Day 101
Ben's nervous energy about today's climb means he is awake from 5am and ready and raring to go at 6. People are still trying to persuade him to do the 2 day but I've got faith he will smash today though I don't think he's currently that sure.
He's gone at 7 but I stay in bed for a bit, taking in the beautiful scenery. I've not got much planned today so dress slowly and take a leisurely breakfast. The two day climbers leave a little later and then it's just me and Teneka who is still recovering from yesterday's climb. We spend most of the morning chatting away and she's really cool. She is currently working in Singapore and before she leaves we make plans to meet up again when me and Ben are there.
Once she's left, I just mooch until Emmit offers to take me down to the park to pick up some of the other climbers and it's a beautiful view and for the first time I'm a little jealous of Ben and everything he is going to see. They all look shattered and when I let them know that Ben's doing the one day, they look horrified and start to get a little worried at what I'm going to get back. Once we are back at Jack's a couple of French lads have turned up who turn out to have stayed at the hostel in KK the same time as us. We lunch with Jack and then all chaos breaks loose as more people turn up than he realises and he gets a call to say Ben's down!
I jump in the van and can't wait to see him, I've actually missed his little face after 3 odd months together. The man we picked up though, is not excited to see me, in fact I don't think he's excited about anything at is point. He looks like a shadow of a human and I finally realise it really was as hard as everyone was making out. He can hardly talk or walk and curls straight into a foetal position as soon as he's back in the room. I manage to persuade him to have a shower but coming out for food is out of the question so I grab him a doggy bag and dodge everyone's who is yet to climbs questions about him, well I don't want to scare them.
Day 102
You can't really sleep in at Jungle Jacks as there is always people up early, getting ready for their climb but we hide in our bunk until they've all gone so we don't get in the way of the frenzied sandwich making. One of Jack's dogs has just had puppies which are absolutely adorable so we spend a little while playing with them before Jack announces he wants to go to the hot springs and would we like to come to? Yes please.
The conditions of getting a free lift (and sneaky free entry but I'll explain that later) is that we have to go shopping with him and carry his bags. We dash into a supermarket first for a few bits then we go off to the springs. The water here is from underneath the Mt Kinabula and though most of the hot springs are slightly ugly looking man made baths the water here gets real hot and we lounge for a good few hours whilst Ben soaks his weary muscles. He is walking better today but still stiff and I can see him wincing as he sits and gets up. On the way back from the springs, Jack pulls into a wholesale fruit and veg market and we follow him round as he tests fruit and complains about prices. It's really incredible, I don't think I've ever seen such delicious looking food but we didn't take our camera so you will have to take my word for it. Lunch is at a small place Jack knows just next door and a scrummy and cheap plate of noodles.
The first lot of people we met have finished their 2 day climb and are back when we get back. After exchanging exclamations that Ben's still alive and comparing mountain stories, the afternoon is spent lazily at Jacks whilst the climbers sleep and me and Ben pack for leaving tomorrow. The choice for dinner tonight is Indian and it was a bit of a disappointment but we have been spoilt with our foods. There is a series of power cuts which starts Jack off on a government rant about poor generators and such but our dinner is still cooked and candle lights nicer to eat by anyway.
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