Malaysia, Singapore

Looking at the last post I see one photo of Malaysia. Since then I've covered the entire country and the next one. Tomorrow I hit Indonesia - the last country before home turf?

I wanted to ride the east coast of Malaysia because I'd seen the west coast on a backpacking holiday 8 years ago.
The weird thing is that the last trip to Malaysia, was actually after I left New Zealand - it was a holiday I had between my job in NZ and the new one in Aus. I still think of Wellington as a second home and it doesn't seem like that long ago - but it obviously was!!

near Kuala Terengganu.

near Kuala Terengganu.

no doubt a future Desktop Wallpaper

The east coast is known for its beaches and islands and generally doesn't have the industry or the big "western" city feel that the places on the west coast have. It is a more traditional life, stronger Islamic communities, but still a fair mix of other folks as well. As I found in southern Thailand, and in Turkey and Iran, East Coast Malaysia was again an area where I would often get free meals. There is definitely something in the culture of these Islamic communities about sharing and being generous to visitors. In Malaysia it would tend to be some other restaurant patron paying for my meal.

near Kuala Terengganu.

A free Breakfast - and the kind contributor

Although the East coast tends to be a strong Islamic area. there are still others there too. One night in Kemaman (Chukai) I felt like I was in another country. The people who owned the hotel were obviously Buddhist with the incense and offerings, but I ducked into a very busy restaurant across the road and the menu board was only in Chinese - not any Malay at all on the menu - so I had no hope of knowing what was available. Even if i could have remembered the symbols for rice, chicken etc from my China trip a few years ago it would have been no help as the menu appeared to be in the complicated Traditional Chinese characterset (typically used in Hong Kong and for Cantonese etc) not in the newer characterset that was more prevalent in the Mandadrin speaking areas I had spent most of my time. From a land full of mosques and people in traditional Islamic dress it was really weird to suddenly feel like you were in China. (most of the other shops in the area were also all sign written with Chinese).

Batik in the process (waxing)

When I first hit Malaysia and got into Kota Bharu I found I had further camera problems, so i decided it was new camera time again. (Grant, my brother in law joked before I left about how many bikes I'd go though on the trip. It should have been how many camera's. I think it is possible to buy a bike built for this type of trip. It is not however possible to buy a camera suitable for this type of trip. - Well, maybe a 1970's mechanical SLR might last the distance - but digital has soo many pluses) This time the new one is a Canon G9 (built more like a 1970's SLR) - and it's the camera you have when you don't want a camera the size of an SLR (but you really want the functions of one). (I am immensely happy with it by the way - having had it for a few weeks.)

Palau Kapas - snorkelling area

My trip south included a day of snorkelling at one of the islands off the east coast of Malaysia. Palau Kapas just off Marang (just south of Kuala Terengganu) was the island - and I did buy a water proof "single use" film camera for the trip but haven't had the photos developed yet. (the camera was past its use by date (by 2 years) so they may not be any good anyway - especially in a climate that is so hot). The snorkelling I organised with the boat operator (company) and it was such a contrast to Thailand. This was very informal. The boat went out to the island but to the snorkelling area first, dropped me off with a mask and snorkel (and a vest i didnt use) then took off to drop the rest of the passengers. I was to be at the same place 3hrs later to be picked up. No "herding of sheep" like a Thai snorkelling trip - (or any Thai "tour" for that matter). I was little disappointed in some of the snokelling as there was a lot of areas of coral bleaching, but the areas that wern't bleached were lovely (But, for the photography I wish i had the camera at Koh Tao in Thailand instead of here) The coral bleaching was however interesting in its own right. You get to see just what all the fuss is about, when they talk of the increased water temperatures killing off the coral reef eco systems. No coral like, no fish, only a few sea slugs. As soon as you got back to the edge of a good coral patch there were fish in front of your mask, clams, anemones and all the things you expect to see on a healthy coral reef. I suprised myself by going into the water and only coming out again a few minutes before the boat arrived to pick me up. I didn't know I could swim/float that long. And for about 30 to 40 minutes of that time I had a shark pestering me. He started poking & prodding , but actually bit at one stage. It wasn't a JAWS type thing though, This guy was about 30cm long and with a mouth that couldn't even think about taking my little finger. He was actually very cute, black with silvery white stripes on both sides - cute but annoying.

I did however forget to take off my Casio copy watch - which I knew want waterproof from any slight bit if rain. A few hours of sea water is enough to kill one of those totally , but being in Malaysia its actually possible to buy genuine ones - and at a fraction of the price back home. (I couldnt actually find a fake of the model I wanted, so I spent the extra on a real one. I was a bit hesitant, figuring the only way to really know what I was getting was to pay no more than $5, because then I'd know it was a fake. If I paid more I'd never know. It was the attitude of the shop keeper when I gave him the challenge of soaking it for ten minutes that convinced me he did in fact have real ones. (The fake ones would never last 10 minutes in a glass of water). (It passed the test. Well, at least a couple of minutes and I bought it)

One of the down sides of cycling in Malaysia was the annoying habit they have of stopping ALL signage to a place when they get within 10 to 20km of it. You'll be happily following signs to "your destination" then once you get 20km out, all the signage now points to somewhere beyond. So when you got to a junction of a road going into town and a bypass road, there was nothing to tell you which way to go. When this happened the first one or two times I thought it was "just there", but it happened constantly as I came down the east coast.

Palm plantations all over the west - now taking the south-east

Forest Gone - Palms to come

Another of the big differences between the East & West coasts is the Palm Oil Plantations. In the west 8 years ago they were everywhere. Now in the South East they are bulldozing forest to plant them. So that in the S/E soon it will be the same. but further north its still largely Palm Oil free.

I arrived into Johor Bahru (as far south as you can go on the Malay Peninsula) where I had two primary tasks, 1. To obtain my Indonesian Visa and 2. To pick up a replacement SteriPen, after I dropped the last one off a bed onto a tiled floor in Vietnam. The manufacturers have been really good accepting the damage as a manufacturing defect as the breakage occured whilst fitted with the protective cap inside the protective pouch. With a bad knee as I arrived into "JB" (as it is affectionately known) I had another goal, - to rest the knee ready to get across Indonesia before the visa runs out in 60 days. I had hurt the knee a few days earlier, when twisting to talk to people whilst still keeping my right foot in the pedal. Not a good thing to do. The knee feels good again after a few days rest so today I entered Singapore and tomorrow I'm off to Indonesia by ferry. Indonesia - the last country before Australia !!!!

Getting the Indonesian Visa was easier than anticipated. Everything I'd read said they insist on an onward air ticket but I went armed with a nicely formatted official looking Itinerary and a print out of a bank statement - to prove funds. (An Itinerary that I had "made up" a few days earlier in a Mersing net cafe). When the lady asked where in Indonesia I was going I started rattling off the names of the islands, then slid the Itinerary across and set "Oh... here". She responded "All of Indonesia" then said I could pick up the visa the next day.

Singapore - The queue to get in

Today was a short day, riding only across the entire island of Singapore, then by mid morning.... I should at this point apologise to any Singaporians, for tomorrow I leave for Indonesia after spending less than 24 hours in their beloved country. But I am spending one night here in Singapore - one expensive night. I'm back in a dorm again tonight - and that's costing more than I used to paying for a room. The cheapest room I could find was $35 for a room the size of a single bed - with just enough spare space to open the door. Something that more resembles what I've been used to would cost $80 to $120 per night. The bed i've got is costing $22 in a dorm of 6 (or is it 8?).

Me & Merlion

No valet parking for me.
Well thats been my last 2 weeks. It seems strange doing 2 countries in 2 weeks again! But that wont last - Indonesia will take me the 2 months that I have for the Visa and Australia, well, we'll see, but it wont be quick, 2 to 3 months?



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