Sunday morning at the market in Kota Kinabalu

Tag : Boiled Fabric
Don't miss the Sunday morning market in Gaya Street in KotaKinabalu when you are in the Sabah capital. It is in the busiestpart of the city and is fringed by pre-war shophouses and thecity's financial centre.
Gaya Street is named after Gaya Island, the largest island in theTunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, a popular eco-tourist destinationwith a marine research centre, just 20 minutes by boat from thecity's jetty.
You may not get all that you want at the Sunday market, but youwill find a macro view of Sabah's racial fabric and theenterprising spirit of its people. Even if you don't intend to buyanything, a walk here will be enjoyable as there are so many thingsto see and learn.
You may find Kadazan-Dusun women helping their Chinese spouses attheir fruit and vegetable stalls, or Bajau youths scooping ice-coolfruit juices and herbal teas from huge containers. I chanced uponan indigenous man happily massaging a Chinese trader but when askedto be pictured, he shied away instead.
Brunei Malay, Bajau and Kadazan-Dusun salesmen can be foundpeddling their sarongs, batik and religious CDs, while a fewChinese stall owners amaze shoppers with their brilliant orchidhybrids from as far as South America.
Pearl lovers will find the place a haven. Cultured pearls fromSemporna are sold as necklaces, bracelets and other accessories.
The stall owners all look similar but scrape the surface and youmay find that they come from about 30 indigenous groups basicallydivided into Kadazan-Dusuns, Bajaus, Muruts, Lundayehs (Kelabits)and Brunei Malays. A cacophony of languages can be heard like thethousands of merchandise seen here.
The market offers lots of surprises. Top of these are corals andthe large shells for sale. They are beautiful but I have alwaysthought corals were protected. Maybe the authorities should checkon this.
Then there are all kinds of traditional medicines -- both local andthose from as far as China -- offered here. Whether these work ornot, or pass the approval of the health authorities is one bigquestion mark.
Those inquisitive enough may even learn a thing or two about thevarious local medicines. One woman claimed that a large cactus,when boiled, made a relaxing drink and was also a treatment forcancer. Another who sold whole groundnut plants said they wereideal for making a soup for the well-being of children.
The other staples found here are Tongkat Ali (lot of it), pokokhalau nyamuk (mosquito-repelling plant), lingzhi (said to be goodfor jaundice) mengkudu (for high blood pressure), Rumput Fatimahand Buah Tunjuk Langit (for back ache, among others).
For tourists who believe in the health effects of reflexology,there is a whole row of "reflexologists" eager to offer theirservices.
Gardening buffs will find the Gaya Sunday market their pot of tea.There are stalls selling bonsai and flowering plants like thecommon bougainvillea, anthurium and highly priced orchids. Theorchids from South America are large, multi-hued and curled with agrace that make them irresistible.
High quality clones of exotic fruit and flowers are also available.One horticulturist even claimed to have cloned a seedless lemon anda variety of Taiwan and Iban temum sweet melons.
Another little surprise is a stall with antiques as well as old andnew brass gamelan brass gongs spread out on the floor. Antiqueporcelain, celadon and ceramic wares are displayed together withnew ones. A large ceramic plate with beautiful Quranic versesrunning over the centre is one of the centre pieces. There are alsokrises on display.
The celadon bowls were salvaged from shipwrecks, their colours alittle faded from the many years underwater. Many had barnaclesstuck on them.
Do look out for Sabah homegrown items like coffee from Ranau, Tenomdurians, Tuaran pottery, tribal basketry and lovely paintings ofMount Kinabalu, orang utan and women in tribal costumes.
The best part of the Sunday market is that it is sandwiched betweentwo rows of shophouses with coffee shops, jewellery shops andhardware shops. After all the shopping, one can go into a coffeeshop and sit down for a drink to relax or people-watch.
At one end of the market is the Jesselton Boutique Hotel, the onlyboutique hotel in town built in 1954. It was refurbished in the 90sbut the doormen here still dress in colonial style.