So, left Oz, in the month before arriving in London I went to Burma and did a Gecko tour. Amazing country, fantastic people and good group to travel with. Loads to mention but can't be arsed right now - sorry - except Schwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon, and Inle Lake were my favourite places. Also Mandelay is a busy, dirty city, and the Monks are not what they seem.
Have kept in contact with a couple of lovely girls on the tour which I am greatful for.
Then flew to Bangkok and was based there for 8 days and saw the city and surrounding sights. Arrived smack bang in the middle of their Songkran Festival (Water festival they celebrate for their New Year) which was fun at first but then started to get annoying. I stayed in the Kho San Road area where the main parade was held, and being a 'water' festival, I couldn't walk out of the hostel without a)wading through a crowd mass b)getting wet and c)getting plastered, ie having water and plaster being thrown at you and unknowingly scraped on your hair.
Also, because of the festival alot of the Museums and buildings I wanted to visit were closed.
It was Bangkok where I got acquainted with 'bed bugs' - mungrel things.
Got to see Kanchanaburi and the Bridge over the River Kwai which was pretty cool.
Then fly to Penang. Ended up helping a Guinea/USA based dude with his landing card. He didn't have accommodation so we shared a taxi to the resort I was staying at and got himself his own room. Tried to hang out together but in the end he had his things to do and I had my things to do. It was just as well, as I would never have seen the sights or met some of the 'locals' that I did if I was perceived as travelling with someone else.
Turns out that this dude is a mogul in training. His dad sent him to the US to study but is grooming him to take over the global manufacturing business in Africa. He was in asia to talk to contacts. Apparently his dad has a side business in selling computers among other things.
It's in Penang where I met Ming. A Malay-Chinese man of mystique, the youngest of 18 children with fascinating stories to tell; who wed his wife after only 6 hours of meeting. It was he who read out a chapter of my story, from a book which is still yet to be made - if I choose to write it. The language, undertone, and texture still yet to be decided.
Anyway, the whole time I've been away I've been trying to travel like a local, not a tourist. In Bangkok, the locals were wondering why I was enquiring about bus routes when I could get the tourist rail (can't think of the terminology at the moment but basically they were wondering why I didn't want to travel in comfort).
In Malaysia I had every intention of winging it. I decided to only stay in Penang for 3 days and booked myself on a bus to Kota Baru where I could take a ferry from .....hang on, I've just realised the updates were on previous emails.
Here is an excerp:
Arlyn Santos
Salamat Pagi, so they say in malaysia.
.....Again, did'nt see as much as I thought, but I have learnt so much about the place from actual locals who really know the place. Apart from my hotel, I did everything completely local, from catching buses to sites, eating at the local eateries not the fancy restaurants, and being shown the sites by local people who have generiusly offered thier time to show me around.
Built a good rapport with a limo/transfer driver who I met by trying to help me obtain a bus ticket to Kota Bharu after I realised that the ticket venue has resently changed t o anoither location. I did a deal with him to take me to Penang Hill, the fruit farm, and the beautiful Buterfly farm (I lurve butterflies) plus he took me to a waterfall which only locals know, no tourists.
Anyway, 9pm departure from Georgetown to Kota Bharu on 18april. Arrived 4aqm 19th. Taxi to Kuala Besut where I waited for a speed boat to Puala Kesil. It could not have been a more magical start to the day today. A dawn speedboat ride to the island (45mins), wind in my face, beautiful scenery, and the sun just rising from the horizon.
Arrived at Coral Bay, picked Maya chalet/resort, really basic accom, cold shower, bed, electricity at night, no fone.
Got talking to the caretaker and he ended up giving me breakfast for free. Met Zeni, a really nice girl and invited me for an afternoon snorkel with her friends around the islands.
It was amazing, the coral is interesting, at Turtle bay I was lucky enough to actually touch the larg turtle as he was coming up for air, at Shark bay, we sited the local shark ( sorry dont know what it's called but it was small), saw a miriade of colourful fish, fish that run away from you in one bay, and fish that are more curious about you than you were of them in another bay! Locals are lovely. Will have an intro scuba dive tomorrow.
Will make my way to Kuala Lumpur night on 23april. Stay 24th and fly for London 25th.
HoPE everyone is well.
Love
Arlyn
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