reason for it.


I had been travelling to different countries, fully aware and suffered the slaughter by those tuk-tuks or taxi drivers. I understood their state of poverty. Nevertheless, here even i spoke the native language with them, reasoned out the price with them and yet they insisted on extorting us after looking at the plight we were in. 


These merciless blood sucker, they are the black sheep, which many tourists labelled Malaysia as country with unreasonable taxi prices, unscrupulous taxi drivers. There were endless complaint that the drivers were unwilling to switch on the meter although they were supposed to do so. Even me, local breed Malaysian can't handle the atrocity doing, what more the Orang Puteh? 


Often they ended up paying the hefty fare and accept the offer, cursing all the way to their destination... Pathetic right?

Friday, November 11, 2011

Family reunion Sabah trip (4th - 7th Nov 2011)

In conjunction with Hari Raya Haji, planned to have a little reunion among family members, since all of us were away from home either studying or working,
Booked Airasia ticket KL-BKI-KL for RM192@6pax.
Thought it was cheap, however the 2 x 15kg luggage added on was RM100, totalled to RM292.

The itinerary:
4/11.(Friday)
         7pm- arrived at KK T2 airport.
         8pm- dinner at Welcome Seafood at Asia city
       10pm- checked in Tune Hotel KK

5/11 (Saturday)
       10am- checked out - breakfastat See Hing Tuaran Mee
       11am- collect Hyundai Starex at KK International Airport - Hertz outlet.
       12am- wet market for bbq food materials, shopping for bbq stuff and water/
         1pm- Set off to Kundasang
         3.30pm- Arrived at Desa Dairy farm. Watch the milk extraction process and enjoy fresh milk
         5:30pm- Checked in J residence.
         6:30pm- BBQ - setting fire and washing food material
         7:30pm -BBQ session
         10pm-    Rest after a long day

6/11/2011 (Sunday)

          10am - Arrived at Sabah Tea
          11am - Tagal Fish spa @ Kampung Luanti
          1pm - lunch@ Ranau town
          2pm - Poring Canopy Walk
          4pm- Poring Hot spring
          6pm- Dinner
          7pm- VCD movie in hotel.

7/11/2011 (Monday)
          8:30am -Morning walk at KK Park @500m aaway.
         10am -Breakfast at little verandah in front of our rooms
          11am- Check out, head for lunch Tuaran Mee at Tuaran.
          1pm- Lunch @ Tuaran
          2pm- Short tour in UMS - Aquarium closed due to Haji holiday.
         3pm - Returned MPV to Hertz at T1, check in luggage at T2.
          6:30pm- Departure from KK T2.

Monday, August 15, 2011

We are all here not for a long time, but for a great time!

“生活是艰苦的,但我们来世间,不是为享有更长的时间,而是为拥有更优质的时光! ” 谢福年Sunway Group