Day 400: Sandakan

May 8 - Get some work done in the morning while Odette continues her wall painting. Then we get a Grab to the ‘bus station’, which is just a concrete roof and some shops, and a few buses sitting around. It is the least organized and user-friendly bus station I’ve seen in the country. Buy tickets for tomorrow. From here go to the south of town, where the Puu Jih Syh Buddhist Temple sits on a commanding hill surrounded by forests.

It was built in 1987, and just nearby they are constructing something even larger.

From here take a Grab back to downtown, getting out at a long stairway called ‘100 Steps’. These go up the hill behind the town, and there are actually 240 steps (Odette counts). Locally it is known as Tangga Seribu and was originally built by the Chinese residents so they had a way to transport merchandise from their communities at the top of the hill into downtown for sale. Later, the British built their administrative offices at the top of the stairs as well.

At the top of the stairs, we visit one of the famous sites in Sandakan, that of the house of Agnes and Henry George Keith. They were Americans who lived in Sandakan from 1934-42. Agnes was an author who wrote extensively on Sabah and Sandakan. These essays were compiled under the title Land Under the Wind, published in 1939.

The couple was quite famous in Sabah and took many trips into the hinterland to learn about the place. The largest species of rafflesia (Rafflesia keithii) was named after Henry George.

During WWII the Japanese occupied Sandakan and took Agnes prisoner (along with all other expats living here). They were forced into a POW camp for three years until the Japanese were defeated. The house has many displays describing this experience, and many others, from Agnes’ viewpoint.

From here back down the 100 Steps to town, where Odette and Janet work on their wall art some more.