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.