Hello all!!!
After a long long time not writing, I have started to write emails to friends and family. This one was so long, that I just have to post it in my blog as well!! I have had no access to my computer since Singapore - and there it shall stay until the end of March - so there are no photos with this blog!!
I have successfully arrived in Bangkok! I'm only here for one night before I go back to the airport to fly to Yangon.
Malaysia was amazing. Really, really amazing. But very hot! I don't know if you can really melt from the heat, but I really did. Bangkok is very hot too, I'm just glad that if there's not air-con, at least everywhere there are fans instead!
I started off in Melacca and stayed 3 days. The hostel was an old historic building, not so wide on the street, but very long in the back. I'm told this was due to taxing laws a few hundred years ago, but now they get taxed for all of it! I really liked Melacca, it's still my favourite. On my first night there, there was an unofficial supper club run by the hostel and 19 of us all went for Chinese along the road. It was good to meet everyone that way as not everyone was in the same dorm - or hostel. The one I was in - Jalan Jalan (literal meaning is street street) had a second sister hostel along the street, RM5 more expensive due to their air con. In my hostel we all had proper beds and a fan each for RM15, which is about 3 pounds a night. The next day I had roti canai with one of the girls, Lorna, for breakfast (a kind of Indian pancake with curry) and then we joined a free walking tour for the rest of the morning. Our guide was Chinese but had lived in the city for many years and was very knowledgeable. Only free tour to date!! For lunch we arrived back in time to join some of the other guests at a Sikh temple for lunch - for only RM2 and our washing up services afterwards. Bargain!
That evening, there was another supper club outing - this time a different 19 from both hostels cycled to a night market on the outskirts of town. My best find was a coconut (breaded) dumpling. The next day a few of us girls got up early for a dim sum breakfast and a cycle around town. We went to an old Malaysian village, cycled down the river bends, and through the old town to the island. It's completely deserted. Buildings are there but nobody lives there, it's a bit like a ghost town! They do have a floating Mosque though - our reason for going. It's just a Mosque on a pier, but they've got a good, quiet location!
The next day I went to KL with an Estonian girl I met, Rita, and two Germans, Michelle and Jannick. I booked somewhere online so really had to go there, whereas they found a nice air-con hostel on arrival for the same price! My hostel room had one fan which didn't reach the top bunk - my bed - so on the second night I had to put it on a table so we could all get some air!! We had one evening and one complete day in KL, so we all met up to explore. I saw some very pretty buildings around Little India and tried a few different foods - roti was still my favourite then though! And then it torrential rained on us so we got stuck by the stalls for a few hours! Our main attraction for us was the Batu Caves. A train ride (RM4 return... like 80p) to the Caves, and then a hike up 272 stairs into the caves. I managed to see my first monkey here! Very cute, but unfortunately drawn to the rubbish that so many people leave. It's disgusting the amount of rubbish in the temple/caves, it spoils it for sure!
My next stop was Cameron Highlands, and I went again with the two Germans I had met in Melacca. We all stayed in Tanah Rata, although again I had different accommodation. I preferred it though, and loved my hostel's reading room, where I met two Scots, who gave me tons of advice for Myanmar. Sure to come in handy! We took a morning tour of the tea plantation, strawberry farm, butterfly farm (with other animals too... rabbits, chipmunks, snakes...), a Buddhist temple and a small market.
In the afternoon, we did a small hike and the next day we did a larger one. Cameron Highlands - although beautiful - has a ton of rubbish everywhere. The lakes and rivers are full of it. Our hike was pretty idyllic though, away from the madding crowds and up quite a large hill! I think it's the steepest climb I've done since the Tongariro Crossing back in October! And even then there were at least steps instead of tree roots everywhere. I did like the view at the top though!
My next stop was Ipoh. I aimed to go there for the cave temples and spooky ruined castle, but never really made it. I got there, got into town, got on the right bus. But never found my accommodation. I only had one night there, I had planned to get there early and go and do these things I planned. Nobody said that Ipoh was a city, and that my booked accommodation would be almost an hour out of town - somewhere. So I made a split decision, I would look around town a bit, look at the historic railway station... and then go to Penang a day early. So I did.
I spent 4 nights in Penang, two different hostels. Chinese New Year was upon us and places are booked up quickly! I'd booked a hostel for three nights in Love Lane, but had to be in King Street - right bang in the middle of Little India - the first night. I didn't mind though. On every corner there are food stalls, and loud Indian music, and the smells are amazing. The people are friendly and at night, the lanterns are really pretty and a lot of the local buildings are lit up. It's just got a really good atmosphere.
The next morning I tried to book my train (for five days later) from Butterworth to Bangkok (23 hours). But it was sold out. The earliest I would be able to get on a train would be today (the 24th) and because of the length of the journey, I would get to Bangkok only about half an hour before my flight to Myanmar would leave. Not good. I found out the buses were also sold out, and due to traffic, would most likely take longer. So I bit the bullet (thanks Martin!) and booked a flight instead. A bit dear, but worth it, because here I am, right on time!!
After I booked my flight, I switched hostels and walked around for the day, looking at all the graffiti and iron works. Did you know that Jimmy Choo (the shoe designer) had his very first shop in Georgetown, on Leith street no less! I only went there for the Edinburgh connection! Leith street is also where Penang's cat cafe is. I took some pictures, but no, I didn't go up!
That night, I bumped into someone I knew from Melacca and we went to try to find Cendol. Cendol is Malaysia's traditional sweet treat. Shaved ice with coconut cream, kidney beans, rice flour noodles dyed green, syrup and sometimes with added sweetcorn and jelly. Sounds like a very strange combination I'm sure, but I like it. We never found it. There was a group of us, we stopped for dinner somewhere and then went on to a bar. A terrible bar where the drinks are free for ladies in between 5-10pm. We arrived at 8. I got a bit tipsy too quickly and don't remember getting back to the hostel. I did arrive fine though and woke up in my pjs so even though I don't remember it, I did take care of myself! Oops. I did go back the next two nights, but never drank as much and had more lemonade than gin. Non-alcoholic drinks you have to pay for, unfortunately!
The next day I bumped into some girls I met at the bar and we went and got our faces threaded. Our whole faces. Very, very sore!! My face looked a bit different after it, eyebrows less bushy - but I doubt I'll do it again! We hired bikes after and went on a little cycling tour of Georgetown. I had a lot of fun but we only did it for an hour or so as the heat got a bit too much!
My last day in Georgetown, I went to the National Park within a group of 10 from our hostel. The bus, due to it being a public holiday, took 2 hours (at least) each way, so instead of having a whole afternoon there, we were left with only 4-5 hours and the park gates would shut around 7pm. A plan was formed, and we got a boat to a little place called Monkey Beach, where we had lunch and swam for an hour before we went on to another beach around the corner - a turtle sanctuary! We saw two tiny baby turtles in a paddling pool, and that was it! The beach had "volatile jellyfish" just off the shore so we didn't go for a swim but we did learn how to sing a German song (with actions) from some of the group, before hiking back to the main gate. I led the way this time and, with no stops, we made it back in record time. Although we were all very hot and sweaty by the end of it!! We saw a few more monkeys and a really big lizard!
I didn't see a lot of the festivities for Chinese New Year, just a lot of crowds in the street and a few lion dances. I will put up pictures when I can, but when I finally get access to a not-so-public computer, it's going to take me a few hours to go through all my pictures!!
On Saturday (this one just past), I got up early for the 8.15 or 8.30 ferry to Langkawi. I had only had a few hours sleep, having been up playing pool with some friends and we hadn't realised the time! I got to the ferry only to be told every ferry was sold out. As it was a weekend day, these two ferries were supposed to be the only ones, but thankfully they put an extra one on at 2pm due to demand (and it being Chinese New Year). So I went back to my hostel and back to bed. Check out was at 12, so the owner let me go back to bed for a few hours - even though I'd already checked out an hour before.
I got to Langkawi in the evening, and found, much to my pleasure, three very lovely girls in my dorm whom I made fast friends with. Nicole and Amanda are from Canada and Vera is German. They hadn't had dinner yet, so after a small walk around the area we were staying in, we settled on roast lamb shank, shared between three of us, and huge quantities of salad and potatoes between all four. I have unfortunately been getting ill from every single meal I've had so far, no heartburn, just dodgy stomach. It's really crap and I hate being ill, but this meal was no different - even though it was more western than Asian.
The next day, us four girls and one other German guy, Thomas, went, by scooter, to hike up some waterfalls. The waterfall is almost dry, but there was enough for a few small natural infinity pools and a natural water slide. My first shot down the slide I lost my sunglasses. Not down the river, but into the small deep pool at the bottom. Nicole is a keen diver, so tried to get them back to no avail. Only when some newcomers came with diving goggles (what luck!) did we finally get them back. Turns out I was not the only one and we found an old pair of Ray Ban sunglasses in there too! The slide reminded me a lot of Soldier's Leap (in Glenfinnan) just not as steep.
My last day in Langkawi, yesterday, the girls had a different ferry to me so set off early - we were to meet again in Penang - but mine was not til 5pm so I was at a bit of a loss. So with an offer from one of the other girls in the hostel, I learnt how to ride a scooter! I rented one for the day and went off on my own little adventure. I got a ticket for the gondola/cable car, sat on the beach for an hour and went for a wee swim, and then went back to the cable car and up the hill. The view from the top is amazing. Simply beautiful. And with my new camera (a small splurge in Singapore due to the zoom on my other camera not working so well) the pictures have come out really well. I really liked having my own transport like that, I may try hiring a scooter again later in my trip!
I'm now to the end of my Malaysia story. So much to read, I apologise! I'm going to put this up as my blog as well, but feel free to reply as normal and I promise I'll try to reply properly this time!
I hope you are all well and are enjoying your summers/winters. I think if I return to Asia in the future, I might try to come back in a cooler time - if there is such a thing! Only three weeks in and the heat and I are still not friends. It's always a good excuse for an afternoon siesta though! The evening heat is much more preferable!!
Last one awake! I'm going to head to bed now! My bed for the night is in a pretty nice hostel - but my bed is harder than a futon! Wish me luck! I hope to hear from you all soon.
Kirsty xxxx
