The End of Asia

So I start to make my way to NZ tomorrow, which is pretty exciting. I have to find work, and even the prospect of that is a little exciting, I hope someone wants me! I'm a bit worried that I've built NZ up into some sort of magical Mary land, but from everyone I meet who's been there, it IS a magical Mary land!!! Try and live in the present Mary, the present. Actually the last eleven days or so have been wonderful too. I just can't get over how thrilling it is seeing all these places and doing a new thing every day.

Malaysia mainland

The Cameron Highlands:

After my two nights on Penang I visited the Cameron highlands. I wanted to see more greenery and the worlds largest flower, the rafflesia plant, which apparently is a mushroom, so not a flower at all. Anyway, got a mini bus there, the journey was only four hours or so. The climate wa much cooler up there. When we arrived it started to rain quite severely. The bus driver was very nice taking me and a few others around to find a guesthouse so we wouldn't have to walk in the rain. I hadn't booked anywhere, and it was all surprisingly full or rather pricey. I eventually found an attic room, that is probably the smallest room I've ever slept in... It was more like a cupboard to be honest, think of Harry Potter's room from the first movie. The mattress was on the floor and there was bizarrely a d.i.y. Shelf that looked like it wouldn't hold a book without breaking. Anyway, it was cosy, cheap, and you only sleep there don't you. I set about looking for another tour thing to do, as I was only there for three nights. I walked up and down the street a few times, had some AMAZING food and then chose an organization. It was quite hard to pick, as they all offer more or less the same thing at the same price. But the next day I was picked up by an Indiana Jones type guy called Bala in this cool truck, and I was already happy with my choice. We drove up to this forested area outside the Cameron Highlands, to do a little bit of early morning trekking. We went off road for a bit, it was like the normal roads in Nepal, i.e. clay mud tracks. The four wheeled drive was much better able to cope with this sort of terrain than the public transport in Nepal was... It was fun.
We trekked for a bit, Bala set a nice fast pace, we were all proper sweaty before long, it was warmer down there. We stopped for Bala to tell us about the destruction of forest in the area because of farming, he refused to say any good things about the area, because of how people are ten times more likely to remember bad things. He also told me about how he watched people eat a monkeys brain whilst it was still alive, when he was in China. Our tour took us through hilly muddy ground to these giant rafflesia 'flowers'. We also went to a fairly unimpressive waterfall which apparently people used to be able to swim in but now they can't because of all the pollution from fertilizers that are used on the ground above. We had a rest and drank some bamboo water, it tasted like normal water. Next we walked back to our ride and visited a local village. The government had paid for them to have ugly concrete houses, Bala said it would have been more useful to spend the money educating them or providing them with healthcare as their previous bamboo houses were a lot more environmentally friendly and just as functional. Some villagers and Bala showed us how to blow dart and told us how the villagers use the method even today, for hunting birds and monkeys and what not. It's quite fun. Our next stop was lunch and then we had a whirlwind tour of a tea plantation and factory, a strawberry farm, and a butterfly and insect farm, where there were rabbits!! Our new guide put this white praying mantis on me and it jumped on my face! Good times.
I decided to take the next day easy after the strenuous day before. I saw there was another waterfall place nearby, a few km, so I walked off to hunt it down. I found it after almost turning back cos there were no signs. It was just as unimpressive as The other one. I noticed a pretty looking path to the left and thought, I'd just walk down there, it was tiled and everything. There was some sign about route 9 and it being like 3km long. So I thought easy. 2 hours later after following the path which led into this forested area where there were no paths, but a better waterfall, damp air, lots of insect noises, a snake and a lizard, I came across agricultural land, but I was up on this hill, which I almost fell down a few times, as the path obviously had. I worked my way through a few life and death situations to come out near a temple, and even though I'm on a bit of a mission to avoid temples from now on, I went in. There was an old Chinese man there who gave me some green tea and oranges that he was giving to his god. I'd forgotten to take any water with me so it was nice to sit in the cool temple drinking green tea. The man and I chatted for a bit. He was telling me how it was dangerous to travel alone and that I had to... Wait for it... Be careful. (again? Really? Of course I'm carefull!!) he said he didn't like to travel, too dangerous. It's a shame that people on our planet aren't more trusting of one another, we're all ok really, mostly. He didn't know the way back to tanah rata, where I was staying but suggested I turned right, so I did. A few people on bikes offered to give me a lift, but after just promising to be careful, and as they didn't speak English, I thought I'd best not. This meant that I could stop off in the bee farm on my way. There wasn't much to see there to be honest. Saw some bees through glass and ate some honey that was sold in a tube. I continued with my journey, turned out it was 9 km back! And after walking what felt like a km, there was another sign saying 9 km. I think Malaysia km are much longer than English ones. I stopped for tea at another tea plantation, as following the windy road up the hills was fairly exhausting. It was quite hot too. I think I made it back at four when I left at 11. It started to pour with rain just as I got back to my hostel. Phew. Relaxed, then packed.

One of the things I really like about Malaysia is the buses, soooo luxurious! Three seats across, and for some reason very few passengers, and they're really cheap! And the roads! I don't think traffic jam is even in the Malaysian vocabulary. By the road sides it's either neatly trimmed grass or palm plantations, and sometimes a foresty or farming patch. But it's really a very enjoyable experience. I was on my way to KL next.

A lady at the bus station gave me directions to the hostel that I wanted to go to, they turned out to be in completely the wrong direction. I ended up getting a taxi to the road I needed and never found the hostel I was looking for, Forever Young. I ended up going to the Green Hut, it was under renovation, but it had just started to pour with rain and I was tired. Its exhausting when you've carried your heavy rucksack in the wrong direction for about half an hour. It was ok though, the room was very small and there was a girl asleep on the top bunk even though it was 2 in the afternoon. I went out for a wander and ended up finding the twin towers. They were big, and ok to look at. I looked into going up to the bridge, it was too late for that day, apparently you have to queue very early in the morning. At the end of the day, it's just another building, it's not even the tallest one in the world anymore. I went to have cake and coffee. My roommate had left and the next day I got an interesting French woman who runs her own fashion business, she's living the dream. We chatted lots, the went out for food together, she was tired and went back. I went for a wander and to buy bus tickets as I was due to leave the next day, KL had made no impressive first impressions on me really, so I didn't feel inclined to extend my stay. It just seemed to lack personality, the same I feel for most of the places I saw in Malaysia, I feel like its lost it's identity, everything's either Chinese or Indian, but where's all the Malay stuff? Possibly my least favourite capital city, and my least favourite country, although, I have to say I know there's lots of places I've not seen, so for this visit it's not been the best place for me. I'd have to go to Borneo and the primary rainforests areas to really find the real Malaysia, and that's for another trip...

Another delightful bus to a place called Melaka. I'd not booked a hostel again, but had an idea of a place I wanted to go to. After getting off the bus a guy approached me telling me about his guesthouse, and directions to it. The easy option is often the best, so as I knew how to get there and it was cheap and easy, I went there. So happy I did. The bus into town was pretty standard, but it was so nice seeing the town! It looked so cute. The Dutch had come over to this place, taken over? For a bit, and built these cute little red buildings. It was verging on twee. Finding the hostel was easy, and the guys friendly. I got a double bed in a dorm, where one other French girl stayed one night. The other nights the room was mine. The food and accommodation were all a much more reasonable price to that found in KL and of a similar standard. I ate with some fellow travelers, then went exploring alone and found a groovy little street, jonker street, lots of my sort of shops there. Shopped a bit. Trying hard to be sensible. I met another guy from the hostel in the street so we went out for dinner. Weird Chinese food that tasted like meat to me. Not impressed. The guy had a dessert for dinner by accident. It had beans in. Melaka, you can probably sort of see in a day, its small, but quaint. And it has a nice at osphere, which KL lacks. The next day I went for a walk to church ruins on a hill with Jay, another traveller. We also visited the graveyard and wandered about for a bit before getting ice creams and heading back to the hostel to watch Lord of the Rings. I need to prepare for NZ! The next day I went with a Canadian guy called Nick, (I found out his name after introducing him to Nick, the Vancouver island marmot on my ankle- I think he freaked out a little) on the boat down the river. This was a much better way to see the town as you didn't get half so sweaty and you got to see monitor lizards! Cool. And we saw the monorail and a lot of boring stuff if I'm honest, the voice man for the English translation on the boat just sounded boring, so nick and I didn't pay that much attention. But after seeing the monorail we did discuss the Simpsons and other tv shows. We both went off to do our own thing after, he went to a museum, I to a chocolate shop... Then I had to go back to see the next LOTR and eat ice cream and chocolate. Quick! Before its lent! Actually, I think it may have been lent that day, but one doesn't really know what day or date or time it is when travelling...

The next day I went to the bus station to find a bus to Singapore.

Singapore

To be honest, I really didn't think I'd like Singapore. Mother and father said once when they went that you just sweated as soon as you go toutside and you just wanted to be indoors all the time with the air con. Generally me and heat don't get on, but I think I've had a gradual adjustment to it and it didn't seem so bad. As I arrived it started raining. I'm reminded of that song : everywhere you go you always take the weather with you. I've certainly taken the English weather with me. Actually when we arrived there were like two flags up at the border crossing, and I was thinking I have no idea if one of those is Singapore's flags or not, I should probably look stuff like that up. Is the border crossing? Then we all had to get off the half full bus and take our luggage to sign out of Malaysia, back on the bus, cross the bridge, arrive at the slightly daunting Singapore immigration office. Looks a bit like a prison from the outside, especially with all the dark clouds. I ended up getting stuck by like a school full of Japanese students. There were only three of us left on the bus at this point, I think a lot of people were Singaporean and made their own ways home. I had no idea where I was going as I'd cancelled my hostel reservation( one of the few I've made) to have a go at couch surfing, as I was accepted by a host to stay with them. He never sent his address or phone number in time. I knew wanted to stay in Little India, as it's like the cheapest place to stay, so I asked some nice travel agent ladies how toget there and they told me which bus to get. One of the guys at the hostel had given me his leftover Singapore dollars, so that was useful, as at this point I hadn't even considered getting some new currency. Then I ended up being on Lavender street, which was the street where I'd previously booked in at the green kiwi, I thought it best as Im on my way to NZ and my last hostel was the lavender guesthouse. I saw the green kiwi sign and thought I'd see if they still had room. The did so I've stayed here since arriving and LOVE it. See, stupid reasons= good reasons for staying places. The free breakfast is awesome and they do amazing coffee and the staff are so friendly! I'm staying in dorms again, and it's all good. I met up that night with some couch surfers for dinner and drinks, it was a good night out, and I even found my way back ok down different roads. My iPad seems to kick in and start working when I feel a little bit lost, it's weird.
I went out the next day to see the Singapore flyer, like the largest ferris wheel in the world. They say in the info before you get aboard, that it's not a ferris wheel, but I forget what they call it. It was a nice way to see the city though, you can get some good pics from up there. The number of ships in the harbour is a little scary, looks like an alien invasion or something. On my way there I'd ended up getting side tracked and a little lost in the shopping malls, so. Badly. Want. To . Shop. Its like English prices here though... I got lost in some more shops on the way back, so I ended up buying some new things, souvenirs if you will... The next day, I thought I'd go on one of those city buses to see the whole place, although, at this point I'd been down what felt like most of the roads in Singapore. I gave myself an hour to get there, which turned out not to be enough so I missed the bus I wanted to take by like two minutes. I wanted to go on the one that went to sentosa island as Purna had told me it was beautiful. I had a go on the green bus, as the journey was only an hour long. It was nice being on the roof (rather than inside in the ac part of the bus). It makes ones fringe go all funny. Our guide man on the intercom thing was quite random, you couldn't hear him for most of it cos of the sound of the wind on the top, but when we'd slow or be in a rare bit of traffic you'd hear him, and he would be talking about how he wasn't a smoker or how to stay cool by washing your face in this heat. I went on the red bus route after waiting at the Singapore flyer stop for it so as not to miss it this time. The bus wasn't a double decker, so not as good. But there was an area of about 8 seats at the back that we're outside so I sat there. You couldn't hear the guide from there. So I was looking forward to see Sentosa island now, and turns out it just takes you across the bridge into the car park of the universal studios theme park place. So that was disappointing. I got dropped off somewhere in little India and had no idea how to get back to my hostel but magically found my way back, with a hint from the maps app on my iPad, which again was randomly working without wifi...?
That night I met Nathan for dinner, it's so nice seeing people you know whilst travelling! It was like being back in Plymouth, only substantially hotter and nicer looking and with better food. We chatted, well, I chatted A LOT, like just non stop basically. That's what happens if you don't read my blog guys... Take this as a warning... Today, my last day in Singapore, we met up again, together with another colleague from Plymouth and Nathan's family.

I've had a surprisingly good time in Singapore, considering I'm not a city girl. The city is clean, it's a friendly sort of place, and there's lots of good shopping, even if right now, it's too expensive for me. There's enough to see and do, I've not done all that I wanted, but then, if I ever come back there's things to do. I found the heat almost comforting, even when I was too hot, it was like being snug in bed as you're walking down the street. They have lots of places which do actual coffee, not Nescafé crap. Everything here works, and seems to run on time. People are helpful. Just, it's all Great.

I'm looking forward to going to NZ obviously, but there's more flights and packing, and I'm quite sad to leave Singapore, I'd like to stay just a little longer. I'm glad to have made this little Asian detour. Now it's back on track with my NZ dream.

Love to everyone.
Photos to come later.

Island Hopping

As I write this, I'm actually on an island in Malaysia,at the crystal guesthouse, where I have a bed in a dorm upstairs. I'm looking out at severely heavy pouring rain, inside the little cafe area there's a drunk Chinese man shouting loudly at his friends, I'm trying to drown him out with my music I'm listening to through headphones, it's not working. It's hot and stuffy, and the Chinese people are smoking.

This blog entry however, is about my island adventures. To be honest, they weren't really that adventurous, in fact I barely hopped, having explored only two islands, if explored is really the word.

I took a night train away from Bangkok, which was a stress free experience, except as my stop was due at 4am, I was a little worried I'd miss my stop. I spoke to the guard though who said he'd wake me up. How nice. And I'm positive he would have if I hadn't woken up myself anyway. Next we waited until about 6am for a bus to come and take us to port. The pier was a ridiculous rickety bridge without any handrails, and with gaps in the planks. It didn't seem like the most sensible solution for people with massive rucksacks like me, I saw a guy trip up, and those passengers with wheeled suitcases had to carry their luggage like the rest of us. The sun rose as we left the little jetty. I've never had such a bumpy boat trip. I quite liked it though, it was a bit like being on a theme park ride for 2 hours. In my diary I've written that the digital looking reflections off the waves were hypnotic.

Once I'd arrived at the lovely little island of koh Tao I was told a taxi was 200 baht for like 2 km, so I told the man I walked and asked which direction the tropicana was, as I'd for a change booked a hotel before arriving. He pointed up a hill. Darn. But then sent a jeep thing to pick me up, I think the guy was just going back to his resort, but might as well make 100 baht on his journey, it was a tad more reasonable. I guess this is the problem when traveling alone, all these things would be cheaper. I was quite happy with me resort, it was nothing special really, but I had a nice big room and balcony, which even though you spend very little time in your room, is still nice.

VERY nice pancakes, plus a bit of a knife show.

In my diary I only have 2 entries for the 8 days I was there. I got into a bit of a routine on koh Tao and can't recommend the new haven dive school yoga sessions enough. I'm sure they are just as good at diving, but it was just a little too pricy an extravagance for me, plus I don't really find I have the inclination, and I'm through with doing things because I feel obliged. (NO MORE TEMPLES DAMN IT) so my time on the island was basically, chill out time for myself, a little reflective, and I even socialized a little. I tried snorkeling for the first time ever, but couldn't see anything, that was the day I walked to a place called shark bay, it was the most beautiful place I found on the island, though I had to risk my life to get there, across rocks with waves splashing at me... Any lesser person would have probably drowned or something. I visited the main beach one day, after renting a bike. My goodness I got sweaty, but I didn't want to risk another moped incident, plus, I really do need the exercise. The beach had softer sand than the beach right out my resort, but there were a lot more people. I cycled back before it got dark, I fear the change that comes over dogs in the dark. I visited a place called the high bar, which I don't think has that name just because of its altitude. It had a wonderful atmosphere, hammocks and cute tables, and a beautiful view, I watched the sunset from there. Most days I spent sunbathing, reading, Terry Pratchett and I've also just finished my first star wars book, I gave it to this place, but actually I got confused so much with all the characters I should prob ask for it back...

speed boat ride.

After koh Tao, I thought I may as well visit one of the more famous islands, so the next one across was koh phangan. It was another pleasant boat trip, I do enjoy those ferries. I saw flying fish again, I'd nev seen them before I came to Thailand, I thought the first one was a giant dragonfly or something, but being the spectacular biologist that I am, I soon worked out it was some sort of fish. I found a lady on the pier who had loads of hotel leaflets, so, I asked for a cheap one so she offered me one for 500 baht, which was expensive, but I realized very quickly that we had a complete lack of communication and my bag was heavy, I was hot, and she was already organizing a taxi. The one she had showed me also looked quite cool. My taxi was just a moped. The guy managed me and all three of my bags, impressive. Once I arrived I was told to wait about 3 hours or something, as they had free wifi that didn't bother me too much. It was 11 when I arrived and by 1 they'd found me a room,600 baht, the 500 baht ones had no window... They were cute little beache huts. There were lots of them, but I went and beached myself straight away and there weren't many people. I lost my anklet, which I'd had for a day, whilst swimming in the sea. I met some other traveller types who invited me out with them, as I'd not really been out much, and I'd sunbathed and been for a swim, I thought I might as well. We had buckets of alcohol, like sandcastle style buckets that the locals fill with a spirit and 2 mixers. There was also laughing gas being sold, it just gave me a headache, not as good as I remember. I Quickly ran off from the people I came with- in true drunk Mary style- and started dancing in the sea. There was also a fire breathing contest for tourists to have a go at. I regret not doing it. I would have probably set fire to myself, so it's probably for the best... Just before I was about to get one more drink I realized I needed that 100 baht to get home,so I left, I think the others were sick of me too. Luckily at the beginning of the night I'd asked one of the boys for the name of our resort, which thankfully I wrote on my hand, otherwise there would be no way of me getting back. I had drunk conversations the whole way back to my resort, I was trying to convince this Swiss girl that I'd visited my best friends parents in Switzerland in Bratislava, which she said wasn't her a part of her country, and of course she's absolutely right, but drunk Mary was quite insistent. I face timed Silkie when I got back to my resort to check, brissago Mary, brissago.

Me at the emerald lake.

I'd already booked a boat trip for the next day, so maybe coming back drunk and going to bed at three wasn't the best idea. But I managed to wake up at 8:20 a good ten minutes before I was due to leave. In my taxi to the port I was much less chatty than the one the night before. There was a huge group of people going in a speedboat to this set of islands which are part of a marine reserve. We snorkel led, and there were loads of fish!!! I loved it. The black spiky sea urchins scared me a bit, I worried about suddenly sinking onto them for no reason. I saw a sting ray that was blue and yellow and spotty. And loads of fish and coral. It was way better than I expected. That made the trip worthwhile for me, even if nothing else good happened. I didn't chat to most of the other passengers as most of them were couples. But one of our tour guys who called himself 'snake' was quite friendly, he had a Thai cool/pretty boy look and an Elvis tattoo on his chest. I just sort of thought ' oh dear...' when I first saw him, but he grew on me. We saw an island shaped like a monkey. Stopped at an island with one of the most congested beaches I've ever seen, where there was a ridiculously steep set of staircases leading to a view point where you could look at the emerald lake, which was very green, you could go down and have a closer look. There were some strange fishies there. Back to the speed boat to go to another island to get lunch. A lot of people did kayaking round the island here, but as I was just one person I didn't book to do it, in retrospect I should have booked it and hoped one of the guides would do it with me, but I was happy to snorkel more, and sunbathe a bit. I also broke my/silkies camera a bit more, it went for a little swim, it already can't close without me pushing the lens in, so it's also covered in sand cos the shutter won't shut, and now the screen is a little mottled from water damage... I told you Silkie, I told you...
I got back, and saw two of the others I went out with the night before, they'd been too hungover to leave. I apologized for my behavior, but it turns out I wasn't the worst, so it's fine. We swam a bit that afternoon and watched the sunset and the dogs play.
The other two left, and the next two days I relaxed more. Went to the pier and booked my trip as far as butterworth in Malaysia. Spent some quality time with an opinionated German lady (she doesnt like sweaty shirtless/scantily clad people ok?) who ran the sweet cafe, which does superb food. I bought a packed lunch from there for my journey to Malaysia, which naturally I ate all of before I'd even left Thailand.

Now, I feel as though I can talk about Penang island, Malaysia, as it's still an island. I'm just spending two nights here, tonight will be my second. So I arrived after a 24 hour journey, using boat, bus, train and taxi. I was going to stay in butterworth city, but from the tourist info poster at the train station the island looked more interesting. So I got a taxi here. The driver was a little crazy, and very loud. But friendly. I shared the taxi with two German girls, who I thought I saw tonight, but after apologizing for not recognizing them, the two girls said that we'd never met, so now there's just some strangers who think I'm the crazy one... It's not me, it's the taxi driver! The taxi driver showed me some cheap places to stay, but I found a cheaper one, and even had the dorm room to myself last night, I think tonight it will be packed though, I've seen lots of people come in.

entry to the butterfly park.

As I basically only had one day I set about finding a tour of the island yesterday. I found the cheapest place along the hostels road, and went back this morning at 10am. I had a private car and driver all to myself. It was ridiculously hot, so I was glad for the air con. Although also had a niggly guilty feeling, cos of environmental issues etc. anyway, I went on a train ride up a hill, which was fun, although it wasn't the toy train I for some reason expected. At the top people would take pictures of you with a snake! It was so funny that after questioning them about the snake welfare I did it. I also saw a bird park, which was quite small, and had some resident rats too. I always feel sorry for the birds at places like this, I sort of hoped they'd have bigger cages. Went back down on the train after taking some photos of the island. Camera won't zoom anymore though, which is a shame, everything's very far away and blurry. Next my driver took me to palace where people were making traditional Malaysian clothes, it was all by interesting. Then I went to the butterfly park - which was frikkin' awesome!! There was a guy who showed me round, lots of other insects too, as well as dead stuff in jars, then at the end he asked me out for dinner which was strange. I said no. Standard, glad I couldn't remember the name of my hostel when he asked that earlier. Then we went to the 'world's biggest toy museum' which was a bit of a rip off but there was lots of star wars stuff, and an experience nonetheless. And finally we stopped at a chocolate and coffee place, where I had lots of samples and bought some overpriced chocolate, which I ate far too quickly. It would only go soft anyway. I uploaded pictures when I returned at the place where I'd booked my trip. And then, at the same place, I organized a bus to take me to the Cameron highlands tomorrow, at 11:30 not 7:30 thank you very much, I am on holiday. All in all quite productive.

I've just been out to little India, and had some wonderful food, a lot of it, but I managed. And now, I have some time to play on my new favourite game, dragon vale, einstein's brain training can wait...

Time is all going rather quickly at the moment. I think I'll go for an ice cream now. That should slow it down.

Pictures to come later.