Text by Nat, pics and comments, brat!
Another side note from the Cameron Highlands – it was a welcome relief up in the mountains as it cooled the body down and (once getting around the buses) you could take a huge deep breath of FRESH air! Bliss.
Watch the gutters, the roads were great!
Ye Olde English Guesthouse, com plete with cold showers etc!
In Malaysia there are the Malays, Indians and the Chinese. Up in the highlands it was the first time I saw how different they were, as each had their own little town. The Malay town was very private, the Chinese town had the eateries and the souvenirs while the Indian town had the hotels and very tourist oriented. It was amazing to see the differences.
Nat at a tea plantation in the Cameron Highlands!
The bridge to Penang Island!
Penang is an interesting place. There is a lot of evidence of the British, while still having such a huge influence from the Chinese, Indian, Malays with a large Muslim population. With the different cultures comes the food and the colour of the place. It was here we discovered the importance of 'looking at the surroundings' when choosing a hotel. We had no problem leaving the bike in relatively secure places, (we used an alarm 'just in case'), and it wasn't the night clubs or markets as they are places you either gravitate to (or away) from.
Georgetown in the background!
It is the Mosques. Often beautiful structures, and it is a sight to see the procession of men with their caps and long shirts going in and out of the temples..... It is only at 5am in the morning do you ever notice the MASSIVE speakers on the top of the spire angled in every direction to ensure all hear the call to prayer. (by the time the journey was over I could tell the difference between a good call and a bad call – bad sounded like a dying animal, good – was poetically musical).
We didn't notice this Mosque at the back of our hotel until 5am in the morning!!!
We rode around the island, it was great having the freedom to explore. This island is small but you have the ability to ride into mountains and 'get away' from the hustle and bustle of Georgetown.
Tropical fruit plantation in Penang, this plate cost $3!
Another thing to note about riding in Malaysia. Firstly in KL every highway seemed to lead to where you are going. It may not be the quickest way but if you stay on it long enough you will see a sign heading in your direction. The other thing to note is Place names.
Suer highway straight up the middle of Malaysia, made getting out easy! We will be back to explore the back roads!
Sometimes they are in English (with various spelling, but sound it out and it works) other times the signs disappear, this is when you realise the new signs have a Malay name that you've never heard of. Luckily they are at least using the Alphabet.
The bike lanes Nat spoke of!
As we headed further north the scenery started to change into the limestone cliffs, it got hotter, the houses were more traditional and the towns were more remote and not so tourist friendly, not such a bad thing when part of having a bike was to get off the beaten track.
Quiet village, no tourists...yah!
The further north you go the greater the Muslim population and being outside tourist areas where they don't often see tourists I did my best to respect their culture. I always wore a T-shirt and had the long bike pants on and whenever I took my helmet off it was a sprint to throw a scarf over my head (for some reason I never quite looked as beautiful as they do) I didn't mind that. The hardest part for me was – if Chris was around I did not exist. All conversation went through him, Chris didn't like it, as I was often shopping for something for me – so he'd hand me the cash and walk off.
We ended up crossing the border at Kaki Bukit. This was an interesting road to get to the border. I certainly wasn't the main highway option. The mountains were beautiful and apart from some of the corners being covered in gravel, the ride was good. Up and down the mountain range it really was lovely. Then we hit the border. The next saga of the Malaysian odyssey.
Woohooo, Thailand here we come!
)
We arrived at the border crossing and guess what! They asked for the K2.... or the carnet and we had neither. So we ended up having to pay another $80 to get some guy from the closest town to get all the paperwork out and signed etc. What a drama. 3 Hours of looking at the Thailand border craving for the freedom of the country we know without any of the hassles we had experienced in Malaysia. While we were waiting we watched all these massive Utility vehicles piled high with who knows what going back and forth. One way there was no suspension the other they'd be floating. Not once stopping at either crossing. When we asked what was in the trucks the customs, police and army all said “what trucks”, definitely suspicious!
After all the hassles back and forth we were finally allowed through. with much ado at the border... just to keep our opinion of Malaysia high. As per usual our inability to recognise bribes makes life harder. We could have driven through quite easily - though doing the right thing kept us with them for a few hours. It was a beautiful place to get stuck.
We hit the Thailand border (20 metres up the road) and gave them all the paperwork etc. They didn't want to know about the bike, then they thought they would be 'legal' and put the paperwork into a computer and gave us nothing. Oh well at least we are doing things right. How about our side strip and the hill tribe!!
The ride away from the border was wonderful. The road fantastic and all stresses behind us. We were gone from Malaysia and into Thailand.
In Thailand we were going through places that has seen very few white people. It also made it very hard as nearly all the signs are in the Thai characters. Not easy to read. We didn't bother filling the bike up in Malaysia preferring to get out, and believing Lonely Planet when they said all boarder towns take the Ringet, baht and US$. Well this wasn't the first time Lonely Plant was disastrously wrong.
We ended up getting fuel in this little servo - well the ad says visa or amex is accepted everywhere - NOT TRUE! I ended up on the back of this little girls moped going 25km! to get money out of the bank. I think they were to scared to let Chris on the back. It was funny - normally they toot their horn to show you are passing etc.... this time she was beeping away pointing at me! Did I feel on show... she could have at least let me change my shirt and do my hair!
)
Where's your helmet!
We didn't get far that night, we are still not sure what town as it was very small - 1 hotel. But we found it Thai writing and all. They had a fair on that night - it was great fun. The music... interesting. Some Thai singing Chris Isaac is pretty funny. It was great to see the freedom of everyone. Not worrying when the small kids run off. It was like my childhood in Australia, certainly not what it is today.
As we headed further north up the peninsular we decided to take a side trip to view a waterfall... and what a sight we saw! We followed the sign off the main road, kept going straight as we saw no signs. The road went from bitumen to gravel, to packed dirt, to a dirt track. We kept winding around mountains, creeks and all of a sudden we turn a corner to see a hill tribe on the side of the road all wide eyed, stunned, dumb struck at the look and sound of this monster going past. It was amazing! A tribe with spears, babies and all their belongings on their backs. We kept ploughing forward as the road got worse.... and no waterfall. When we couldn't go any further we turned around (a rather difficult and slippery effort on the side of a hill). On the way back we saw the tribe again! We weren't dreaming. I tried to get a photo as we zoomed past (pretty poor effort) but a muddy slope isn't the place to stop. What a side trip!
A hilltribe.....we looked in amazement at them, them at us!
We kept heading north to Krabi where we had previously been to go rock climbing (a favourite memory of ours) We went to dinner in Ao Nang - this was the most magical place for us last time we were there.
Our special place, this is part of the view!
We were there just before the Tsunami, it is now completely covered in hotels etc. The restaurant we loved then as only locals came and was cheap as chips.... is now the flavour of the tourists and charging accordingly. It is still as beautiful as ever.
The next day we left our bike in loving car at the Krabi guest house (Thai people are very acomodating and willing to help) and headed off to Phi Phi Island.
The river out of Krabi into the Andaman Sea, on to Phi Phi!
Again a major tourist attraction - but in saying that you can get something other than noodles or rice. We had a few days on Phi Phi getting our scuba diving certificates and attempting climbing (not a smart idea diving all day then climbing exhausted in the afternoon).
Diving builds up nitrogen in your blood, less energy, not good for climbing, that's the cliff in the background!
(
But the view from the cliff is special!
)
We had a great break eating and enjoying the beach...... and letting our bums recover from all that riding, I needed the rest (well my bottie anyway).
