Malaysia - truly paradise

Photos

After Christmas, Julia went to Japan for a much-deserved holiday so I took the opportunity to go to Malaysia. I had planned a trip to the beach but the gorgeous Clairo had told me about Bako National Park in Sarawak where she'd been to and loved. Since the two of us are like one mind in two bodies, I didn't hesitate to book my flights to Kuching, the capital of Sarawak and gateway to Bako NP.

At the last second, I also decided that I would take the bus to Kuala Lumpur before flying to Kuching. I had to cross the Singapore-Malaysia border to Jahor Bahru (JB) that night anyway to catch the stupid-early flight to Kuching so I thought at the very least it would be lovely scenery and I would be able to have a quick look at KL. Well, the bus left at 9:00am and arrived at KL an hour late at 4:00pm (via scenery made-up entirely of Palm Trees and Freddy Kruger slashing people in a very wet and noisy way on the bus TV) so I actually didn't have the chance to see much before I had to leave again on the last bus at 11pm.

First thing I did of course was to find some food! So I found a great Indian joint that gave me far too much food (so they could overcharge me) but it was delicious. There was just far too much of it and so to ease my pain, I walked around the city which had enough colonial architecture and interesting sites to entertain me. I also called an old HK friend from primary school who was in KL visiting her parents so we'd agreed to meet for dinner. Instructions in hand, I found a cab who said some indecipherable things but smiled lots so I (foolishly) nodded and got in. Stupid, stupid girl.

After a few minutes I noticed he hadn't turned the meter on and I asked him about it. "But we've agreed on a price," he told me this time completely decipherable. I looked at him blankly. "Twenty ringgit," he said. "TWENTY ringgit?!" I said. He nodded sagely. Grimly, I sat back. I was stuck, and he knew it. I had nodded before I got in, but I hadn't heard anything that sounded like 'twenty ringit'. We arrived and I repeated my instructions to him because as far as I could tell he'd gone the opposite way to where I wanted to go. He said, yes, this is the place and even more grimly I gave him his money and went in.

I found the restaurant but couldn't see Dan or her parents so messaged Daniella. Long story short, the taxi driver had taken me to the wrong mall (which happened to have the same restaurant). Well, if I was angry before I was FURIOUS now. He had indeed just done a big loop and dropped me off close to where I'd gotten in. The man at the information desk was wonderful, helping me figure out where I was and where I wanted to go, tutting at the behaviour of the taxi driver. '

Thoughts of how to hunt the cab man down and hex him with a hernia broiled in my head as I jumped in another cab, making sure the meter was on this time. Late and flustered, I finally arrived at the right destination but when I looked at the meter it was even more expensive, close to thirty ringgit! In disbelief I asked how on earth that could be, and he pointed to a small sign on the dashboard: "Premium Taxi". I was speechless. Needless to say, KL had not impressed me thus far.

Dinner with Daniella and her parents was lovely though, and I felt terrible that I made them wait for so long and then they had to listen to me vent about the whole situation. Afterwards, I had to go straight to the bus station and had to, of course, take a taxi. Being in an upmarket area didn't help my situation I think because when I would insist on the meter, they would all shake their head and tell me twenty ringgit. Cab after cab I tried, and poor Natalie, she was so worried I would miss my bus but I refused to pay the twenty ringgit. I mean, it is the equivalent of maybe AUS$7 but it was the principle of the thing!

I lost my rag a little at one guy who had the audacity to tell me that it was cheaper than the meter. "If it was cheaper than the meter then you'd let me use the meter," I told him through gritted teeth. He had no answer to that. "You know that doesn't make any sense, don't you? You are extorting me, and you think I'm stupid enough to believe you?!"

He paused. "Twenty ringgit," he said again.

I slammed the door shut a little harder than I should have.

Anyway, I found a guy who agreed to ten ringgit and arrived in just enough time, deciding on a new rule: if the total travel time exceeds the duration at the destination, DON'T BOTHER. I know some of you are going "Well, duh" but I guess I had to figure that one out the hard way. I arrived in JB at 3am, got to the airport at 4am, got on the plane at 7am and arrive in Kuching, exhausted, at 8am.
But from there, I had the most wondrous few days and have fallen head over heals in love with Sarawak.

I can't do justice to the kindness and warmth of the Sarawak people, the stunning beauty of Bako National Park, or the feeling of being home when I was in Kuching but the photos are a small step of the way. Kuching (literally "City of Cats") is a beautiful city, with the wonderful mix of cultures that I love so much about Malaysia. I walked around the city for hours, learned about the cultural and natural history in the Sarawak Museum, tasted the local fare along the riverside Waterfront Promenade, checked out the plethora of cat statues, walked the back streets, saw the awesome panorama of Kuching and surrounds from the heights of the Civic Centre, had special Sarawak Laksa and an ABC Special at the Open Air Market, shopped India Street, and ate Bee Mee Hoon at the best-known restaurant in Kuching. I even used my very basic mandarin to buy local sweets in China Street to the well-veiled shock of the shop keeper.

And I didn't even get to do so many other things I wanted to do! Outside Kuching is a Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre where you can see Orang Utans, a Cultural Village showing the traditional ways of life of some of the local minorities, and a Cat Museum! All the more reason to go back at the end of the year since I'll be in S'pore anyway for Jules' wedding!

But the highlight of my trip was Bako National Park. From the moment I stepped off the boat and waded up the beach, to watching the early morning mist wrap around the headland as I was ferried away 40 hours later, I had a clarity and peace of mind that only such untouched wild beauty can foster. I mean, in that first afternoon I took a short hike through pristine rainforest, saw a family of Proboscis Monkeys playing in the trees high above, watched the sunset over the ocean, and listened to frogs sing as I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I was on the trail by 07:30 and I blissfully hiked for nine hours along one of the park's longest trails. I saw birds, lizards, hermit crabs, fish, pitcher plants, army ants, stick insects, mouse deer tracks, macaques and (most excitingly) Bornean Bearded Pigs! They must have caught my scent because before I could get too close, they crashed away through the undergrowth, but I did see them and it was awesome! I don't know why I was so fascinated with them, but it really made my day to see them. The going was rough in some spots where the rains had flooded the track and knocked down some trees, so after seven hours I was a little exhausted. I did make it to the waterfall though and stopped there was a rest and a swim. I lay next to the waterfall in the sun, reading David Attenborough's fantastic autobiography "Life on Air". He is my hero, and while lying there I read about one of his trips to Borneo and it all just felt so right.

As the sun left my relaxation spot, I felt like I should move on before I stiffened up too much so I took my happy aching muscles back to camp. I saw the family of Proboscis monkeys again, this time up close and personal on the mudflats (and boy, that nose looks so much stranger at close range!) I can't think of a way I'd rather spend a day, it was total bliss. And that night I learnt NEVER to leave my camera behind no matter what because at dinner an enormous male bearded pig wandered into camp, and I had stupidly left my camera in my room. You should have seen the size of him! I don't think I've ever been so close to a wild mammal that large. It was the perfect end to one of the best days of my life.

First thing the next morning, I caught the boat back to Kuching (then travelling back to Singapore) and it was really really hard to leave. I had seen and spoken to virtually no one in my 36 hours at Bako and I felt so at peace that I didn't want to join the population at large again. I watched the beach disappear from view as we rounded the headland and knew that not only would I return to this wondrous place one day, but that I would carry it with me in my heart.