It's Friday :)

"Pedazo" de viaje que nos hemos marcado. Por lo que hicimos, cómo lo hicimos y con quién lo hicimos. Hacía casi un año ya, desde que me vine a Seúl, que no veía a Jesus (el Costas) y Jáser. Desde el primer día se hizo cierto el dicho: una amistad de verdad es para siempre. No paré de reirme a carcajada limpia desde que los recogí en el aeropuerto de Bangkok.

El viaje completamente planeado desde Sevilla por Jaser y su guía de viajes (no digo la marca para no hacer publicidad) salió a pedir de boca. Quedamos en Bangkok donde pasamos la primer noche y el primer día. Tras una noche de fiesta como hacía tiempo en el Bed Super Club y la discoteca Boss de Bangkok, al día siguiente hicimos algo de turismo por la capital de Tailandia y nos dirigimos hacia la capital de Malasia, Kuala Lumpur.

Al aterrizar en Kuala Lumpur conocimos a Caroline, una chica alemana que iba a encontrarse con un amigo allí pero que esa noche la pasaría sola y no tenia alojamiento buscado. Finalmente se quedó con nosotros (eramos 3 con dos habitaciones, así que sobraba una cama) y pasamos una noche y un día siguiente de turismo juntos muy agradable. Hay que decir que Kuala Lumpur, más allá de las torres Petronas, tiene poco como ciudad.

En Kuala Lumpur contratamos un viaje al parque nacional de Taman Negara. Situado en el centro de la península, solo cuatro grados al norte del ecuador, es un parque nacional totalmente selvático. Existen unos albergues y hoteles (por llamarlo de alguna forma) en los que te puedes hospedar y realizar excursiones a la selva y por el rio. Aunque te atraen al parque con la promesa de que verás muchos animales en libertad, la verdad es que no vimos mas que un perezoso, unas arañas y algún bicho-palo. Aún así, merece mucho la pena la visita, aunque sólo sea para escuchar la selva de noche.¡Alucinante!

Tras la visita a Taman Negara nuestro plan consistía en ir hasta la costa Este de la península en un tren nocturno y una vez allí, llegar hasta las islas de Perhentian en barca. Teníamos dos "pequeños" problemas:

1. No teníamos reserva de hotel en las islas
2. No teníamos billete de tren para ir hasta donde se cogía el barco para ir a las islas

Continuará.

In het bijna uitgestorven centrum van Kota Bahru stap ik uit en kijk om me heen. Geen taxichauffeurs die hun diensten aanbieden. Geen borden van reisagentschappen. Samen met mij stapt een meisje uit, die  een hoofddoek om haar hoofd heeft gewonden, net iets anders dan de andere vrouwen, en verder gekleed is in een t-shirt en spijkerbroek en sportschoenen. Ze ziet er ook niet Maleisisch uit. Ik vraag of ze Engels spreekt en hier bekend is. Ze komt uit Canada, woont in Kuala Lumpur en is ook op weg naar de eilanden. Ik vraag of ze moslim is, want niemand zou het anders in zijn hoofd halen om een doek om z’n hoofd te knopen in deze bloedige hitte. Ze vertelt dat haar vader Egyptenaar is, haar moeder Canadees, ze bezig is om moslim te worden, en nu vast de doek draagt om aan het gevoel te wennen. Ik had nog wel even langer met haar willen praten, niet om het uit haar hoofd te praten, wie ben ik om dat te doen, maar zou wel willen weten wat iemand in vredesnaam beweegt. Ze vertelt dat het Ramadan is, en overdag veel winkels dicht zijn. Ja ik had al overal borden gezien met Hari Raya Idul Fitri, dat is het feest aan het eind van de Ramadan, waar iedereen elkaar kadootjes geeft.

Maar ik moet nu toch even kijken waar ik een guesthouse... Ze helpt me zoeken naar een taxi, die we gelukkig vinden. Die brengt me in Chinatown bij Ideal Guesthouse. Ik kan me daar de beste kamer veroorloven, €7 per nacht. Daarna ga ik de straat op, het wordt tijd voor een hapje van het een of ander, ik heb nog niets gegeten die dag. Aan de overkant zijn een aantal goede Chinese restaurants.

 Daarna laat ik me door de vadsige mopperkont van een zoon van de baas van het guesthouse naar de KB Mall brengen, het winkelcentrum van Kota Bahru. Daar schaf ik mij een prachtige lichtgewicht koffer, voor een zeer westerse prijs. Maar ik ben van dát getob af. Ik loop ook even een bijna westers aandoende boekwinkel binnen en kan het niet laten, maar ja, die koffer moet vol... Ik koop een boek: The Golden Ratio van Mario Livio. Ondertitel: The Story of Phi, the world’s most astonishing number. Geweldig. Ik ben helemaal in mijn schik, en de rest van de middag bezig om mijn spullen netjes in de koffer te bergen. Ik ben pas aan het begin en kan er voorlopig tegen!

Bij het guesthouse kan ik ook mijn overtocht naar het eiland regelen. ‘s Morgens vroeg komt een taxi een aantal klanten ophalen, en dan naar de steiger. Ik had geen idee hoe ver dat was vanaf de stad, maar we rijden met een noodgang ruim 5 kwartier door het ontwakende platteland. Bij de steiger kijk ik of ik veerboten zie. Nee, wel kleine open boten met een zeiltje als dak. Nou, dat blijken dus de veerboten te zijn. Er worden een aantal mensen met hun bagage ingeladen, er worden zwemvesten uitgedeeld en daar gaan we. Alweer met een noodgang het water over. Mijn arme rug! Die boot knalt soms zo hard op het water neer, dat je je afvraagt of ze op het eiland goede fysiotherapeuten hebben. Water dat zo zacht kan zijn is soms ook meedogenloos hard als een rots! Niet zelden komt er ook een douche over je heen als de boot even van richting verandert. Je ziet de eilanden wel liggen, maar ik heb geen idee welke het ‘kleine’ eiland is, met ‘Long Beach’, het backpackers-, dus goedkopere segment aan guesthouses. Deze bounty eilanden staan erom bekend dat aan overnachten wel een behoorlijke prijs zit!

De meesten uit onze boot gaan naar Long Beach, ik ook.

Als we dichtbij de kust komen moeten we overstappen in een kleinere boot, een taxi, (weer betalen) en dus ook alle bagage wordt daarin geladen. Die stopt bij het strand, en we rollen uit de boot, sandalen en al, in kniediep, helderblauw water. Gelukkig is er een sterke vent die mijn koffer op het strand zet, want ik heb ook nog een rugzak met kilo’s fruit op mijn rug. 

En daar sta je dan, op het strand van een afgelegen eiland met een splinternieuwe koffer met wieltjes die 360 graden kunnen draaien...
Ik schiet bijna in de lach, want hier heb je er weinig aan!
Nou ja, ik sjouw hem een eindje verder het strand op en ga me eerst maar bezig houden met het zoeken van onderdak. Je kunt niet een brommertje huren, er is hier alleen maar een strand, met helderwit zacht zand. Er is ook geen info-balie waar je over prijzen e.d. kunt vragen. Het is gewoon: ga maar sjokken door het zand en hier en daar vragen.

Er zit niets anders op. Ik laat de koffer staan waar hij staat, en begeef me naar de eerste, die vragen me voor een wrak op palen een schrikbarend bedrag. 

Dat begint al goed.

Ik naar de buren, die hebben nog geen kamer, maar over een uur weten ze of er gasten vertrekken, dan kan ik terugkomen. Die kamers zijn ook behoorlijk aan de prijs.

Nu maar echt het strand op. Ik doe mijn slippers uit, en dat is de laatste keer dat ik tijdens mijn eilandverblijf iets aan mijn voeten zal hebben. Ik loop langs de zee en vergeet niet om te zien dat het hier dus echt een paradijsje is, azuurblauwe zee, palmbomen..., een sprookje.

Bij Simfony Villegge staat een man naar me te knikken en steekt zijn hand op. Ik loop er heen en hij vraagt of ik een kamer zoek. Hij heeft een aantal A-frame hutten staan, waar je in Nederland nog geen beest in zou zetten. Hij taxeert me en zegt: Ik heb nog een kamer, splinternieuw, die is vrij. Hij noemt een prijs. Niet echt goedkoop voor wat ik tot nu toe gewend ben, en ik vraag of ik hem mag zien. Er staat niets, behalve een bed, met een nieuw matras. Die nieuwe matras (plastic zit er nog om) en het nieuwe van de kamer geven de doorslag. Ik ben de eerste bewoner van dit paleis.

En als ik een week blijf? Meteen gaat er een vijfde van de prijs af. Beklonken, ik ben tevreden.

Nu maar zien dat ik mijn koffer door dat mulle zand hierheen krijg. Het zweet loopt me intussen met straaltjes in mijn nek!
Voor een euro krijg ik een knul zo gek om hem voor me te dragen, want de zoon van de baas van het resort ligt in de hangmat en wil/mag niet gestoord worden. Aan het eind van de dag klimt hij wel als een aap een kokospalm in en wrikt wat groene kokosnoten los, en jaagt en passant een varaan van bijna een meter uit de boom!

Die smeert hem meteen, maar ik krijg hopelijk nog wel de kans om er een op de foto te zetten. Volgens Mr. Anad lopen er hier zat rond.

Het is een eiland van luieren, in het water hangen, duiken en snorkelen.

In feite is het een strand, daaraan wat resorts, en duikscholen, restaurants en wat cocktail bars. Een simpel winkeltje met wc papier, chips, waspoeder en insectenweermiddel. Te weinig fruit naar mijn zin, en ben blij dat ik al dat fruit heb meegezeuld.

Als ik in het water loop schieten er zwart gestreepte visjes weg. Het water is echt totaal glashelder, hoe diep je ook in het water gaat, en heerlijk van temperatuur. De eerste dag doe ik niet anders dan het water in en uit, onder palm, lezen en me verbazen dat zeewater zo glas en glashelder kan zijn.

De volgende dag is het na een langdurige regenbui heerlijk koel en een beetje bewolkt. Ik moest vandaag maar eens een snorkeltochtje doen. Als de zon uit een heldere hemel komt brand je dood op zee. Voor 8 euro ben je een groot deel van de dag zoet, ze nemen je mee naar 5 verschillende plekken om te snorkelen. Degenen die dit al gedaan hebben weten dat het bijna niet te beschrijven is wat je ziet tussen die koraalriffen. De foto’s die je ervan ziet en de films liegen niet, het is adembenemend.

Op een plek zwemmen de gekleurde visjes tegen je duikbril aan, kijken je recht, nou ja, recht... met ogen weerskanten van je hoofd is dat lastig... in de ogen en knabbelen zachtjes aan je arm of been. Ongelofelijk. Natuurlijk heb ik ook wel eens zo’n film bekeken, maar als je er zelf deel van bent is toch een andere ervaring. Vissen in de meest exotische kleuren, en met vinnen die soms meer op klapwiekende vlindervleugeltjes lijken.

Zee-egels die als zeemijnen verscholen liggen tussen het koraal, met stekels van 30 cm en lichtjes-ogen hebben. Hele scholen vissen die onder je door en om je heen zwemmen, rif-haaien diep onder je, enorme zeeschildpadden die majestueus en onaangedaan een paar meter van je vandaan zwemmen, ik kan nog wel door gaan. Rustig ademend door mijn snorkel zweef ik gewichtloos door het heldere water.

Ik heb er geen moeite mee de zonnestralen tot meters diep in het water te zien schijnen. Terwijl ik hier zit te typen dein ik nog een beetje na.

Aan het eind van de tocht worden we nog even afgezet op een spierwit verlaten strandje, dat voelt als aanspoelen op een absoluut verlaten eiland.

Toch verlang ik stiekem naar Thailand. Of Bali. Dit eiland is wel prachtig, maar er zijn alleen maar toeristen, local life bestaat hier uit de toeristen die zich volproppen met niet eens erg goed eten in de restaurants.  Het voelt allemaal wat kunstmatig aan. Ik hou ervan om me tussen de gewone bevolking te begeven, op de markt fruit te kopen. Ik weet niet wanneer ik weer in de gelegenheid ben om een post te plaatsen, maar over een dag of wat denk ik met een bus naar Penang te gaan, als ik tenminste iemand kan vinden die mijn koffer in de boot zet...en vandaar te kijken hoe de situatie in Thailand is, en anders naar Bali en/of Lombok te gaan. Vandaag hoorde ik namelijk verschillende geruchten, de grens met Thailand zou dicht zijn, er zou een negatief reisadvies zijn, maar ik heb hier waar ik nu zit totaal geen idee wat er in de wereld speelt. In mijn wereld is op dit moment de lucht en het water blauw, de palmen en de berg achter me groen, het zand wit, en snap ik niet waarom iemand waar ook ter wereld rotzooi wil schoppen... 

Nu bezig mijn blog met foto's te plaatsen in een duur internetcafé en zie iets over de toestand in Thailand

Jammer dat anderen daar anders over denken.

By Rachel Turner

Groggy with sleep, I pulled back the mosquito net from around my bed and headed to the bathroom for a shower. With my hand on the tap, I looked up at the ceiling. A scream caught in my throat as I grabbed a towel and rushed out of the wooden chalet into the early morning sun. I bounded down the stairs and headed toward the front desk to ask someone to remove the wine bottle-sized gecko from my bathroom. Before I made it though I was greeted by another lizard; this one as big as a toddler.

When I landed on Malaysia's Perhentian Kecil ("Small Perhentian"), I was stunned. I didn't believe that a place like this still existed. I thought finding such a sweet slice of paradise would require a mid-Pacific shipwreck. But there I was, a mere 19 kilometres from mainland Malaysia, toe deep in island clichés. The clear turquoise water quietly slurped at white beaches of sugar-fine sand. Tiny wooden chalets stood alert at the jungle's edge, ready for lodgers. Lush green flora blanketed the soaring cliffs. Every sunset was postcard perfect, every day bright and hot. Save for my abnormally large lizard neighbours, the place was straight out of a fantasy.

Given that the island I was staying on was little more than sand and jungle, being entertained indoors was out of the question. I couldn't wait to dive into the warm, clear water. Dive shops are littered all along Long Beach (the more populous of Kecil’s two beaches). They offer a variety of courses for beginners, as well as a ton of fun dives. Divers can swim through the Temple of the Sea, check out the coral garden at De Lagoon, or explore the sunken Sugar Ship Wreck. I was told that the water surrounding the island is home to barracudas, sea turtles, triggerfish, unicornfish, groupers, and the list goes on and on.

I'm more adept at skimming the surface and for RM 40 (US$11.50 / £6.50) I joined an all-day snorkelling tour. Bright and early, I boarded a boat with only three others. Our first stop was a coral garden where curious fish swam around me, brave ones nipping at my fingertips. Over the course of the afternoon we stopped at Shark Point, home to black tipped reef sharks, swam with sea turtles near Perhentian Besut, and stopped for lunch in a quaint fishing village. Before heading back to home base, we made a final stop on a deserted beach to soak up the sun.

My days spent in the Perhentians involved a lot of rest and relaxation. I swam, snorkelled, and strolled through the jungle. I popped down to the Bubu Long Beach Resort for a massage in a beachside cabana. I sipped fruity cocktails while watching the technicolour sunset. The island was without a serious party vibe. Pounding all-night discos were replaced with driftwood tables on the sand, lively conversation, and a few beers amongst new friends.

On Perhentian Kecil, most hotels and restaurants are scattered along Long Beach and Coral Bay, on the opposite site of the island. Long Beach, the livelier of the two, was where the majority of backpackers congregated. I checked out a few guesthouses and settled on the Panorama Chalets (http://malaysia-panorama.com), smack in the middle of the beach. For RM 100 (US$29 / £16), I secured a double room complete with air con and hot water... when the electricity was on (be sure to ask about electricity hours before checking into your hotel. Most places do not have 24-hour electricity). Movies are shown every night, and many room rates include free dinner from a fully-stocked restaurant.

Clean, clear air, peaceful solitude, and a pace just above a standstill drew me to Malaysia's Perhentian Islands. Forgoing big-city conveniences like Internet cafes and roads made me not want to leave. While there, bright white sand, lush jungle, polychromatic coral, and a few abnormally large lizards surrounded me. By the time I left, I truly felt like I had got away from it all.

TRAVELLER'S CHECK

Getting There: If you are starting your journey from Kuala Lumpur, catch an Air Asia flight to Kota Bharu (www.airasia.com). From the airport, catch a taxi or bus to the ferry terminal in Kuala Besut. A taxi with air-con will cost around RM 70. From there, hop on a speed boat for a 45-minute ride to Perhentian Kecil. Boat tickets cost RM 60 each way, plus pay the extra RM 2 fee to be dropped off at Long Beach instead of at the jetty. A cheaper, slower ferry is also available.

Where to Stay: Panorama Chalet is located in the centre of Long Beach. Double rooms with air conditioning and attached bathroom cost RM 100. Opt for shared bath and fan-cooled rooms to cut down on costs. Visit their website for more information: http://malaysia-panorama.com. If you choose to stay on the opposite side of the island at Coral Bay, check out the Senja Bay Resort. Here a fan room will set you back RM 100. The views from this hotel are stunning, and the staff is friendly. Holiday packages and other rates can be found at www.senjabay.com

Where to Eat: Most restaurants on Kecil are attached to hotels. The Panorama Chalet restaurant serves up local Malay food as well as western favourites. For a meal that's a little more up-market, check out the menu at Bubu Long Beach Resort. ]]> http://ianrad.wordpress.com/?p=221 Thu, 15 May 2008 17:03:18 +0000 Melli http://ianrad.de.wordpress.com/2008/05/15/go-go-power-rangers/ Perhentian Islands
Nachdem wir auf Pulau Perhentian Kecil, der kleineren der beiden Perhentian Inseln, angekommen waren, sind wir erstmal ins Meer gegangen, um zu pruefen, ob es echt ist. So klar, so blau, so kitschig - unglaublich. Doch nach kritischer Untersuchung von Sand und Wasser konnten wir die Echtheit feststellen.

Turtle Bay
Diese Bedingungen wollten wir natuerlich irgendwie sinnvoll nutzen (mal abgesehen von Schwimmen, in der Sonne liegen, etc. ;P ) und haben in unserem Guesthouse eine Schnorcheltour mit Henry gebucht, einem kleinen, durchgeknallten Malayen. Auch die anderen, die an der Tour teilnahmen schienen lustige Kerlchen zu sein.
Als alle im Boetchen sassen ging es los, erstes Ziel: Turtle Bay. Und die Tour verspricht, dass man AUF JEDEN FALL Schildkroeten sieht! Wie bei unserem Glueck kaum anders zu erwarten war - da war keine. Doch Henry war hartnaeckig! Er fuhr mit seinem Motorboot ca. eine halbe Stunde hin und her und im Kreis herum bis allen schwindelig war und wir mit Abgasen zugenebelt waren. Doch ploetzlich der freudige Ausruf: "There is one! Hurry! Go Go Power Rangers!" Alle torkelten ins Wasser, um dann festzustellen, dass es ein Stein war.
So entscheden wir uns, vielleicht doch erstmal den naechsten Spot anzufahren, wo es viele schoene Korallen und bunte Fische gab (wie ihr seht - ich bin ausserst vertraut mit Namen von Meeresbewohnern ...). Da ich vorher noch nie Schnorcheln war, hatte ich noch etwas mit Maske und Schnorchel zu kaempfen und konnte mich nicht so recht auf die Unterwasserwelt konzentrieren ...

Shark Point
Doch am naechsten Punkt hat es zum Glueck besser geklappt! Waere auch ziemlich bloed gewesen, dort nichts zu sehen, denn es war der Shark-Point! Henry ist mit uns ins Wasser, damit er uns auf die interessanten Dinge aufmerksam machen kann, wenn er sie entdeckt. Also sind wir alle wie eine kleine Entenfamilie nach und nach ins Wasser gehuepft und hinter ihm her gepaddelt. Kaum waren wir alle untergetaucht, haben wir auch schon den ersten "Blacktip-Shark" gesehen. Wirklich faszinierend! Diese Groesse, seine Bewegungen ... Und obwohl man ganz genau weiss, dass er ungefaehrlich ist, wird es einem doch ein wenig mulmig (mir zumindest ...). Nach zwei bis drei Minuten war das Schauspiel dann aber leider auch schon wieder vorbei, denn ab einer gewissen Entfernung war er einfach nicht mehr zu erkennen. Also zog die Entenfamilie weiter, um nach weiteren interessanten Meeresbewohnern Ausschau zu halten und entdeckte einen ganzen Schwarm Humphaeds (oder auch Napoleon Fische). Grosse dicke Fische, nicht ganz so elegant wie ein Hai, aber auch interessant. Vor allem, da einer sich vor unserer Nase der unverdaulichen Reste seines Mittagessens entledigte, welche Henry auffing. Es war ein Stueck Koralle und wenn man es auf diese Weise erwirbt, soll es Glueck bringen ... Na dann.

Turtle Bay die Zweite
Im Anschluss versuchten wir noch einmal unser Glueck am Turtle Bay, wo wir nach erneutem im Kreis fahren, dann schliesslich tatsaechlich eine Schildkroete entdeckten! Putzige Tierchen, die sich ueberhaupt nicht daran stoeren, beobachtet zu werden und sogar direkt neben einem an die Oberflaeche kommen.

Quallen Attacke!
Zum Schluss folgten noch zwei weitere Plaetze, wo wir auf eigene Faust umher schnorcheln konnten. Wir haben viel gesehen und hatten viel Spass! Wenn man mal von den vielen SCH*@!#* Quallen absieht, die einfach nur hoellisch Schmerzen bereiten und es keinen Weg gibt zu entkommen ...

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09.March.08

Our three friends left today to go to other parts of Malaysia, so Jess and I were left with a sunny day to explore. We took a jungle trek through unexpectedly vicious terrain filled with mud and steep uphill slopes. At the peak was a tall tower that we got to just in time for a decent view of the rolling hills and distant city before the fog rolled in. Turns out it was more than fog, but heavy rain, and under cover of our ponchos we hiked down a road to the ‘Boh’ tea plantation. When we arrived a couple hours later (it looked like only a few inches on the map!) it looked like it should have been gorgeous, but was covered in fog. Then, like a divine miracle cast from vishnu/allah/buddah above (remember it's a very diverse culture) the skies cleared within minutes and we had a splendid view of green fields. The tea plantation was pretty, the factory was mildly interesting, but packed with kids. Not wanting to walk ALL the way back we hitchhiked and got picked up by a super friendly Muslim family who drove us back and we went to bed.

10.March.08

We said a sad farewell to the puppies and Tanah Rata in the cool Cameron Highlands to take a long bus ride to the sweltering hot and humid Kuala Tahan in Taman Negara rainforest. We picked a hostel quite a bit out of the way called Durian Chalet and got our own room which was quaint...maybe a better word is basic, I don't know. We randomly bumped into Darren and Richard again (we knew they were coming here, but the fact we chose the same hostel as them, the farthest out of town was really weird!) Along with them came to dinner Anja; Norway, Claudine; New York, and some weird German dude who's best description could be old fashioned; nice, but, well...weird and sometimes maybe too nice, it was a bit creepy. This was our crew for the next 2 days. We ate and hiked through the dark village a bit. It's a really unique little village as all the restaurants float in the river and little wooded boards lead up to them. Beer however is nearly nonexistent.

Trying to fall asleep this night was absolute hell! Huge bugs called Cicadas surrounded our room, one even in our room for a bit and made a noise best described as someone screaming from physical torture for 15 seconds ending with a cute little 'beep' sound, and then screaming again, like some sick, twisted lullaby. It went on for hours into the night, stopping so we could sleep a bit, then starting right back up again; we decided at some point we must change rooms.

11.March.08

Claudine left this morning, Anja felt a bit sick, and German dude was...doing weird stuff I guess, so we hiked just with Darren and Richard which was among the most grueling hikes we've ever done. Not so much that it was physically demanding, but the heat and mud was like walking in a wet clay oven wearing boots made of thick molasses. It rained intermittently which didn't phase us as we couldn't get more wet from sweat. Overall however it was a great experience. There was some gorgeous fungus, unique and spiky plants, followed by a terrific view from the top.

At some point on the way back to the hostel Jessica realized she lost her wallet containing lots of cash, cards, ID, etc!!! We all went back to the village to search. She thought she dropped it while at the dock on this side after crossing the river so we looked there. Being few English speakers in the area I kept pointing at my wallet and any color blue I could find. One guy seemed to have an idea of what I was talking about, said something indecipherable and pointed in a direction we then followed asking people along the way. One guy at a restaurant nearby talked to me and pointed in the water saying more indecipherable language. He called his friend over who said that his friend had the wallet and would like to keep it, "but no" we retorted "it is her wallet," "oh" he said, "well he'll be back later with it" seeing our worried looks he told us he'd call his friend and told us to meet at some random place in the middle of the village. Sure enough a guy rode up on his motorbike and grudgingly handed Jessica her wallet. He got to keep a 50 Ringett reward, but I think he wanted the whole wallet, but knew his friends would give him shit for not being honest! Disgustingly lucky! We ate well and slept comfortably in our new dorm room shared with the others (ah peace and quiet).

I also spent a lot of the day having Anja teach me Norwegian (almost the same as Swedish) which is really quite easy since very similar to german/english and has less complicated grammar. This was a theme as long as we've been traveling with Anja. I should have been learning Malay, but had no proper teacher, plus it is a LOT more difficult and could only learn the necessary words to be polite in the time we've been here.

12.March.08

Darren and Richard left for the Perhentian Islands and Anja, Jess, and I crossed the river into the National park again to hike to the Canopy walk; a series of bridges about 65 meters off the ground walking above the rainforest. Not as exhilarating as we'd hoped, then again nothing compares to that massive 75 meter tree we defied death by climbing in SW Australia, and this was safe and secure all the way through, pleasant enough. That night we packed with other tourists into the back of a pickup truck, Anja sat with a guide on the ROOF of the truck and we sat with four others on seats in the back with 5 more inside...mildly dangerous, but hey, no traffic and on mud roads mostly. We drove through a palm oil orchard to search for some nocturnals. Saw some cool birds, a small wild cat, a raccoon-like thing, and fireflies. The whole experience was fun and a little scary when the truck kept stalling in the uphill mud from being packed with 13 people's weight, maybe not too smart, but we made it home safe.

13.March.08

Long day of travel with Anja as we made our way by bus and jungle train to Khota Baru; our final destination being the Perhentian Islands. The whole trip we read and slept, there were some pretty views out the window as well, and we stopped in Khota Baru for the night at a cute hostel run by a Chinese family with an adorable cat who had fallen and broken it's paw (I didn't think it possible!). Khota Baru was fun for the little time we were there. We had a nice dinner in a hectic Chinese market and finally had access to some Tiger beer.

14.March.08

Spent the first part of the day traveling via taxi to Kuala Besut then Boat to Kuala Kecil (the small island of the two Perhentian islands). The boat ride was wet and rough, but made for a memorable experience. As we landed we met Richard and Claudine again about to embark on a SCUBA journey. They pointed us in a 15 minute walk across the island to Long Beach where we met Darren! Darren told us a hysterical story about meeting the two British girls that our friend from Cameron Highlands (Jessica Thorpe) was talking about all the time (they split up because they got on each other's nerves). Amazing coincidence that they were on this little beach on this little island where they had been bumming aroud for 2 weeks while Jess traveled elsewhere alone (meeting us along the way as well). Totally random! Anyway Jess and I got a VERY nice room with own shower, nice (western) toilet, comfy bed, and an awesome price of $12 a night! We hung out on the beautiful sunny beach with cool blue water and ate dinner with our now large group of friends (the newcomers being 2 Irish, a Scot, the two English I talked about, and 2 Swedes). We had a great dinner and headed after to a bar where we drank a bit, laughed and talked a lot. It is definitely nice being social in a big group for a change; everyone we hung out with has been really fun.

15.March.08

Anja, Jess, and I went on a snorkel trip to five different spots with a boat full of Swedes (lots of Swedish here). The snorkeling was terrific; at shark point we saw a couple black tip sharks, at turtle cove we saw...yup, a big turtle and at coral points we saw...CORAL (mingled with hundreds of clownfish, moray eels, wrasse, parrot fish, clams, and every other type of beautiful and colorful fish, anemone, and coral one could imagine. We finally were able to see true clownfish (Little NEMOS; in Australia we saw nearly ALL varieties except the true clownfish) and the Nemos we saw got hysterically aggressive as you dove down to their anemone. The alpha Nemo would swim away from his family right up to your face and sometimes rapidly attack the goggles to scurry quickly away to it’s safe, stinging anemone. Gotta respect that a cute little thing like that would pick a fight with something maybe 1,000 times its size, talk about small-man's complex.

Back on the beach we met with everyone for dinner at a place advertising to play the new version of Sweeny Todd with Johnny Depp (but it's not even out on DVD yet you say, well clearly you haven't been to Asia with pirated DVD's galore in nearly perfect quality, but often hysterically bad subtitles even in English when it's an English spoken film; I still don't really get it). Turned out the movie they purchased from whoever was the wrong version of Sweeny Todd; a non-musical from the early 90's, yet still VERY entertaining and made for a gruesome evening of barbershop slaughter and cannibalism; my favorite things to go with a fine meal and conversation.

16.March.08

We did absolutely nothing during the day today and it felt great. We hung around the beach with all our new friends, talked, read, listened to music, ate, avoided the sun because snorkeling yesterday gave us sunburns, and that was it. It was Julia’s Birthday (one of the English girls) so at night we packed a table at the local bar for diner, games, and drinks. Due to generator problems the lights at the bar kept coming on and going off all night, but we were outside in the sand with candles, torch, and later a bonfire so it was all good. As usual the night ended in fits of laughter; a good time had by all, except Darren who due to a Ring of Fire rule (drinking game) he had to drink any time I was caught not paying attention to the game, needless to say he got exceedingly drunk.

17.March.08

We said goodbyes to nearly all of our new friends save Anja, Bob and Maddie (The Swedish couple, I said to him, “Bob doesn’t sound Swedish,” he said his real name is Tobias…still doesn’t sound Swedish. But man are they stereotypical Swedes, blonde hair blue eyes, the works). Bob and Maddie came with us on another snorkeling trip just the four of us to some nearby islands about a 30 minute boat trip away with two terrific guides. The whole day was spent hunting down Black tip sharks, though I only saw two, a baby and a big one. One of the guides even speared a fish to attract the shark with blood to no avail. The water at the islands was pristine because it is less visited and there are no resorts or anything near them, though the beaches still covered with trash that washes up from mainland and nearby island resorts. Some of the coral was unlike any we’ve ever seen and tons of cool fish, and B & M got some good underwater shots that we’ll steal from later and put online. We ended the day in a cove filled with massive sea turtles. Within 5 minutes of entering the water I had followed 3 of them around and we all gathered around one nearly the size of a person.

The four of us and Anja ate and chatted with our favorite waitress/hostess/hostel manager Sharon about life on the island before tourists, which was only like 10 years ago. We have been absolutely in love with Sharon since day one. She was always at the front desk/restaurant working, and she always has a huge smile, speaks perfect English, is super peppy, sweet, and adorable. She had lived on the island all her life, and until recently it had been only a small community of fisherman. Now it is quickly becoming a booming tourist resort, and we were glad to have visited before it becomes too over crowded/expensive.

18.March.08

Anja, Jess, and I hopped on a boat around noon to the mainland where we waited for a bus, but it never came so we took a taxi to Khota Baru. From there we said bye to Anja and just barely caught a bus to the Thai/Malaysian border. We walked through the border crossing getting our coveted exit and entry stamps, then, having no idea where to go and being surrounded by nothing but slums, we started walking towards a hotel in the distance. We definitely wanted to get through this area swiftly as people and our Lonely Planet guide mentions this area having Muslim terrorist problems (they want a separate state from Thailand and protest by bombing police and military stations, they have a no civilian casualty policy, but I hear bombings don’t always go as planned).

We briskly walked to the hotel and once there we exchanged 30 Ringett for 300 Thai Bhat and inquired about busses to our next destination, Hat Yai. The last daily bus to Hat Yai was to leave in 15 minutes; good we thought, just in time, but when asked the price she said 500 Bhat and she couldn’t change American currency. No problem all we needed was an ATM, but the closest one we found out is 2 kilometers away! Maybe we could get a quick taxi to take us there and back to get enough money and just catch the bus, unfortunately the only taxis in this town are motorbikes, so holding on for dear life I hopped on the back of a motorbike and sped through alleyways and busy streets to the ATM where I got the money, sped back, and caught the bus within mere seconds…not even the Irish have this much luck! Turned out later all the hassle could have been avoided since I still had 100 Ringett hidden deep in my bag…but then I guess there wouldn’t be a story to tell, or an exhilarating motorcycle ride. The bus was an uneventful 5 hours and we got to Hat Yai and checked into a hostel at a staggering 300 Bhat a night (actually only about 9 bucks, but it feels like we’re paying more). Our room on the fourth floor had the slight smell of cooked cabbage reminiscent of Jessica’s Oma’s house in Germany, it was a very nice room in a hostel filled wall to wall with pictures of the current king at every stage in his life. A bit weird, but as we find out the king is kind of a big deal in Thailand (I bet his home has many leather bound books and smells of rich mahogany…or incense).

19.March.08

Hat Yai is just another SE Asian city, except now the people speak Thai instead of Malay so we have to get used to learning the basics of a whole new language. We did errands today; got some much needed clothes washed for us at a laundry place, spent a good amount of time using the internet, mailed shit from the post office, etc. We went to the train station to book our tickets tomorrow to Bangkok, but due to holiday all 1^st class and 2^nd class sleeper seats were booked for the next four days and we have to meet Jessica’s parents in two days, we had to make a split decision because two 1^st class sleeper seats were available on a train leaving in two hours. We bought the tickets because we did not want to have to sit on uncomfortable seats for 14 hours and compared to ticket prices in western countries it was super cheap.

Before boarding the train we got some food from a street vendor near the train station. The lady wanted her picture with Jess and insisted that she was Jessica’s mother. She was just being funny and that’s exactly what it was. The room we got all to ourselves on the train was very luxurious. A set of comfy bunk beds, sink, clean sheets, and close to a squat toilet that I used quite a few times because the food didn’t agree with me too well (I later found out there was a western toilet right around the corner, but we’re rather getting used to squat toilets, they aren’t that bad at all, and at least your not essentially touching butts with hundreds of people). The train ride went smooth and after a few beers and some reading we fell fast asleep.

20.March.08

Woke up and finished the massive tomb I had been reading Atlas Shrugged which I highly recommend to anyone as a truly thought provoking piece of literature with some very interesting philosophies. I am now starting to read The Hobbit before it becomes a movie, and Jess is reading Shantaram which it seems every backpacker has read because it is an awesome story about an Australian convict living in the slums of India. I guess it’s sort of related to travel, if you’re going to be living in the slums of India; we keep hearing about and seeing this book everywhere.

So our train arrived in Bangkok and we quickly got on the internet to check responses to the CouchSurfing messages we sent yesterday. One guy Charles said we could stay and had me get a Thai SIM card for my cell phone so he could talk to a tuk tuk driver and give directions to his house. (A tuk tuk is like a motorized horse carriage, 3 wheels and you sit on a bench in the back all open to the elements, they drive crazy too, whizzing through the city and through little alleys). Charles is awesome and he has a nice and simple apartment just on the outskirts of town. He is from Cameroon and teaching French in Bangkok (some weird theme with French teacher/CouchSurfer hosts). He is very worldly and worked with Peace Corps in Cameroon for 7 years, he also DJ’s on the side for fun. He took us around town a bit and to Khao San, a really touristy street with lots of shops and street vendors. We bought a few things needed, namely I bought kerchiefs to wrap around my face while riding in tuk tuk’s because the street pollution is bad. Bought a new Rough Guide SE Asia because I lost the Lonely Planet we had (though Rough Guide is better). We ate at a tasty vegetarian restaurant (Mmm I can still taste the Shitakke mushrooms!) and then headed back to the apartment. We were ready to go back to sleep, but Charles came home and we all went out, but it didn’t last long as we were all tired. As we were leaving a pub we bumped into a baby elephant walking through the street with a guy selling sugar cane sticks for less than a buck to feed it. We kicked ourselves because we left the camera at home, but got a good amount of cuddle time with this beautiful beast! It was so unreal, and had such thick and tough skin with little spikes of hair, and feeding it was great because its tusk would reach right in your hands with a strong grip. I tried to get her to take one out of my mouth, but she wasn’t down with that. When I didn’t have any food left she kept feeling my hands for food, got annoyed I didn’t have any left and gave a little charge at me, it was cute.So far Thailand seems great. We’re starting to get the basics of the language; thank you, hello, goodbye, your welcome, etc. The people are super friendly, though you definitely have to bargain when shopping, I got ripped off a little, but also got unbelievable deals, all in all it is always cheaper than anything back home.

Sorry if the blog was a bit long to read! We always try to write more frequently, but don’t always get the chance. If you’d like to call my Thai Cell Phone dial +66806164015 (on a land line the + symbol can be a 00, and on a cell phone just usually hold the 0 button for a couple seconds and it turns to +)

We’ll be hanging out around Bangkok for a bit until Jessica’s parents come in a couple days. Just put the new pics on the Flickr page, check them out. I’ll try to find that baby elephant again and get pics.

I have done a bit of traveling the past few years around Malaysia and had some pictures to share. I have been to almost every state – yes, some were merely passing by or staying over a night on my yesteryears’ working trips. I had been to both Sabah and Sarawak. I wish I had a digital camera then.

This would highlight a journey of my “digital story” and how much practice indeed makes perfect. I remember my brother trashing my earlier taken photos! The 50 favorite shots may not be the best pictures, but they sort of recorded a "transition". I am delighted with the invention of digital cameras! It helps to record one's journey of life in all magnificent colors.

Every picture tells a story. Here, I present to you my 50 favorite shots taken around Malaysia. I believe most of you have seen some of the pics if you have been following this blog (old and new) since day one. For the benefit of people who haven’t, I would link previous posts to each picture.

It would either be a 10 or 15 part stories – I don’t know coz I am such a chaotic planner!

Well, Happy Merdeka, fellow Malaysians. We hope that this beautiful country would continue to be harmonious and realizing all of us are co-dependent. I hope that one day we all would be treated as equals, rather than being segregated according to our ethnicity.

PS. The Tourism Ministry should pay me for doing their job!

#1 Lights at the End of the World. Pulau Kukup, Johor. A commercial fishing village. Residents’ houses will be converted to guest houses come weekends. For a mere RM60 (depending on number of people joining you on this trip – I was with about 8 people) for two days and one night stay, we were given tea break of fried mee hoon, doughnuts and bottomless milo and tea, a BBQ seafood dinner, supper of nasi lemak, morning breakfast of nasi lemak or fried mee hoon, and 12 dishes for lunch, plus a boat trip to the fish kelong. I like this photo because it reminded me of happiest time when I was with friends from TAR College. Never mind the shakey hands!

#2 Capricorn? Taken this in Mr Kamal’s Goat Farm in Batu Arang. Unfortunately, the place had ceased operation. It’s a shame because it was such a good place to bring friends and family for a weekend outing.

#3 Point of View, Perhentian Islands. My first fiddling attempt to create “arty picture”. LOL. I know.. this failed miserably but I like this shot.

#4 Water of Life. Semenyih Dam, Semenyih. This is where we all get our water supplies. It was a quiet and deserted place, leading to even a quieter and deserted place – the Organic Farm! *Shudders* Wonder if it still exists!

#5 All in a day's work. Chamang Waterfalls, Bentong, Pahang. How this fella managed to search for food in heaps of dried leaves is beyond me. Nature's wonder.

Taman Negara, March 2003

While taking slow cruise into the deep jungle on a shallow boat, we were all feeling drowsy under the hot sun. Most of us slept in the boat. It was more than an hour journey to the jungle, I kept adjusting my seating. Then, I farted. The soundless and killing kind. Since I sat right in front of the boat, the rest of the people behind me could smell my generous expulsion. Dennis kept slapping my head and asked me if it was me and I pretend I couldn’t wake up.

Langkawi Island, July 2003

The 10 hours journey by bus was killing my back. When we reached the jetty to take a boat to Langkawi Island, I was feeling a little groggy due to the long journey and lack of sleep even if my fellow travel buddies complained that I snored so damn loud behind the bus.

The moment we got into the boat, I was already feeling sleepy and slept the entire journey to Langkawi. I remembered that Chubby was sitting in front of me and my other friend, Yvonne was sitting on my right.

When the boat docked, I woke up immediately. With blurred vision due to sleep, I saw Chubby was still resting her head on the seat. I immediately slapped her head hard to wake her up.

To my horror, the head belonged to a stranger, a Malay man. Before he could look behind to check who hit him, I quickly pretend to sleep. I am sure he was very shocked that he felt someone just bob him on the head when everyone seemed to be sleeping.

I suppressed my embarrassment and giggle till we got very far away from the boat and then, burst into hearty laughter when I related this incident to my friends.

Perhentian Island, August 2004

I just got out from my “fresh water” shower and was relieved. As I was walking to the verandah to towel dry my hair, my travel mate, one of the demented duo was sitting there to ogle at some chicks.

I sat down with him and had a chat. Then his gaze slowly turned to the bottom half of my body then he quickly looked away.

I realized I didn’t zip my pants.

Hanoi, April 2007

As I was down with fever and the attacks of virus seemed adamant, most of my bodily functions went hay wired. While waiting for Popiah to bargain for some souvenirs, I was already in dire need to go to the loo as soon as possible. That resulted in me, putting up a really sour face and almost barked at her for taking her own sweet time. She was supposed to pay 15,000 VND for one book mark but ended up giving the man only 10,000 VND. I was already turning purple trying to suppress the need to shit. The moment I reached the hotel, I think I just created another Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

The following day, the same thing happened. I needed to go to the loo badly and we got lost. AJ insisted that we were on the right track, when Chubby decided to take another route. TC on the other hand, refused to get into our squabbles and decided to venture into the night life on his own. I was telling them, what if we really got lost and TC reached the hotel before all of us did. I was right. TC was there sitting in the lobby waiting for us while we were still squabbling over the shortest route to take back to the hotel.

These are some of my awkward moments while traveling. I will post more if I think of anything else. I guess everyone would have some amusing stories from their trips to share. :)

Then we moved to another place. Lilly's which was located on the most popular beach called "Long Beach". We stayed here for four nights and enjoyed it a lot. Long beach got a lot of backpackers and there is a little more life than on the other beaches. Jess is playing the guitar on the balcony. It was so nice and peaceful... :)

Our bungalow from the outside...

Last but not least, this is the last place we stayed in. This beach was a little more quiet, but the water was almost even more clear and the sand more soft and white. It was probably the best beach on Perhentian Island, but there was not that much to do and life here was also more expensive.

Besides that, I forgot my flip flops in a boat taxi! :( ... and I am still very sad about that! :( :) So all in all, I would say Long Beach has been best, but as you can see all beaches on Perhentian Island are just so great!

This was the beach. Maybe you can not see that big a difference on that picture, you have to be there to see it! :)

Me after a very fast boat trip back home. :)