When I got to Laban Rata I met a couple named Sasha. Meaning that I met a man and a woman who were in a relationship and were both named Sasha. They offered me hot coffee and light banter but believe me when I say that I’m not totally sure that the incident really happened.

Just hours ago some friends and I started the hike up Mount Kinabalu and we stayed together for the first few hours. I left them behind as we got higher. Then the mist came and I heard birdsong from a distance but never see any birds. I could hear a group of dark haired, foreign folk walked single file and passed me while singing and humming in unison. Higher on I saw leafless trees on a barren moss covered rocks, so different from the rain forest we were in when we started the journey. Everything was strange to me.

By the time I reached Laban Rata I was wet, cold wearing only my pants and white tee while everyone else had waterproof jackets. I found the closest chair and sat. Not sure if anything was real. Then Sasha and Sasha sat next to me, we had a pleasant chat and I remember asking them how strange it was that they both had the same name. They were surprised that I thought it was unusual. Later on my friends got there and I never saw the couple again.