Trying Durian Juice at Imago Mall in Kota Kinabalu
I haven't even done much, but maybe getting caught in the rain made me incredibly tired. At times like this, getting some good sleep and eating a delicious meal is the best, but I have absolutely no appetite. I went to Imago Mall for no particular reason and walked around, but my body was so exhausted that nothing really appealed to me. It wasn't this bad before, but on this particular trip, I really want to eat with someone. I'm spending money and traveling, yet feeling so lonely. My friends... can't you guys just come over now?
After wandering around the basement level for a few laps, I was about to give up and head back when "Durian Juice" caught my eye. The Filipino guys I met said it was the best, and its nickname is literally the "king of fruits," but I hadn't tried it yet. When I looked it up on blogs, I saw comments like "never eat this" and "tastes like a corpse," but I told myself, "I'll be fine," and ordered one.
I must have been really exhausted. I lost my ability to think clearly, and my emotions took over my rational judgment. Without any other distractions, this smell—like stale urine—hit my nose directly. And yet, I ordered the most expensive drink at the juice shop just to taste and smell it once. Some people describe it as edible, but I am absolutely certain there is something physically wrong with those people. How can anyone eat this?!
I'm not great at expressing things, but if I had to write down what it felt like to eat it:
The smell hitting my nose was like a public restroom with a faint stench of stale urine. The texture when I took a bite was like eating mashed ripe persimmons. And the flavor that entered my mouth and stimulated my brain was something I had never tasted in my life—it caused a sensory overload that made my brain feel like it was going to shut down right then and there.
If you're on a trip and feel like your girlfriend or wife is eating too much, I highly recommend durian juice. They probably won't even think about food for the next meal or two.
I couldn't bring myself to drink it, so I threw it away with tears in my eyes and left. As I was walking out, the shop employees looked a bit surprised that I had left so much of it.
I went up to the first floor and was about to head back to my accommodation when a performance team in traditional costumes started a show. I was having a good time watching it for a while when I unexpectedly bumped into the Filipino guys I had traveled with earlier today. We had just parted ways a little while ago, but we were as happy to see each other as if it had been years. We asked each other how we were doing, what we ate, and where we were going next, took one last commemorative photo, and went our separate ways. Who should I hang out and be friendly with starting tomorrow? Having finished my solitary reflections and entered the loneliness phase, the everyday worries of an unintentionally solo traveler begin once again.
Expenses (Conservatively, multiply by 300 to get the amount in KRW)
- Tour fee RM 150
- Water RM 1.95
- Water, cigarettes RM 18
- Room rate until September 1st RM 72.1
- Durian shake RM 9.9
- Carlsberg beer RM 22
Daily expenses: RM 273.95
Total trip expenses: 2875000 KRW + RM 1324.78