ipoh

Another one nighter in this town. A device merely to break up the long bus journey from the Cameron Highlands to Hat Yai. Ipoh (curiously named after a tree which secretes poisonous sap) was also once as the "City of Millionaires" and "the town that tin built" as vast fortunes made during the boom of the tin mining and rubber industries. Some of the magnificient buildings date from this era, at the turn of the 20th century. In parts of the town there is a distinctly colonial feel with wide games parks, churches and the last remnants of the British time.

On the day of our arrival it poured and poured. On the day of our departure it was blisteringly hot. Too hot in fact to walk very far but we put in a fair effort. There were a few things to see but not much. It is a city in decline; economically and in terms of population.

My favourite place was an old Chinese run bar-come-restaurant where all the European adventurers and rogues would congregate after a hard days fortune seeking. It was as if the place were frozen in time. The 1920's. All old adverts, pictures, ceiling fans and heavy furniture. It had a very interesting feel. I could imagine the number of intrigues that took place there, the fist fights, the fortunes made, the fortunes lost, the dreams of home.

A pleasant enough town. A night there sufficed before getting back on the bus to cross the border back into Thailand. I liked Malaysia in many ways. It is a modern place where they have managed to achieve greatly equality, in terms of wealth, than say Thailand. Even though it is the year of tourism, there wasn't a lot to really excite me. The cater well for tourism but they lack the natural warmth of Thai's. I was shocked to read that Malaysia receives two million more tourists annually than Thailand. Oh, and it is one hell of a problem trying to buy pork!

tanah rata

My intention had been to continue south after KL passing through Melaka and crossing the border into Singapore. From there I would take a flight to South Africa. Well, I hadn't booked a flight and when the extent of the flooding in the border area became apparent, I figured to jettison the idea. So I would go back north. It could be argued that the ease of travelling in Thailand was a lure too. Oh, and then there's Kanya.

I had always had in mind a trip to the Cameron Highlands so it made sense to stop there en route. As the name suggests it is mountainous region noted for its tea plantations. It would offer a nice cool climate too. The bus journey was full of hairpins and steep climbing. We finally arrived at Tanah Rata which is the tourist town of choice for further exploration.

The rain continued to follow us and it limited our choices in terms of trekking but we managed to book a day long tour that would take in the principal attractions. The tea planations (which are beautiful), butterfly farm, strawberry farms, rose gardens, a Chinese temple and vegetable farms. It was all a bit rushed and some of the 'attractions' were shoddy. Worse was having to listen to the moronic drone of two continuously chattering Americans for the whole day. Christ but it the nearest thing to a non-medically performed lobotomy.

One night was enough as there was nothing to do in the evening and I felt I had seen what I wanted to see.

kuala lumpur

So it was onto the capital city of Kuala Lumpur or KL as it is commonly called. The bus journey was four hours. Of course, I got ripped off by the taxi driver in getting to the hotel in the Golden Triangle district. But I was unconcerned as the hotel was simply the best of my trip. As the five star hotel in George Town was nicely priced I enquired about whether they had a sister hotel in KL. They did and they were having a promotion. So for $100 I got a suite, complete with kitchen (oh the joy) and DVD/multi-media system and a gorgeous outdoor pool. From the balconey we had a pananormic view of KL with the Petronas Towers dominanting the view. The vista was breathtaking at night.

The only downside of our four days here was the dull weather with incessant drissle. Still we naviagated through the city easily with the help of their efficient underground train system. Saw the Chinese night markets, the museums, checked out the impressive acquarium and the sparkling shopping malls. I enjoyed watching thosuands of people desend from their offices to the Natonal Mosque for Friday prayers. It was a peculair sight with so many people sprawled out around the park in every direction from the overflowing mosque.

I kept hesitating as to when to take to the skybridge and experience the views from the world famous Petronas Towers. The clouds were low most days and visibility was pretty poor. Then on the final day there was a break in the weather and we made our way to the tower. I still don't understand their ticketing system but it works something along the lines of queue up at 7.30am and hopefully you will be lucky enough to buy a ticket for that day. The tickets were all sold by 10am. I wasn't that perturbed as I have stood on top of many tall buildings during my trip.

KL is nice. A business city really. For me, the hotel was absolutely the defining experience. To have such a space (it was more like a large apartment), to be able to cook at leisure, to watch DVD's, to have a swim when I wanted was just perfect. It was very comfortable and relaxing.

Well worth the dough!