Translate

Thursday 26 February 2015

Borneo Blog :: tarap, durian, coconut milk

Today has been epic! 

I wanted to buy a cheap tarap as a last goodbye to this amazing fruit, so Des took me to Dongonggon Tamu on his motorcycle. On the way he took a detour to a different market near Cyber City apartments close to KK airport. 

This market did not have tarap, but it had an incredible coconut milking machine! I say milk, but it was thick like cream. Oh so good. I got a 500g bag but only drank half as I was already still full from breakfast (my new favourite avocado, coconut oil and soaked walnuts). 

I put the rest in the fridge when I got back but after checking it a few hours later it has turned sour! Seriously the fridge in this hostel is absolutely rubbish at keeping milk fresh! 

So after this we went to Dongonggon and I was so disappointed to find that the tarap was more expensive than what I found in KK the previous day... However, I did find a lady selling just 1 for 3 ringgit. It's not the cheapest I've paid but it was still cheap in my opinion. It isn't ripe until tomorrow. 

As the tarap has to wait until tomorrow I decided today would be my final durian in Sabah. I had only planned on getting one, but as I'm addicted I ended up buying 4... I got a tray labeled as Musang king, but if it was it was over ripe. It didn't taste as amazing as I expected based on other people's reviews... And so I bought 3 wild durian. One after the other of course, after each one I said "OK this is the last" but it is by far my favourite durian I've ever tried so I had to eat until I was 100% completely sure I couldn't eat any more. 

I feel good though, I definitely did not over do it like in Ranau. 

Then to top off the day nicely I had a chat with my Mum :) it's been a long time since we talked, mainly because she works and I'm 8 hours ahead of the UK. 

Wednesday 25 February 2015

My life has changed forever

Morpheus: The Matrix is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. 

There's no returning once your step out of the Matrix and I've sure learned that firsthand. 2014 was the year my life changed forever and 2015 will be the year that I probably make the biggest decisions of my life so far. 

The information put before me has altered everything I've ever known regarding food and man's existence. It has made me halt, put me at a stand still and I'm contemplating my next move. 

However, the reason for my early arrival in Thailand is due to this information, but it may also contribute to a potential early departure from Thailand if the environmental conditions are not ideal. 

I am not overwhelmed, but I am in a state of indecision. Do I use the information I've been provided with to implement change immediately? Do I take it slow, put it in the back of my mind and carry on as "normal"? Ignorance isn't really an option though, this has to be contemplated everyday. Every move, every decision, every thought. 

If I were given a choice to erase my memory and go back, I'd say no way. I am blessed that I am no longer living in the dark. I am also blessed that I have someone to talk to about it, the one person who has been very misunderstood by me and most people. The one person who I mistreated and bad mouthed. My love and appreciation for this man will never end. 

One day the entire population will know and understand this information and their lives will be changed too. For now, I accept the initial ridicule. In my heart I know this is right. 

Tuesday 24 February 2015

Borneo Blog :: learning Malay at a coconut stand

I spent a lot of time at the coconut stand. I have been going mainly to eat the thick fatty coconut meat instead of drinking the water and this is the best place to go for that. 

Although they don't speak much English we can still converse. I was being taught descriptive words because there are a lot of Americans in town. It turns out they're in the military on a ship and have come to drink beer and party.. 

The reason I was learning descriptive words is because every time a western man walks past the lady says to me "wow, look at him, strong!". People here seem to think I'm after a husband. So I played along. From that moment we were pointing out tall men (tinggi), short men (rendah), bald men (botak), etc. It was definitely a fun way to learn Malay. However, that's really the only thing I can say (as well as some pleasantries of course). 

I was asked to help out sell snacks, but it was so quiet... I shouted over to many Americans to come for a coconut but they either declined (for beer) or ignored my call. 

At least I got to spend more time with this family, who are always smiling and willing to chat. I keep being invited to stay at their house but I politely decline everytime. They're Muslim and I don't think my Western dress would be appropriate... 

Monday 23 February 2015

High fat low carb is hard!

I shot myself in the foot today. Apparently I should be avoiding high GI foods, so the tasty mashed banana and avocado I had for breakfast wasn't ideal. I also ate 1 medjool date. It caused a huge sugar craving and I ended up eating the ripe champedak that has been in my company since the orchard visit over a week ago. 



To compensate I bought a fresh bottle of coconut oil (the one from Bali is on its last drop) and I added it to my salad, I took it like medicine and I added it to the coconut water I had from the coconut stand (first I poured the water into my sports bottle and ate the fatty thick meat mmm). However, my carbs have been seriously high! My ratio for the day is 73% fat, 22% carbs and 5% protein. 
I think it would be much easier if I had a blender so I could whip up some nut cheeses, milks and sauces. But I am doing my best. I managed to control my sugar cravings, however, I don't think it's the best diet for travelling in tropical countries even if I am aiming for ketosis. Firstly, it makes me hot. I'm pretty sure nuts are heating foods. Secondly, there's so much to prepare like soaking the nuts at the right time. That's one thing I make sure I do, soak and rinse nuts. 

I've decided that tomorrow I will finish the avocados and almonds and after that I'll be back on fruit. I want to eat tarap so I hope I can get some before I leave on Saturday. I visited the market today and I don't remember seeing any. Also ripe bananas were scarce too! I have no idea what's going on at the market but it appears since I gave up fruit for a few days they stopped catering for my desires! 

PS I cannot access Instagram at this hostel, which sucks but it's actually nice to take a break from it! 

Saturday 21 February 2015

To break the fast or not to break the fast?

This question has been circulating in my head all day, mainly because I went to a few supermarkets to look for nuts and avocados to see how much they cost and (regarding nuts) how much fat vs carbs they contain.

I read this article about fasting for lent as whilst some people give up one food item, I am giving up food altogether for my fast. I'm not actually fasting for lent though, but it is for spiritual purposes.

I keep debating when I will break my fast. So it's only been 2 days, which is 1 day longer than my previous water fasts! I feel fine, I know I don't need to eat any food, my energy is level but it's the ego that won't silence. The ego causes many of my poor choices and I believe that I am facing the challenge of proving my strength in order to shake it off. (Yes the ego is part of me, but it's not my spirit and I am trying to channel into my spirit) 

I want to defeat the ego, put it in its place once and for all. I prayed to God and the answer is that I know in my heart what I need to do. My heart tells me to keep fasting. I just need to get over the thoughts I have about food and stop being attached to them. 

I honestly believe by what I've read recently and just an internal knowledge that we can live without food. So my actions now are to detach myself from the desires of Man and develop a stronger power within myself. 

I have definitely come from an eating disorder background, which is over eating. I have only calorie restricted for one or two periods in my life (mainly when money was tight and I was so focused on being thin), but this experience now is not coming from a desire to be skinny, it is coming from a want to be more connected to God, to my spirit and to the world around me. 

Recently I have demonstrated my greed and my inability to control myself, eating way too much durian plus eating till I'm beyond full and get pains (but eating through the pain). It's definitely unhealthy. I keep thinking about this one quote from the book I mentioned by Hilton Hotema

Electrons do not eat, atoms do not eat, molecules do not eat, cells do not eat, and the body does not eat.
Then why does man eat?
Page 18 Man's Higher Consciousness 

There is also mention of food actually causing us to die younger than we should. There are people recorded to live past 300 years old! I believe that we could live a long time, but with current living conditions, pollution and the like perhaps we cannot in this day and age unless we go to live in those places unaffected by man's destruction. 

Personally the best part of fasting is no defecation. It's wonderful not having to pass faeces. Sure I pee a lot because I'm drinking water, but passing stools is one of the major downsides to eating in general. 

So on that note I will leave you to ponder what I wrote! 

Friday 20 February 2015

Fasting and breatharianism

Today I embarked on a water fast after an experiment I started yesterday. I felt a little tired this morning, but that was because I was up all night peeing from my bum from the previous day. I am glad to report that it stopped around 12pm.

I have been drinking water all day with no food cravings. I even walked past the market and had no desire to eat fruit or veg. I have a stash of persimmons that are super ripe and juicy that I would demolish in seconds on a normal day, but the only reason I want to eat them is to avoid waste, but that's easily solved by giving them to my fellow hostel stayers. However, I'm still keeping them just in case... 

I don't think I really talk about everything I do on here or YouTube regarding my spiritual journey, but today I want to mention my intentions. I believe in God (that I have mentioned a few times) but not so much a strict religion. I believe we were created as breatharians and so I want to eventually become a breatharian and what I'm doing today will strengthen my body in preparation for this event. 

I'm currently in a state of ketosis, which was confirmed by a urine test I had earlier today. Many people don't know what this is, or if they've heard of it they have been told some very negative information. People actually eat a low carb high fat diet to achieve the ketosis state and I've been reading about it and watching YouTube videos and I believe this is the way to go in order to really get back to our roots as breatharians. 

I admit that I am following the advice of someone else, but I trust this person entirely with my life and so far they've not failed me. 

My personal issues have been letting go of the attachment to food and my travels to Bali and Sabah have helped me break that. I have made myself ill from eating, even on a raw vegan diet, which greatly backs up my thoughts about breatharianism. Add to that a great book Man's Higher Consciousness by Hilton Hotema and everything makes sense to me that breatharianism is the way forward (or backwards if you look at how we've devolved!) 

I'm not looking for a debate, concern, encouragement or any opinions, I am simply letting you know where I stand right now. It pretty much contradicts my life over the last 2 years being a high carb low fat raw vegan, but this discovery came at the right time. God never gives us more than we can handle and I am ready for this. 

I am not offering encouragement either, I am not telling you to ditch your current lifestyle and follow suit, I believe a raw vegan lifestyle is an important step in preparation for cleaning the body, but there's a lot more than meets the eye. If you're interested in trying what I'm doing there are many steps to be taken beforehand. It has taken me 12 months to reach this stage.

Right now I feel good without food and I have not set a date for breaking the fast. Time will tell. For now I will enjoy this experience. 

Thursday 19 February 2015

Borneo Blog :: Chinese New Year

Happy New Year everyone. This is my first experience of the Chinese New Year and I've been home all day! Say what? 

Well I returned to KK for this day but I ended up being too impatient to wait to do a food experiment, which required me to be home and next to a toilet... 

Luckily my friend Des came earlier to see me, which was nice. He gave me an ang pow. It's a red packet filled with money that traditionally is given to children and unmarried adults to wish them luck and prosperity and also to show gratitude. I thought it was a card at first but was really surprised to see money inside! Thank you Des for your ever increasing generosity. I've been away with the clouds so I never even thought to get a gift :/

I am speechless at the generosity I have encountered lately, from staying in Ranau and being taken to 2 orchards plus getting free fruit to being taken on motorcycle tours. The people of Sabah are really kind and amazing. 

I can definitely learn a lot from the people here. I'm so humbled to know that kindness is given away freely and doesn't have to be earned in anyway. I can tell when people genuinely want to help and make sure you have the best time. 

Thank you to Des and thank you Sherry and family. You've made my stay here welcoming and I feel so blessed to have been in your presence. 

May you have a wonderful year filled with good luck, peace and joy. I hope it's not too long before we meet again. 

Love Jennifer xxx

Wednesday 18 February 2015

Borneo Blog :: KK

Where all the magic happens... 

I always lack confidence about my decision to move on to another place and I definitely felt that returning from Ranau to Kota Kinabalu. But as soon as I got on my bike and cycled down familiar roads I was happy. To feel the hot sun on my bare legs and the sea breeze brush past my face was incredible and it made me realise that I actually missed it. 

With no accommodation booked I didn't let that stop me stopping next to the sea and enjoying a tasty tarap from Ranau. It was an amazing meal sat by the rocks hearing the waves crash and seeing the ships in the distance. I love KK. It's a city, yet there's nature all around. 

My favourite things about KK are the modern amenities of a city (mall, cinema, etc) and the close proximity of the sea, beach, parks. It's a great place to be and I'd say it caters to everyone. Especially if you love karaoke hahaha 

I also like that I can speak as much English as I want and be understood. I'm terribly lazy learning languages but due to the heavy influences of the English here from the wars it's a great place to come. 



Monday 16 February 2015

Borneo Blog :: durian addict

If you've been watching my YouTube channel and my Instagram feed you may have thought "wow, she really likes eating durian". Yes, I have enjoyed every moment of eating it, but recently I've not been enjoying the after effects, which include increased temperatures, sweating, burping, generally feeling too full because I over ate and then there's durian breath, which if I eat a durian that was too ripe can be awful!

I wanted to leave Ranau, but I decided not to because I hadn't told Sherry so I'm leaving tomorrow instead. I also decided to be more conscious of eating, so I finished the bunch of red bananas I had after waiting a few hours after getting up. The feeling of emptiness was pleasant. I headed to the market at 10 and got a yellow coconut. I think it was my first one ever and it was definitely sweeter. I enjoyed it so much I decided that I would drink 2 more for lunch and buy a small tarap. 



Normally I'd eat durian around 2 or 3pm, so when the clock struck 2 I automatically knew because I had a surge in craving durian. Yesterday I decided I was giving it up, but today because I was staying in Ranau I knew I could get it easily and cheap. So I cycled back to the market and bought 4 small wild durian for 5 ringgit and then a tray of ripe durian for 5 ringgit. 

I made sure I was fully aware of my actions and how I felt whilst eating these durian. I honestly believe I am addicted to it and I hope that I can just got cold turkey! Needless to say I over ate and felt sick. 

I have thought recently how food is a major part of my life and it's ridiculous that I am centering my entire existence upon it. I've been given an interesting book to read and it's the first educational book I've ever been excited to read! I'll tell you more about it when I finish it... Just know that it's changing my whole perspective of food. 

My aim is to stop consuming durian for the next few weeks, reduce the amount of fruit I eat and focus more on drinking liquid, listening to my body and allowing healing time. I do believe in the cycle of consumption, which goes for food as much as material consumption. So I eat when I get up, then I feel hungry again so I eat more, which causes more hunger so I eat again and again and again, etc. It's one big viscous cycle. When I eat more I want more. Same for buying things. When I shop I just want to buy more and more and more. But it's not good!

My eyes are opening further and my ideologies are changing. I think it became more apparent to me when I noticed food wasn't actually energising me anymore. This started happening before the excessive durian consumption, but it definitely played a role.

Sunday 15 February 2015

Life changes

Just when I start getting comfortable I am presented with new information that may change my life forever. 

God knows when I'm ready and it's always when I start feeling relaxed, calm and unchallenged, which mostly describes my life recently. I won't reveal the information yet though until I have experienced it. Just know that if you think I'm extreme now you haven't heard half of it! 

I trust in what I'm being told and I have full faith in the universe. 

My hopes for the future are that you (my readers and dear friends) will take this information seriously and trust in me. 


Saturday 14 February 2015

Borneo Blog :: stay in bed!

I so want to go to the tamu today, but yesterday I started feeling ill like I've done too much in a short space of time. When you consider that my normal level of activity is to cycle to the market and back and perhaps walk around locally, then this week I've definitely done too much and shocked my system once again. 

My throat is sore and feels like it is producing phlegm, my head has a slight banging and now my right foot feels strained, the arch is painful when I walk. If that's not a sign for "stay in bed" then I don't know what is. 

However, my stubbornness and need for ripe fruit may just keep me from relaxing all day. Plus my love for a tamu. I'm in one of those predicaments. The only ripen fruit I have is durian... The bananas need at least 1 more day as well as the rollinia. I have a small bag of mangosteen that I'm keeping for eating after durian. 

I have a feeling the durian may have contributed to my illness too, so I keep thinking that I probably shouldn't be eating it. I would Google all of these things if the Internet wasn't switched off... That's the only downside to staying here. The Internet is turned off at night and then turned back on whenever someone remembers in the morning. Well I tend to get up really early and this is normally when I do my Internet things, like uploading photos, replying to YouTube comments (I've been slow this week) and doing some research before I head out (weather, maps, etc). 

I suppose the only plus side to this is that I've been reading more. I usually find distractions on the Internet so I don't read these hundreds of eBooks stored on my tablet. The astrology book is by far the most fascinating read I've had in a long time. I am finding out who I am according to the stars and it's scarily accurate. I am becoming more aware of my personality based on astrology and I am becoming more aware of other people. 

I hope that this enables me to grow even further and use this knowledge for good, trying to develop areas where I'm lacking, or perhaps classed as my weakness and then building upon my strengths. 

I love to learn and learning about myself is possibly the best thing I could do right now. 

PS I went to the tamu, felt a bit weak but I bought lots of greens and I've just eaten some. I think perhaps I'm missing many minerals so over the next few days I'll load up on greens. 

Friday 13 February 2015

Borneo Blog :: take it easy

I made a mental note that I need to take it easy. I'm pretty sure I dreamt about this message too, but I just went a bit crazy and decided to walk to Mount Kinabalu National Park yesterday instead of wait 2 hours for a bus (what would you have done?!). Needless to say today has been a rest day.

I'm feeling the effects of too much stress on my body, especially as yesterday it was so hot and again today has been a scorcher.

I suppose I didn't really take it that easy today because I cycled to town to get coconuts, veg and water and then I visited another durian orchard! I feel so tired and ill now though. I need much rest.

I said I'd send durian seeds to someone on Facebook but now I am stressing about it too so I need to stop before I get a full on cold/illness.

Wednesday 11 February 2015

Borneo Blog :: Living alone

Ranau has been an amazing place to relax, build routines and be carefree and part of that has been due to living by myself. I previously spent 3 weeks in KK living in a shared dorm so it was a welcome relief. However, a couple came to stay this evening and as nice as it is to socialise I've realised how important it is for me to have my own space in the evenings. 

I think that's partly why I was a bit reluctant for my new friend Nelli to stay because having another person here disrupts my flow, and although I'm adaptable as a Virgo I'm still easily put off doing things I'd normally do. I kept thinking how awful I was for not wanting Nelli to stay, was I selfish? But she ended up canceling and moving on from Ranau. 

I'm still trying to understand myself and this is one of the issues I need to examine closer. I have always been in relationships where I'd want to move in with a guy, but recently I just want to be on my own. I can really see now why my mum is OK living alone... I just want to do the same! 

The day time is for socialising in my opinion, the evening is for winding down and sleeping. However, it seems that the night time is when people normally come alive. This was the case when I lived in the tree house in La Palma, I would be disturbed all night as I tried sleeping. Thankfully the couple didn't make too much noise, it was just the creaking of heavy footing on the floor boards that created a noise, but now I have to be conscious about what I do, especially using the Internet! (When I upload my YouTube videos I cannot do anything else and it gets switched off at night and whenever I leave, but these times are the best times for uploading my videos and photos) 

I am not sure what my next destination is but I know that I'd like to be in a quiet place away from people. I guess I am introverted and like alone a time great deal. 

Tuesday 10 February 2015

Borneo Blog :: Poring Hot Springs

I got on my bike again with my cycling shoes and went to Poring Hot Springs. I didn't fall off but the left pedal is really tough to remove so I need to look at it again to make sure I have it on the easiest setting not the hardest! My hand still hurts from the fall when I do my morning stretches and yoga plus doing handstands  (which I don't do often because of the hand), so I hope it heals soon!

Poring means bamboo in Kadazandusun language, so there's no surprise that you'll find a lot of bamboo in this area. It's 19km from Ranau and most of that is downhill. However, the last 4km is up some steep hills and past some dogs so it's best to dismount if you're not an experienced cyclist. I find that when I walk with the bike I actually get a calf workout more than when I'm on the bike, so it's a bonus to walk sometimes.

The scenery of this area is incredible. Jungle, mountains, wooden houses, paddy fields, fruit trees, etc breathtaking and beautiful. However, when you travel by bicycle it's hard to pay attention to it all because sometimes the other road users are inconsiderate and there are potholes to look out for.




When I arrived I changed into my normal clothes and shoes and ate my lunch, which were banana date dogs (like a hot dog with the banana being the sausage and the date being the bun). So good, especially after cycling! Surprisingly I didn't eat them all so I kept them in the container for later (and that was a welcome relief!) I have had my dates since leaving the UK, they're my emergency fruit but it's not really that necessary in South East Asia unless you're only transiting between countries, but most of the time there's always fruit at the airports!




I headed to the tropical and orchid gardens. When I got there the man was saying there's not a lot to see. He was really off putting, which was strange because they charge money to see these gardens on top of the conservation fee you pay at the entrance, so I'd have thought they'd want some money! I paid and he was right, but I still saw some amazing greens and a pitcher plant I've never seen before in my life, so it was totally worth it! As the last guests to visit entered the gardens over 11 days ago I walked through so many cobwebs, it was horrible! I wished so much I had my leggings on. The tropical garden had a 700m trail, but after going 250m and through an aviary enclosure I wanted to get out asap! The cobwebs here were just insane! This is one of the reasons I'm reluctant to go into the jungle.







I think I spent an hour here even though it felt really quick, I did take lots of photographs in the orchid garden so that's probably why time disappeared so quickly.

After these gardens I walked to the hot springs entrance and went to the butterfly garden. The same thing happened when I was buying my ticket! As it was raining lightly the man said there's no butterflies, but I wanted to go anyway. The gardens were beautiful and I saw so many butterflies! I think they need to be trained better here to avoid putting tourists off!



There's a room with dried butterflies, some are stunning. The colours are fascinating, pearlescent beauty, it makes me wonder about mother nature. How she produces so many wonderful things. Then there's a room for bugs *shudders* they're gross! After this room is the butterfly enclosure where they vary in size and colour. I think it's quite sad that they're kept in a cage because they just fly up to the sky and want to get out. I think just like zoos this is quite cruel and I do wonder if I should have paid for it, but at the same time they're providing a safe environment for the butterflies to enjoy the plants there. It's one of those vegan issues that I should contemplate.

So the butterflies were amazing and I loved watching them. When I left the enclosure I was treated to more butterflies flying in the open. Wow. I love these creatures.

After the butterfly garden I went to the canopy walk. They charge you money to use your camera! Crazy. So I refused to pay and my time is just recorded in my memories. You'll have to take my word for it that it was incredible! At one point I fantasised about the ropes snapping, what would I do?! I loved looking at the trees above, producing a silhouette of leaves against the sky. Beautiful. Then I looked down and saw the water flowing. It was interesting to look down because I almost got frightened but I seemed to be OK once I accepted it.

Onto the hot springs. It's quite crappy in my opinion. They've built bath tubs to fill up with the water but it's really artificial and not very authentic. You can look at a natural spring but you cannot go in it. In Turkey you can go into numerous pools with rocks and the natural slime and even though some of that is man made (at least to make it usable by people) it still felt authentic. The bonus is I had a whole tub to myself! 

I made my tub really hot. Immediately I felt the benefits, my skin was even silkier, I felt so relaxed, even though I was unable to lay completely flat, and my muscles released all their tension. Ahhh bliss. I stayed in for about 30 minutes and then got changed into my cycling gear. 

The journey home was more fun as I got to go fast down the hills I climbed on the way, exhilarating. The steady inclines were not too challenging either. I gave myself 2 hours to get back and I did it in 1 hour 30 minutes so I was really pleased. 

Monday 9 February 2015

Borneo Blog :: too much durian?

If you haven't been expecting this post I'd be surprised. So if you've been following my Instagram then you'll know I eat a lot of durian every day (pretty much since I got to Ranau). Therefore, it was inevitable that this day would come that I say perhaps I've been eating too much! :P 

This morning I didn't feel all that great in my stomach. I actually burped a bit of sick during my morning coconut. I thought perhaps I didn't leave enough time between dinner and breakfast. I've read some raw vegans leave at least 16 hours between their last meal and first meal. I think I left around 10 or 11 hours between my late salad and coconut. 

Yesterday I ate 1 normal durian, 1 wild durian and 2 packets of mixed durian, which together made me so full. It was an eyes bigger than my belly moment and I just couldn't resist, which makes me question whether durian is actually an addictive fruit. 

I was going to avoid eating durian today, but I went up to Kundasang with my new friend Nelli this morning and on the way back we stopped at a durian stall just outside of Ranau town. It had so many varieties like D24, D101, kura-kura, tembaga and many others. So I tried the D24 (Nelli thinks it wasn't actually D24) and I bought a kura-kura because someone on Facebook has asked me for the seeds. 

The kura-kura was actually quite poor, tasting like it may have been a day too old and it wasn't as sweet as the D24 I had. Then the lady at the stall offered us free durian so I had a few pieces and it was creamy and semi sweet. 

Early on before going to Kundasang I bought 4 wild durian. I left them at Nelli's hotel, which is opposite the market! Unfortunately one of them was so ripe it had cracked at all seams and was calling me with its scent, so I've just polished it off... 

Nelli has worked on some durian farms, collecting them in return for free food so she's had some amazing durian. She reckons the durian here doesn't taste as good as in Kuching (Sarawak) and I'm beginning to realise just how mediocre it is in comparison to wild durian, which packs a punch of flavours. I think from now on I'm just going to eat wild durian here in Ranau unless I'm presented with something amazingly sweet smelling. 

It's not that hard to pick it up around here, so fingers crossed I can continue to get some from the market. 

I've been planning my days this evening and I am thinking about cycling to the hot springs tomorrow to see the rafflesia flower (weather permitting). I've been sat around for too long, I need to get out and take some amazing photographs. There's a butterfly farm, orchid conservation centre, canopy walk and waterfalls at Poring, so it will be a long day in nature. I will pack my basket full of fruit so I will have the energy to see it all! 

I definitely want to see Kota Belud tamu on Sunday and proceed to Kudat, so I want to round off my time here in Ranau by doing the things I had planned to do when I was in KK. I just need to figure out the logistics of buses and taking my bicycle. If it's possible to cycle for part of my journey I am definitely interested in doing that! 

So even though I've eaten too much durian, I'm still going to to eat it but just wild durian because it's the most flavourful and apparently is lower in fat! 

Sunday 8 February 2015

Borneo Blog :: new friend!

Today I finally met another durian lover. The girl at the market told me there was a German girl staying in Ranau and said she goes to the market everyday to eat durian. 

I've been here for 1 week and I finally met her! I hadn't planned on visiting the market today, but then I was looking at durian photos and decided to go and get some for my afternoon meal. 

I ended up eating 1 normal durian, 1 wild durian and 1 packet made up of 2 or 3 durian... I was stuffed! 

As I sat at the market observing the men load their trucks full of durian and langsat I was greeted by Nelli. She looks very similar to my friend Ines who is (let me get this right) German, but of Italian decent who lives in France. Please correct me if I'm wrong Ines! 

We have both been told about each other by the same girl at the market and it was nice to finally meet this other durian lover! I had always imagined she would be a raw foodie and I was right! Ask the universe and ye shall receive! 

We had a good discussion about our travels (Nelli has had an impressive trip, working in orchards for free accommodation and durian!) and about raw foods. I'm so glad to have met her and I hope that we can go to Kundasang together tomorrow to share our love of rollinia. 

Unfortunately just like Beverley, I've met her when she's close to leaving. It's funny how the universe works! 

Saturday 7 February 2015

Borneo Blog :: wild durian

Welcome to another blog post :) if you're new here I hope you have a chance to read my previous posts and I hope you stay tuned for more! If you're a regular then thank you for your loyalty, I hope to entertain and inspire you some more! 

Shameless plug, follow me on Instagram and Subscribe on YouTube

Saturday is the tamu day in Ranau and as always when I visit a fruit and vegetable market I am never disappointed! I couldn't believe how busy the street was, the normal market here rarely gets busy, I always feel like I'm the only one there so it was great to see more people occupy the small space in this town! 

I had a mission of finding a coconut and getting breakfast before I got to the serious business of buying some exotic fruits, but then I saw some wild durian and decided I had to buy it in case they disappear (in KK there was a champedak seller who literally sold out as he pulled up to the market!) 

May I present my durian finds for the day... 

Top left clockwise costs: 5 ringgit for 4, 10 ringgit for 3 and 10 ringgit for 3

I ate the durian from left to right 

So right about now would be a good time to name the durian, but I'm not exactly an expert yet and although I've read the posts by Lindsay on Year of the durian I am too lazy to go over the information again to give to you guys so you'll have to excuse me and just read about how they tasted. 

The first durian was just so tiny it falls into the category of being cute. It was the most fragrant, being able to smell it from far away and had the most flavour. The spikes were sharp but it was easy to handle and open because it had pretty much burst at the seams. 

This durian smelt like a tropical fruit punch, wonderfully aromatic and it made my senses go crazy! I just wanted to rip it open and eat it up so fast. The flesh to seed ratio is probably one of the worst I've experienced, but the flavour is so intense that all is forgiven! The texture was so dense, moisture was minimal and it reminded me of eating a rich cake. It tasted like chocolate. This was incredible! I have found nature's rich chocolate cake in a tiny durian. The Seeds were such a deep red colour too, probably the most beautiful seeds I've ever seen for a durian. 

Tasty, fragrant and beautiful 

The best things come in smaller packages 
The second durian was disappointing in comparison to the first one. It lacked fragrance and the taste was quite off-putting. However, I loved the appearance. It's just a green ball of long spikes that curl toward the seams, which makes it easy to spot the place to open it. The texture of this durian was moist, silky and smooth. The flavour can only be described as garlicky mashed potatoes, at least that's what it reminded me of. It was definitely interesting to eat and by the time I'd had the last one I was wanting more! 

I never expected it to taste like garlic! 
I'm not actually sure if the third durian is wild or just a local durian, but the spikes were similar in appearance to the first 2 so I just decided that it was wild! This durian is pretty much summed up by the word mild. Everything about it was mild, from the aroma to the flavour. The texture was in between the first 2 durian, slightly dense and slightly moist. This was the biggest as you can see and the flesh to seed ratio varied for each piece. There were a lot more seeds in this than normal durian (in my experience). I enjoyed this one because it filled me up more and it lasted more than 30 seconds! 

Bigger but milder 

My favourite durian for flavour was the first. My favourite durian for texture was the second. My favourite durian for satisfaction was the third. My favourite durian for appearance was the second. 

Overall my favourite durian was the first. Come on, nature's own rich chocolate cake! I had the most amazing durian experiences today and I cannot imagine anything better than this! 

Have you ever tired these durian before? Let me know if you have and what you thought.

Friday 6 February 2015

Borneo Blog :: cover up with a hijab

Today I did something I never thought I'd do, inspired by a lady I met in Thailand last year I decided that I would cover up my body including my hair. 


After almost experiencing a sexual assault in Kota Kinabalu it made sense to try it and although I felt silly it felt empowering. However, the first few comments were not what I expected. I did this to almost blend in, to go unnoticed and be left alone, but as soon as I reached the market I heard people heckling "oh my god, beautiful!" 

Personally I felt ugly because sometimes I think my hair is what makes me pretty being golden blonde and all, but that wasn't the point! I didn't want people to make a fuss but of course a white woman wearing a hijab is going to generate attention. 

As I walked around to the rear of the market, where locals come and sell their produce, I had lots of stares, smiles, giggles, etc. I think perhaps one or two people talked about me in a negative tone but I've no idea what they said because I don't speak the language! 

One lady selling flowers came over to talk to me whilst I ate a really good papaya, she thought I was a local until she saw my face and then she was excited to practice her English. She very kindly gave me her English-Malay book because she thinks I should learn Malay. My dedication to languages is appalling but I do like this country and will probably visit regularly so it's only right to at least try! 

So after the market I went home and stayed home for the rest of the day. It was the hottest, clearest day today so I couldn't stand the heat in the clothes and hijab. I took it off around 3pm because I was just sweating profusely. 

It was definitely an interesting experience and I got excited about the different colours, accessories and clothes I could wear, but after posting on my Facebook page and having someone comment about the body I realised I don't want to cover up. Sure I should be more considerate and respectful of other cultures and religions, but I'm all about being natural. Let me quote Dane who replied to my post 

"I see nothing wrong with our bodies as they naturally are, and I think if someone has some sort of problem simply seeing another persons body, then they most likely have mental/emotional issues, or at the very least some strange ideas running through their mind. I think perhaps it would be better for these people to deal with their issues rather than have everyone cover up so that these people can happily ignore their issues and never have to face it... In fact I think covering up is what causes so much of the problem in the first place, it kind of makes a problem out of nothing, if everyone grew up seeing other peoples bodies all the time, it's highly unlikely they would have a problem with it, but because people cover up, then its becomes a big deal if people uncover themselves."

Thursday 5 February 2015

Mental health

Sometimes I think I'm crazy because I don't conform. Sometimes I think I'm the only normal person. Sometimes I think my life is a dream. 

One thing I've learned over the last year is that happiness is the second most important aspect of your inner being (first being unconditional love for yourself). It's important to realise happiness is something that just is, it doesn't exist from material possessions, sure you can buy happiness but it has an expiration. True happiness just is.

And this is where mental health comes into play. If we are stressed and depressed we will always seek happiness from without. It's very rare that people look within for the answers. People may visit a doctor who prescribes medications, but in reality we should retreat, meditate, concentrate on what our intuition tells us. 

I've been depressed because of weather, lack of friends, general self hatred but the last thing I did was focus on my inner knowledge. To be honest I never even contemplated that the answers are within us. The person who knows us best is not our mum or partner, it is us! We know ourselves the best. 

Therefore, if you ever feel like you're going crazy, you're sad, depressed, stressed, feeling worthless, etc take some time out for yourself, create a meditation space or go to a meditation centre, learn how to breathe properly and be mindful (aware). I think this is so important nowadays. 

One last thing, you're never alone. I'm here to help :) love yourself and find your inner happiness. *kisses*

Wednesday 4 February 2015

Borneo Blog :: Cycling up to Mount Kinabalu National Park

I took on the challenge of cycling to Mount Kinabalu National Park, which is roughly only 20km away from Ranau. Sure if you go by car it's a 40 minute drive, but if you decide to cycle and depending on your fitness it could take you past 2 hours or more. It actually took me 2 hours and 40 minutes because I had to stop many times for a break. The hills are quite steep and so challenging if cycling isn't your passion. 

I never consider myself a cyclist. You may scratch your head seeing as I'm travelling with my road bike and I have  cycling shoes/clothes, but that doesn't mean I'm a cyclist in my opinion. To me a cyclist is passionate about riding, loves to be on the bike training hard regularly and is excited by getting up steep hills. 

I am neither of these things. I cycle for fruit and to commute. Fair enough I love my bike and couldn't imagine life without it but I am not inspired to train on it. I see a hill and I curse. However, sometimes I do set myself challenges like today and I go for it (try to at least). 



I tackled some pretty challenging hills in Bali and La Palma, plus Doi Suthep in Thailand, but none of that could prepare me for this! I think it's so important to train on hills regularly so you have the stamina to keep going. I stopped within the first 10 minutes and probably after every 5-10 minutes after that. There are very few plateaus or descents going to the National Park entrance. 

My main challenges were my overall stamina, leg and back strength, mental stability and emotional poise. I think my cardiovascular health is fairly good, I was still able to sing and cycle (plus curse and shout at dogs) but this may have been helped with my regular breaks. 

I didn't struggle with keeping going, mainly because I didn't want to cycle past the dogs who chased after me again, I figured I had gone so far that I'd be pretty pissed at myself for turning back too soon. So I just kept going. 

The dog incident left me in tears. Nothing happened apart from my heart almost bursting out of my body. The dogs just decided to chase me for a long time, one almost got ran over but then got back on to chasing me and the others got so close I thought they'd bite me. I need to get some tips for this because it's a regular occurrence now. If they get too close I may just end up booting them in the face because I'm near breaking point. Animal cruelty only applies to animals who aren't trying to attack you!

As usual I had people beeping at me, waving and shouting "hello". I almost got crushed when a lorry took a corner way too fast and a pick up truck was in our lane coming the opposite way. People please be careful when taking corners. Be aware that there are other road users, not just you! 

When I saw civilisation I was so happy! I arrived in Kundasang town and the street was lined with fruit and vegetables. My heaven. Seriously I had the biggest grin on my face. But I didn't stop, I couldn't, I had to achieve my goal to reach the Park. It took me 40 minutes to reach the National Park from Kundasang. It got colder, cloudier and it even started raining lightly. 

Once I arrived at the National Park I was ready to leave! It was so cloudy I couldn't see a thing, plus after all that cycling I forgot my normal trainers to walk in and it was freezing but I didn't bring extra clothes either! I don't think I could have walked far anyway. So I took my descent back to Kundasang, I passed an organic farm (didn't stop) on the way. The ride was exhilarating and took about 5 minutes! 



When I reached the town I stopped to pee, took some photos, filled up my water bottle and headed to the fruit and veg stalls. Now I dislike how everything was in plastic wrap and polystyrene, but I loved the arrangements. So colourful. If my kitchen could be filled like that everyday I'd be in heaven! 



I bought 4kg of rollinia as this is my new favourite fruit, better than cherimoya! It tastes like the filling of a McDonald's apple pie... Sooooo amazing, perhaps cinnamon sprinkled on top would make it exactly like the pie (minus the fried outer and heat!) I wanted to buy more but I thought about the weight of the bike and I didn't want to overload it with too much. 

Rollinia 


The descent from Kundasang was also exhilarating, I didn't encounter any dogs and at one point I over took a wagon! It felt like I was home instantly. I do love going downhill but it scares me sometimes, especially on the road bike with its thin tyres. 

I don't think I'll be cycling back up there again during this trip, but maybe in the future. 

Tuesday 3 February 2015

Borneo Blog :: durian orchard tour

I've relocated to Ranau, home of durian. It takes between 2-3 hours to arrive here by coach, depending on the traffic. There are many steep hills and if you get caught behind a lorry then the journey time increases! 

I'm in a homestay that has 7 rooms, but I'm the only person here! I have 3 bathrooms, a large living area and dining area, kitchen (with so many pink plates, bowls, cups! My kind of living!!) and balcony. It's awesome compared to the hostel. Also the temperature is lower due to being higher up, which is a welcome relief. I have been wearing my jumper and leggings so I appreciate having them (I've been wondering if I'd ever use them in the tropics!). 

The owner of the property also owns an orchard and when I told her daughter (Sherry) I love durian she immediately suggested taking me to see it. Unfortunately on my first day here it rained heavily, which cancelled the trip. However, I visited this afternoon. 

We took some very long battered roads. It's as if the council has forgotten that there's roads there because it hasn't been well maintained. Pot holes, bumps and huge chunks of tarmac are missing, which makes it hazardous and if you don't concentrate you could easily damage your car. 

When we arrived there were rows of papaya trees lining the entrance with huge fruit dangling from them, all green. It was muddy due to the rain so I took a stick to help my descent. I guess at this point I should mention that it was very steep, I don't envy the job of the workers because they have to navigate the orchard every day in all weathers carrying durian up these steep hills. 


The workers still use traditional baskets for carrying durian up the steep slopes


There were coffee trees, bananas, langsat, salak (snake fruit), mangosteen, coconuts, rambutan, another fruit similar to longon, some jungle fruit and of course durian. 

From top left clockwise : coffee, banana, langsat, fruit similar to longon (unknown name) and salak 

The views were incredible. It was amazing to see the durian hanging off the trees and then spotting empty branches where they've fallen to the ground set amidst a backdrop of steep mountainous landscapes. Breathtaking. 






Unfortunately I wasn't fully prepared because my camera battery plus spare ran out of power! So did my action camera. I am pretty sure I got all I could though. The weather wasn't fantastic either so the lighting was poor. 

Once we had had enough of walking around the muddy slopes of the orchard we returned to the entrance, where there is a large wooden building, and sampled some durian. My favourite part! Unfortunately Sherry forgot to call ahead of time to arrange for them to have ripe durian for me, but we did have 1 ripe durian to share (well I say we, Sherry and her daughter don't like durian, but her husband does!). 

Doesn't it just look so creamy and beautiful?! 

Apparently the people who work in the orchard don't see tourists often so they were excited that I came, that might be why they gave me a whole basket of durian to take back with me! I think it's 10 durians to be exact. I will be in durian heaven soon. It needs to ripen over 1 or 2 days. 

I have forgotten the durian variety, it's very pale, creamy and tastes like vanilla. Incredible. Sherry said the fruits are mainly round. I will update you when I eat the ones I have.