So Malaysia was cool

My journey in the Cameron Highlands was cool, relaxing, and restful. It was certainly nice to spend some time in a less humid climate and give my body a break. In the evenings it would get quite chilly and I would don fleece sweater and scarf to keep warm while enjoying a few beers by the nightly campfire behind my guesthouse. Daniels guesthouse had and excellent vibe with I chillout area to relax and read during the day and jungle bar out back with a pool table and a campfire to spend the evening hours. On top of that there were plenty of trekking trails to explore full of dense jungle foliage, mossy trees, nice views and some modest waterfalls. It was also impressive to view the agriculture here with gorgeous tea plantations everything is grown on the hillside. Despite the hard work for the locals who work here it seems like such a beautiful setting to work outside in everyday. The downside of all this hillside agriculture is all the land erosion and frequent landslides can be devastating to peoples homes. Most of the roads aren't properly built to prevent this since it provides more employment if there is constant road work from what I told.

Although I was planning to stay in the Cameron highlands longer then explore some of Kuala Lumpur I couldn't resist a visit to the Perhentian Islands after all of the great reviews I was getting from travelling returning from there. I was extremely glad I followed their advice because the Perhentian's turned out to be the best island paradise I have visited so far. I stayed on the smaller island named Kecil in a tiny resort with it's own private beach accessible only by boat. Despite warnings of the coming Monsoons (in fact much of the island was already shut down for the season) I was very fortunate to be greeted by three days of gorgeous sunshine, soft white sand, and crystal clear waters. The larger town of Coral Bay was accessible by a 20min jungle walk which was fun to walk back through guided by the full moon after a BBQ dinner and some drinks there with some friends one night. The rest of my time there was spent laying on the beach and a day snorkeling trip where I saw sea turtles, black tip reef sharks and many fish and bright coral. At night a I slept in a very simple yet charming beach hut with it's own hammock and much needed mosquito nets. Fans were available provided that the generator was left on for the night but some nights it would turn off earlier. One of the more interesting quirks about the place was the very vocal pet otter who was very affectionate and would follow you around asking to get pet. It was remarkably smart and loved to play fetch with a snorkel or for fish. Unfortunately it was only loose when the owner was home and spent a lot of time in a cage where it would cry for attention.

I would have loved to stay in the Perhentian islands longer but I had to boot it to KL so I could catch my flight to meet Jess in Bali. It was a long 9hr bus ride to get there and once I arrived I had really no clue as to where I was in the city or where I was going to spend the night. Travelling through the city is remarkably easy since it served by three different train lines in addition the buses and people were very kind in giving directions so I managed to find myself in China Town at a pretty funky hostel with many aquariums housing HUGE fish. Since it was Friday night there was also a delicious free dinner on the rooftop garden providing a good opportunity to relax with other travelers. I spent the following morning walking around the many street stalls in China town and enjoying some good food before heading to the airport. I certainly have no regrets about spending my time in the Perhentian islands bit it would have been nice to have an extra day in KL so I could have visited some of the bigger attractions and buildings.

Goodbye Thailand

After four days of battering my body and acquiring both bruises and some very sore muscles from climbing to dizzying heights on the gorgeous cliffs of Rai Leh I came to the realization that I had spent four weeks (a third of my travel time) exploring roughly half of a country. Hurriedly I book my bus and ferry to get to the tropical duty free island of Langkawi in Malaysia before my Thai visa expired. Langkawi has of course all the usual touristic activities to do and when we arrived at the jetty on the other side of the island it felt more like we had entered an airport or a shopping mall complete with a Starbucks, McDonalds, and Baskin Robins. Our taxi to the otherside of the island brought us to what we truly wanted a beautiful sand beach and not much to do. I stayed with some truly amazing  and fun people at a place called Gecko house where I was surprised to learn from many of the people staying there that they had been there for over a week and had no plans of leaving in any hurry. A typical day for someone visiting Langkawi involves getting sunburned on the beach, trying not to lose your bathing suit playing in the waves as the tide comes in, then visiting the reggae beach bars at night finishes off with a late night snack of Roti Canang. Easy to understand how someone could stay there for so long but being on a time limit and with more of Malaysia to discover I left after only four night stay and had to say bye to all of my new friends.
From there I went Georgetown on the island of Penang right off the coast of Malaysia. This is an old British settlement with many old heritage building so it looks unlike any other town I have been to so far. In Penang the most popular thing to do is eat and the food is amazing having a mixture of Indian, Chinese, and Malay influences. Unfortunately my experience in Georegtown was tainted. I befriended a Malaysian man at the bar underneath the hostel I was staying who was very fun and friendly at the beginning of the night having lots of travel experience and tips to share bit later after he had drank more he accused me of being "stingy" for not wanting to necessarily share everything him with him. Then later that night I was sleeping in the dormitory of the hostel which is basically a big open space with beds on the upper level and some other drunk man had managed to find his way upstairs into the dorm. I woke up startled to find him kissing my cheek then he sat on my bed and I told him to go away. A man working at the hostel showed up very quickly and kicked him out then came back and told me he had called the police to have him arrested. They gave me another bed to spend the night in in a room where I could lock the door from inside but after that experience I was not comfortable staying there so I moved to find another place to stay on Love Lane. My second night was a much better experience and Georgetown does have many good qualities to it so it unfortunate that my experience was not a good one. If anything it was a reminder that I should be more careful meeting people since I am travelling alone.
I am now inland in the Cameron Highlands which seem quite beautiful so far though I have not been here long. Here the temperature is much more comfortable with the daily highs reaching only 20C which is a nice change from all the humidity and and sweating I was doing at the lower altitudes.

Still more beaches...... (yes life is hard)

Well I really can't complain too much about life in Thailand. Of course there are some places that are purely magical and then other places just want to send you running. I decided to spend a few more days hanging out with my buddies from Koh Phagnan and followed them to the touristic and larger island of Koh Samui. I hadn't originally planned to go there and upon arrival I realized that I had been right not to have those plans. Although it was nice not to have to say bye to everyone we were all split up since we booked accommodations in different places. I was staying with my Korean/Indian friend Esther in a very nice hotel in Chaweng. Chaweng is the hub of Koh Samui tourism where all the beaches are lined with large expensive resorts. It is impossible to walk the streets without being harassed to buy to buy a suit, get a massage, purchase souvenirs, or eat at somebody's restaurant. On top of that the taxis drive around honking at everyone constantly looking to see if someone needs a ride which is something I will never get used to. There were some good points to Samui however, Esther and I spent an afternoon taking a scooter up to a nearby waterfall where you could swim in the cool, refreshing spring water. This was a welcome change from the tepid ocean water I had been swimming in though many people thought it was too cold. I found this entertaining since it was quite warm compared to the Canadian lake water that I am used to.

Following two nights in Koh Samui I boarded a ferry and bus to Krabi town on the west coast of Thailand. This town is considered to be a jumping-off point to access the west coast beaches and islands. Although it is not a particularly exciting town I feel comfortable staying here and the cost of living is much lower than on the islands.The most exciting I witnessed was a cat trying quite unsuccessfully to hunt a scorpion. Also every place here seems to be some combination of guesthouse/restaurant/travel agent/bar/karaoke/massage place/gas station. I have been lucky enough to find a nice guest house to stay in with a very friendly and informative owner. For about $6 a night I get my own private room and bathroom and there is a very good WiFi connection throughout the building. In addition the place offers meager kitchen facilities which is a first for me, and free coffee and tea. I will probably end up sleeping about 8 nights here by the end of my time in Thailand since I'm commuting from here to go rock climbing in nearby Ao Nang. During this time I have also inserted a four night stay in Koh Lanta. Koh Lanta is definitely my favourite island to date. It was very quiet and relaxing and much less touristic than other places I had visited. Because it is low season there is hardly anyone about. The one downside I have to pay for low season fares are unpredictable storms which seem to be worsening as we approach the end of the rainy season and the winds shift directions. I still managed to get a sunburn, go scuba diving, and drove a scooter around the island with my Swiss friend Angela where we discovered the most beautiful private beach I have encountered to date. I also made a Canadian friend, Chuck, who I expect to see again in Indonesia. Soon I will be saying goodbye to Thailand and boarding a bus to cross the border into Malaysia. My first stop will most likely be an island of Langkawi which is reported to have the cheapest beer in the whole country. Shouldn't be too difficult a transition from life in Southern Thailand!