Ayuthaya and Changmai (Asia Trek pt 10)

Sorry about the abrupt ending on the previous blog but I wanted to get it out there. Following a normally uneventful trip back to Bangkok a returned to my previous haunt for the night. All was well except for a one night rerun of the sickness I had had earlier. So much so that I went to the doctor the next day, but the inconsistency of it all made it difficult to diagnose and by that rim I was feeling better. I was given some antacids, but I don't think they did a lot. I doesn't really matter because now for the first time since I arrived in Asia, I feel like my appetite is returning to normal. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Before going on the tour I had planned to travel north to with the train to Ayathuya and then to Chang Mai. So in the morning I did so and hopped on the train in 3rd class comfort to Ayathuya; wooden bench, no air co. Now Ayathuya is the former capital of Siam before it became Bangkok during a coup (of which Thailand has had a lot) Consequently it also has substantial ruins from that period (13Th Century)and is an UNESCO world heritage site!

Upon leaving the station I was kindly greeted by a local working for a guest house on my way from the train station and was able to get a convenient and cheap room for the night. I also rented a bike from him for the afternoon and after a short ferry ride across the river, I was on my way.
The temples in Ayathuya are the old ones in a similar style to those of Angkor Wat. In fact there is a strong Angkor influence in Thailand as much of Thailand was controlled the Angkor empire at its peak. Ayathaya is also a very nice city to ride around, and while not much happened I enjoyed just cruising around.

Most eventful was on returning to the guesthouse, I started talking to two guys; one a Japanese tourist and the other a German expat now living in Thailand. We started talking about Thailand and how it is going (it seems that corruption is becoming an issue of increasing concern generally). A interesting conversation with contrasting point of views from three different culture. I of course had to have it out with the Japanese guy on whaling, though he was please to know that I was slightly on his side. (Please don't kill me for saying that.) I was also taken out for some karaoke, however Thailand has this strange rule that you can't sell alcohol when there is an election and as a consequence many of the bars were closed. So no karaoke, but a interesting but brief insight into an expats life in Thailand.

After getting up in the morning a being befuddled by one of the many tricks and games that the guest house has for you to pass the time. I headed onto the train for the long 10 hours train trip, this time in second class comfort, to Chang Mai. Not much was really achieved, though I was nervous about finding accommodation arriving at 8pm at night. However this proved to be no issue as the tour industry is so well setup that mini buses are waiting to take you to a guest house at low charge; you pay more if you choose not to stay at the hotel you are staying at.

Anyway now to the surprising turn of events. This is Kristian, who I have spoken about earlier. He comes from Scotland and has worked as a joiner and fitness instructor and has a very different background from me. However in the course of us meeting and talking and travelling we have found that we have much in common in terms of our world view though we come at it from different sides. Now the most interesting things happen on your holidays when you least expected it. Going climbing with the support of Kristian made me realise how much I have neglected, no, that may be to strong a word, maybe ignored the physical part of living. Kristian has happily reminded me of the fact that the physical body needs to be worked on, and that sitting behind desks working and studying isn't all there is to life. So I decided there is now better way to start then when you are on holiday.

It started with the rock climbing, and Kristian's free spirit emboldened me to go rope climbing when we really didn't know what we were doing, go bouldering and possibly looking like a fool. He has helped me do things I would not have done otherwise. He has also bee providing me with advice about body training and given me some exercises to build up my core body strength which will hopefully go some way to straightening my back! Oh and it hurt, but no pain, no ...

But all this exercises, talk about exercises and the endless time you have to think while your travelling gave me an idea that might give some direction to my travels. To use this year to learn, focus on, train and test out the old body. there are of course many options in this respect, but one stood out as an obvious starting point!

When in Thailand, do as the Thais do. What do the Thia's do, they box. Not like us westerners but with hands feet and all, Muay thai style. Now this is a brutal sport and don't misinterpret me, I never had or have any intention of stepping in the ring. But now that I am in Chang Mai I am undertaking some training in Thai boxing. Waking up, running four kilometers, then some shadow boxing, taking on the boxing bag before a sparring session in the ring. Now I though the guy was going to be easy on me as I was a beginner, but after a few minutes he deiced to test my defences and gave me one right in the stomach. It is not that hard but I was completely not expecting it so it took the wind right out of me. He got me many more times before the sparring was over; none of it hard enough to do any damage. I had great fun and managed to hold out for two 3hr sessions, the second one starting at 6:30am.

On the way back from the Thai boxing we got three quarters of the way back to the hostel when we were pulled over by the police. We driving a motorcycle which we had rented. Now Kristian has a motorcycle drivers licence but failed to consider that he needed it while driving. So we were doubly fined for not wearing a helmet and driving without as licence and the bike was immediately confiscated until we paid the fine. So what was hopefully a cheap way of travelling around started incurring additional costs as we had to take a tuk-tuk back to the guesthouse to pick up the licence, then another tuk-tuk to the police station to pay the fine, which we did without difficulty even getting out of half the fine on the presentation of the licence and then back to pick up our bike. All of which costs more than the rental of the bike for the day and petrol. It was rather amusing really as the fine was all of 200baht between the two of us.

On returning to the hotel for a shower and rest I contemplated attending another Thai boxing session. However the strain of the first two training sessions quickly took its toll on my untested body. My right foot started to swell, my hamstring started to feel tight, my left ankle became unsteady, and most importantly my right hand man Kristian left to go to Pai leaving me to fend for myself.

Reflecting on this myself, when leaving Australia I hardly expected to be sitting on the back of a motorcycle in shorts and t-shirt driving through chaotic traffic and not really being concerned. Nor would you expect that I would go into a training centre and start learning how to box. But I have since fallen in love with the old motorcycle as a means of travel and it amusing to sit on one with my full backpack, small backpack and a guitar, which goes surprisingly well.

The next day was a rest day where I spent some time limping through the city eating and not doing much until the afternoon where I felt well enough to do some sight seeing. So I made my way to one of the main temples. On my way I met a trishaw driver who offered me a tour. After reflecting on the state of my body it was clear it would much better to let someone else to the hard work. SO I sat back as he took me around to the three main temples in Chang Mai, which were nice top see. Now this is another one of those 60 year riders who have been riding around these cities for ten years gradually being usurped by the faster but much less charming tuk-tuk and moto industry. A pleasant afternoon and was even dropped of back at my guest house. Though there was some communication difficulties about which guest house it was.

The next day feeling a bit better I decided to keep with the exercising theme and hire a bike and ride to a temple, Doi Suthep that was 16km out of the city. Now this turned out to bew a bad move for two reasons. Firstly I tried to save some money by hiring a smaller bike, was just flat out a bad idea. And secondly of the 16km, 11km was continuous incline.

Now it was an experience and I did make to the top after many rests and finally by the tenth kilometer my calf muscle were so sore I had to walk the last kilometer to the top. After which there were 274 step which I had to climb. Each another painful reminder of my stupidity. But it was worth it a Doi Suthep is one of the most scenic temples I have seen in Thailand. And after wondering its surrounds and reeving and blessing form a monk I found a bench and slept for an hour. Much to the amusement of onlookers. From the I descended every painful step again and the blissful rode back down the hill, slowing down for all the cars that took and a slower pace than I would have liked. Again sore and limping I did little more that just hang around the hostel for the rest of the day.

The next day I went returned the bike to the rental shop and packed my bags to leave making the decision to go around the loop from Chang Mai, Mae Sarian, Mae Ho Song, Pai back to Chang Mai. Unfortunately I missed the only bus for that day so i decided to take a bus top Pai and see what happened.

Tour of Kanchanaburi Region (Asia Trek pt 9)

I got up early the next morning to go on my tour. around the Kanchanburi area which is west of Bangkok. No there are many Tourist offices in Bangkok, all selling the same types of tours, but you would be wrong in expecting that they are working for the same company. No they are all different companies with different buses of varying sizes and fit outs. this means that when you drive out and get to your destination you are but one of potentially 100 hundred buses heading in the same direction, seeing the same things.

So along with the rest of the rat race we went first to a place that makes some sort of coconut sugar, I didn't follow that well what the guide was saying as I was overwhelmed by the amount of tourists. From there we went to the must the Floating Markets. While the concept is still as it is, people floating round in canoes selling goods to other people in canoes. However the traditional fruit, veg and other materials that were sold is now largely replaced with tourist souvenirs making it one large floating tourist shop, and the hoards of tourists are there to consume. I decided not to floating through the market preferring to observe from the sidelines.

This brings me to an interesting fact about Thailand. The central area of Thailand is very flat and consists of the river deltas of two rivers. If you travel north from Bangkok to Chang Mai, much of the time is traversing and pancake flat country side that is almost entirely used to grow rice with canals everywhere. This meant that Thailand and earlier Siam relied substantially on boats and canoes for the transport of good and has been a river trading nation for a long time. The Portuguese, Dutch and English, Japan, China all set up trading relationship with the then Siam in the 16th century and earlier.

The third part was going to Kanchanburi and viewing the Bridge over the River Kwai. For those ignorant like I was, this was a key battlefield in Japans attempt to build a railway from Thailand to the Burmese coast in order to allow shipment to avoid having to traverse the Malacca straight, held by the English. Many local Thai, Australian, British, Dutch and other soldier capture were put to work on the 'death railway' and many perished. The bridge remains a symbol of that event in history. The museum we were taken to was not af high quality but good enough to give an idea of the course of events. The bridge itself is not unique in any real respect except for the fact that when you walk across it, it is quite easy to slip and fall of the bridge. Occupational Health and Safety would have a field day in South East Asia!

From there we drove another hour to the Tiger Temple. This is a Buddhist Monastery that by accident became and haven for injured animals. After while tiger started being sent to them and now they have a whole host of Tiger used to human contact that you can stroke. They also allow breeding (I am not sure you could call it a breeding programme!)so there are also some baby tiger which you can pat. Now the treatment of the Tiger is a bit suspect, as the hoards of tourists are paraded through but not bad. Partly this situation is worsened due to the monastery not having had the money and time to build proper infrastructure. Something they are currently working very hard on implementing. What concerned me most about the treatment was a little tiger that was left almost to fend for itself as tourists flocked around to see, pat, play and follow her around. The look on its face said to me that it just wanted to be left alone. I would have liked to have seen the situation controlled a bit more.

But the Tiger are very cute and I have lots of photos of more controlled tiger encounters. Contrary to the travellers rumour mill, the tigers are not sedated (according to one person working there sedating them would make the more aggressive). No generally tiger don't do much anyway and these ones are used to human contact from a very young age. So while there is protocol about how to moved around them and they are chained, you are able to walk up and pat a full size tiger, even on the stomach. (Note: Nary has a much higher strokability factor than tigers, that feel more like dogs) While interesting I was not blown away by the experience, but glad I went.

That was the final stop of the first day and we were again driven for an hour, after the requisite bus reshuffle (it only happened three times on this tour!) to a floating restaurant (they are a dime a dozen in Malaysia and Thailand. In fact they are practical as to deal with the vast change in size of the rivers between the dry and the wet.) There we had a sunset meal before getting in the longboat and taken to our floating guesthouse ( al little more unusual). By this stage you feel like you are away from the tourists, but only because there are many of the guesthouses along the river, just never next to each other. Not much happened however waking up in the morning along the river was beautiful!

The next day we went to the highlight of the Trip which was the Erewan Fall. A seven
tier water fall that spans 2 kilometers, you can walk all the way to the top and then swim at each of the tiers on your way down. The water is a perfect turquoise colour, and the jungle setting just finishes it off. Unfortunately I didn't have time swim in all of them. But I managed to fit in a swim and massage in the top pool, Before jumping of a rock into the second top pool and then sliding down a rock like a slippery dip into the fourth pool. Which is deep enough and large enough to have a nice old swim. The only issue with the place is again the fact that it is on the tourist trail and that there are many other people walking around at the same time, The thing that makes it bearable is that the 2km length of the falls makes the people spread out a bit so you don't feel that hemmed in by the other people. Definitely a place to go to if you like waterfalls.

Tonsai Beach to Bangkok (Asia Trek pt 8)

So, Thailand? So not Malaysia! One might argue that it is the alcohol that makes the difference but one would have to assume that it is more complicated than that. As stated earlier, the change of feeling across the border is palpable from the moment you arrive. Travelling in Malaysia was a breeze, travelling in Thailand works, but be prepared for surprises as thing never go directly from A to B! They might stop a C, switch over at D, but you do get there in the end. You just have to trust!

So the trip to Krabi was long and arduous as stated earlier, and there was an unexpected stopover in Hat Yai to change buses which you are not told about (I didn't ask either to be honest!). Mind you, is it normal to put bus stations in places that look like they are in the middle of nowhere or that could just be someones house! It seems to be the way in Thailand! After the stopover, we made it to Krabi safe and sound and I just followed sheepishly the three amigos on the bus to Ao Nang, as I had nowhere better to go!

I am sorry I don't have photos (I deleted all of them in a moment of stupidity), but Ao Nang is tourist central in the way that Khao San road is tourist central in Bangkok, and also in a way you never get in Malaysia. You can buy anything, all the restaurants and bars are fully catered to western tastes, locals don't exist and sex tourism is rampant. Just the kind of place that I would hate, but strangely enough it had an unpretentious feel to it that made it OK. I quite enjoyed the two days I spent there. Though the quick reintroduction to alcohol after an almost forced celibacy in Malaysia, is worth a caution for following travellers!

Krabi has a variety of beaches you can go to. Ao Nang, Railay east and west, Pranang and Tonsai. Ao Nang is the main entry point. Rai Ley is for families and short term tourists, Pranang is the nicest beach and you go there to be seen. But the Jewel in the Krabi crown (for me) would have to be Tonsai. Tonsai is for serious climbers and those out to chill out. The difference between the beaches is startling as they are all 15 to 20 min by boat from each other. I stayed at Ton sai beach for 300 baht per night. You can choose to stay at Railay beach for 150,000 baht if you choose, but there are much cheaper. Weird but true!

Tonsai beach is probably the only beach resort where the majority of people aren't out to do nothing, sunbathe and drink the alcohol. It is also the fittest and healthiest looking beach crowd you will ever see. The place is wall to wall rock climbers which gives a completely different and for me better feeling than any other beach resort I have been to! Wake up in the morning and wander down to the Freedom bar, where you can watch the early starters take on serious overhangs while eating your fresh Muesli, Yoghurt and fruit. Generally healthy, with a good comradely and a slow but healthy nightlife, ended up in me being stuck there for a week!

I spent a lot of time doing nothing but there where a couple of highlights.I spent one day 'Deep Sea Soloing'. You may wander what that is, but it means free climbing with no rope or harness. When you reach the top of the climb or just feel you can't hold on any more, you jump off and fall into the water. Brilliant!

On another day we went proper rope climbing which was great fun. It did help that we got some advice from some nearby climbers as the four of us were rather vague on the details and could have got ourselves in serious trouble. The way that everyone helps each other and everyone is trying to achieve personal goals is great. After reaching the top of a modest climb after two attempts you could hear my feeble voice echo across the bay. We made it safely through the day with no injuries and deaths and met a variety of interesting people at the same time.

In the evening, this was valentines day, there were big parites everywhere but I felt a certain vagueness and hotheadedness entering my head. By the time I had finished dinner and walked the kilometer up the hill to get to my bed I was feeling totally in a daze. After a bad night sleep and a impromptu emptying of the stomach, I woke up in the morning feeling little better. I managed to get out of bed and walk down the hill but by midday I was flat out dizzy again and retreated back to bed were I slept in three solid blocks till 10am the next morning. I don't know what it was and my stomach still doesn't fell quite right, but my head cleared up significantly after the next after taking more rehydration salts and trying to take it easy. So I spent the day at Pranang beach recovering in the sea and shade.

By the next day I was feeling much better and spent then morning Bouldering (again free climbing, but a low heights) before making my way to out of Tonsai. I had spent too much time there and need to move to northern Thailand quickly. I had planned to catch the bus to Surat Thani train station, buy and train ticket and stay the night and then catch the day train to Bangkok. Now that sounds like a straightforward trip, however to achieve it in practice it took a longtail boat, large tuk-tuk, 2 a/c minivans, utility vehicle, motorbike, bus, train and then a taxi to the hotel. Let me explain!

When you book a bus from A to B in Thailand, it never actually means that. It means catch a bus to a restaurant somewhere where through a process of mix and match you are assigned a bus to your next destination, 5 to 10km from where you need to go, where you stop off at another restaurant and again through a process of mix an match are are placed in another bus to take you to your destination, B. Now in the process of changing from bus 2 to 3 my guitar was left behind. Now this happened a 8pm at night and the bus driver had gone home with the bus and was asleep by the time I realised. What to do! After a few minutes of chit chat it was established that I could not get my guitar back till the following morning and was given directions on how to get there based on me staying at a hotel recommended by them. Not much I could do but to go along with them. So I hopped in the back of a utility vehicle and was taken to the hotel (which was fine) but I had not got to the train station to buy my ticket. So I was all the while concerned that I would not be able to catch the train the next morning as I had planned.

Waking up in the morning I checked out and managed to get my guitar back without any hassles. But then how to get to the train station. After fending off a couple of tuk tuk's, a local said that for 20baht we could take me to the local bus station, where I could catch a bus to the train station for another 20baht. That was definitely the cheapest route so I said okay. So with pack, small backpack dn guitar, i hopped on the back of his motorcycle, for the whole 500 meters to the bus station. Oh well, but the information was worth the 20baht. I go on the bus fine and ended up at the train station on time and luckily one seat was still available. So I got to Bangkok as I wanted, I just took a little detour.

Bangkok up the craziness another notch as I was set down near Khao San Road. This place feel almost like walking through a street in Sydney as the westerners outnumber the locals easily 10 to one. But there are many places to eat, and many little stalls with people wanting to sell stuff. You are also constantly greeted with a cordial "Where you go" from all the taxi and tuk tuk drivers keen to make a baht!

I spent time with Beccy and Christian (more on them in the next installment) who I met in Krabi. Generally killing time, before taking one day to see the sights. After wandering in the general direction of the Grand Palace I met my first Thai person that wanted to help me without trying to get money off me. He told me the main sites to see and in what order to see them. When asked how I would travel, I said walking. He said no and told me I should gt a tuk tuk to take me around for 50baht. Tuk tuk's usually start at 100baht. He then helped me flag one down and negotiate the price. So off I wne tin the tuk tuk, first to the standing buddha, the sitting buddha. But conversing with the driver he realised that I needed to book a train ticket so he said he would take me to a tourist centre where I could buy a ticket (this side trip would incur extra expense I found out later). Tourist centres in Thailand are Tour sales centres and are scant on useful tourist information for the independent traveller. There I was kindly offered a tailored package for a small 13700baht. I kindly refused and instead took a two day tour and booked the train ticket to Chang Mai.

After this the tuk tuk driver took me to the grand palace which is an and impressive structure and the nearby temble houses the emeraldbuddha, which was once located in Chang Mai. It is lavishly enveloped in a sea of gold. The rest off the temple and palace was nice, but when viewing it I was in a bad mood as I had just deleted all of my photos; 600 of them! oh well. After leaving the temple I picked up my tuk tuk who drove me back to the tour centre to pick up my train ticket, and then dropped my off at the ferry pier, all for a mere 80baht ($2.75 approx) From there I took a lazy boat down the river in Bangkok entertained by a very happy and smiling guide, pointing out the major attractions. A very worthwhile trip if your ever in Bangkok!

After hoppng of the ferry, I did my usual thing of catching a train all the way around the city just to see it before jumping off and spending an 1 hour trying to find the right bus to get back to the hotel with. I got there in the ens and saved myself 85baht ($2.90 approx). big money!

After spending more time drinking in the afternoon before wandering the street and meeting a guy that makes bamboo saxophones and meeting an Indian musician who was learning the dulcimer. We spent the rest of the night talking over some juice. anyway better leave it there, in the next blog you can here about my tour and a surprising turn of events!

Pinang to Krabi - (AsiaTrek pt 7)

Finally descending from the highlands, I made my way towards the north to get into Thailand. There was only one small issue which made the decision of where to go very difficult and resulted in four changes in one day; Chinese New Year. This event that hardly raises a murmur in Australia is here the equivalent of Christmas and one really should plan well during this time or you could be spending a night on the streets. This I obviously didn't dop given my new travelling philosophy; plan late!

Waking up the next morning, I was planning to spend another night at a local Ambulance drivers place somewhere in the jungle nearby. I was to call him in the morning to see where he was. So after breakfast I called him and found out that he wouldn't be back till after 11pm that night. Not intending to stay another two nights in the Cameron highlands I turned down the offer and decided to make my way out of the highlands that day. Plan 1 failed!.

From there I was given a lift to the bus station where I decided to take a bus to Tapah and from there to Palau Pangkor, thinking from earlier research that there would be a bus every two hours. After double checking the schedule it turned out there was only one bus which I had already missed. Plan two failed!

In addition an island with few people on it is not really the best place to spend Chinese New Year. So I decided to take a bus to Ipoh and maybe spend the night there. The bus trip descending from the highlands is beautiful as it was the way up. For those that are cloud watchers this is one place you must go, as the clouds are spectacular (unfortunately difficult to capture on camera). On arrival in Ipoh, I didn't realise that there were two bus stations and I failed to get of at the one with connecting services to other places. But it was Okay as I was thinking of spending the night in Ipoh. But on arrival the vibe didn't feel right and so I felt the urge to move on. Luckily the train station was nearby and there I found out the train was leaving in 20min. So I decided to take the train to Butterworth and spend Chinese New years on Pinang Island. Plan 3 failed! And so it is through that very cricuitous route that I arrived in Pinang by ferry at about 12:30am, and still managed to find a bed in a not to dingy hotel. While for some the price was cheap for me is was still too much.

So Pinang is like a different country when you have spent much time on the east coast of Malaysia. The large Chinese population make that place a bit more liberal and seedier than other places I had been to in Malaysia. For me not the most welcome change. Though it proved nothing compared with Thailand!

The next day I searched for new accommodation and found something cheaper and went to make my way to Teluk Bahang, a small fishing village on the island. Getting there was a challenge and due to Chinese new year everybody had the day off and desperately wanted to go to a beach (sorry I cannot remember the name) that was on the way. I think we crammed about 30 more people than the legal limit and I spent much of the trip propped up against the front window of the bus after just managing to get on. Where as most of the crowd got off at the main beach, Teluk Bahang was 5km further up the road, leaving the tourists (and many locals) behind. The Kampung is a quiet village with plenty of hammocks and the gentle hum of families spending the day together as is the tradition. After eating some Sharkfin and crab meat soup I walked to the local beach and watched the kids play in the surf. After while a whole family came and setup lunch in front of me. A crew of about 15-20, including many kids. They kindly started offering me fruits and drinks, and so I spent the afternoon chatting with them about this and that, and tried my best to explain the distinction between Catholic and Protestant churches, something that I am hardly qualified to do.

After the family got up and left and sat and talked with some students who were taking a couple of days holiday on the island, pitching their tent on the beach and relaxing. They were somewhat surprised when I said I felt safe in Malaysia as they had a contrasting position but it was nice to have a chat. It was also hard to hear that one of the students was wanting to do Veterinary Medicine but his father was forcing him to do business studies. I guess it happens everywhere, but what can you do!

Returning back to the the city I looked around to see what events might be happening for Chinese new year, but apart from some fireworks over the bay there wasn't much on and the next day was as much of a fizzle. That familiar mess of red paper that you even see in Canberra was nowhere to be found. I am guessing the firework laws are quite restrictive so that you are better off spending, Chinese New year outside of Malaysia, if you are looking for something spectacular. The only thing of note was, coming across a public meeting with the presence of the regional Sultan (i think), only noticeable due to large police presence in the street. After waiting outside the hall for 20min the Sultan came out and was surrounded by the usual chaos that accompanies such persons. He sped off with an entourage of what seemed like 20 cars.


The next day was hot and so after visiting Fort Cromwell (the first
English settlement on Pinang island) and some more aimless wandering I took refuge for the rest of the day at the inter net cafe and in my hotel before cathcing up with someone I met in the highlands.

Early the next morning I woke up and made the arduous journey across the border into Thailand. All went very smoothly, apart from the fact that one of the people on the minibus managed to get into Malaysia without getting her passport stamped (administrative error I am guessing) and thus could not be stamped out of Malaysia. While strangely enough still letting her cross the border, she would not be let in to Thailand because she didn't have a stamp out of Malaysia. After much deliberation with her friends, she eventually was left behind in no mans land by herself to try and make her way back to KL to get the paper sorted. Something that we westerners on the bus thought a little heartless that no one went with her for support. Dealing with immigration is never what you would call fun.

As we drove into Thailand the endless Palm trees of Malaysia, morphed into the endless Rubber trees of Thailand with the same level of deforestation (though plenty of Palm tress were to follow). Motorbikes turn into Utility vehicles, most of the relatively new. The peace of Malaysia becomes apparent as the chaos increasingly reigns. Most notably the mysterious third lane on Asia's roads starts to appear in greater number, making you hold firmly on your seat and hoping you will make it alive. From the moment you cross the border from the relatively calm ,organised and predictable Malaysia, you feel the increasing chaos that is Thailand come onto you, in which is good that you can then hide form it in paradise!

The bus journey was long an painful as the suspension on the bus was very loose, making each bump feel like a whack on the buttocks and we were glad to get off at the end in Ao Nanmg (there was a taxi ride in the middle that cost us each 100 baht that turned out to be the same bus we were travelling on), only to spend an hour wandering the street trying to find accommodation; again Chinese New Year booking everything out. Here I met Christian, Beccy and Kathryn who managed to get me in a bit of trouble but were very nice. We ended up staying together for two days and again I shared a room with a woman (Kathryn) I had only met that day. I stayed at Ao Nang for two nights and then moved to Tonsai Beach which is a rock climbing Mecca. Google it and you can see why!

I might leave it at that for this little segue way as it all goes a bit crazy from here that I will post i separately. Thanks for reading

Malaysia Vital Statistics

Most important commodity: Molded plastic chairs, in Malaysia, if they didn't exist everybody would be sitting on the ground.

Top news story: A judicial investigation into suspected corruption around the appointment of the Chief Justice. Much memory loss from high ranking people,typical in these types of cases. Even ex prime minister Mahatir might be called to partake.

National Transport: Buses can take you everywhere you want to, though plane are becoming increasingly competitive. Bus drivers generally think they are driving a standard car and drive in that manner.

State Religion: Islam; however all religions are practiced freely, including Buddhism, Hindu and Christianity - religious holidays are often celebrated as national holidays.

Primary Industry: Palm Oil, these Palm trees are growing all over the country with no sign of abatement.

Year of Independence (Mederka): 1957, most town have a square or park to commemorate this.

Dominant political party: UMNO, very much involved in the independence movement, this party has dominated Malaysian politics ever since. Most national history museums, funded I presume by the government, include information on UMNO and generally put the party in a favourable light.

Economy: Generally good and growing.

People: Generally happy and content with there country. Not overly concerned about the environmental damaged caused by development, some seeing it as a cost that needs to be paid for the good of the people.

Lost in the Jungle (Taman Negara) Asia Trek pt 6

Well, my sunburnt back is still itching, but after peeling for the last few days is now sufficiently on the mend.

AS you travel plans come plans go, some work out and some don't. I am finding that the most enjoyable way of traveling is to leave the planning and decision making to as late as possible so there is less time to worry about the decision your making and fretting about the other options. This also gives time to relax and talk to people
like Bob. I am pretty sure he is a Vietnam veteran that kind of got stuck in Asia and has thus spent the last 40 years working and the roaming around the region. So much so that almost all his ties with Australia are gone and due to the meager pension that he is given, considers himself an economic refugee, as Australia is no longer affordable for him. These type of travelers are invariably more interesting than your standard backpacker who often obsess about malarial treatment and whether an island is worth going to. But back to the story.

So, I managed to drag my self out of bed at 5:30 to catch the Jungle train which runs from near Kota Bahru in the north west to Gemas in the centre, however I got off at Jerantut which is about 2/3 of the way. I had spoken to the hostel manager the night before and she assured me that there would be a taxi ready for me in the morning. The taxi turned out to be the managers husband in his own rather dated car driving us to the train station, pocketing 10 riggit per person on the side. All cash in hand and no receipt. My guess is that this taxi service is a quick easy way of earning undeclared income on the side. But that is really irrelevant cause the price was reasonable and I got to the train station on time.


The train trip itself was uneventful but very nice. Traveling a varying speeds through Jungle mountain passing villages, cities and rivers make for a very entertaining ride. What can make the trip more thrilling is to hang out of the side of the train while it is moving because the train is getting old, so some of the main doors do not close, so you are free allowing you to fall off with no effort if you so desire. Of course you have to be careful if you don't want to be hit in the head with a stray branch. So I only dared a few small peeks before retreating back inside and settling back into my chair. This whole trip, over 8hours long, goes by reasonably quickly and I arrived in Jerantut at around three in the afternoon where I managed to arrange a bus trip to Taman Negara (Literally 'National Park')that evening. Taman Negara is touted as a 'must see' item and so most tourists go there. There are a lot of tours operators that cater for this offering inclusive tours all entering from the one local village (kampung), Kuala Tahan that feels more like a resort than a village. One recommendation I would make is not to buy a full package tour when you go there. Book the transport as you can book all the extras, as well as walk around for free once your are there for the same prices as the inclusive tours.

On arrival after settling in and booking a night walk, I met a polish girl called Gosia who was looking for someone to accompany her on a walk to one of the hides for an overnight stay. She had tried to go that day but has stopped in her track by a two metre long snake standing up at her (not a common sight even here). As always trying to get away from the pack I agreed. However after putting the plans in motion and waking up early the next morning after a good night sleep,there was a sudden change of plans. Gosia had changed her plan after a late night conversation a decided to go on a overnight tour with a local guide. With nothing better to do I decided to join her, requiring a repacking all my things, adding food and water, in ten minutes. The tour guide, Man, turned out to be fantastic and had been doing tours in the Jungle for twelve, during which he tells you about all the aphrodisiacs in the jungle, his sexual prowess and his unpublishable history. In addition he knows a lot about the flora of the jungle and cooks the best bush meal I have ever had. The walk is through fairly dense Jungle that is estimated at 140 million years old, Your shoes will get wet and dirty as the whole jungle is fairly moist and your are continually crossing small creek as you make your way through the Jungle.

At the end of a long day you a refreshingly greeted by the cave that we stayed the
night in. More of a cavern than a cave, it provide a perfect refuge after a long days walks. It was a stunning conclusion to a day of trudging through walk mud and jungle. I don't think my shoes will ever be clean again. As the night wore on and I was waiting for people to go to sleep so that I could record the Jungle sounds, I sat at the entrance to the cave in the dark watching the fireflies fly around. Initially I thought I was seeing things that weren't there, but after bringing additional people who could also see them I was reassured that it was indeed fireflies. A beautiful and amazing sight that it kept me occupied for more than an a hour. The jungle is full of amazing creepy crawlies if you give yourself time to see them.

The next day we walked out, leaving some of the others who would stay in the jungle another night.It was a good idea too, as after a nice sunshine filled trip back down there river a large amount of rain fell over the Jungle making another day's walk very unpleasant. After arriving back at Kuala Tahan I headed out of the jungle to Jerantut with the hope of catching a train to Gua Musang that night so I could get a local bus to the Cameron highlands rather than taking the expensive tour organised mini bus. However when we got to the train station at midnight to buy a ticket for
2am, the train was booked out and my plans were in disarray. so after much deliberation with a fellow traveller I had dragged along with me, we decided that the only way to get there with speed would be to capitulate and take the mini bus like everyone else. This was good thing too, as I found out later the highway from Gua Masang to Ipoh, while it has been completed, has not been gazetted and so there is no insurance coverage. This is turn means that there are no normal buses traveling that route, hence the need for the mini bus.


Arriving in the Cameron highlands is very interesting and a very different place from the rest of Malaysia. The area has an altitude of around 1500 metres and thus the air is much cooler than in the rest of Malaysia. The Cameron highlands are also the agricultural centre of the Malaysian peninsula and apparently supply 60% of Singapore's vegetables. The place is full of old beaten up Jeeps, that have a special registration which only allows them to drive the in the Cameron highlands as they are deemed unsafe to be driving on the main roads. As you drive through the mountains along winding roads you pass all the villages and farms which grow almost every vegetable you can think of. Strangely enough due to the tea plantations in teh area, tea and scones are a local speciality for a very expensive, 12riggit for two scones; a standard meal costs around 4ringgit. While the place is beautiful in interesting, the other side of the cameron highlands is that it a huge tourist destination for locals and foreigners alike. This gives the main accommodation centre Tanah Rata a contrived feeling, which hasn't sat well with me. So while the area is beautiful it hasn't been the happiest of places for me.

I spent one day walking through town and another day taking another Jungle trek with another character Uncle Kele. Like Man he knows a lot about the local flora and takes you on Jungle trails that you would never find yourself. Parts even more difficult to traverse than Taman negara. At the end you reach a nice little waterfall where I snuck up to a secluded pool and jumped in the freezing water for a very quick skinny dip.

Upon return to the hostel and the tourist, I feel I need to get away from the scene were afternoons are spent watching American movies and eating of burgers and chips. So I went into town an had a dinner at a local food stall. After listening to a conversation between three Indian locals, who work in the tourist industry, I struck up a conversation with a local, Morgan. We spent a while talking about living in Malaysia and how he himself had abandoned the quest for wealth and power and was content having a simple life as a freelance tour guide. In fact all the Malay people that I have spoken to seem very happy with there lives and things generally seem to be pretty good here for the people.

On parting he said he knew a local ambulance officer that might have a spare room to stay in, as I had indicated that I wanted to get out of the tourist trap. I was happy about this offer and started planning a complicated set of movements to make the most of this opportunity. This however all fell apart and the ambulance officer had to leave town and I ended up spending the next night at a homestay in a small village just north of Tanah Rata. While it was peaceful and quiet it wasn't quite the experience I was looking for and it cost a lot of money.

I did occupy that day by traveling to the Sungai Palace tea estate. While I was intending to catch a bus, I managed to hitch a lift with a local up the main road to the turn off. From there is was about a one hour walk through the mountains to the to the tea estate, which is very picturesque. At the tea estate there is a visitors centre with some information and you can also walk through the factory, which is a surprisingly small and simple affair. But the best part is drinking a nice cup of tea overlooking the tea estate, with a fresh cool breeze blowing. The tea estate also has a communal type feel as all the worker lives with there families on the estate and there is even a school and a Hindu temple.

The ride home took ages as the bus runs once and hour and I had just missed the bus, then went for a meal and managed to miss the next bus and ended up waiting an hour at the bus station. But I arrived home safely after 3 hours and spent the night reading and listening to the family do their prayers for the day.

Sometimes things just don't fall your way and sometimes they do. Traveling and life is just like that. With Chinese new year on it way and with nothing planned, I am guessing that I will run into a few more issues in the next few days. But I expect that a solution to each problem will arrive at the time, so I try not to worry to much! Oh! Here is a 15cm long millipede we saw on the hike!