Our first couple days in Malaysia were very strange for us. It was our first time really experiencing a completely different culture (developing), different religion (most women wore headdresses), different language (Malay-not even the same alphabet), and really being outside of what we're used to, together. Though we'd both travelled to fairly uncomfortable places, we had not together, and not without prior planning and help of other people (as our 3rd world country travels had been with missions like LST, Friendspeak, True North Helping Hands). So we got off the bus from Singapore in Johor Bahru, crossing immigration, not really knowing where to go or how to get there. Somehow we found out what bus station we needed and grabbed a local bus there.
Here, we had our first experience at a 'bus station'- total chaos! Dozens of men trying to sell us tickets, broken English, different currency (Malaysian Ringgit- USD:MR = 1:3) and dozens of bus options. We had a hard time remembering the various cities we were going to go to, what companies were reliable, and the various prices and routes. We thought we could go direct to Taman Nagara from JB, but no one seemed to think we could. However, we knew they will tell you anything to trick you into buying from them, so we had no idea who to trust or what to do. We were pretty overwhelmed at that point, especially since all the signs and spoken language were in Malay with some broken English. Finally, we chose a bus to Kuala Lumpur and were off. That made for a scenic few hour bus ride, not knowing what stop to get off at. But we managed to find the right one in KL, a city of millions (ok, we didn't really figure anything out; but when the bus stops and everyone exits but you, you realize you should probably get off too)!
At this point, it was around 2100, and we were nearing exhaustion while trekking around with our packs. We also found out quickly that no one (not even the 'information' centre or monorail ticket sellers) knew anything. They all pointed us to someone like some sort of sick game (you know the one where your mom says ask your dad, and dad says ask your mom... etc etc). Then, when we thought it was right, we rode the train to a hectic station looking for night tickets to Taman Nagara (great view of the Petronas Towers during the ride) to find out that wasn't the place- thanks info guys for wasted 60 minutes!
So we gave up on night bus tickets, rode the tram to the backpacker area, booked a cheap hostel on the way (Irsia B&B- don't stay there, the owner is a crook) and managed to not get lost too bad. But while we were lost, we happened upon a Krispy Kreme and that made everything good again! At the hostel, we left our bags and were going to go for dinner when we fell asleep- meaning we woke up after midnight from a little nap for dinner then!
In the morning, we found our way early to a bus station- the right one!- and got tickets to Jarentut. Once there, we befriended 2 guys from Algeria and we all shared a minibus to Kuala Tahan (at least if the driver was lying and scamming and gonna screw us over, at least we had friends to be screwed over with!). After about 7-8 hours of travel from KL, we arrived in KT, the gateway to Taman Nagara National Park. In the heat of the afternoon, with 20 lb packs on, we searched high and low (literally, it's really hilly there) for a cheap and decent hostel. We found it with Hana Guest House! 40 ringgits per night! We made plans for tours into the park for the next few days, and grabbed some food before going on a night 4x4 tour in the forest/jungle. Nothing too special, as we didn't see any of the bigger wild cats- only small ones, a flying squirrel, a Slow Loris, and some snakes.
In the morning we headed across the river by boat, the only way, into TN National Park. There we planned on doing a scenic 3-4 hike through the jungle, on swinging bridges in the forest canopy ("never ever go above the canopy"... Fern Gully anyone? We were quick to see some super cute monkeys- macaques- on the path and I couldn't help but feed them a little, they are hilarious! And the swinging bridges high above the jungle floor was very cool as well, Milessa was only a little scared- again.
Near the top, after a very tiring and steep hike up, we were rewarded with a stunning view of the forest valley in the distance before making our way back down the other side. Butterflies of all kinds fluttered all over and gave a very relaxing feel from time to time. On the way down, we stopped at a nice little river for a refreshing swim while tiny little fish would nibble at our feet.
After a quick lunch back in Kuala Tahan, we jumped on a little boat for a visit to a Orang Asli village- a village of the 'Original People' for a look into their lifestyle. It was very weird just coming to see it like some movie or something, but it was also neat to see where and how they lived, having the local guide and the people teach us a bit about it themselves. At the very least, the boat ride up and through rapids cooled us down as it completely soaked us! For dinner back in town, we ate at a little floating restaurant along the river.
The next morning, not knowing if the bus left at 8 or 10, we ended up waiting until 10 for a local bus to Jarentut (cheaper than travel buses). As our bus than left for KL at 1, we had a few minutes to try and mail a package home. So we rushed about packing things we didn't need into a little box before running across the way to catch the bus with but a minute to spare. Here's to hoping we wrote the right address in our running around!
Back in KL, we found a little hostel near Little India called the Step Inn (great place, incredibly helpful employees- stay here in KL). From there we trained up to Batu Caves. This was a monstrous cave that Hindus had used as a worship place at some point. Something like 350 stairs up, all full of monkeys too!
After some Indian food (Malaysia is a unique mix of Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, and some Christianity) near the caves, we made our way downtown to see the Petronas Twin Towers lit up in the night sky. We got off the train, confused, and wandered around the station trying to find where the towers were. I think we even asked for directions. Only later, we realized our stupidity as the massive 6 floor luxurious mall was actually right underneath the towers! Upon exiting and looking up we were treated to the incredible sight of the 450 m beautifully designed twin towers. The colour, angles, lights, architecture, and sheer size are absolutely stunning. A few selfies and timer pictures later, we watched a fountain/light display before walking around the mall a while and eventually heading back to our little hostel.
The next morning we took a bus to the airport for our flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. But first, I bought a coffee on the street... in a bag! That's a thing they do here. You buy coffee for 50 cents, and get a little tiny baggy with a straw- so fun!
Leaving Malaysia wasn't so hard, as it wasn't our favourite place ever. Maybe it was the initial culture shock, the difference in travel style from previous places, or maybe it was the lack of time we spent there. We enjoyed it, but we also realize that 6 days doesn't come close to doing it justice. We missed the beaches, islands, mountain visits, and so much more. But, we were now onto Cambodia!
No comments:
Post a Comment