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So I think I'll backtrack a bit.... last time I was in Penang in North Malaysia. So the next day (Sunday) me and James (my room mate) must have been really tired from traveling for 10 hours from Thailand, we didn't wake up until 10.30am. The first port of call was "Fatzi Mansion", a feng shui house built by a rich Chinese man in the mid 19th Century. It was few minutes walk from the hotel, and the tour started at 11am! So we tried our best to get there on time, luckily everyone was still in the lobby of the house, and the tour had just started.
The house was very interesting, and had a lot of influence in the design from all over the world. We were told that one reason why a lot of the interior of the house was in good condition, e.g. the victorian floor tiles in the lobby was because of poor housekeeping! Apparently too much cleaning would damage the floor tiles! The tour lasted an hour or so, and we were due to meet Carol our tour leader to go over to the local beach. But first we visited a temple in the mountain side of Penang!
When we arrived at the beach we all agreed that we were very hungry! This hour of the trip was probably the most annoying! We wandered for over half an hour trying to find somewhere good to eat! Everywhere was empty and didn't look very appealing. The main reason for going to the beach was that there wasn't a lot to do in Penang! It turned out there was not a lot to do at the beach! So after lunch we all wanted to go back to Penang! We all spent a couple of hours doing our own thing. I did a few essential things, e.g. internet, photos, etc. Then I had a walk around little India and visited a couple of local Mosques!
On Sunday evening we went for a really nice Indian! Everyone in the group likes Indian, and some of us were slightly tired of Thai and Chinese! We stayed there for about an hour after the meal just having good conversations. Again, for some unknown reason we were all tired, and we were leaving the hotel at 7am to get to the ferry port on time for the passenger ferry back over to the mainland. We headed off to 7/11 to buy some food for brekkie in the morning, and pretty soon we were all in bed!
Monday morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed (yeah right), actually I was downstairs in the lobby at 6.50! Ha! We got taxis from the hotel to the ferry port! The ferry an experience - they certainly weren't security conscious! It only took about 10-15mins to cross over from Penang back to the mainland!
We had a 4 hour bus journey from Penang up to the Cameron Highlands! Very winding roads! Luckily Carol had taken us to a reputable Indian restaurant the night before, so none of us were ill.
The Cameron Highlands! Very different to anywhere else we had seen in Thailand or Malaysia. It was like being in Austria or somewhere European - mainly because of the architecture and the sudden temperature drop. For once on this trip I was actually cold! But it was still warm enough for shorts and T-shirts. Helen, one of the girls on the tour doesn't cope very well with the high temps, so for her it was a break - she loved it.
It was around midday when we arrived in the Cameron Highlands. We all decided to do a tour of the local area. We visited a big flower nursery that had many different flowers, plants and herbs that are grown for local consumption.
Then we visited some strawberry fields, and we all tried a variety of homemade strawberry products. I had strawberry ice cream - v. good, some of the guys had milkshakes and Kjell had strawberries and chocolate. Our next port of call was the local tea plantations, v. interesting. The tea factory is always closed on a Monday, and so usually on the Tuesday you can visit it, but we all agreed to make more time for KL (Kuala Lumpar)!
After the tea plantations, we were taken to the local butterfly world - where there were many insects to see, and snakes! Next we had a 10min stop at a local market that sold fruit, veg etc. I bought a small bag of cherry tomatoes for about 15-20pence, and they were gorgeous, really really tasty!
Finally we were taken to yet another temple - interesting - but we all agreed you can only see so many temples in 2 weeks!
On the Monday evening Carol had booked us a table at a local steamboat restaurant! She had told us about it on the bus in the morning, and so me and some of the other guys assumed it was going to be a steam boat! Later during the day we all realised there is no water for miles, and the fact that we were x number of metres above sea level - would have made it impossible. Once we got over the embarrassment and confusion, we headed for the restaurant.
For those of you who don't know a "steamboat" is where you have a large wok/deep pan divided into two halves, both with chinese cooking 'stock'. One was spicy and one was plain chicken. Then you steam/boil different types of food that are presented to you on plates.
Here is the full list of food that we cooked and what I ate; beef, pork, pakchoi, tofu, noodles, egg, fish, fish balls, squid and jellyfish! - Yeah i tried them all!!! Because the tea is so famous in Cameron Highlands and even in Malaysia, there was a little tea shop up the road from the Steamboat restaurant, so the girls wanted to have tea and scones for dessert - bare in mind this was around 10pm!! - I just had iced lemon tea - gorgeous!. After tea and scones we all headed back to the guesthouse, and chose a DVD to watch in the common room - the girls out voted us - and it was Charlie's Angels! Kjell didn't know we needed another disc to watch the rest of the movie - and we couldn't find it! So we all headed off to bed! Tuesday morning, we got the bus from Cameron Highlands down through the very winding roads to KL! We left almost on time and arrived in KL 3-4hours later! But what a welcome we got! Firstly the bus driver had chosen the bus station that wasn't close to our hotel! As we drove into KL it started raining, and rapidly got heavier and heavier! We stepped off the bus and it was tipping it down! Kjell, Robert and me ran around to the side of the bus to get our bags and the spray from the passing cars was crazy. We all stood together on the side of the road, while Carol (our leader) went to find taxis! Meanwhile the road had turned into a river and the water level was reaching higher than the curb. Carol was given a few quotes from taxi drivers that were three times the normal price, and she said it's because of the rain! We all agreed to find somewhere inside!! We started walking towards the main bus terminal over the road, we realised how much it was raining when we kept having to wade accross the water on the roads - was funny and scary at the same time. There were lightening bolts and thunder going on above us constantly! We got inside the main bus terminal, and agreed to continue to the hotel, just incase the weather got worse! (If it could get any worse?!) We kept walking (running) so far and then meeting up under shelter. Every time we crossed a road we were wading through water! Carol decided to take us through a hotel that Intrepid use, and is quite exclusive - she will be staying there in a few weeks! But she said because it is raining - we are just going to have to go through. Fortunately once we came through the other side of the hotel our Hotel China Town 2 was two doors down.
We arrived in the lobby and as usual we were all soaking again. I'll just remind you all of how many times we had been wet before, Jungle - 3 times- we got rained on tubing in the river! Au Nang, Krabi - constantly because of Son Kran. Penang - once on arrival. So we just laughed it off, and accepted that we were doomed to spend half the trip being wet!
So due to the rain, Carol advised us to do as much stuff in doors as possible! So we went to one of the local shopping malls, were there was a small theme park inside - with rollercoaster etc. We spent about 3 hours shopping in the mall that was on 10 floors, Metro Centre and Meadow Hall should eat there hearts out if they could! I bought a shirt for 3 pounds. The girls did really well and got really good bargains and lots of them. There were a lot more girl?s shops too! We went to the Cosmos World at around 6ish because it was cheaper then!
Cosmos World! First we all went on the rollercoaster which went upside down 3 times and once with a loop!! It was a bit like the one at Metroland for those of you who have been, but better! We stayed on it for 3 times. Next was this spinning tower thing - v boring - exciting at first 'cos you go very high and fast! Next some of the guys went on the twin tower ride. (Two small swing boats that go upside down)! Will, Laura and me didn't go on - cos we get sick when we go upside down! Laura ended up having a go in the end though!
Next we went on ripsaw!!!!! We thought it was going to be the one that stays upright and spins around in a circular motion while you are still upright and facing the front!!! Anyone who has been on the ripsaw (Alton Towers) will know what I'm talking about! I can't talk about it too much, it makes me sick thinking about it! Basically you go upside down, round and round, upside down etc. etc. - the blood rushes to your head like crazy - enough - was awful! I was sat next to Helen she had problems with her bar (it wasn't comfortable for her at all!). After it was over I said "Again, again", Helen said "Steve that word is just like poison at this moment in time!" lol
Next most of the guys went on the waltzer! I still felt pretty rough after the ripsaw and sat it out with Cat and James!! Next was the dodgems - brilliant fun! Went on them 3 times too! Then to finish it off the rollercoaster was our last ride!
We hurried back to our hotel, got changed superfast and headed to a Jamaican bar that served food and drinks! We stayed there for a bit and requested a few tracks from the DJ. Some of the group wanted to go dancing (including me!) others wanted to do Karaoke! - Random! We tried to find this recommendation that Carol had been given! We ended up at large 3star-ish hotel with lots of rooms where people were doing Karaoke in small rooms with their friends only! We got a room for an hour and after much discussing about the price and compulsory purchase of food, which they kept calling tip-bits we stayed! It was fun, but not worth the money! After this I was really in the mood for clubbin', so me and Laura headed of to a bar/club that Carol usually goes to! We got in free met a couple of people and danced and chatted with them till the early hours of the morning!!!!
Morning alarm clock!!! 8am - I had promised James my flat mate we would do breakfast buffet next door for 2.50pounds! Fortunately I wasn't v. drunk the night before, but had only 3hrs sleep! James was tired too! We skipped brekkie - went in search of a laundry that didn't exist! Then headed on the mono-rail to KLCC the twin towers of Kuala Lumpur. Got our free tickets to the skybridge! Then decided to head of to the Batu Caves on the outskirts. Basically some magnificent caves - really amazing - with a lot of religious figures and stories about the caves religious history from the 19th Century! Me and James then headed back to the city in time for our SKy Bridge tour at KLCC, photos will tell more! Then we did some shopping and ate food in the shopping mall in the lower ground levels of the towers! Next we made our way over to Menara Tower - the 3rd largest telecommunications tower in the world, first being the one in Canada. We bumped into Will, Kjell and Kyle who were meeting the girls there too! We waited for them for a while but decided to go up! Just as we were about to go into one of the lifts, the girls came out of another!! Say no more!
So us 'lads' stayed up at the top of the tower for an hour or so, listened to the personal audio commentary and took lots of pics! We all jumped in a couple of cabs and headed back in hurry again, just to much to do in KL - I loved it! Remember I had only 3 hrs sleep - still going strong with the heavy schedule of sightseeing and high temperatures!
Carol had booked us a table at a really cheap chinese restaurant! Food was reasonable for price! We walked around and the night markets in China town for a bit and some people bought stuff!We had a reasonably early night and headed of to bed!
8am start, left the China Town Hotel 2 and China Town, and walked to the bus stop - without getting wet this time - there was no rain - yeh!! We waited for the bus for far too long - over an hour late and the platform had changed. It is just so funny how laid back things like transport are in Asia buses will arrive when they do - they don't have to stick to the schedule and don't have to announce if they are changing platforms etc. etc., you have to be very alert - luckily Carol did that for us - while we looked after her luggage!
Melaka, a large village/small town in southern Malaysia - very very nice - this was our second last destination and relaxing one too! We had lunch, visited a local house - which was very similar to the mansion in Penang. Me and James decided to head for the local public swimming pool! The rest of the guys were going to a museum close by and would join us later, me and James just wanted to chill! We get to the pool after battling with the crazy roads, worse than Bangkok, there are no traffic lights so the cars are just constant - it was so funny - we were just stood trying our hardest to cross the road!! We get to the swimming pool and find out there is only 15minutes before the pool closes at 4 for prayer, we are told it re-opens at 5. James suggested an ice-cream - good call. We sat in the park next to it, and appreciate a locals idea of laying on a park bench in the shade-snoozing! Me and James both find our own bench and drift off for half an hour. I expected everyone else to find us in the park - but they didn't walk through!
We headed back to the guest house (very very basic) will see on photos! Had showers etc etc big brother style - having conversations with each other while brushing our teeth in full view of everyone - photos will explain all!
All of us got trishaws to drive us to our restaurant for the evening! A tour of some of Meleka was also included! Our evening meal consisted of an all you can eat BBQ on a roof top restaurant - v good - but we were all very stuffed. We then headed to a local live music bar - v entertaining! Carol and Helen took advantage of the open mic and gave us a few songs!
I stayed back with Carol and had another drink, we chatted with the locals - very funny and loved me! lol
I got us home safe, we then chatted with the landlady who was very crazy, long term affects of something?!?! - She was v. funny and said because I like Melaka so much I could come back and get a cheap, cheap room! Well I agreed to this before I went back to the room, James was in a deep sleep, when I switched the light on to find a massive, massive cockroach crawling up the wall. After fun and games trying to chase it, it crawled into the floor and i covered it over with the dust-bin!
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