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Published: August 6th 2006
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Follow The Leader
Ro teaching the Malay children how to really move:-)! Shake that bootie! Thanks for all your support in reading our entries! By popular demand, we have stepped it up a bit in order to satisfy your blog cravings. Low and behold, our 5th entry...hopefully coming the 6th, 7th, and if you're lucky, perhaps even an 8th.
You know you are a backpacker when...
-You learn to carry toilet paper EVERYWHERE you go around Asia.
-After trial and error, you master perfect sleeping positions for the numerous overnight bus trips endured.
-Clean western toilets with flushes put a big smile on your face!
-You are not phased by things like cockroaches, spiders, ants, or mosquitos...well maybe a little, but you certainly become tougher!
Alrighty then...so you may have guessed by now that we have succesfully and enthustiastically made our way through Asia. Since Bali, we visited Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Dubai, Turkey, and NOW GREECE!
In Singapore we were misled by how clean SE Asian countries could be because in Malaysia, we underwent our first TRUE non-Western experience! In Thailand, we mastered how to REALLY use an Asian toilet. In India we found ourselves amidst crazy drivers, pedestrian-like cows, hot curry, and the occasional Monsoon. In Dubai, we experıenced Mıddle-East
Happy Days
Genuine contentment...aren't kids so joyful? meets West. In Turkey we drank apple tea ın numerous carpet shops, and now, we are beach hopping all over Greece!
Let's rewind time though and allow you to step into SE Asia with us. In Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur, we felt like escaped zoo animals running wild in an environment that was way over our heads! The city seemed rather unruly and not very clean like our normal zoo habitat! We managed to check out some main highlights: The Petronas Towers, Chinatown, and the main shopping district (RULE #96: Just because you are backpackers doesn't mean you can't check out international fashion!). After a day unleashed in the big city however, we were ready to leave and explore Malaysia's indescribable nature! Off to the Cameron Highlands we went.
The Cameron Highlands took our breath away. With lusciously green tea plantations and beautiful mossy forests, we felt at peace with our surroundings. We were also fortunate enough to visit a Malay Tribal Village where we hand delivered goodies to the children and played jump rope with them using a vine they had detangled from a tree. It was touching to see how, in the case of the village,
simplicity truly was bliss.
We also had the opportunity to visit the remote Pherentian Islands. I should mention that at this point in our journey, we had the fortune of adding 2 incredible members to our team. Team America does not discriminate! We picked up a Welshy, Beth (aka B), and an English bloke, Sam. These 2 became family to us for the next month of our travels and will always remain a part of our international family (miss you guys).
If I could imagine Heaven, I think I would imagine the Pherentian Islands. We stayed on the small isolated island of Kecil which consisted of a handful of restaurants, bars, mini-marts, dive centers, bungalows, and nothing else but a stunning white sand beach, and an immense glory of ocean and more ocean. To give you an idea of its glory, there was not even an ATM, nor bank on the island, hence we left not because we wanted to, but simply because we ran out of cash!
I spent my days scuba diving with B, whilst the girls did some snorkeling with Sam. In the evenings we would relax over a freshly cooked fish BBQ and
The Highlands
Trekking through the mossy, WET, and not to mention MUDDY forest...but beautiful! beautiful overflowing chocolate shakes (all of about $5 US), and hang out on our porch that sat 1m from the water with friends. Pure enjoyment. Before returning to the mainland, we did befriend 2 close Canadian girlfriends, Jessie and Laura, who will most certainly pop up in other entries because we had the delight of re-visiting with them throughout our journey! Who said Canadians don't like us Americans? These girls just loved us!!!! heehee
From Malaysia, we casually strolled into the south of Thailand...and by casually I mean we WALKED about 3 miles through the damp heat, over rickety sidewalks, and with backpacks in hand---quite the accomplishment if you ask me! Malaysia was a beautiful experience for all of us. We were faced with situations that allowed us to appreciate life and all it has to offer. And to think it was just the beginning of many more eye-opening experiences that were to come. I must say though, it was these experiences that allowed us to enjoy an enriching and rewarding Asian adventure.
See upcoming blogs for details...
Note to self Caroline: This is why you need to be more diligent with your blogs, otherwise they just
Would You Like a Cup of Tea?
Amidst the vast tea plantations in the Cameron Highlands! get so darn long! Thanks for reading friends...hopefully this gives you a mental break from work!
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kaveh
non-member comment
great stuff
Keep up the good work and exciting stories ladies. I might ask for some help in trip planning some day...until then I will live vicariously through you gals.