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.
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