Leaving Malaysia

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Moving from beach (Tioman) to jungle (Taman Negara) I was forced to stop in the less-than-touristy city of Kuantan, apparently some distances really are too far to travel in a day, despite what look like teensy distances on a map! Kuantan was alright, though rainy, but it was quite obvious that it doesn't receive the same number of Westerners as other places... I'd gotten used to be being invisible, and suddenly I was once again being stared at, and the recipient of compliments, marriage proposals, and less polite advances from the groups of young men which apparently make up the entire population of the city. Oh well, it was flattering(?) and I had a stranger buy my dinner at the local restaurant I'd visited - I'd thought he was staring because my method of eating with my hands borders on the grotesque, but apparently I'm just more ravishing than I thought. :P

On to the jungle! Taman Negara is hyped as the oldest rain forest in the world, and it's definately a sight - a deep, dark jungle of ancient trees and rivers. I approached the jungle by long-tail boat, a tiny wooden contraption that is shockingly uncomfortable, despite its romantic appeal. It started raining while on board, but that didn't raise the water level enough to prevent us from getting stuck a few times... Once the boys on board had to get out and push (perk of being female #19842174294). There are lots of treks/hikes to do in the park, but I decided to only spend a couple of nights because a) it never stopped raining which led to b) tons of leeches and c) nasty smelling dorm rooms, so I decided to only do a small day hike. Some people I'd met and I set off for the Canopy Walkway, a network of suspended planks high up in the trees, and it was definately exhilerating enough. The bridges, some as high as 40 m above the ground, swayed and bounced, and at some parts were actually composed of your garden-variety ladders... Oi vey.

Leaving the rain and the advancing leeches behind, I set off to the Perhentian Islands, two beautiful islands on the east coast of the country. It's just the tail-end of the rainy season, but we were lucky enough to have fabulous sun, great surf, and super cheap rooms (my own beach shack for $4!) Spent almost a week on Long Beach, hanging out with two Brits I'd met (who convinced me later to go to Ko Phi Phi - again!!! - with them) and tanning, playing in the surf (though realistically it was more like getting my ass kicked by the surf), dodging monitor lizards on the path connecting the trails, and drinking "Monkey Juice" (the cheapest booze available, liquor is the one thing that's expensive in Malaysia).


Home soon soon soon!

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Photos

A Rickety Bridge...
40 m. above the ground - yikes.

Desolate Beach
Phenomenal surf, swaying palm trees, and still enough sun to get golden brown... The off-season rocks!

Sun Set
Long Beach

Sun Rise!
Long Beach

Comments

[Janet in Berkshire UK]

Great photos!
I don't know you! You don't know me. But I love your photos!!!!!!!!!! Found your blog whilst looking at my daughter'sblog! Happy travelling. Parent of a backpacker.