Hi all...finally we reached the end of my vacation series. I talked about our family trip to Kamagi Riverside Retreat in the previous post, and today's post will be the continuation of the last post. If this is the first time you read my blog, welcome and thank you for your time. It's my pleasure having you here. You can read my previous vacation posts here:
Family Vacation to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (Malaysia) | Part 1
Family Vacation to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (Malaysia) | Part 2
Family Vacation to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (Malaysia) | Part 3 - Beringgis Riverside Seafood Restaurant.
Family Vacation to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (Malaysia) | Part 4 - Likas Bay
Family Vacation to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (Malaysia) | Part 5 - Kamagi Riverside Retreat
Busy, Busy Week
Life has gotten a lot busier since the kids are back to school. The boring but hectic routine of chauffeuring the kids to and from school in this sweltering heat makes me very tired by the end of the day. And not to mention the struggle with daily household chores and helping the kids with their schoolwork in the afternoon. I tried to write this post earlier in the day but found myself unable to think. It was harder when I am a non-native English speaker and had to write in the language, and write well. I needed a nap badly, but it was already 6pm, and everyone was hungry. So no break until now. I would try to keep this post short (I doubt it), hit the publish button, and get it over. I long to watch my Netflix documentary and unwind from a long tiring day. Enough of complaining, and let's talk about this post...
BBQ At Kamagi
Just look at the food photos 🤤. I have to thank my in-laws for their effort in buying the meat, chicken wings, sausages, etc. I didn't do anything other than contribute financially to buy some of this food. There were other foods like fried noodles, rice, snacks, drinks, but I didn't take any pictures of them because I was busy eating. A big thank you to my brother-in-law, who worked tirelessly preparing the BBQ. His selflessness allowed us to explore Kamagi and have a good time.
Hours of Swimming In Ice Cold Water
I mentioned in my previous post that it was raining heavily when we were on the road to Kamagi. It was still raining when we reached our destination, but it eventually stopped. I was concerned about letting the kids swim in the ice-cold water. What if they catch cold and fever? I knew I was being overprotective, and perhaps many mothers could relate to this. See, when the family is sick, the mother is the pillar who keeps everything okay. She is the nurse, the cook, the doctor, the manager, the master planner, the all-knowing, all-seeing being of the house. So, I wasn't looking forward to having sick kids while traveling and the Coronavirus spreading like no one's business.
But eventually, with great trepidation, I let the kids join their cousins in the water. Now, don't sneer. The kids had been to swimming pools all their lives, but this was the first time they had ever been in a river. It sounds pathetic, but blame it on Corona that locked us up in our homes for years and robbed us of the joy of exploring the outdoors.
It was drizzling, and the sky was overcast the whole day, but I thanked God it wasn't windy or else it would be colder. The kids were tentative and insecure in the water, but their cousins encouraged both of them to just have fun. And so they did...for hours...
I really appreciate my husband 
My kids didn't know how to swim, but I was so proud of them for being brave. The river wasn't deep, and the current wasn't swift, so I felt comfortable allowing them in the water. My son was the most excited among all of them. He was afraid of water, but he wanted to have fun and kept bugging the dad to carry him in the river. You can hear him shrieking "please bring me back" several times in the video 😂 (I wanted to host my videos on 3Speak but I couldn't access my account for some reason. So Youtube it is 😏)
My personal highlight of the trip was none other than the fish nibbling our feet! Ooh! We loved it so much. Never would I imagine I would get a free fish spa! The fish didn't bite out feet or left cuts or things like that. Watch my daughter's reaction when she tried the fish pedicure 😆
And of course, crossing the river using the extended bridge was another level of fun. Another first experience for my kids. My son was scared, but his cousin gently guided him.
The day was not complete without several rounds of fun games. It was an impromptu arrangement by my husband. I love watching him playing with his nieces and nephews because he hadn't seen them for several years. This truly was a time for him to bond with them and have a good time. He even rewarded the winner - MYR40 in cash (USD9.50)!
After hours of food and fun, it was time to say goodbye. I wished we could stay like this forever. I wished we could have a longer holiday, but "real life" obligations needed attention, and work couldn't wait...
We took some family photos before we left. This was our first family photo in 6 years.
And this was taken 6 years ago...spot the differences 😁
We left for Kuala Lumpur the following morning. The kids weren't eager, and neither was I. However, I am glad we made this trip despite the risk of catching the virus. So with this post, I ended my long series of Sabah vacation posts. What's next? This coming weekend, we are planning a short staycation to Malaysia's historical city, Malacca. We will go with some close friends, and I am so looking forward to it. So stay tuned!
That's it for now. If you read this far, thank you. I appreciate it so much! Kindly give me a follow if you like my content. I mostly write about making art, life musing, and our mundane yet charming family life here in Klang Valley, Malaysia.
Thank you for visiting and reading my post. I hope you like it!
My First NFT Collection – Stencil 2017 – Is Now Available On OpenSea
