Roaming Malaysia
So I made it safely to Malysia! Was a little worried when I read about Asia’s budget airlines and lots of people who knew things about airplanes said people generally shouldn’t get in them. But ask any budget traveller if safety or money is more important and the majority will give you the same answer. Being part of that majority I happily jumped on the plane. Even bought some of their budget peanuts and a budget watch.
Getting off the plane in Malaysia, I was nervous for the first time since the start of my trip. I was worried about not knowing the language and being the only one with no head scarf. But luckily these people seem to take their studies seriously and speak very good English. And with the large Indian and Chinese population here my hair blowing in the humid breeze didn’t stick out either.
First morning in Malaysia I looked out my window to see what was happening. I stayed in a fairly busy area so cars were flying by and people going about their business. I saw one lady sitting down waiting for a bus. Gave her a little wave and went off for breakfast. After I’d had enough of the sugary bread available for breakfast I came back to the room and noticed the lady was still outside. She gave me a smile that made her Adams apple stick out. Then I remembered an episode of Friends where the gang had to explain to Joey that people who were born female don’t have Adams apples. Welcome to Asia!
A few of the men almost fall over when I tell them I’m alone. I haven’t researched this place a whole lot but I’m thinking it looks safe enough. I went off for some Malysian cuisine later that evening, which seems very like Indian cuisine (I could have been in an Indian restaurant now that I think about it). The guy handed me what looked like a leaf shaped plate. I started scooping rice on to it and he came, took the leaf, put my rice on a plate and put the plate on what I then realised was a tray. Anyone who hadn’t been watching me before came over to see the solo female who didn’t know how to use a plate.
My main purpose in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, was to get an Indian visa. Because these people are super efficient they said I didn’t have to hand in my passport for a week, just had to come back a week later to get the visa stuck in. So I was free to roam the countryside. Being stuck in KL wouldn’t have been too bad mind; they have a 7 floor mall dedicated to electronics that are all tax free! And down the road from that there’s another mall with indoor rollar coasters, and a book store with leather sofas, so you can read the book, to see if you like it, before buying it (I’m sure you can imagine how a budget traveller would work this system).
So I took off up the country. I quickly discovered direct buses aren’t always direct. I wanted to go to the Cameron Highlands, where there’s butterflies and strawberries. But to get there I got kicked off the bus half way, told to wait 4 hours, and then maybe there might be another bus. As usual all the foreigners clung together to try and find a way. It must be low season here because that just left myself and a German couple.
We finally did make it to the highlands, the bus ride alone through the jungle was enough of a reason to go. When we booked in guy at the desk asked if we wanted a triple room. I wasn’t too sure about sharing with a couple but they sealed it when the girl said “Actually it’s the first day of our honeymoon”. So I sped off, after following them around for 4 hours on the first day of their honeymoon. Whoops.
Cameron Highlands turned out to be a great little place. The butterflies were about as exciting as butterflies usually are. I also saw 100 different varieties of roses, all of which looked the exact same to me. The strawberry farm was the highlight of that tour. They had strawberry milkshakes, ice creams, doughnuts and just about everything you could squeeze a strawberry into. I could definitely have set up camp there. As I type this I’m thinking of booking myself another holiday there…..
After CH I only had a few days before I was due back in Kuala Lumpur to pick up my visa. On the map I found an island that didn’t look too far from the capital so I set off in an attempt to make my way there. Pangkor was the name of the island. It wasn’t the idilic place I’d hoped it would be. I got off the ferry and was hounded by taxi drivers, who knew exactly where I was going because there’s only one place backpackers go. I stayed in a smelly hostel and couldn’t step outside without someone trying to sell something to me. Even the beach was a strange experience; found a guy peering through a tree at me once. Luckily I’ve adopted the Muslim custom of covering up so he didn’t see anything he wouldn’t have seen had he been leering at me someplace else.
I hung out with some school kids on the beach, the let me join their gang for a bit. Pangkor wasn’t exactly ‘happening’ so I moved on, back to hot KL to try and finally get my Indian visa sorted.
I’ll get some photos up shortly.
Tags: Malaysia
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