Thailand (Part 1)

Malaysia was amazing, but both of us had really high hopes for Thailand and so were VERY excited at the prospect of arrival...

However, our first stop on the old agenda was at a lovely named place called Krabi. After taking the ferry out of Malaysia (and discovering it ridden with cockroaches and ants... urgh!) to Satun, we passed through border control with relative ease. Then came the lovely adventure of trying to get a bus to take us to Krabi... after being manhandled by odd men and virtually shoved into booking offices and quickly deciding that 'scammers' were crawling out of everywhere, we joined forces with a UK couple and Swedish couple to take what we were told was a taxi to the main bus station. Ha! Taxi! We finally agreed a price and in the blistering heat lugged our bags toward the 'taxi' driver. We were met with a basic pick up truck with two planks running on either side of the flat bed at the back.... and a little canvas roof. Hehehe... it was actually really cool and more fun than a normal taxi. Anyhoo, we got to the main bus station, which was actually a crappy little side-street with a woman selling bus tickets. We figured this was another scam because the woman could sell the tickets at whatever price she liked- unlike if it had been the main bus station where there is more competition. So, we all staged a protest and remained sitting in the van telling the driver we were only paying if he took us to the main station... and he laughed. Hehe. I think he was happy for a little rest and all we were doing was slowly cooking in the back of his wagon now we were stationery. So, we gave up the fight and bought tickets, which were really cheap anyhow (we are just tight travellers) and got on the bus. A few hours later we got Krabi and were dumped at the bus station (this time a main one). Another 'two planks' driver was hassling us to go with him to our hotel- which we hadn't actually booked yet. We agreed a price of 40 Baht (about 80p) and set off. He dropped us in the centre and then asked us for 80 Baht, trying to say that he meant 40 for each of us! Everyone is a scammer! But hey, we were getting wise to it all now :)

Anyhoo, we found a lovely guest house with a nice Irish bar (!) next door and had a nice vegi-burger and beer for us tea.

Next day was another ferry, this time to the island of Ko Phi Phi. We were planning on having a bit of a holiday starting from here and hoping top stay in places a bit longer and soak up some sun. The ferry journey was great and upon arrival we found out we had to take a longtail boat to our accommodation. How very exciting! The sun was shining and the sea was crystal! Gorgeous! This was what its all about! So, the driver (is driver the right word?), pulled up as close to the shore as possible and we had the lovely task of trying to struggle with our bags from a moving boat into quite harsh waves, without getting everything drenched. We failed pretty dismally and the only saving grace was that there weren't many to witness our crappy attempt at a beach landing :)

The place we stayed at was great and again we were right on the beach and in a secluded area called Long Beach. We had everything we needed there and the little town was great! We went for drinks, chilled in hammocks and generally began the holiday in stylee!

After a couple of days we decided to extend the jollies some more so headed to the mega- touristy Phuket. We stayed right in the main town Patong- after a BIG hassle over hotel rooms! Again, people trying to scam! However, we pulled a good un this time and managed to get a deluxe room for less than the standard... well, we think we did... there may be more to this story at some point.

Anyhoo, we became tourists and did nothing but shop, eat (mmm, at the Hagan Daas shop!) drink, get facials and watch the lady boys (blimey! they're a bit raunchy!)- sorry, no pics at it would just be a boob-fest and me mum reads this don't you know! :)



Also we took a night out to watch some bands at a place called 'Rock City'. Hoping it was going to be like its Nottingham counterpart, we settled down to enjoy the music... and it was rubbish! The band were cak and we spent more time just watching the old men and their little Thai ladyfriends (well, we think ladies?!?!?!) So, we supped us drinks and headed out into the night to check out the night markets and shop some more! Its cheap here but not as cheap as Malaysia- but we have been told Bangkok is mega cheap, so, we're holding out for that one.

But, as with all good things it had to come to an end and we boarded the bus. After about an hour on the bus we had a guy (the conductor type person) come up to us and ask us where we stayed in Patong. When we told him he said that they had been on the phone and that we owed money! 'Err, I don't think so' I told him. 'We checked out and they said nothing.' He looked puzzled, as did we and then he laughed, patted me on the arm and went and sat at the front again. When we thought about it we thought it odd that the hotel should call the bus company when they had no idea where we were heading to! So, yet another scam... well, possibly, if there was some possible mistake and we do owe them money we may have a little jaunt in Thai jail when we try and leave the country if we are listed at Border Patrol as dodgy crims... hehehe, but hopefully it won't come to that :)

So, after this we decided to have a little nap as it was a long coach journey. Arr, everything was lovely, all relaxing, dozy, dozy, doze.... Then someone yells 'THE COACH IS ON FIRE!' Yikes, I woke up sharpish and looked behind to see sh*tloads of smoke pouring into the coach from the floor! The bus driver took emergency actions and slammed the anchors on and ran out of the bus... us (all the passengers), just kind of looked at each other and laughed! Even the ones shrouded in smoke! Eventually, we decided we should maybe get off in case it blew up or summat- but after 10 mins of standing in the heat we soon got back on- deciding we'd rather take our chances with toxic fumes than the heat treatment! Anyhoo, after a couple of hours of the driver throwing water all over the engine and scratching his head, another bus came and we jumped aboard to finish the trip to the ferry that was taking us to Ko Samui, our next little island getaway.

Malaysia (Part II)

The next bus journey from CH to Penang wasn't quite as plush as the first class one we got from Singapore... this was a little skenky and the driver insisted on having a fag hanging out of his mouth for pretty much the entire journey even though there was a no-smoking sign above his head?!?! Still, 5 hours later we got thrown off on into the strange and dirty place of Butterworth... hmm... we somehow had to find the ferry to get to the island and it suddenly seemed that all the signs (the few that there were) were in Malay.... tricky....

After hassling a German couple we saw and following them like stalkers we managed to get to the ferry crossing and get our ticket. So, seated on the boat we looked forward to a tranquil crossing over to Georgetown (Penang). It started great- the sun was setting and the city across the water was lit up lovely.... then we saw the first of the rats on the boat... then we saw another... and then another.... and then it suddenly seemed like there were more rats than passengers.... and there were a lot of passengers. They were running above our heads and in and around the food kiosk- thank god we didnt get that cheese butty that had looked so tempting not 5 mins ago....

Still, we got there safely and without getting the plague or any other rat related diseases... and, after negotiating a taxi rate with the driver (ie. How much? 10 Ringits. Erm, Ok then) we got to our hotel, which was very nice. We were based in Chinatown again- there's a theme here, right in the middle of pretty much everything.

The next day we headed into the city with the best of intentions at walking around and seeing everything- however, after 15 mins in the manically intense heat we found ourselves hiding in the shade and supping a diet coke whilst re-thinking the days activities. It really was stifling!

Still, we managed to get to the waterfront and get a pretty good feel for Georgetown, which was much more like we imagined the mad cities of Malaysia to be like. Early evening we decided to take a trip to Penang Hill as we heard that there were some pretty fab views of the city to be had at nightime. We decided to take the public bus as it didnt sound too hard from the description in our little yellow bible (Lonely Planet guide to S. E. Asia). Getting on the bus was easy- however, we werent told when to get off so when the driver realised we should have gotten off a couple of stops earlier he shook his head at us as if we should have realised!!! Yeah, because we live here dont we... derr!!

Anyhoo, after a trek through a decidely dodgy part of Penang we found the railway that takes you to the top of the hill. And, it was really worth it- it was a great view of the city lit up and you were (it seemed) above cloud level so it appeared that you could actually see most of the island. Also, at the top there was an amazing little cafe (proper posh English jobby) that served afternoon tea (Devonshire stylee)- so, as it was 8pm how could we refuse!! It wasnt cheap either- it cost us a fiver (which is REALLY expensive over here!)- in fact, a fiver is our normal daily food budget! But it was an amazing brew and a fab scone with Jam and clotted cream... mmmmm..... then, it was the railway back and the bus... err, no... we got a taxi and went out for tea :)

The next day we had an early start as we were taking the ferry across to Langkawi- a tropical island off the mainland and very close to the Thai border. The ferry journey was due to take about 2 1/2 hours but ended up taking nearly 4 due to delays and really bad crossing conditions. People were being VERY violently sick all over the show! So, Trace and me put the iPod on and listened to some Ricky Gervais podcasts. Hehe... lots of folk puking into bags and then us two just giggling our heads off... the journey was bad and we actually arrived at the island in the middle of a typhoon, which at first seemed very exciting- but then as the taxi driver took us to our accomodation and the island looked seriously wrecked with trees dropping like flies, it became quite scary! The rain and wind were howling and within seconds of getting out of the taxi we were soaked! We got into our room, which was lovely little beachfront chalet and within seconds of sitting down in the safety... "Matt, I'm hungry"... However, Trace did manage to hold on for about an hour by which time the downpour had stopped and the clean-up had begun. So, we headed out for dinner into the town and to one of the duty free shops to stock up on Beer and Choc- just in case we got hit again by another bout of bad weather...

Anyhoo, today we got up and the weather was amazing! It has been gorgeous blue skies all day and we have just lay in it slowly cooking ourselves to oblivion! Its great having our accom just on the beach cos it means we can just pop back anytime we need the loo instead of nipping in the sea ;)

And, finally, we went for a proper bosh curry to say goodbye to Malaysia! mmmmmm :)

Anyway, enough for now, tomorrow we have another boat journey- this time across the border into Thailand where the next leg of the journey begins.

Also, we have been having some problems with the blog (lots of spam etc) recently so are going to change the address- if you would like to be kept abreast of this please email us at traceandmatt@hotmail.co.uk and we will forward you the new address once it is up and running. Thanks :)

Malaysia (Part I)

Kuala Lumpur

The 1st class coach was amazing! It was 5 hours of pure luxury! Its called Aero-travel because they offer you the same service as being on a plane. So, we got to our seats, which were huge big leather jobbies, and fully reclined with leg and foot rests and were then waited on for the next 5 hours with meals, drinks, magazines etc. There were even screens to watch films on!! Well impressed, especially considering it cost us 15 quid each!

So, we got to KL in great shape, which was good because it was crazy the moment we left the coach! A taxi driver met us and took us to the Chinatown district where we were staying. He gave us a brief city tour en route so we could see the Petronas Towers (second biggest in the world) and KL Tower and then told us that you couldn't actually drive through Chinatown as it is all pedestrianized. Hmmm, we weren't sure if we were being scammed or not... so, we said that was fine and just drop us as close as he could. Well, he did and it wasnt a scam. It turned out that the road our hotel was on was the same one where the night markets took place. And it was now late afternoon and they were setting up for the night markets so the roads had been closed and it was CRAZY busy! So, we left the taxi and towing our bags in a suffocating heat tinged with lovely smog, headed off towards the masses. After about 10 minutes of walking through the crowds and every stall holder trying to get us to buy something and then nearly tripping over some guy lying on the floor bleeding from his face... we eventually found the hotel. And it was ace! We had a brilliant location and the hotel was really quiet, clean and had cable TV! Yipppeee :)

So, we dumped the bags and headed straight back out into the night market, which without the luggage was one of the funniest things we have experienced. Crazy just doesn't cover it! The stall holders are funny and desperate to get you in and will say just about anything to attract you! However, when Trace saw the bags on offer they didn't need to say too much really ; )

We spent an ace few days in Kuala Lumpur, exploring the city, Chinatown, the colonial district and Merdeka square, shopping in the huge malls, eating lots of tasty meals in the food courts and visiting the amazing Batu caves with the biggest (seen in the pic below) having 292 steps to climb, little wild monkeys jumping about and a temple inside...crazy!

It was also the place where we managed to get rid of Stig of the Dump and find Matt again! Yes after 10 months of not cutting his hair or buying any new clothes (The pockets on his shorts were being held together by safety pins!), Matt bought a whole new wardrobe and had his 'best haircut ever' including a head and neck massage all for next to nothing. We came away feeling like we'd stolen it all, as with everything we do here because it's just so cheap!

Cameron Highlands

We left KL on Thursday morning and headed for the cooler climes of the Cameron Highlands, which is famous for it's tea plantations and 'afternoon tea'... nice! We stayed at Father's Guest house - a cosy little place on a hill above the main town of Tanah Rata. We booked into a tour of the area the next day which included; a tour of a chinese temple, rose centre, local market, strawberry farm, honey farm, tea plantation and butterfly centre, which was actually just a place that housed various kinds of creepy crawlie things such as Rhino Beetle as modelled by Matt, Cat-Eyed Gecko as modelled by the lovely Trace and Scorpions... as modelled by neither of us!!!

The journey through Malaysia continues with a bus journey and ferry crossing to the Island of Penang...

Singapore

Singapore is an amazingly odd, eclectic place! We arrived late on into the night and took a taxi to our guest house in Chinatown. The driver was trying to convince us that we were staying in the 'red-light' district... We think he was trying to put us off so he could recommend somewhere else to us that he would get commission for - scams we'd been warned about before we arrived, so we told him we'd booked and it was fine.

When we woke the next day we headed out of our guest house, which was actually nowhere near any kind of red-light district, and straight into Chinatown for a wee exploration. It was amazing. Whilst not having been to China yet so not being completely sure, it looked pretty authentic and we really got a nice feeling from the decor, stalls, people and place in general. It was so different to anywhere we had seen so far. We bought lots of really nice bits and bobs for next to nothing from some of the market stalls and also managed to take a look in a couple of temples. The highlight was a 5-storey Buddhist one that has only recently opened. Crazy! They had a floor with 10,000 encased Buddhas! And they each get cleaned everyday before being put back into their place...

We also caught the MRT to Little India, which is like Chinatown only Indian (durr!). And once we left the station and got into the main throng of it, it was mental too! Again, completely as we would picture India. We couldn't believe how different both places were yet only a couple of km's apart! To top it off we took the MRT into the main CBD/ shoppping area, Orchard Road, and were completely overwhelmed by just how mega cosmopolitan, clean and busy it was!

In one day alone we saw 3 different worlds all in one city! So, at night we headed down to Clarke Quay for a nice chill out and a slowboat ride down the river. We caught the boat at night and it was very pretty as it was lit by little Chinese Lanterns. Seeing Singapore itself lit-up by night was also an ace experience.

Originally, we had planned about 3-4 nights in Singapore, but we ended up staying 5 as it was so much fun and there was more than enough to keep us occupied. Other highlights included Singapore Zoo and Night Safari where we saw all sorts of crazy animals! But the White Tigers and Polar Bear were the best... so gorgeous! And we also took the cable cars over to Sentosa Island... which was VERY scary. A lot scarier than both of us actually thought it was going to be oddly enough.... Sentosa was nice, if not a little bit plastic-fantastic.

We also found time (in-between Matt's stinking cold!) to pop into Raffles Hotel and check out what that was all about. A really nice colonial building with lots of history. However, the shopping plaza across the street was more fun and had a cool foodcourt full of Asian delicacies.

After the first couple of nights we moved from Chinatown and stayed in Little India, which was a really good experience. We went out at night and looked in the shops, night markets and found some ace places to eat. We found an all vegi-Indian fast food place (really like McDonalds!) called Komalas where we got loads of help in what to order and had the best meal so far! As usual we ordered far too much, but it was well worth it :) and, we even ate with our fingers (right hand only), like you are meant too... what a mess! It may take some getting used to :)

Its a really nice experience to be not traveling in the van for a change after having done it for so long, and to have the luxury of guest houses/ hotels... we even managed to watch a bit of TV!

Anyways, I think that just about covers Singapore. Next stop is Kuala Lumpur via first class coach.... should be interesting :)

Goodbye Australia!

Byron Bay was lovely! Kirsten (one of our friends from NZ) came to spend some time exploring it with us and we had a great 3 days just chilling about and visiting the beaches, most eastern point of Oz and the Lighthouse... oh, and Bully and K did a lot of bead shopping and jewellery making.... :)

From Byron we headed down the coast to Coff's Harbour... and after spending a great day at 'The Big Pineapple' we were really excited when we stumbled across 'The Big Banana'. Whilst it was really nice and there was plenty of fruit action, the choc-dipped banana didn't quite live up to expectation and we were not as impressed as the Pineapple place...

Coff's Harbour was a lovely little town though and after enjoying a chippy tea we took Kirsten to the train station where she caught the night-train back to Sydney.

So, all alone again in big ole Oz, Bully and me headed further down the coast and found an amazing place called Port Macquarie. It was off the beaten track a little and so whilst the scenery and breakwater were beaut, it wasn't tourist-ridden at all. We spent a great day shopping in the town and then headed out for the cinema and a couple of drinks.

However, it was now unfortunately time to bring the Oz travels to an end and make the final stretch back to Sydney. The journey was great and really tranquil (except for the hoooge python we saw attacking cars and trucks!!) until we hit the metropolis of the big city! Having gotten used to driving in the outback and small beach towns it was a mighty big shock to be driving across the Harbour Bridge in rush hour with a gazillion cars coming from all directions and mass high rises all around! Very scary....

Still, we eventually managed to find our way to Kirsten and Alec's new flat (woohoo!), which is amazing! Its in the Glebe area in the centre of the city on a kind of Bohemian/ quirky stretch full of cafes, lovely shops and the like! We were in heaven, and have been for the last few days! Milling about, popping out for brekky and then just crashing at the flat.... I think Kirsten and Alec are a tad afraid we may never leave.... but who can blame us with Kirsten cooking roasts and vegi lasagnas.... mmmmmmm!

Oz has been a great place and with 11,000 kms under our belt we felt we have seen enough to feel like we really came and explored. The van life was great and we had some fab times with each other, people we met and folk we met up with from previous travels. 10 months in and we're loving it more each day and have made some great friends. We still miss everyone from home though.

But, tomorrow the Asia journey begins! We think we have got everything sorted and whilst we are mega excited, its a little scary as this is going to be the start of hardcore travelling..... Singapore here we come....