Memories of Thailand

I was chatting away to somebody last night and recited this story. It dawned on me that this was one of those moments that stays with you long after you've returned to your normal life. So I thought I'd share it with you - see what you make of it.

I was in the night market in Hua Hin looking for cheap eats. As I walked through the crowds I passed a few beggars without much consideration. Everyone has to make a living and tourists are easy targets - some beg from choice rather than necessity. I don't give especially when they're saying they need money for food while holding a can of lager!

Then I passed a man sitting on the floor asking for money and something clicked. I felt bad that I had passed a man with the best part of one leg missing and who generally looked like he genuinely had not had nor was having it easy. I continued on my search for nourishment and resolved to make a donation on my return journey. This time I had already separated a note from my evenings food/beer budget and popped it in his cup as I passed. He immediately showed me respect with a hands above head wai, something I'd rarely been shown on my journey. I thanked him, smiled and continued on my way for beer & food.

The following night I opted for food at the night market again. I made my way through the bustling crowds and as I approached his plot, the man instantly recognised me and stopped asking for money. We smiled at one another as he wai'd me again. I squatted beside him and passed him a ciggie. We smoked and shared a calm quite moment while life in the market raced on around us. I was pleased that he remembered me and seemed to respect me enough to not ask me for more money. I have a fond memory of the connection I shared with a stranger and find myself wondering how he is.......

Coins!

Yesterday I got given a 50p & 20p coin in change which is not really unusual. Unless you've not seen a heptagonal coin for a while, which I hadn't! Being back is full of those little reminders, things you didn't even realise you've missed. Janet said I looked shell shocked last weekend. I think you were right Jan. It certainly is weird being back!
I must confess that flying in to the UK always warms the cockles of my heart. To see the green countryside below welcoming you home is always special. The rain is not so nice. It's rained nearly every day since I've been home and it's cold rain!! At least in Asia the rain is warm. Normal life (if there is such a thing) is about to resume - I am supposed to be going back to work on Monday. My thoughts are of travelling though! Still trying to find a suitable van to purchase without a great deal of success. I'm back in long trousers, socks & trainers, agghhh!
Had a look through my pictures yesterday too, not good for settling back into the UK although definitely put a smile on my face, memories!
The worst of it is that I should still be there! If I'd sorted my head out & not made rash decisions I'd still be living the life of Riley. Idiot!!

Blighty!!

Well I'm home! Hi to all, I'll catch up with you over the coming weeks. It feels real strange. There were definitely benefits to being thousands of miles away. I miss it actually - think I'll be away again soon. Home is good but a bamboo hut on the beach with no brown envelopes coming through the door is better.

The weirdest thing. I can't remember my password for my laptop! I typed it at least once a day for the 10 months leading up till I went away and I do not have a clue what it is! I can remember all sorts of other passwords/codes but that one will just not come to me. Maybe it's a sign - leave work alone Billy! Bloody frustrating, sitting, staring at a screen, typing in word after word and still no access. 10 Gig of music, 3 gig of photos and all my other files - oh dear! Let's hope something jogs my memory.

I'm coming home!

Ok folks. I fly home late tonight/early hours tomorrow. On flight TG910. Will be back in Blighty for around 7.30 GMT 29/07/08.

Got mixed feelings really. I'm gonna miss this life! But I am looking forward to catching up with everybody and sleeping in a real comfy bed! It's weird, too late now, flight is booked!

See you all soon xxxx

Bangkok - where next??

I arrived in BKK yesterday. It feels different this time, less hassle from street vendors etc. Maybe they just bother me less now than they did. I've become used to it! Either way BKK feels more inviting this time around. Met up with Ben & Saskia last night for drinks. They were here for just 1 day between Laos & Hong Kong. It worked out well, we even managed to just literally bump into one another on the street. I knew they were here and vice versa but we hadn't actually arranged a meeting spot! Weird considering how many farang there are in BKK.

Hammy, you're a cheeky funny girl! Diamonds indeed! How about a backpack?

I've pretty much had enough now though. I think I'm coming home! There are only so many temples, waterfalls, caves, cave temples etc that you can look at before it sort of becomes a blur. In fact possibly even a chore. Almost 5 months is a long time to be on the road. I'm tired, fed up with moving about, really missing proper western food (Roast Lamb please Mum), missing work (gasp) and would like to catch at least a little of the English summer, lol! It has been great and I'd do it again although better planned next time and with less in the backpack. Maybe shorter trips or trips with a friend, this travelling on your own is hard work. Constantly on your guard. You even have to take your pack to the loo with you! If you want a wee in the night, get dressed, money belt on, valuables locked up and then lock the room. If you're travelling with someone you don't have to mess about like that. So Monday morning I'm off to Thai airs office in BKK to see if I can bring my flight forward. If so I should be home by midweek. I reckon I'll need a couple of weeks to readjust to "home" and start to sort out the various things that need attending to before I fully rejoin the rat race. In fact, my back still ain't right so maybe I'll ease myself very gently back into a normal working life!

There is a very slim chance that I might change my mind. I used to be indecisive, these days I'm not so sure! People have said things like "when you're on the plane, you'll realise what you had here", "Do not go home until absolutely necessary" and "Within 2 weeks of being home you'll wish you weren't and you'll be planning your next trip". These things do keep running through my mind. You know, I do have aggro waiting for me in the UK. Why rush back? I'm only 500km from Angkor Wat in Cambodia and it's supposed to be awesome. I'm a 2 hour bus ride from Kanchanaburi & the bridge over the river Kwai which I wanted to see. I didn't catch up with Howard Summers and I now have his Thai phone number. I'd like to catch up with Paul and the gang at Lamai, Samui. There are reasons to stay but the way I feel now, I really can't be arsed! Maybe it has something to do with the numerous long necks (large bottles of beer) that I had last night and rolling in at 5 am. Who knows? I may walk out of this Internet cafe and bump into someone I recognise either from my travels or from home who is going to Cambodia and says "Shit dude, come with!" You just don't know what's around the corner do you? Chances are, I'm coming home but maybe, just maybe something will make me change my mind.

Pretchaburi

Well that's where I am now! Pretchaburi

Before I forget, Congratulations to Ben & Kaylee for making me an uncle again - My first niece! Hope all is well for you guys. Sorry lack of postcards, forgot to jot down your address!

Ok, I left Koh Tao after just a few days. It was a beautiful Island but very busy. Piccie above of the view from my balcony at View rock resort, Hin wong bay. Went to Chumpon and met a guy called Jason who was on the verge of returning to the UK after a 12 month trip. Hope you got home safe dude. Stayed at the Farang bar & guesthouse there. Great place, piccie above of the gang.

From there to Hua Hin and Bird Guesthouse. Another good place. Not cheap but reasonable considering it's basically a pier. The sea is below you at night - fantastic. Got there by train from Chumpon, cheap way to travel but takes longer than the bus. Hua Hin is really touristy, as bad if not worse than Samui. Bloody suit shops - I know now exactly what the first line is gonna be as they approach and have become quite adept at stopping their patter instantly!! The Girlie bar scene is there although not quite as in your face as it is in Samui. Hundreds of Western men with Thai partners! Almost jealous, I was! And expensive, well compared to the places I prefer to frequent. It is after all a package tour touristy place even for Thai's. Piccie of Pone ........... Thailands first world flyweight boxing champion, Bernard & Bighead Buck - ever heard of him?

Time is running low so I've by-passed Cha-Am and gone straight to Pretchaburi. There's some good caves etc around here. Gonna have two nights here probably. Managed to bag the cheapest room I've ever had - 120B a night, but it's grim!

So, still unsure where I'm headed from here. Well, I know I have to go to BKK but from there. Flights for Sri Lanka have gone through the roof so it looks like I'll be passing up on that this trip. So only really Cambodia & Laos are in the running. Could go back to Malaysia but done quite some time there already. There's potential trouble brewing on the Thai/Cambodian border over disputed land that a temple that's recently been awarded World heritage Status sits on. So the Temple is closed and several thousand troops from each nation are sitting there awaiting further instruction. Maybe it's best to go elsewhere?

Koh Phangan

13/07/08

Happy Birthday Lianne!!

Yesterday I moved from Haad Rin to Haad Chao Phao and am staying at The Village Green www.phangan.info/villagegreen which is owned & run by Ben Green from Buckinghamshire. I've got a fantastic traditional style Thai bungalow with attached bathroom for 400B a night. The beach is only a short walk from here and is stunning!



16/07/08

Well I got bitten by a rogue dog the other night. The sneaky git attacked from the rear. I heard three paw steps then he had my left leg just above the ankle. No barking or growling, a stealth attack! I was pretty annoyed as it looked like I'd have to get back to Samui asap for post exposure rabies shots. I have already had a course of three in the UK in 2005, ooops! Anyway, I told Ben I'd been bitten and he immediately said 'by the red dog?' It appears to be his party trick! Ben assures me that he & several others have been bitten by that cowardly rear attacking pooch and no-one has died of Rabies, yet! So I've taken a gamble, all be it a little one. The odds are stacked well in my favour.



I arrived on Koh Tao yesterday and went to View Rock resort at Hin Wong bay http://www.scuba-view.com/ . It is stunning there. The huts are all on stilts on the side of a huge boulder strewn hillside. My hut (109) was next to the lightening strike tree and had he noisiest fan ever. Consequently I was still awake to watch a fantastic sunrise.

So I moved this morning to Poseidon Bungalows at Tanote Bay which is a few bays further down the Island. I've got a manky hut here for 300 a night but it has a hammock and is the closest one to the beach. My main reason for coming to Tanote Bay was to stay at Bamboo bungalows as recommended by Lee & Lex. Unfortunately it's closed down - Black Tip Divers have bought them out. I was also hoping for cheaper beer as the Lonely Planet says there are several small shops in Tanote Bay - Wrong! Only inflated prices at the resorts. 90B for a beer that costs 38B in 7-11. So I'm off to the mainland.



20/07/08

I'm in Chumpon on the mainland staying at Farang guesthouse. It's pretty cool & laid back here. Folks are nice are not looking to grab your money quite as much as they are on the islands. I think I'm gonna get a bus up to Cha-am tomorow.

Samui part 2

Well I'm still on Samui! I stumbled upon an restaurant/bar on the main road (4169) near the Lamai turnoff called "Cheap Charlies". Went in & met a guy called Paul who's Thai/Cambodian partner is running the place. It serves a great English breakfast for 99B - I was hooked and even ate scrambled eggs every day! I got talking to Paul and found out that he used to do business with one of my uncles - small world eh? He now runs http://www.onlyinsamui.com/ and is based here. I met his circle of expat friends and was sort of taken under their collective wings, so I've spent a fair amount of time with them. Got an education on most things Thai! Paul & his friend Andy are great guys. Andy has lived in various parts of Thailand and was very informative.

I spent numerous days doing very little - big breakfasts, numerous cups of tea and a few beers while chatting. I kept thinking I should have a look around the Island but for that you need a motorbike and Samui's roads are notorious - a westerner (farang) dies every week! Yesterday I bit the bullet & hired a bike, a semi automatic 4 geared 100cc machine. It's been a godsend. I've seen some of what Samui has to offer!

Met a wonderful couple from Germany today at Cheap Charlies, Chris & Yeleana (sorry about the spelling!). Chris is a musician and plays in several bands. Check out www.myspace.com/marcandthemillioaires or www.myspace.com/radioroadwest or www.myspace.com/trafficjamsongs or http://www.radioroadwest.com/ . We made arrangements to meet tomorrow to do the Big Buddha and maybe some other tourist attractions after that.

Things took a funny old turn after that. Myself, Paul, Andy & Big Bill the American were all making arrangements when a guy that has a long running feud with Paul turned up. Words were exchanged and the next thing we knew a pint of Hydrochloric acid had been thrown in Paul's face. We doused him with water, got him to hospital followed by the police station and another hospital with an eye specialist? Looks like at best he'll have impaired vision in his left eye.

Pardon the pun but this was a real eye opener for me. The first thing the ambulance crew asked for was his insurance. We said he has none and that he has no money as medical treatment on Insurance or for rich farang is a huge scam here. So they took Paul & myself to Na Thon hospital where they washed his eyes out with two litres of saline, said he needs an eye specialist which wasn't available on the Island and turfed us out, not before demanding payment for the little they had done. In fact that's not fair, 566 baht for an ambulance journey there & back, treatment & cream & painkillers.

After our visit to the Police station some funds became available and what do you know? There is an eye specialist at the swanky Bangkok Samui Hospital - specially built to treat Thai's that can afford it and well insured tourists. This place looks like a 5 star hotel. Praise the NHS! At least in the UK rich & poor alike are entitled to the same free treatment.

10/07/08

Ok folks I'm in Koh Phangnan. Staying at http://www.coralhaadrin.com/ . I'm hoping to move from here tomorrow. My passport was demanded at check in and when I refused I was almost shouted at. Reluctantly I handed it over although I'm really not happy about it. Apparently it's illegal to hold someones passport but the Thai's like to do it. That way they can demand money from you in order for you to get it back. Most of the motorcycle hire places do that. This is the first guesthouse that's ever done it to me - never again - I'll look for somewhere else from now on!

On top of that it's a really young party crowd here. I've sat through at least two meals on my own without anyone making even the slightest effort at chatting, I'm too old, ugly or smelly for these lot of too cool for school types!

Everything here is expensive, Internet is three times more, transport is more, beer is more, food is more, accommodation is more! So I'm moving! Will move away from Haad Rin and see what I find. May even head over to Koh Tao earlier than I anticipated. Take care folks xxx

Koh Samui

The mini van from Penang was cool, only 4 people in it. Malay & Thai borders were a breeze although the Thai immigration man was a grumpy old sod - no response at all to my Sawasdee kup & Khrap con kup. I was accosted in Had Yai by a tout and led to a private firm who tried to sell me a minivan ticket to Surat Thani. I left and purchased a 260B ticket for the big bus with all the locals. Was OK, met a Thai guy called Sam who was great company and big buses are not as scary as minivans.
Arrived in Surat Thani at around 7pm. Trouble started within 30 seconds. Taxi tout agrees to take me to the night ferry pier for 20B. 1 min later we're outside his mates shop and they're telling me that there's no night ferry tonight and that I must buy a day ferry ticket & nights accommodation from them. Yeah right!! I'll walk to the night ferry pier then. So, back in the open back bedford rascal type vehicle and off to the night ferry pier - now it's 40B though. I was annoyed but put into perspective, we're talking about 65p for a taxi ride so I let it slide. And what do you know? The night ferry is running. Lying gits. I hate liars!
So I bought my ticket and politely refused the boat owners offer of leaving my pack on board. Went off to find food & beer and grabbed the first western face I saw. Yaan, a German guy was my victim. We ate together, drank too many beers and chatted until about 20 mins before our individual boats 11pm departure time. His boat is for Koh Tao, mine for Samui. He too is not over keen on the brief encounters. Hi, how you doing, where you going, where you been - good or bad? How long you travelling etc? And then, well I'm going this way, take care, travel safe and nice to meet you - hand shake & part company.
The night ferry was great. 6-7 hours of drunken slumber on a 3" thick mattress laid straight on the deck of an ancient wooden cargo boat. 76km of calm sea passed away slowly with barely a murmur. I arrived in Na Thon at 6 am safe & sound with all my possessions intact. Went & found somewhere to get a hot drink & wait until the swangtheaw's start running at around 7.
Koh samui was a rude awakening. 100B for a 50B swangthaew ride - I don't think so! Got him down to 60B. I can handle that, 16p over the top - OK dude but Buddha is watching you. Have you heard of Karma?
So I arrived in Hat Lamai early. Booked into Lamai Pearl bungalows. Got a stilt bungalow with attached bathroom near the beach for 200B a night. It is a very tired bungalow though, a million miles from where I was last week. I really must move from here. Walking down the main strip I was offered drugs twice, tailor made clothing 9 times and lost count of the number of massages - I have something special inside for you lover! I think not - hmmmm - No, Billy, No!
I was initially pleased to be back in Thailand. Perhaps I should of listened when folk said "give Samui a wide berth". But, at least I've seen it. 37 years ago the first backpackers arrived here on a coconut boat and now the place is so touristy that they would never recognise it as that deserted beautiful island. Why do people come here? Oh, of course!

Second time in Penang!!

Hey Folki,

I made it to Penang ok but didn't have the time to get into Thailand on the same day. Well, I could of gone to Hat Yai & spent a night there but I'd rather be in Penang so I decided to stay here for a night & do from here to Koh Samui in one stint. However I met a group of lads, Paul & Dougie the Scots, Phil the German & Cosmo the token English dude. Cosmo's a great kid, I reckon he's a bit of a rebellious lad though and too much time spent with him could lead you astray. So last night we were out on the lash watching Spain beat Germany 1-0. Poor old Phil took it quite hard. It turned into a bit of night and I turned in at 6.30am while those guys continued for a while. Consequently there was no way I was having an early start for Thailand this morning so I decided on another day in Penang which is bloody cool really as the food here is great and I like Penang. It was great to get off a bus somewhere for the first time where you actually knew the area and where you were going. Accommodation is cheap here, back at 75 Travellers Lodge with the likable Mr Low. Had my own room last night but sharing with Cosmo tonight.

I'm in the 8.30am minibus to Hat Yai in the morning. From Hat Yai I'll get a coach to Surat Thani where I intend to get on the night cargo ferry to Samui. Sounds like it's gonna be an adventure - Do not leave your bag unattended I've been told!! You sleep on the deck for the 6 hour crossing, save the cost of a nights accommodation and save a little on a normal ferry ticket. Plus you arrive in Samui before sun up so you can watch the sunrise and get an early start on looking for a decent place to stay, I win all round, as long as the crossing goes ok, that is.

So not sure when I'll post next, I hear Samui is expensive for things like Internet etc so maybe I'll not post for a bit. Take care all xx

5 Star, Shangri-la, back packa!!

Well folks as the title suggests I've been upmarket for a week! Blew the budget to pieces but ate like a king. I managed to get a bit of a discount on the published rates at Shangri-la Rasa Ria but It was still well above my usual budget & standards. Needs must however. The Rasa Ria is a fantastic place. I'd recommend it to those who can afford it. The sunsets there were amazing. Staff were fantastic, food was excellent, beds were comfy with mattresses over a foot thick.

You can see my 40RM breakfast above just waiting to be devoured. I'm sure I put weight on this last week. I did share it with Sonia, I promise. Breakie was included in my room price. Did you notice the bed head? There's also that Hawaiian beer shirt again - it's well travelled is that shirt. A wicked sunset and of course the young Orangutan.

Swanley crew, no in depth account I'm afraid. You'll have to use your imagination.

So I'm now back in KK just for one night. I leave here at 7am Sunday morning, bound for Penang. Once there I intend to try & get into Thailand via bus/train on the same day. I'm aiming for Koh Samui, Koh Phang nan & Koh Tao. 1 month of Island living is what I have in mind. No need to see sights, just want to be a beach bum for now. Oh, and the beer is cheaper in Thailand. I've been on rations in Malaysia due to the cost, so bring it on.

So I'm off for now, I'll post again from Thailand. Take care folks, be safe.

KK

Well I've been pissed off today! I've been trying to sort out accommodation and or transport to get to my lady. The Rasa Ria wanted over 500Rm a night to put me in a room of my own or to put a bed in Sonia & Janet's room. So given the choice I'd rather have my own room. But that kind of money could keep me travelling for some time and so I'm reluctant to stay at that luxury resort. Maybe when i see it, I'll see it different!!
So I've managed to sort out a car with a little help from a local guy called Charles Lai. He runs a Chinese restaurant called Kedai Kopi Kinabalu on Gaya Street behind the RSB bank. He's a great guy. I was there last night eating and got chatting to him. He initiated the conversation and said his friend could do me a car cheaper than other places. He was right. Abdul @ the Beach street hostel has beaten all the quotes I got from elsewhere today, I pick the little car up tomorrow at 10am. Woo hoo, I have wheels and can get around Sabah. The public transport system here is not like it was in Peninsular Malaysia. It is present but timetables are not in existence and if they were, they certainly wouldn't be adhered to. I was the only whitey on both buses I took yesterday. The locals are not as friendly as they are on the peninsular either, that's not to say they want to do you harm, but they are not as liable to approach you as they are on the peninsular. English is not as widely spoken here either which probably explains the lack of communication. Hence navigating your way around on local transport is difficult.
Anyway, back to Mr Charles Lai. I was sitting chatting to him last night when a deaf girl rocked up selling toys. You know how they do in the UK, they present a card explaining that they are deaf and asking if you can purchase something to help with their fundraising. Well, Mr Lai gets the girl to sit down and explains to me what she's doing & that he has purchased several toys from her. His children who all work in the restaurant justified his claims. He then proceeds to get his kitchen staff to feed & water her before she goes on her way with no charge. A little while later she reappears with two deaf companions who are doing the same as her. He feeds & waters them both also for no charge. They are great kids and make no mistake, they were kids. Now, they will be off to Thailand at the end of the month doing the same thing which makes me wonder who's exploiting them. Somebody appears to be, although if that's the way that these kids keep their bellies full and a water tight roof over their heads, is it really exploitation?
However you see it the fact remains that Mr Charles Lai appears to be a good guy. He done what most in the western world wouldn't. Charity before profit. That makes him a good guy in my book, he deserves good things, so if you're in KK visit his restaurant. Eat well and bear in mind that whatever you spend, it's not all profit, some of it will find it's way to a needy cause because that man has a good heart. I took some friends & their friends there for food tonight and he gave us free fruit for dessert, two plates full of chopped apples & oranges. As I said before, he's a good 'un. Pay the man a visit & just ask if you need help with anything. I'm sure he'll do his best to put you on the right path.
So tomorrow all being well I get to see my girl who I've not seen for over three months. And her wonderful mum who is a star.
Well that's it for now. Peace, love & unity to all. 10 - 4 good buddy, over & out!

Kota Kinabalu

Well the weathers not too great in KK. It rained most of the day yesterday and is raining again now. Yesterday was pretty much a DVD day - Stay in lodge has a box full of DVDs, DVD player & TV all in the communal area for use by guests for no charge. Free tea & coffee and Internet too! Not bad eh?

Someone commented a while back that there was no mention of girls on this blog. The main reason for that is that this trip was never about sowing seeds around the world, but also as they suspected, there is a girl in the UK that I'm attached to although maybe not the kind of relationship that everybody would understand. Anyway, she is arriving at a very nice resort 30km outside of KK tomorrow for a two week break. So today I thought I'd catch the local bus up that way to see how easy it's going to be to get back & forth. 1.5 hrs on a local bus (4RM) into a town called Tuaran where you would of thought I was an alien strolling about. Obviously not many westerners bother to head up there, either that, or I had a something stuck on my face! It was also hard to find anyone that spoke English which is not the case following the standard tourist path in Malaysia, especially on the Peninsular. Consequently I walked for over an hour in search of said resort before running out of time. I had to turn back! The last local bus back to KK leaves at three, or that was the way I understood the locals. So I am still none the wiser, I will maybe try again tomorrow, perhaps hire a bike or a car. The only other alternative is to book into that 5* resort which is well beyond my budget. And after travelling for three months & doing things cheaply you sort of get into this mind set where you would rather spend a quarter of a taxi fare on getting the bus instead. I also can't stand to pay more than a tenner a night on a room! Tight git eh? That's what budget travelling is all about. The sooner the monies gone, the sooner you have to go home and I'm not ready yet! I need some more Island living - I love being on a island with nothing to do but chill, snorkel, swim & eat!

My visit to Tuaran wasn't a complete waste though. I stumbled across this great 9 storey pagoda temple (Ling San) so had a look around. 2RM admission fee was well worth it! So there's a couple of piccies above of the temple and some sunsets from the area around the night food market in KK. It is a great place to watch sunsets from. I'll be heading off down there for a feed in a bit.

Borneo

Hey Folki, well all went well. I got stamped out of Malaysia and into Singapore with ease. Singapore was hectic. It is after all a western city. Two days there was not enough really, there is shed loads to do there although it is expensive. I met a couple of Californian lads (Brad & Paul) on the bus from Melaka to Singapore so we hung out while I was there. We traipsed around on the first night looking for somewhere to stay without a great deal of success. We ended up at the Inncrowd hostel on Dunlop street in an 11 bed dorm. The hostel was nice but I don't really like the dorm thing, people are just too inconsiderate. Someones alarm clock went off both nights at 1am and seemed to only wake me! The first night was also interrupted by a bunch of Asian girls coming back from a night out and turning the light on at 2am, then it went off only to come back on again a little while later. The second night and around 1.30am a girl from a different dorm decides to stroll right through our dorm to get out on the roof terrace for a smoke, so in the space of 10 mins 4 doors were banged, wicked!!
The morning after my arrival I went out & looked at two temples and then the Art gallery with the lads. However my back has been playing up again gradually getting worse over the last 2 weeks. I had to go back to the Hostel & take a pill then have a siesta. I also had the top bunk there which took me back some 25 years! A right pain to get in & out of. The dorm thing is not for me!! So if you're headed to Singapore book your accommodation before you get there, if not you'll do lots of walking and still only find a dorm bed.
So I left Singapore on the 13th and breezed through immigration - stamped out of Singapore & back into Malaysia - a fresh 90 day visa for free, woo hoo! If you go this way watch out for the taxi touts, they are sharks. They tried to get me to part with 50RM for a ride to the airport (Senai International, Johor Bharu) which you can do for 8RM on the bus. Then another one tried to tell me the bus doesn't run from Johor immigration to Kotaraya terminal (where you get the bus from to go to Senai International). Lying git! He gave me a good hand shake when I pointed out that I knew 100% that there was a bus. It pisses me off that these guys are very religious but willing to lie & deceive to get you in their taxi. I suppose you can't blame someone for trying to turn a shilling in order to feed their family but it still jars my nut! So, you've been warned.
The same day I got caught at Senai by Air Asia. Apparently my backpack has gained 5 kilos since I've been travelling. God knows how! But it know weighs 18.1 instead of 12.9 when I left the UK. So I was charged 45RM for being 3 Kilos over (Air Asia only allow 15KG hold luggage & 7KG hand). So I need to buy a bigger day pack so as I can take a bit more hand luggage on the plane as I will still need several Air Asia flights before I return to the UK. I also need to go through that pack and dump some stuff that isn't needed or hasn't been used yet! Perhaps I'll need to wear several layers of clothing each time I fly.
So I'm now in Kota Kinabalu (KK) in Malaysian Borneo. First impressions of this place are not great. I shared a taxi from the airport with a Swiss girl called Sonia & a Chinese girl who's name I didn't get. Accommodation in KK is more expensive than in Peninsular Malaysia so Sonia & I are roomies for the next night or so. We stayed at Trekkers Lodge last night and have moved this morning to Stay in Lodge ( www.stayinlodge.com ) and managed to find a cheaper room. Went out for a beer last night after bumping into Jess who I met in Kota Bharu a week or so ago, she arrived here yesterday too although on a different flight. Was funny to watch the locals trying to pull themselves a western girl, one young Malay even confided in me his plan to snare & marry a western so as he can live in Europe. These young guys can't afford to marry local girls as they have to pay a kind of Dowry amounting to thousands of Ringgit. Seems a shame that their culture & customs are forcing them to go against tradition. Maybe they've seen too many western folks who are not bound by the same culture/customs/religion and think life would be better elsewhere. If only they knew - the grass always looks greener. Life in the west is not without it's problems - they'll find out in good time!! So I'm off to do some investigating, I'll post again in a couple of days, take care folks.

Melaka

I arrived at Sentral bus station just outside of Melaka town completely unscathed - remarkable considering how many bus crashes there's been in the last two weeks! My night bus was regularly doing 100kmh on normal roads. They seem to forget they've got 40 innocent people sitting right behind them. Anyway, from Sentral bus station I took local bus 17 to town square where I was informed by way of a sign that I am 10,623 KM away from London - quite a long way from Bacon sarnies & PG pyramids.

Melaka was colonised first by the Portuguese, then the Dutch, followed by the British who lost it to the Japanese during WW2 before reclaiming it after the war was won. We pulled out in 1957 when Malaysia won it's independence from the commonwealth. Consequently there are lots of different races & religions all living side by side in perfect harmony. Where else would you find Chinese, Muslim & Hindu temples all on the same street? There's Indians, Malays, Eurasians and a big head of Chinese here. In fact they have the best China town I've been in so far! It's hard to describe but I just felt great roaming the streets there. Not once was I harassed to buy anything, there were no market stalls with cheap mass produced imported shite being forced upon you. No "Hey Mr, special price for you". It is still a working China town where the locals live & ply their trades from local shophouses. Basket makers, blacksmiths, silversmiths, souvenir makers are all there doing what they've done for decades, centuries even.

I'm so glad my plans changed and I came here, I'm just gutted that I've only got two days! The old center of town is where the bulk of the history lies, the suburbs are spreading ever wider as the town develops. There are now huge shopping malls, a cinema, bowling alley & the big hotels are moving in - progress they say - let's hope the old town retains it's charm & character while the suburbs sprawl across the surrounding countryside. One good side of that is that I found a Nando's brother Tom! My usual in the UK was under half the cost here including government tax and service charge although it didn't seem as good - maybe because my Nando's eating partner wasn't there! Also found a great bar (D'Arts cafe, 121 Jonker street, Tel 016-661-5558, dart@streamyx.com )with bottles of Malaysian beer for 5RM, great music & a friendly owner. I'm off there in a minute!!

I'm staying at Travellers Lodge and have a tiny room with shared facilities for 20RM per night. Maybe i ought to think about upping the accommodation budget.

So tomorrow morning I leave here bound for Singapore. Will be there for two nights only before heading back into Malaysia for Johor Bharu airport and my Friday 13th flight! Not the best idea I've had this trip but it was the cheapest flight I could find.

Pictures above are of Christ church (built by the Dutch), the ruins of the old Dutch fort and yours truly in front of a fantastic temple.

Onward travel plans!!

Ok folks, I leave Kota Bharu on a nightbus tomorrow (Sunday) evening bound for Malaka. Will take 10 hours, hmmmm, not nice but needs must. So I'll have a few days there before moving into Singapore for a few days. Then I have a flight on Friday 13th from Johor Bharu to Kota Kinabalu, Borneo. Will see some of Sabah maybe Sarawak too before heading off elsewhere. Not sure where yet, still considering Indonesia although Sri Lanka is a must for this trip and I still want to take another look at Thailand. I'll post some more pictures soon. Take care folks

People watching!!

While sitting at Zecks today chatting to other guests, a guy called Bill from Singapore said "Birds of a feather, flock together", "I've been watching". He's pretty much correct too. The Germans, French, Swiss, Dutch, Canadians etc all seek out the company of their own kin. I do it too. I find it easier to talk to and form friendships with other English folk. Why is that? That's not to say I don't speak to other nationalities, I do, but the better their English is, the easier I find it to talk to them - how uncultured am I?
Now that leads on to the friendship issue. You meet lots of folks while travelling. Some can be tolerated for a very short period before you feel the need to distance yourself from them. Others make good company for an evening or two while some become friends that you spend several days with. These folk all invariably move on at some point. Either you or they are going in a different direction. It's hard when you've got to know and consider as a friend these folks - then they're gone. The cycle starts again......
Now, Malaysians are pretty friendly on the whole. I've met loads who are pleasant & accepting. Some will go well out of their way to make you feel welcome and generally Malaysia is a safe place for westerners to be. I've no doubt that there are some dodgy happenings here occasionally but Malaysia is a great place. I for one have become increasingly fond of it since I've been here and would definitely come back.......I have several invites in KL for food & tea tarik that I feel i should attend!
However lots of Malaysians working the tourist circuit tell lies - there's no local bus, the guesthouse you want is full or closed or has bed bugs etc etc. Occasionally it's the truth but rarely as the entire system works on kick backs. The taxi driver gets a commission for taking you to a particular guesthouse, the guesthouse owner gets a drink for getting you into a particular taxi, boat or minibus. Tickets have an uplift built into them so as the seller gets a commission. The entire system works on commission's, don't believe anybody that tells you different. Use the local government run transport whenever you can, you'll pay the same for your seat as a local and try to sort out your own tickets.

Perhentian Kecil.

Ok first & foremost, a big apology to Clare & Eurig for running out on them. I had another terrible night at Ideal. Was laying on the bed reading and had small insects crawling across the page! Consequently spent a sleepless night scratching myself stupid! As soon as owners were up, booked a taxi & boat ticket & got out of there. Did knock your door guys (not very loudly, I must admit) to say goodbye but didn't want to wake you. So, Sorry guys!

24/05/08

So I've just had one of the better nights sleep I've had on this trip. I'm staying at D'Lagoon http://www.geocities.com/d_lagoon_my on the Northeast tip of Perhentian Kecil. It's a great place here - beach is small but only D'lagoon use it. Better than that is the coral, fish & black tipped reef sharks that you can snorkel with just in front of that little beach. I saw 7 of them yesterday. Dorm beds are 15RM, room in a longhouse are 30RM with either a double or two singles, room with three singles is 40RM or semi detached chalet with attached bathroom are 60RM. There's also a tree house for 20RM - unfortunately it's fully booked! There's also two other beaches within a 15 minute walk that are isolated & unoccupied. All in all, a great place. Turtles lay eggs on the beach here and there should be some hatchlings in about a months time.

25/05/08

More snorkeling today. Saw some huge lumphead Parrot fish and a spotted porcupine fish - wicked - the underwater world is amazing. Suddenly you realize just how true to life "Finding Nemo" really was. While sitting eating in the restaurant tonight a Civet came down looking for food - who needs Taman Negara?

26/05/08

Well I've been feeling a little under the weather for the last day or so and travellers diarrhoea has well & truly settled in today. I'm shaking, hot & cold shivers, sweating, aching all over, light headed and obviously toilet visits every two hours even through the night. Birthday wasn't too bad though. Sam & Christina had already left the Island but had left a beer behind for me - how nice was that? Thanks guys. Ben & Saskia also ensured I wasn't alone and we had a couple of beers together - they are leaving on the 8 o'clock boat in the morning. Had a great little group there for a few days - safe travels to you all.

27/05/08

Still dog rough! The owner of D'Lagoon has just given me a sachet of something to sort out my tummy. Let's hope it works as I'm running low on funds but can't travel to Kota Bharu like this - a bit of a dilemma!

29/05/08

Last night was another strange one although after my midnight dash to the loo I was OK till 1PM today - I'm on the mend. Stomach cramps have stopped and bowel movements are less frequent although still not quite right. I've also just been told that Sam & Christina have prepaid the turtle snorkelling trip for me as a birthday present. I'd known them for about 4 days - I'm actually blown away by their kindness & generosity. That was a real nice thing to do guys, I'll not forget turning 36. Thank you very much. You are still a card cheat though Sam!!

I went to Turtle beach a couple of nights back to watch a turtle laying eggs. I was disgusted with the behaviour of mainly the Malays but other nationalities too, who couldn't follow the rules about keeping their distance. They had to touch the turtle and pose for photo's - shocking! Only four of us from a group of 25 kept away. I wish I hadn't witnessed the whole saga.

30/05/08

Last night was a massive storm. The entire longhouse shook like it was an earthquake with each clap of thunder. The sky was completely illuminated with sheet lightening. It was like someone was turning on a huge floodlight - awesome! Today I went on the turtle trip. I swam with those huge, graceful creatures. Another once in a lifetime moment!

01/05/08

This morning I had a great surprise. A turtle on the beach right in front of my very eyes. See the pictures above. Also there is the bay during daylight and a sunrise shot. I left the island at 8am and am now back in Kota Bharu. This time I am at Zecks travellers inn ztravellers_inn@hotmail.com zecktravellers@yahoo.com where the beds are cleaner and the mattresses thicker. This place was highly recommended by several people on the Island and so far it looks good. Zeck & his wife Marianne are very friendly folks. Should be a decent nights sleep. Right, I'm off to the night market for some Malay grub, hmmmm you lot don't know what you're missing!

Taman Negara 2

17/05/08

Yeah sorry Swanley crew. Internet in Taman Negara was shite so I thought I'd wait till I was in a city again. I went trekking today with Clare & Eurig (a couple I met on the minibus from Cam High). Done about 6Km in total through the rain forest. Visited an Orang Asli tribal village and Gua Telinga (bat cave). Was real hard going! Only mammals to be seen were wild boar. Did catch sight of the huge trees though and managed to avoid being chomped on by the leeches which I think was more luck than judgement. However after all that walking I now have chaffed butt crack so I'll leave the trekking for the others to do - I'll make some enquiries about fishing.

18/05/08

Well I was turfed out of Tahan guesthouse this morning and didn't have a great deal of luck with finding other accommodation in KKT. It's a holiday weekend in Malaysia so everywhere is booked out. I had to move a few Km up river to Mat Leon resort which is a nice place although better for couples. It's in the rain forest and is only reachable by boat or on foot. They run a free river taxi between 7am & 7pm although it's 20RM outside these hours. I have my own chalet with attached bathroom for 60RM - about a tenner a night which includes breakfast - a little more than I like to pay but at least I have somewhere. Washing is cheaper here too, they charge by the kilo whereas in town they charge by the item. They also allow fishing from their floating jetty and have rods for hire. I walked into KKT today so as I knew what footpath to follow through the rain forest should I not want to spend that 20RM on a boat home. When I reached the tarmac road a friendly local gave me a lift on his motorbike for free - good stuff eh? Gotta say though, it's gonna be a scary walk home that way in the dark!

A couple of quick points on Kampung Kuala Tahan. It's very Islamic up here so alcohol is very hard to come by. There is only 1 place (The Woodlands Resort) where you can buy a small can of Tiger for 10RM - bring your own! There are no banks or ATM's here - get your money on route in Jerantut. I'd also say do some investigating before you book any activities. Prices vary from place to place and you can do lots of things under your own steam for little or no money. Our Asli village & bat cave excursion would've cost 80Rm each - we done it for 7Rm each!! I'd also say try to get here during the week. Here's a little saying I heard here " Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories".

19/05/08

Moved back to Tahan today and got my old room (4) back. Went over to park HQ and done the canopy walk. Shit that's high - the highest in the world allegedly. I'm ready to leave now though, had enough of it here. Wanted to go home yesterday but now I'm thinking of where to go after Malaysia. Was thinking of climbing Mount Kinabalu in Borneo but I'm told there's a 2 month waiting list. So, it's possibly Indonesia or Sri Lanka or maybe back in to Thailand - I'm still not sure. So who's coming for a visit and where we meeting??

The fishing was as usual - no fish! Although I did meet a group of Malays from KL & Jerantut who were friendly, shared their bait and kept me amused. I also met another group today - all motocross riders from KL who I done the canopy walk with. All but 1 of us walked the 1.5KM to it while 'Uncle', a retired air Asia pilot of Chinese origin swam against the current of the river all the way there. He then proceeded to do the canopy walk and the 1.5KM back to park HQ in his speedos with his goggles perched rear facing on his head. Needless to say he was a source of amusement. Especially when his friends were taking pictures of his exposed butt crack which he'd been unaware of until the numerous camera flashes and raucous laughter. I've been invited for Teh Tarik & food next time I'm in KL. Thanks guys!

21/05/08

Well I'm in Kota Bharu at Ideal travellers house. Got here yesterday. Left KKT on a local bus to Jerantut, from there a train on the 'Jungle Railway' to Wakaf Bharu and then a taxi to KB as we missed the last local bus. In total 26RM compared with 80RM by minibus. Do your research before buying the first ticket you come across. So I'm off to Perenthian Kecil (the small island) either tomorrow or the next day (Thurs/Fri) and have found out there's a local bus to the jetty at Kuala Besut for 6.4RM instead of 40RM for a taxi - everyone seems to want to take you for a ride! I need to be on the Island before the 24th as the schools break for two weeks from then and coming by accommodation will be hard. I also want to be there for my birthday! So I'll be off radar for a bit as I've heard the Internet over there is 6 quid an hour to use and I'm not paying that! There's also no banks or Atm's. Also heard the other day that 7 huts in the same resort got robbed in 1 night while people were sleeping in them and that Lonely Beach has a heroin problem. Great!!

Mary me old cuz, sent you email a while back. Did you get it? If not send me an email so I've got your correct address, thanks xx

Taman Negara

14/05/08
Tonight is my last night in the highlands - I could quite easily stay for longer but Taman Negara is calling. I have enjoyed my time here though and would recommend at least a few days stopover to anyone passing through Malaysia - especially if you're English. Strawberries & Cream, Scones & Jam and Apple Pie are all available in the Highlands. I hear that Starbucks is on it's way which is a good or bad thing depending on which side of the fence you sit.

Met another great guy the other night, John from Faversham - thanks for the company dude, take care.

16/05/08
Journey from the Highlands to Taman Negara was arduous - 8.5 hours in a minibus. I'm staying at Tanah guesthouse www.tanahguesthouse.tk which is between the Police station & the Mosque in Kampung Kuala Tahan. Not a bad place but the noise from the mosque can mean you're awake early! The Sungai Tembeling river separates KTT from Taman Negara so a boat taxi is needed to cross the river for access to the park. An entry permit (1RM) and a camera permit (5RM) are required before you can enter the park. Taman Negara rainforest is 130 million years old - untouched by ice ages, volcanic activity and other geological upheavals. It is also home to the Rafflesia - a parasitic plant and the largest flower in the world. There are also Rhino's & Tigers apparently although few people actually catch sight of them. I called in at the Tourist info place last night and was advised to get myself a friend to watch my back. Slightly worrying! I will be booking some things to do later so maybe I'll try to find some people to join up with, safety in numbers & all that.

Does anybody use the www. links that I insert? If so, try these www.pahangtourism.org.my or www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my they may give you some idea of how lovely Malaysia is. I'll update this post in a few days when I've done a few bits. For now I'm off to check out activities and alternative accommodation. I hear that my place is fully booked after tonight and I will be asked to leave - wonderful!

Cameron Highlands (photos added)

The coach from KL to the Cameron Highlands went well - no motorcyclists damaged!! My goodbye with Lee & Lex was emotional..... It was raining here when I arrived and has rained every day for the last week or so, normally in the afternoons. The mornings are great if you can get out of bed early enough although the sun does shine well into the afternoons, in fact the weather has been better since I've been here than it had for the week previous, I must have brought it with me. It doesn't really get much above 23 degrees up here which is nice, you can actually walk around without perspiring by the bucket load. Got HOT showers at our place, ye ha! And you need blankets on the bed at night. I've even had socks & trainers on my feet for the first time in 2 months.

Some brief history - the Highlands were named after William Cameron who mapped the area in 1885. It soon became a place where colonialists settled to get away from the heat of the lowlands. Soon after farmers etc settled here and the first Tea was planted in 1929 by JA Russell who founded the Boh tea estate which is still trading today. The highlands are Malaysia's most extensive Hill Station and Tea & strawberries are still extensively farmed here.

I'm staying at the Cameronian Inn http://www.thecameronianinn.com/ nasan56@streamyx.com which is a little off the main rd. A guy called Nash picked me up from bus station which saved a hike although a few of the guesthouses up here do that. On Friday the owner of our guesthouse (Ganesh???) had agreed to take a bunch of young English (Dean,Sam,Abby,Rachel & Becky) out for a sightseeing trip in his minibus. I was invited along so what the hell, why not? Within minutes I'd become the designated driver and spent the next few hours driving around the Highlands in a beaten up old minibus. Was great fun, I really enjoyed it. And for the second time this trip I was offered a job, apparently I'm a good driver (yeah Forest I am) and was needed for Nash's position. So that afternoon the 5 & I went off trekking. We done route 9A which was relatively easy apart from my slipping off the path and sliding down the side of the valley before grabbing hold of something solid and pulling myself back up to the path. 3 of the girls decided to cab back to the guesthouse while Dean, Becky & myself decided to tackle route 9B for the return journey. Jeepers, it was practically a vertical climb up the side of the valley that took about 45 mins - very physical but strangely rewarding.

Next day I met Gary & Danni, a couple from Hastings who are really great. We've spent a fair bit of time sitting in the sun & talking about nothing & everything if you know what I mean. In fact I was supposed to be blogging & booking trips & bus tickets yesterday morning but have only just managed to tear myself away (it's 6pm Sunday now). So my plans are now a little behind and the tea plantation I wanted to visit isn't open on Mondays so it looks like I'll spend another few days up here, which isn't a bad thing really. At the end of the day if I miss my return flight to the UK from BKK, I'll just have to stay out here longer and do a few more countries. It's only time, why rush?

KL 2 Revised 08/05/08

Hi again folks. Here's me giving it large outside the twin towers - went up there today. You can only go as high as the walkway which is at the 41st floor but there's no charge for it which was a real surprise. There's also me in my 1 legged trouser (it's not a skirt!)and beer shirt - just for you Maggie xx.

KL is a funny place! When I first got here I wanted to leave immediately but the place just grows on you. Sure it's got it's bad points like any big city but there's something about it that makes it more interesting the more time you spend here. It is truly multi cultural. It's not uncommon to see a group of friends or work colleagues strolling along that are made up of Malays, Indians & Chinese all getting along - fantastic. Maybe the UK could learn a little something from Malaysia. I've visited China Town & Little India and both those areas are not specifically inhabited by the people that the titles would suggest. There's loads to do & see but not enough time.

So, a few useless pieces of info. The Petronas towers are 292 times taller than me - imagine that! The lift rises 41 floors in 14 seconds, it makes your ears pop! I'm down to 61KG, woo hoo! I'm on my 4th pair of thongs (flip flops). Bloody things either break or blister your feet so bad that you have to throw 'em away.

The guesthouse we're at, Cintamani travellers lodge is situated equidistant between China Town & Little India. It's max 10 min walk from Puduraya bus station and has an underground and monorail station nearby. www.mayviewglory.com or email mayview1@streamyx.com . The Monorail system is great. The Petronas Towers are about 20 min walk and various other bits are within walking distance. The staff here are nice and you can negotiate a discount if you're staying for a few days. If you're coming into Puduraya bus station late at night then take care, people have been robbed there. Even during the day it can be an intimidating place. The touts for bus tickets & taxis like to hound you although that's no different from most other bus/train stations or airports.

KL is only 150 years old. 87 Chinese prospectors landed here in 1857 to mine Tin & other minerals. Within a month only 17 were left, the others had died from Malaria and other tropical dieseases. They found something worth having though because many people followed them and now KL is home to over 1.8 million people.

I mentioned in my last post about Times Square. Well today it was a toss up between the KL tower or the indoor theme park. The roller coaster won! The theme park is actually inside the shopping centre between the fifth & tenth floors. The biggest indoor theme park in Malaysia. Had a fantastic time.

I almost feel sad that I'll be leaving on Thursday. I booked my bus ticket today for the Cameron Highlands. And I'll be going on my own! The fear!!!! Lee & Lex are off to Bali on Thursday and Dave is popping down to Melaka. So that's it, for the first time on this trip I will be going it alone. I have mixed emotions about it too, part of me is really looking forward to having my own itinerary and part realises that now all the decisions are down to me. I'll also miss them all. Dave has become a friend really over the last 10 days or so. Lexie has been great to be around when she's not grumpy (only kidding doll) and Lee, well he is my oldest & best friend in the whole wide world and he's going to live in Australia so Thursday really is goodbye for the foreseeable future - not forever but certainly for a while.

So far on this trip there has been only two constants. Eau de money belt and scent de day pack strap. They are with you wherever you go. These items spend so much time in contact with your sweaty body that they begin to take on an odour all of their own, lovely! Anyone interested in smelly net?

J, no idea on birthday location. May still be in Malaysia, possibly heading back into Thai. In fact what we got? 18 days..... I'll probably be in the Perenthian Islands if I stick to my itinerary.

To those of you that are still reading and those of you that leave comments, thank you x. I don't really reply but it doesn't mean I've not read them all and had a little smile. Hope you are all keeping well, take care,

Nomad.

KL

Arrived in KL on Saturday afternoon to find it a mad place. It's so hectic after spending a week on a quiet little island like Tioman. Staying at Cintamani guesthouse which isn't too bad although Dave & I got a room with bunk beds on the first night. The room was 7 foot square! Bathrooms & toilets are shared which is not ideal but accommodation is expensive here so shared facilities it is! We now have a room with twin single beds which is still tiny but better than the first room.

Yesterday we went to the Imax in Times Square shopping centre and watched T Rex. Was pretty funny, especially the pictures taken of us with those glasses on! There is a roller coaster inside the shopping centre. Also went to Pizza Hut last night for Lex's birthday and managed to get a free birthday dessert. Fast food outlets are plentiful here, there's so many KFC's - more even than the UK. McDonald's are well spread too and are open 24 hr with free delivery. The drive thrus issue a VIG (very important guest) window sticker for your car, what that's all about I don't know! And then there's "Kenny Rogers Roasters", which is a chicken joint and even has his picture on it's logo. I've even spied a Nando's although I can't remember where it was, dag nam it! I have been good though, only had 1 KFC and last nights Pizza in almost 8 weeks. Been local food other than that. And Tarik Tea, which must be to blame for my non loss of weight. It is the best tea I've ever had though.

Hoping to do the Petronas Towers & the KL tower tomorrow if I can get out of bed early enough!

Cats!! Cats are to Malaysia what dogs are to Thailand. They are everywhere although they are less intimidating than Thailand's dogs. They also appear to be terrible at catching rats. Maybe because the animal loving westerners feed them so they have no need for catching a meal.

Oh, Hammy. In answer to your question, the snake. I picked the only picture of me smiling in a whole series, where I have many different expressions on my face ranging from mildly uncomfortable to full on pant messing terror! Lee & Lex naturally found the whole thing highly amusing and actually relished in taking numerous pictures of my terror filled contorted facial features - I'll share those pics when I'm home! Glad I done it though.

Hello to the Swanley cru and who are you?

Coach trouble

26/04/08

Done 3 nights in Cherating before moving on. Got a bus from there to Kuantan where we boarded a coach for Mersing which should have been a 3 hour journey - it turned into 6 hours. Our driver was a little gas happy and had the rear end of the bus sliding about! However he seemed to settle down a bit and about half hour before we reached Mersing he mowed down a motorcyclist. So we ended up at the police station while statements were taken and a new coach sent down so that we could continue our journey. Was right naughty really, a bunch of locals that seemed to swell in numbers and tempers quite quickly were trying to get the driver out of the coach. I'm not sure what happened to the bike rider but I'd be surprised if they survived being hit by a coach at 60KPH.

So the last few days I've been really pissed off. Fed up with not sleeping, loose bowel movements, being bitten by insects (especially pesky mosquito's). I could kill for a bacon sandwich loaded to the gunnel's with smoked back rashers and a generous helping of brown sauce. Or, one Mum's roast Lamb dinners with them glorious spuds that she does so well. My back is really playing up and my leg actually gave way on me today - not good! The constant moving on to the next place - packing, unpacking, packing, unpacking, it's relentless. But we are now on Tioman island and it looks like we'll be here for a week or so giving me time to recharge the batteries and rest my back. Between Cherating & Tioman we had a night in Mersing at Omars guesthouse. There was only one double room available which was for Lee & Lex naturally. So I took my chances in the dorm where i met Dave from Rochdale. We are now "roomie's" sharing a hut on Tioman. Omars was an experience - no mozzie nets and open windows on a main road. So, no sleep and lots of bites and I had to give him 10 RM for the privilege - I won't be rushing back there.

27/04/08

We originally arrived at ABC (Air Batang) beach and stayed at Mawar beach chalets. Dave & I split the 30RM per night down the middle. Was OK, we had monkeys right outside our door every morning and a big monitor lizard that came past everyday. There's huge fruit bats roosting in the palm trees and we found some Rhino beetles too. They are like a Stag beetle but have no pincher's. Instead they have like a mini Rhino horn on their head. But, we'd heard about Juara on the deserted East coast of the Island so we transferred the 7KM across the Island by 4X4 and found some great huts right on the beach for 25RM a night. That's 2 quid each per night (Dave & I are still roomies). For that we get a fan (oscillating - naturally), shower (ccccold), toilet (western), 2 separate beds and mosquito nets on an almost empty but beautiful curved beach. The 1950's film "South Pacific" was filmed on this Island and looking at our surroundings, it could've been on this very spot. The piccies above are of a Sunrise on Juara beach and a monkey outside our hut at ABC.

The owner of our huts (Paradise point) is a Malay guy with his wife & children. His wife cooks the excellent food and his young family are a constant cause of entertainment - I'm going to enjoy my time here for sure! A piece of worthless trivia for you, Time magazine voted Tioman island as one of the ten most beautiful in the world. The butterflies alone are stunning, I've never seen so many brightly coloured different species before.

01/05/08

Went on a snorkeling trip today to Coral island. It was excellent, best 13 quid I've ever spent. I'm a lot more confident in the water now so able to relax, head into the deeper water and enjoy my surroundings. The Coral & Marine life around Tioman are the best I've seen so far and certainly something that I never thought I'd set my eyes upon. It really is a great Island. The east side resort of Juara is much more quieter with no banging stereos and is ideal for the big relax. ABC & Salang etc are much more lively and would suit people who want to drink and scuba dive etc.

02/05/08

I'm back in Mersing and not at Omars!! Got a better room in another place with attached bathroom, free loo paper, soap and drinking water for 30RM. Dave & I are still sharing so it's only 15 each. Hopefully we'll get some sleep and not get bitten by mozzies. We are on the 10am bus tomorrow (03/05/08) heading for Kuala Lumpur. I'll do some sightseeing there and then it's either Melaka or the Cameron Highlands - not sure which at the mo.

Been going through books at a fair old rate, John Grisham - The Testament. Thanks for that one mum. It was really good but I think I'll trade it in KL. Bill Bryson - A walk in the woods. Not a bad book but couldn't follow Grisham. Norman Parker - parkhurst tales 2. Hmmmm. Tim Butcher - Blood River. Now that is worth a read if you get the opportunity.

Pulau Kapas

17/04/08

The night bus from Georgetown to Terenggau went ok, a little fast & bumpy resulting in no sleep! We arrived at the bus station at 5am and settled down to a couple of Indian Chai's (tea) while we waited for the first bus to Marang which left at 7am. Met a really helpful guy from Singapore who suggested places to go, things to see and made sure we ended up on the right bus. So we arrived at the jetty for 7.30am to find that first boat out to the island wasn't till 9am. So Zak from Suria boat service kindly stored our packs for us while we went off to explore & find loo's etc. He's a real nice bloke who works 7 days a week, 9 months of the year until the island closes for Monsoon and then he travels. Europe, India, Nepal etc. His pictures were amazing, not a bad life eh?

So yes, we arrived on Kapas at 9.30am on Tuesday and stumbled straight into Kapas Beach Chalets (KBC) which is run by a dutch guy. Not bad little detached bungalows for 50RM per night. Bathrooms a little tired & poky but the beach is beautiful & hardly a soul on it due to it being midweek & early season. Snorkeling is good too, many different species of fish, loads of coral & clams. Even saw Nemo! However I fell asleep on the beach and got eaten by sandflies - at least 30 bites on my left arm alone. My head has several lumps on it that could get me a part as an extra in the next star wars movie and the mozzies are like F14 fighter jets. My right hand is inexplicably swollen and today I fell over negotiating some rocky outcrop and now have 3 cuts on my hand festering with oyster shell fragments buried in them - they will get infected for sure. Oh, and I've had the squits for 3 days - will someone please tell me what I'm doing here?

18/04/08

Well, after open wound surgery performed by yours truly and some more snorkeling it looks like all the oyster shell is now out of my cuts. My hand is returning to it's normal size and my poo has stiffened up a little. But, my bites are really itchy and driving me bloody mad!

20/04/08

My first solid poo for a week - Hooray! Bites are shrinking back and hand is back to normal size. Cuts are healing too. My back is peeling now though. I was a lovely colour and now I resemble a Springer Spaniel. I know what you're thinking Michael and no, definitely not. Tonight is our last night here, which in a way is a shame as I've got used to sleeping late (this is the first place I've had a comfy bed and slept past 7am without assistance from alcohol). A leisurely breakfast followed by a swim in the South China Sea, maybe some lunch & reading then an afternoon snorkeling session followed by a cold shower and out for an evening meal possibly accompanied by a few hands of shithead (a popular backpackers card game) and in bed before midnight. However, needs must and the next stop is Cherating which is a beach resort further south on the east coast. Hopefully we can fish there. You can't on Kapas as it's a Marine park with a fine of 20,000RM if caught.

21/04/08

Left Kapas on the 11.30am boat back to Marang. Waited a couple of hours for a bus that didn't show so had to get three buses and do a few extra kilometres to reach Cherating (app 130km). Cost 11.5 RM in total, just under 2 quid. Staying at Payung guesthouse which on first impression looks really nice. The manager here handed us toilet roll and insect spray upon our arrival which is a first so far this trip. He also supplied mozzie coils for your balcony. All for free - I think anyway!

I have swapped my big spider & 2 Gecko's in my bathroom on Kapas for a toad and two cockroaches in my bathroom here. I've had more pets in the last 5 weeks or so than I've had in my whole life.

On the move again

Hi all. I'm leaving Palau (Island) Penang this evening on a night bus (8 hrs) bound for Terrenganeau on the other side of the Mainland. Will be passing over Penang bridge (just visible in piccy above) which at 13.5KM is the longest bridge in South East Asia. From there a local bus to Merang and from there a ferry to Palau Kapas which is a very small island supposedly ideal for snorkeling. No Internet there so I'll be off radar for a bit. Should be cool as it's just too hot & sticky here. 35 degrees and 60% humidity.

Yesterday we went up to Penang Hill (formerly Strawberry Hill) via the funicular railway that was installed around 1800 to service the Hill station up there which was the first in Asia, even earlier than the Hill stations in India. Takes you up 700m above sea level in half hour. Wonderful views of all of Georgetown and the surrounding areas. It is so beautiful up there. The railway was installed so that the wealthy Europeans who colonised Georgetown could access the houses they had built up there where the weather is cooler & less humid. There are houses just dotted about here & there sitting in the middle of lush tropical forest. I've said numerous times on this trip "I could live here", so Lee & Lex tell me anyway, but I really could live up there - It is awesome. Monkeys sitting on the lampposts and sunning themselves on the rocks. Flora & fauna all around, lazy pace of life and great weather all year round.

Also done a canopy walk which was a bad idea on my part as it scared the living daylights out of me. Hundreds of feet up in the trees walking on a skinny board with just netting and a rope up to chest height to stop you plunging to the forest floor. And to top it all off I faced my fear of snakes after being persuaded to get "romantic" with this albino Burmese python. 10 Ringgit well spent I think!!!

Some piccies from Langkawi

Will be heading over to Peninsular Malaysia in a couple of days and heading down south to take in a few of the Islands on the East Coast.

More sunsets, the cable car and our old trusty hired banger. It was truly a wreck but for just over 8 quid a day hire, what can you expect? At least it had aircon!

George town

Not a very good nights sleep last night. It's really hot & humid here and I had to shut the window cos the mozzies fancied me! Plus the bed was a little..... well lets just say I woke up this morning with more back & sciatica pain than I've had so far this trip.

However I went down to the shopping centre this morning looking for a newer guidebook (my south east Asia shoestring is from 2001 - before the tsunami and floods of 2005)! On the way down I was pleasantly surprised by how many of the locals said hello or bid you a good morning. Georgetown really has a good feel about it. There are people of many origins & cultures here making it a truly cosmopolitan experience. I managed to obtain a new copy of Lonely planets Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei which coupled with the Thailand one that Stu & Keera gave to Lee & Lex (thanks guys) who have subsequently passed to me now they have no further use for it should see me right this trip.

Above are a couple piccies. Last nights dinner in the Little India district of the city. A vegetarian meal Served on a banana leaf. I'm not a convert yet but this wasn't my first veggie meal. After tucking into what I think was chickens ball bags & testicles in a Thai bus station Veggie may be the way to go! I've also had omelet and these weird barbecued eggs in Pai that were excellent which is weird because I can't stand eggs normally. The eggs in Pai were wicked. They knock a little hole in the egg and drain it out, mix the white & yolk together, add some spice or something, put it back in the shell and bake it over a barbecue - real tasty!

Other piccie was a local man preparing the days ice. He gets a huge block and cuts it into manageable sized blocks to load on his trishaw for delivery around town.