Peninsular Malaysia: The Final Chapter

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Note: Before we begin, just a quick message to say that, if you haven't noticed already, this blog is a rather long one (around 3,500 words) so it may take a while to get through. However, this is the very last entry, and the one that James has spent the most time on, and is most proud of. As such, we'd really love it if people can find the time to read the whole thing (maybe in more than one sitting, or print it off and read away from the computer screen), and please leave us comments letting us know what they think. This is our last blog for the foreseeable future and the final chapter in our South-East Asian Extravaganza.... we hope you enjoy!


It's been over a year since we first departed on our Far-Eastern adventure, and 7 months since we touched back down again in the UK, but now, finally, it's time for our last blog. It's long overdue, but in the spirit of the new year, completing this tale is the first (and possibly only) resolution to be honoured. It feels a little strange to think that we've now been home for the same period of time we spent away - and the changes in both our lives between those two periods are vast and slightly mind-boggling. It's been very difficult to abruptly switch from spending our days continuously on the move, experiencing new people, culture and cuisine in far-flung foreign lands, to the routine and relative mundanity of daily life and work back in Britain. We've both managed to remain largely stimulated and upbeat when facing these challenges, successfully moving back to London and securing new jobs. We've probably encountered just as many new people and novel situations in the last 7 months, than we did in the whole of our time abroad, and this has definitely made the transition easier by allowing us to maintain a fresh and somewhat unpredictable lifestyle. Continuing with the travel writing (on this blog, for a student newspaper, and even a couple of articles in the Independent - Travel Calendar 2010 & Classic Cocktail Bars ) has also allowed James to keep pretending we're still away, and he definitely intends to continue writing, in one form for another, for as long as possible. So, this may be the last South-East Asian Extravaganza blog entry, but feet are beginning to itch again now, and there's still a lot of the world left to explore.... keep watching this space! 😊

The last entry in October concluded with the two of us and Hannah's dad, Mark, spending a night in Solo (Java, Indonesia) in preparation for an early morning flight to Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur. We were at the airport by 7.45am, dull-eyed and flaccid-tailed, but ready for our flight. However, said flight ended up being delayed for over an hour. Our inquiries with one of the jovial staff members before boarding elicited the unnerving response that phantom engine trouble had caused the delay, but "don't worry, it'll get you to KL!"..... Thankfully, it did.

We arrived in KL just ahead of another huge, tropical storm (which only heightened our delight at making it safely back to solid ground). Mark had already spent a couple of days in the Malaysian capital en route to Indonesia, and the two of us would have plenty of time to properly explore the city before our flight home in a couple of weeks time, so we enjoyed a brief meal and a beer or two in the buzzing Chinatown, before hopping onto a sleeper train, and making tracks up to the far North of Peninsular Malaysia.

We trundled into Alor Setar around 8.15am and, thanks to a very speedy taxi driver, made it to the port just in time for the 8.30 ferry to Pulau Langkawi. Langkawi is a large island just off the North-Western coast of Peninsular Malaysia; boasting a number of tourist attractions, both natural and man-made, and with the entire island declared a duty free zone, Langkawi is a popular destination for both travellers and tax-dodging shoppers. The island is fairly well-developed, with an abundance of fancy hotels, bars and restaurants along the main beach strip. We managed to secure a large, triple, beachfront room, right in the middle of the action, but with the bustling drinking dens on one side perfectly juxtaposed with a wide expanse of uninterrupted sea and sand in the other direction. Public transport is virtually nonexistent, and the island is too large to comfortably explore on foot, so Mark decided to hire a car and kindly acted as chauffeur for the duration of our stay.

We made the most of the opportunities presented by such transport arrangements, with a thorough exploration of the islands Northern-most attractions. The days first activity of note was also one of the most memorable, as we took a cable car up an incredibly steep incline to Langkawi's uppermost peak - a nerve-wracking 700m above sea level. The views from the walkways and platforms (precariously suspended over and between sheer, deadly drops) were simply staggering, and even allowed well-sighted tourists a glimpse of Thailand, just peeking over the distant horizon. On returning to sturdier ground, we headed a few miles down the road to another of Langkawi's major attractions - the 7 Wells waterfall. A complete contrast to the cable car, these refreshing pools were created with no human interference. Moulded entirely by natural processes, each of the 7 'wells' are linked by a narrow chute of water - just big enough for non-Americans - and we had a giddy old time slopping and sliding down these organic flumes.

By the time we arrived back at the hotel, night was approaching and there was just enough time for a run on the beach for those motivated enough to do so (just James, then) before darkness fell. The day's festivities were far from over, however, as the three of us played cards and enjoyed a few drinks, before visiting some of the nearby bars, and enjoying a few more drinks, well into the wee hours. As a result, the following morning was largely lost in a groggy haze. Mark and Hannah did find enough energy to embark on a drive up to another of the islands highest peaks (cloudy conditions prevented any further glimpses of Thailand, but a mountaintop hotel did provide some tasty Vietnamese grub). That evening's activities took on a much slower tempo than the previous night, but the combination of hearty comfort food and a heady pint of Guinness in the mandatory Irish Bar across the road still made for a perfectly enjoyable time. The huge time difference with Europe also presented the rare opportunity to watch an F1 race in the evening - a luxury that excited James noticeably more than anyone else in the room.

Mark's final day with us began with a short drive to another Langkawi highlight - their international standard go-kart circuit. The celebrations surrounding Mark's emphatic victory in the time-trials were soured somewhat by the revelation that he'd recently undergone extensive go-kart training back in Blighty - very controversial! We found time to stuff ourselves with a vast buffet of Indian fare (for the first time since our twice daily curries in the Subcontinent) before driving to the ferry port for a teary farewell with Mr. Swan. The two of us decided to remain on the island for one more night and, as a final act of his seemingly boundless generosity, Mark provided a little monetary assistance which allowed us to upgrade to a funky beachfront treehouse. Before we could climb up to our new lodgings though, we had to sort out transport for the remainder of our stay - with the departure of Mark, we also lost our complimentary chauffeur and, with neither of us permitted to navigate another 4-wheeled vehicle, we had to resort back to 2, much to James’ obvious delight.

With the ominously-named ‘Suzuki Smash’ procured, we made our way back to the main strip. The daily routine of leisurely swimming, eating and sunbathing was followed until a seemingly typical trip to an internet café provided a freakish twist to the day. On checking her facebook page, Han came across a message from a bemused university friend who had just been to an internet cafe to check her own facebook page, and discovered a familiar email address left by the last person to use the login page. To her utter amazement, she realised it was Hannah's login details - meaning that not only were they on the same random Malaysian island, but through some crazy twist of fate, she'd visited the same internet cafe, and picked exactly the same computer as Hannah, before anyone else had the chance. A truly unbelievable scenario, possibly even more surreal than James' chance meeting with a University friend on a busy bridge in Vietnam. Once the initial disbelief had subsided Hannah arranged to meet up with this girl on the beach. James left the girls to 'bond' (presumably over talk of boys and bras...?) and took the opportunity to see what his trusty, new moped could do on Langkawi's long, open road. His initial amazement at seeing the speedometer touch 100, was significantly reduced with the realisation that the dial was in kilometres, not miles. Still, not bad going for a 110cc 'hairdryer'!

Our final night on Langkawi was a relaxed affair; now that Mark had departed the more decadent aspects of our recently extravagant lifestyle had to stop. A return to the frugality and tight budgeting that had defined our trip before Marks arrival beckoned, and we settled for some cheap, local grub, followed by a quiet night, sheltering from a sudden downpour, in our sturdy treetop accommodation.

With our ferry back to the mainland early the next afternoon, there was only really enough time for us to drive to the port and back twice - transporting a large backpack each time, and therefore saving on a potentially hefty taxi fare. Next stop on our whirlwind Malaysian tour was Georgetown, state capital of Penang. Georgetown is frequently voted one of Asia's best cities to live in, work or visit, and its beautifully preserved commercial centre is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's only a short nautical journey from Langkawi, and we docked in Georgetown pier early evening. Despite having no pre-booked accommodation, we were lucky enough to find a reasonable double room with shared bathing facilities for only 15RM per night (about £3 - by far our cheapest nights sleep in Malaysia so far). The reason for this low pricing strategy became clear, however, once bedtime rolled around. As the duvet was pulled back something moved slightly across the undersheets. Initially, we assumed a lone insect had become trapped between the layers and was now trying to make its escape, but closer inspection revealed this little guy was far from alone; the bed was literally crawling with creepies. The hotel owner was very apologetic, but could only offer us a bare mattress in another tiny room as an alternative. We managed a few moments of sleep between the frequent screaming and fights from the delightful kids below, and moved to slightly more upmarket digs (almost £6 a night!) as soon as morning broke.

Determined to make the most of our short time in Georgetown, we began our first full day with an informative tour of Chong Fat Tzee's colonial Chinese mansion - lots of interesting insights into Chinese architecture, the importance of good 'chi' in the home, and the staggering complexities behind proper Feng Shui - followed by a leisurely cycle around some of Penang's many colonial buildings. The local cultural attractions took a back seat when it came to the evening's entertainments though, as we embarked on another cinema trip - this time to check out JJ Abrams brilliant reimagining of the Star Trek franchise. After the film, a short blast around the arcade next-door kept James smiling. Such indulgence in boyish activities didn't end there - at 3am James crept downstairs and joined the charming mix of Westerners and locals in the cramped hotel lobby to watch Barcelona beat Man Utd in the Champions League final - the perfect end/beginning to any day!

After a couple of hours back in bed, we were up again and eager to get our moneys worth from the bicycle hire. We visited the National Museum - full of fascinating native artefacts, ornately arranged amongst informative labels and signs - a Hindu temple, a Muslim mosque, and the beautifully extravagant Khoo Kongsi. The Khoo Kongsi is one of Penangs many Chinese clanhouses - social meeting places for overseas Chinese individuals with the same surname - and one of the grandest 'Kongsi' in the whole of Malaysia. The Khoos were wealthy Straits Chinese traders of 17th century Malacca and Penang, and the lavish decor outside and inside this Kongsi was one way in which they displayed their immense wealth. The bicycles had to be returned in the early afternoon, so we dedicated the rest of the day to wandering around the fascinating UNESCO protected central district and further expanding our already bulging arty photo library. In the evening we pretended to be a lot richer than we actually are, with a brazen, unaccompanied (and probably unallowed) tour of the opulent Eastern & Oriental hotel. By the time staff members realised we weren't wealthy clients and, in fact, just uninvited riff-raff, we were already exiting the premises. Sitting smugly on the roof of our budget hotel later, watching the sun set over distant buildings, we shared a bottle of local rum (purchased for a fraction of the price charged for any beverage in the E&O bar) and, with feelings of both excitement and apprehension, planned our very last week of carefree fun and frolics.

The final chapter began the next day, with a midday bus to Kuala Lumpur. Arriving back in the capital around 6pm, we decided to treat ourselves and splash out on a fancy room in a high rise hotel (instead of the rundown hostel rooms and dorms that had become the norm). Being prepared to cough up a little extra cash meant that we could spend our last few days in relative luxury; a large, private room with stunning views over the KL skyline, a rooftop swimming pool, and a complimentary 'all-you-can-eat' breakfast every morning. We spent the evening settling into our new home - trying out the swimming pool, and sampling offerings from local food stalls and bars - until it was time for bed.

Up bright and early the next day, we set out for some serious sightseeing (after picking up some valuable insider knowledge courtesy of the highly enlightening tourist information centre). First up was Lake Titiwangsa - a short commute North of the city centre. We intended to hire a pedalo (for the first time in a long while) and saunter about on the water for an hour or so. However, our visit coincided with the pedalo operators 2 1/2 hour (!!) lunch break, so that plan hit the scrap heap. Still, it was pleasant enough just to escape the city and wander in more relaxing green surrounds for a while. Such a placid intermission couldn't last forever though, and it wasn't long until we were drawn back into the heart of the city for some serious souvenir shopping in Chinatown's central market. Eventually exhausted by this sudden increase in tempo, we took a well-deserved coffee break, until we felt sufficiently rejuvenated to face another Asian market experience - this time offering all things Indian. Once the stalls had been properly perused, it was evening and stomachs had begun to rumble. By the time we eventually came to eat, our appetites had become voracious, but were deliciously and fully satisfied with another serving of 'Beef Ball Soup & Noodles' from our new favourite street food stall. We disagreed somewhat on whether a viewing of the FA Cup final in a nearby sports bar constituted the perfect end to the night....

KL's most popular attraction - the Petronas Twin Towers - was top of our to-do-list the following day. Due to the buildings popularity such a visit requires a substantial level of planning and forethought. We had to rise early and join the heaving, plodding queue in an attempt to secure two of the limited tickets for that day. Eventually, we made it to the front, and successfully obtained a pair of tickets for the 4pm tour (there are guided trips every 30 minutes throughout the day, and every visitor is allocated a particular time slot). With a few hours to fill before our date with the Towers, we spent some time exploring the ultra-shiny and modern Petronas Mall, before heading to the Lake Gardens. The Lake Gardens are a little oasis of green - a very welcome refuge from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding city centre - with plenty to offer, including a bird park, butterfly park, orchid garden, the National Mosque and a number of museums. The single, must-see, feature in this area though, is the truly phenomenal Islamic Arts Museum. Everything about this incredible building is wonderful; the gorgeous design, the bright, pristine open spaces, the genuinely welcoming staff, the tempting restaurant, mesmerising bookshop, and, above all, the exhibits themselves. Hugely absorbing and informative, this eye-opening museum provides a much-needed window into an oft-misunderstood religion, showcasing the history and beauty of the real Islam in effortlessly entertaining style. Enlightened and informed, we left the IAM and hurried back across town for our appointment with the Petronas Towers.

Every tour of this colossal structure begins with a 15 minute information video (basically an unashamed advertisement for the Petronas company and a futile attempt to get tourists interested in oil drilling) before a speedy ascent to the 41st floor and the infamous Skybridge that links the two, otherwise free-standing, towers. In all honesty, the bridge itself was a bit of an anticlimax after all the hype and preamble that precedes it; each group gets a couple of minutes on the short walkway, which is just enough time to take in the admittedly impressive views, before returning to the ground level. Worth doing just for the traveller kudos of being able to say you have, but superior views from a higher vantage point are available elsewhere in the city (the revolving restaurant in the Menara KL tower is a full 100m higher than the Petronas Skybridge). Brought abruptly back down to earth, we returned to the Petronas Mall for a quick gorge in the slick food court, before going our separate ways for the next 24 hours. James took a bus 150km South for a whirlwind day trip around Melaka, whereas Hannah was happy enough to begin winding down at the end of our trip with a day relaxing by the pool and wandering around KL's many shopping malls.

Melaka (or Malacca) is the capital city of its namesake state and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with Georgetown, Penang in 2008. As such, it is another popular Malaysian tourist hub, featuring an enchanting mix of Dutch colonial and authentic Peranakan architecture. The main sights of interest are clustered in and around the small town centre, making the city a perfect day trip destination. Arriving late in the evening, James quickly found a suitable budget dorm room, and then wandered around the Chinese night market - gloriously bathed in a warm, red glow from the countless paper lanterns lining the streets - before retiring for one more night in spartan, communal accommodation.

In our antithetic locations, the penultimate day of the trip was a vastly different experience for the two of us; Hannah topping up her tan and shrinking down her bank balance in KL, while James continued his cultural explorations with an extended walking tour around Melaka's beautifully preserved Chinatown and wide array of colonial churches, forts and municipal buildings. But before long, 4pm rolled around and it was time for him to board the bus back to KL.

Reunited again that evening, the two of us experimented with some more local food (and imported beverages) before settling down for our final night in a foreign land. A familiar pattern emerged on the very last day - Hannah content to continue 'winding down' in preparation for the return back home, while James remained determined to ensure KL and the surrounding area had been properly 'done'. With this motivation, he rose early and caught a public bus 8 miles North to the Batu Caves - actually a series of temples within caves that together make up one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India. The incredible tackiness of the faux-gold statue outside the main cave entrance catches the eye almost as much as it's astonishing height (stretching over 140ft up into the sky). The interiors of the caves themselves are rather impressive (especially the aptly-named 'Cathedral Cave', with its 100m-high ceiling) but, in a similar manner to the Petronas Towers, it proves hard for the caves to justify all the praise and endorsements enthusiastically bestowed upon them by every guide book and tour operator. Still, the abundance of cheeky monkeys - stealing tourist's food and just causing general mischief - made the trip more than worthwhile for James.

The lazy one had risen by the time James returned later that morning, and the two of us spent most of the time left on our very last day readying ourselves for the journey home - both with the necessary and practical preparations like packing and organising travel arrangements, and the near impossible task of getting psychologically prepared to end this amazing adventure once and for all. With our flight departing around midnight, we still had the early evening to fill. However, as it turned out, our individual blueprints for the perfect final night didn't quite concur. So, after sharing one more lovely Malaysian meal together, Han headed to the Dewan Filharmonik concert hall beneath the Petronas Towers to catch the Malaysian Youth Orchestra in action, while James popped in to the nearby multiplex for a viewing of the just-released Terminator: Salvation (a decision he almost instantly began to regret - watch it if you want to know why!).

As the credits rolled and the curtain fell, it seemed a fitting metaphor for the stage our trip had reached; after 6 months and 14 days on the road, the travels were finally coming to a close. A few hours later, somewhere high above the Indian Ocean, we were slowly coming to terms with the reality that our epic journey was over, and we really were on our way home....

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Photos

Cable Car
View down the Cable from the summit in Langkawi

Suspended Bridge
Not to be traversed in high winds...

Papa Swan
Relaxing on the beach in Langkawi

7 Wells Waterfall
James showing off (again) in Langkawi

Our Treetop Accomodation!
Langkawi

Chong Fat Tzee Mansion
A photo we copied from the Lonely Planet! :)

Gold Inscriptions in the Khoo Kongsi
Boasting about clan members educational achievements

Rundown Facade
One of many charming, dilapidated shopfronts in Georgetown

E&O Hotel
Georgetown, Penang

KL Skyline at Sunset
From our hotel room window

James in the Hotel Pool
KL

Beauty Treatment?
Han getting the tasty dead skin on her feet nibbled by lots of tiny fishes!

Cluttered Shop
Spot the camouflauged proprietor

Comments

[Carol Ross]

Bed bugs,bicycles and big fruit!
Hi guys, Did it in one sitting! Glued as ever, and dont think I will share with Ian the delights of living mattresses with Thailand coming up. I have kept every one of these, and look forward to going back to them again and again. xxx

[Mar Swan]

Well Done
James... Fantastic - quite an epic, but you've done a great job, and what a superb permenent record of you two's exploits! Mark

[Jules]

Great ending.....
Awesome read again! I have followed this journey from the beginning and have thoroughly enjoyed reading all about your exploits and seeing all the pics. Going back a few blogs I was quite concerned when James had his little accident on the moped, I have now reviewed the extent of this concern having read in this last blog how he enjoyed watching Utd lose the Champions league final!!!! :-D