the first long-distance train ride
I’ve always looked with admiration and wonder at those classic shots from trains that other people take….now we are in the position to take our own. Expect more of these!
Train Journey Number 1 on the Ekspres Rakyat from Singapore to Tampin taught us one very important lesson. If a train is due to arrive at 12:20, do not expect to eat lunch at the destination. Because if it doesn’t get in until 2pm, you’ll be very hungry by the time you arrive, and no end of interesting sights will appease the stomach in the final hour (especially if breakfast had just been lime squeezed on papaya at 6 o’clock). What’s more, if the sights amount to more and more palm trees as per the previous four hours, they will have long ago lost their interest factor too. And if they are dangling with coconuts and other tropical delicacies, they will serve only to tantalise and torment!
So next time we take food. We are not at all put off travelling by train. It’s everything we expected – cheap, spacious, relaxing.
Tampin will likely blur in our memories as “the quaint wee hot place we trudged through to get to the bus station”. Ah, the bus. Not express, not first class, slower than a taxi. But it got us to Melaka….and gave us a BUMPING authentic adventure too. When we had disembarked from the train we had watched a line of white faces climb aboard a waiting tour bus as we insisted to a taxi driver that we did not require his services. Envy flashed momentarilly through my mind. Off drove the bus. Off drove the taxi. Then the stationmaster engaged us in conversation that would prove to be most helpful. He commended our decision to avoid the taxi, and suggested we take the bus to KL instead of the train in a few days’ time. We’re flexible, we’ll take his advice. But there we still were, still stuck alone at the train station thinking about the tour group already on its airconditioned-with-suspension-way to Melaka.
Before too long we were headed in the same direction, bags piled on bodies and in the aisle, wind whistling through our hair, drizzle misting in the open windows.
Grandpa turned round and quipped something about the journey, not arriving at the destination being important……while it was great to arrive at that day’s destination, I sure agree that the journey was exciting!
PS Here’s Singapore Train Station…wonderful paintings on the tiles tell its history…
Tags: postcard: Malaysia, postcard: Singapore, transport
rayres
I am in complete awe of what you are doing. I know how hard it is move 4 people through uncharted territory – I can’t imagine 10!
Your posts are making us very excited to see Asia.
Travel safely,
The James Family
Craig you just need three taxis when all goes to pot! (Or one for the big backpacks, Grandpa and baby while the rest of us walk)
Singapore was pretty easy – sterile even…..Malaysia is different….perhaps we’ll compare notes in Cambodia!
We need to know how you manage to keep up with reading other blogs while you’re on the road. We’ve almost been gone a week and have barely even looked at any blogs other than our own. I guess we’re still finding our feet. And we haven’t had much down time – though this arvo the little kids dressed up in bedsheets and played “I’m a monk” 😉
i think thating food would be a good idea
their poor tummys
and what a wonderful train station
Yes Singapore is sterile… a good intro to kids about South East Asian culture but with all the modern day trappings. Now you’re in Malaysia, let the “fun” begin! 😉 Praying for journey mercies…
I feel the hunger!! You guys are fab – I feel excited for you! So, have the girls had their hair cut short? I looked at your photos on Flickr. I’m impressed! AND I love the recipes – might have to try some 🙂 Take care.
I’m so excited reading your blog! Our plans are taking shape now and it’s been great for my girls to see the photos to make it more real for them. My Maddi said she was sad she didn’t get to say goodbye to K9 but she’s enjoying seeing what she’s up to. When do you plan to be in Cambodia? We are in the process of arranging a visit to our sponsored child in Cambodia through World Vision, quite a lot of paperwork! We’ll be there in about July next year. I guess you’ll be long gone by then. I will start our blog soon, just waiting to see if we get a travel insurance sponsorship through World Nomads, which means we have to write a blog through them as part of the deal. Well happy travels and thanks for going first so we can learn from your mistakes!!
hello chick (and the other Bears)
am rather excited at all this correspondence… more than when you were in NZ!!
lol.
and lookit all your “the glass is half full, my friend!” (movie line) chat.
sheesh.
loving Grandpa’s quips.
loving all the details.
and *woah!* that train station is pretty impressive.
happy noodles babe X
I’m excited to know that I get many months=and=more of following your adventures! Thanks so much for the wonderful updates that give a full pictures of the highs and not-quite-so highs. Laughed at the bed collapsing: great writing!!
Karen, how are you?Kim Wills here. I just clicked it was you. I have kept up with what you’re up to through Andrea a bit but so nice to see your comment. (sorry Rachael for using your blog to have a chat with an old friend, I’m sure you won’t mind!)We’re off on a big year long adventure, too. We may even get to you by the end of next year.Will get your contact details from Andrea. Isn’t this blog fantastic?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACH!!!!!
Can’t wait to hear your next blog… The first birthday celebrated abroad…
Love Wendy
I am in absolute awe! I can’t even imagine how you manage YOUR blog on a daily basis and still fit in what you are doing. Life seems so mundane by comparison.
I love your stories – from Ali’s to the train to the walks through the cities – and this is just week one! Robert – I’m with you and the juice by the pool at Raffles! And I don’t even like big flash hotels.
Can’t wait to hear more. Take care everyone. You are awesome.
Linda
You didn’t go to the wother side of the world to read blogs Rachael!! There’ll be time enough when you feel the homesick reach out urge to have a reading splurge and catch up on one or two or three then. Let yourself just ‘be’ in your new place and your new adventures right now, and probably for quite a while yet.
I guess that was a lecture then. oops.
Loving your news. Take care my friend.