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Big challenge day today, not in the sense of Total Wipeout or Iron man triathlon, but something i've never tried before as you don't usually find rainforests dotted about grim old England. Before that though, was taking up a recommendation by a girl named Mei Ling, who helps run this Chinese tea making shop I nosed around in the other day exploring the area around Chulia street. She and I had sat down for an hour chatting about the tea they sold (packaged as frisby shaped disks of dried tea leaf blends), and continuously drinking the expensive blends she wanted me to try. It was all given to me as freebies to drink so I was happily forgetting what time it was and relaxing into a smooth undulance. I had told her where I was staying and how seedy it looked around the area so she had given me the details of a better and newer place to stay, not far away, called PP Island hotel. So that's where I ended up, and yep you could say that it was a pretty substantial improvement even at a similar price. Pretty much the same as the smile hotel back in Wangsa Maju, and a better safer part of town.
Late on in the day, I took the bus to the National Park up past Batu Ferringhi, got there about 4.20pm, hadn't realised it was that late, so had to get my skates on if I wanted to get back from the trek before night fall. Last thing I wanted was to stuck in some place where all you can see is trees, most of the creatures there come out at night, pit falls and unseen obstacles dotted about to surprise you, and only using a small light on your mobile phone to guide you. Before I could venture forth I had to Register with the park ranger office, just in case they have to fish you out if you haven't checked back in. I studied the map for a bit and decided it was more manageable and more interesting going to the turtle beach rather than the monkey beach.
Looked like a brick path all the way until it hit the fork where you could take the paths to one of the two beaches. It turned into a right proper jungle trail then, and I hoped my walking sandals were up for the job. The trail guide said would take over an hour to walk it to the beach, with my epic stompatron abilities I made it there just under an hour, but was the sweatiest man alive when I burst out the other end. The rope bridge that greeted me to the beach was post card picture standard, brilliant photo opp. Sun was going down and it cast everything into a lush orange glow. Had a quick picnic and took a few photos more, and then dashed back to the jungle. Would have amazing to see any turtles but knew it was another time of the year they'd come. Ripped my shorts on the way back, as I stomped it faster to get back in good time before dark. Guy at the gate was surprised I'd only gone for 2 hours 20mins, he didn't realise I was a machine.
In the evening took a taxi to the Gurney Hawkers market to grab some scran, had cheo toh chey or something, and this weird fruit salad desert with dark treacle and nut dust all over (Rojack), popular with the locals it seems.
Wednesday 30th May
Had tea with Mei Ling for a couple of hours, and then went to a chinese steamboat restaurant opposite the hotel. The ladies there recommended one dish, and brought out a huge volcanic red and bubbling cauldron of oily soup with fish bits in. Hello!! Only one person here! Cost about bloody 80rm, surely they could see that I was going to struggle, or they just wanted to rinse me dry. Went in to a huffy sulky strop for the rest of the night over that. Budget destroyed, meh!
- comments
wdroch Sounds as if you are keeping busy,but doing stuff on your own is an over rated pastime!