Ipoh, Malaysia – 8/2/14 - 9/2/14

Ok, only as short entry for this one. Ipoh is a former British colonial hub. At one point I believe it was the capital of the Straits Settlements. It is now a small city, with some nice architecture, and throbbing heat and humidity for a couple who have just come down from the hills where they’ve spent four days in balmy 28 degrees. It felt double that, and as not many people stop here there wasn’t an abundance of places to stay. We decided hell with it and after a bus into town, stayed at the Tune Hotel which is owned and run by Air Asia. Air con. TV. Mega-clean. It was perfect. As we were too early to check in, we left our bags and walked and walked and walked for about four hours in savage midday heat to see every sight we could and wanted to see. Returned as broken and sweaty messes, we stayed in the room for ages until the sun went down.

Later we had a real struggle finding anywhere to eat. We weren’t expecting this at all, and it took us ages until we stumbled across a little Chinese place that did loads of dim sum, with people walking around with trays and steamer baskets of various dumplings and other goodies. Problem was, everyone in there was Chinese, and nothing was in English or even Malay, so we had no idea what anything was. Managed to avoid the shark fin (which seems to be in abundance here) as I recognised it from seeing it somewhere a few days previously, but had some other random things, including what I though was spring roll, but wrapped tightly in chicken skin and had a gelatinous blue core.

Jo had a stomach ache on the walk back, but sods law we stumbled across a market, so we had a quick look around and retired.

Next morning, before checking out, we were lucky enough to be there the one day of the week the flea market is held, and right outside the hotel. Saw people selling everything, from worn-out old flip-flops, to air-conditioning remotes, to homemade machetes, to penis pumps. Very entertaining!

We got some fruit, had an unhealthy breakfast that I’m so ashamed of that I can’t bring myself to name it (although you could mistake their initials with a football team), and checked out. I then rather cruelly dragged Jo all the way to the bus station on foot. We then hopped on another bus bound for Georgetown, Penang!

Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia – 4/2/14 - 7/2/14

The map

Locals posing

Up good and early in Melaka and took bus direct to Cameron Highlands (another beautiful, comfy coach). As we got closer, we wound our way up into the hills and through tea plantations, and past waterfalls. Got kicked out at the charming little town of Tanah Rata, which is basically a town congregated around the main road that winds its way further through the hills.

Tandoori dinner

We fobbed off the hawkers trying to take us to accommodation so far out we needed to take their minibus, and went to a place just off the main road which was dirty cheap because it was just that; dirt. Great atmosphere, loads of open circulation areas to sit and chat with others, and we had a “special dorm” which was a

Anyone seen Harry Potter?

small room off the dorm. It was actually more of a cupboard, and all of the dorms were in the attic, but by the bounce of the floors, they didn’t bother to doing any reinforcement first. Our bed was also just a mattress on the floor. Despite all of this, it was private, and not swarming with creepy crawlies, so we were happy as Larry.

Our hike took us through this

Didn’t do a whole lot first day, just got our bearings, got the low-down on the hiking routes, and chatted. Had some amazing dosa and tandoori chicken for dinner.

Corny picture

Didn’t sleep spectacularly well as bloke in room one side was pushing heavy furniture around all night, and on the other side was a grizzly bear. Well, I assume this due to the amount of noise they made. Even normal earplugs wouldn’t cut it and had to get out the silicon specials. It was also really cold. This was a bit of a shock as we knew it would be cooler due to the altitude, but the night was freezing! Both slept wrapped in blankets, trousers and hoodies.

The park

Got some grub and set about walking. I’d nicked a map off of a bloke leaving that morning, and had a plan which rolled a few sights and 3 routes into one circular route. I started feeling a bit dodgy, so stopped off for brief loo break in the next town, then went to a strawberry farm, and from there we had to find a route that started and would take us through forest for a few hours and take us back to Tanah Rata. Could I find it? Could I buggery. The bloody map was two years old, and it was the newest revision available, but there was now a huge development going on which had messed around the roads, so we couldn’t find the start of the track. We walked around the development hoping for a bit of luck, but just saw a load of new homes, and what looked like a load of plant levelling a mountain and forming a quarry at its base next door.
Luckily, we

Shot on my cheapo f1.8 Pentacon lens

stumbled across some German lads coming off the trail who sent us in the right direction. We were now about 2 hours behind plan, and it took a good 45 minutes to get to the start of the trail. I couldn’t guarantee we’d be back before dark, so I took us along a remote windy track around the hills which would get us to

Strawberries and cream

Tanah Rata a lot quicker. This somehow took us through the middle of another huge development. Massive swathes of forest had been ripped up, and scores of tractors and plant were moving and levelling earth, while teams of guys were reinforcing the remainder of the hill-face with spraycrete. Got some funny looks as two hikers would do walking through effectively a quarry, but they let us through. Got us back to town, Jo did some pull-ups in the park, and played around on some huge (and somewhat incongruous) fibreglass fruit and vegetables. Had some scones and tea for afternoon tea.

Went to the same Indian place for dinner, which is where it all started to go wrong…

View from mountain

Tea plantations

Day didn’t start well when I awoke and went to the loo three times in ten minutes. I didn’t feel confident enough to leave the hostel for breakfast, let alone go on a tour we’d booked to the mossy forest, up a mountain and to a tea plantation, so I had to stay in bed watching movies on the laptop and dozing. Strangely, one of the snorers in the next room snored all day as well as night. I resolved that it must be a tape someone was playing on a loop to wind me up, but you think that’s me being paranoid… but you would think that, you’re all out to get me!

Finally ate a piece of toast in the evening, but felt weak as a kitten. I put it down to the Indian food, as it is all cooked in a lot of palm oil, and very heavy, which I’m not used to.

Sunrise departure

Day 4 was a bit of a waste as I was still weak, and Jo was content to arrange photo-albums online while I read and listened to music. Had a bit of a final walk around town, and was a bit sad to leave without taking full advantage of the hikes, but there will be other places to hike, and I was happy I’d seen as much as possible.

Early next morning I got some photos of sunrise whilst stood on a giant lettuce (best place to get a good shot) before we boarded a bus to Ipoh.

Melaka/Malaca, Malaysia – 2/2/14 - 4/2/14

Year of the Horse

Got the most comfortable bus I’ve ever been on to Melaka. Only 3 seats in a row, with so much leg room I couldn’t even touch the seat in front if I tried.

View from the loo

Got a local bus to town, but due to Chinese New Year still going on (15 days! That’s longer than we have for Christmas and New Year combined!) the streets were all messed up and part closed, so we hopped out and wandered past lots of people practising their dragon dancing and making floats to the riverside in Chinatown.

Such a pretty girlfriend

Muscles

Some serious squatting

Only took a little of our normal running around to find a good room and down to our budget, then we went out to get our bearings. Somehow, Melaka was even bloody hotter than KL. We were dripping, so came back to our air-con room to chill. We then headed out for the weekly night market Jo was insistent on us seeing. I can imagine it’s a pain in the arse at the best of times, but with a good few thousand extra tourists thrown in, it was manic, and we nearly didn’t eat at all as every stall/café/restauran had queues outside. Finally got some chicken thing and some local spring rolls which are rolled in chicken skin. Wandered back up the market with ice-cream in hand, then followed the river back to our hostel.

Got some bikes before breakfast, then proceeded to ride around the sites of Melaka. Saw the old chapel, fortress and a load of colonial turn of the century buildings. Was so hot we hunted down a mall to cool down for a drink. Carried on riding and found a cool little coffee shop in Little India.

We went to return the bikes, but in doing so somehow signed up to an evening bike ride, so we went and got the camera, some local delicacy pineapple puff things and some water and headed off on the bike tour with a few other travellers, lead by the guy running the bike shop/hostel. We were taken out of town along a dual carriageway, and then straight across 6 lanes of high speed traffic. One Korean girl with us was fearless but suicidal. She would accelerate as hard as she could, but wasn’t best on balance or direction. This coupled with not looking anywhere but straight ahead made me very surprised she arrived alive. A german girl at the front of the pack didn’t quite click that in Malaysia they drive on the correct side of the road, and headed the wrong way up a dual carriageway after a roundabout… with us all following. Luckily not much traffic at this point.

'Floating' mosque

'Floating' mosque after sunset

Somehow arrived in one piece at the “floating mosque”, which is actually built on a load of concrete piles and not floating in the slightest, but very pretty all the same. Sat there for a while taking photos and watching the sun go down, then cycled back for the same fun and games, but this time in the dark with only a few of us having working lights!

We dropped off the bikes, sat by the river for some curry, then got Jo a cindal, which is a bowl of crushed ice with coconut flesh, treacle and kidney beans. Bit odd, but tasty.

Went back to the room, ready to start early for Cameron Highlands.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 31/1/14 - 2/2/14

Oh dear, I have got far behind. Worry not, I have kept a record, so can recount everything as if it were yesterday!

Went to the airport for our flight from Manila to KL. Got stitched up by “terminal fees” which I can’t fathom, and then stuck in a goldfish bowl looking out at the food court when we were starving but unable to get there, so had to make do with Air Asia pre-heated pau (dumplings) and “Korean beef” which I strongly suspect was actually dog.

Flight uneventful, just simple and clean as is always with Air Asia.

Upon arrival in KL, we were once again ravenous, and not going to get to the city until gone midnight, so we got something at the airport… don’t judge, but it was Maccy D’s. Only place open.

Got to our hostel, which was above some jumping bars on Bukit Bintang. Was about to head down for a beer, but prices were obviously for the ex-pat crowd, as 1 beer was our daily budget, so we hit the hay.

Guess what it's the Chinese year of?

Chinese New Year celebrated in Bukit Bintang

First morning we wandered around malls, scoured for food, meandered around Chinatown and Little India. Humidity took us a little by surprise, and we were baking. Got back and chatted to Aussie girl Brooke and German guy Yanoush. Went out for dinner in amongst masses of people celebrating Chinese New Year. Had a good evening, but as it wore on, Yanoush seemed more and more odd, coming out with “I won’t eat fish from the Pacific as they’re all affected from the radiation from Fukishima; I read it on the internet” – Oh, well if you read it on the internet it must be true!

Next morning, Jo and I headed for the bus station en route to Melaka/Malaca.