Malaysia

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Day 17 - Mon 26.10.09 - PENANG, MALAYSIA



Boat back to Kribi. Got a small minibus for most of the day down into Malaysia and Penang. First land border crossing i've ever done, pretty straightforward - stop for 15 minutes to go through passport control and customs as you would expect, then back on the bus! Got to Penang and staying at place called HUTTON LODGE, small english colonial looking building which was apparently burnt down a few years back, reasuring! Nice place though. Found out that my card didnt work so couldnt get any money. Good job i had the guys with me or i may have been a bit stuck! Learned my lesson to always carry some other currency with me to change if i have the same problem again due to, as the bank told me, being in an area of high fraud activity! Then i managed to block my credit card as well by not putting in the right number to get cash out! Not the best day moneywise!



Day 18 - Tues 27.10.09



Went to Penang Hill (basically a big hill where you can go up in a funicular railway), great views at the top. Saw my first big scary spider in the carriage on the way down...Maz came to the rescue and got it out of the carriage (i'm such a manly man!). Out for several beers in the evening. Not many tourists in Penang and ended up in a karaoke bar with a load of locals looking strangely at us - and we didnt even sing!



Day 19 - Wed 28.10.09 - KUALA LUMPUR



Sat on coach all day to KL. Big coach with only 3 seats accross rather than 4 so loads of room! Staying at a place called TRAVELLERS PALM LODGE. Then went for a pretty awful curry!



Day 20 - Thurs 29.10.09



Up early to go to the Petronas Towers to get one of the 1500 free tickets for a tour up to the sky bridge 40 floors up the towers. Managed to book a tour for 12.45. So spent the morning in the big mall which is under the towers, and taking pictures of it from outside. Then at lunchtime went up to the skybridge. In the lift 40 floors in 40 seconds...pretty quick! Then got sightseeing bus around the city and went to the other big tower in the city a bit like a bit telecom tower. Went up to the revolving restaurant at the top and had tea and cake overlooking the Petronas towers! How very british!



Day 21 - Fri 30.10.09



Got the sightseeing bus again to a big indoor market, then to the national museum of Malaysia. There are Proton cars everywhere in the country ( i swear over half the cars there are Protons), and among the early 20th century old cars on exibit is a 1990s proton Saga! Then got the bus back to the hostel which seemed to take forever with the city traffic! Beers in the evening. bed.



Day 22 - Sat 31.10.09



Lay in. Lunch at KFC (first one i might add!), and had a chicken fillet which turned out to be one of the mini fillets, and potato wedges and cheese sauce...they really should bring this out in england as it was lush! The small portion is all you need though as the heat in Malaysia and when we were in Thailand completely made me lose my appetite. Michelle and Chris left in the afternoon to go back home. Me and Maz went and booked our tickets to the next destination...5 hour bus ride tomorrow for only 6 quid...bargain! Walked to China town and went to a Reggae bar...had a blue laggoon...felt a little tipsy after that as it was so strong! I love being a lightweight!



Day 23 - Sun 1.11.09 - PULAU TIOMAN (TIOMAN ISLAND)



Got bus in the morning accross to the east coast to a place called Mersing where we got a boat accross to the Tioman island. Staying in this tiny bay where bay and the jetti is all part of the hotel. Called PANUBI BEACH INN RESORT. Our room was right at the start of the jetti with a clear view straight out to the jetti and the sea. Dinner and bed.



Day 24 - Mon 2.11.09



Met a couple from Oz who we saw on the boat the day before. Went for a treck through the jungle to their resort as there was no beach or road way to get there! Went to this hut slightly inland on the edge of the jungle called 'The jungle bar', where a bloke called Desmond (who calls himself Jackie Chan!) lived. Had a few beers there with him (at 10.30 in the morning). Then, as there were no off licences in the resort, Desmond kindly sold us a cheap bottle of Vodka and we headed back to our resort via a small boat with the Oz couple who had transfered to our resort. Jumped off the end of our jetti. Few more drinks with dinner and drinking games back at their room till late (or early). Bed.



Day 25 - Tues 3.11.09



When i got up and walked along the boardwalk to go for breakfast, a huge Komodo dragon size lizard waddled accross my pash and into some bushes...i quickly turned around and found an alternate route to breakfast! Chilled out most of the day. Almost end of the season here so hardly nobody at the resort.

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