Bali (Kuta) -- Day 1 -- Restu Bali Hotel

It was a long, tiring night at the Hong Kong international airport. My 3 1/2 hour flight to Denpasar at 10.00 am was uneventful. The airport was very cheery and I looked forward to a fantastic time in Bali. Upon arrival, I got a visa for a week (10 USD). Since I had not made any hotel arrangements, I decided to book a room at the airport itself. After going through the brochures I settled on Restu Bali Hotel (435,000 Rupiah for two nights ~ 24 USD per night). This hotel is situated on the main strip in Kuta along Jalan Legian about 1/2 km from the beach.

Kuta is the principal tourist destination in Bali and approximately 15 minutes by taxi from the airport. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants and bars in Kuta Beach and Jalan Legian is the hotbed for nightlife in Bali. However, since 2002, this area has been under a deep economic crisis due to two terrorist bombings. Since most of the Balinese economy is from tourism, the effects of terrorism are very visible -- empty hotels, empty streets, empty stores, empty bars, empty beaches and empty restaurants. It's hard to imagine why someone would commit such dastardly acts on a people who are among the most peaceful and gentlest I've ever met. Unlike the rest of Indonesia, the Balinese are 85% Hindu and their commitment to non-violent ways are always on display. More about the Balinese later!

I took a cab to Kuta (45,000 Rupiah ~ 5 USD), once again a ripoff, not that I minded it that much. One thing you have to get used to is the number of zeros in the currency. You feel like a millionaire in Bali especially when you use the ATMs, and they are plentiful in Bali! First order of business was to get acquainted with the hotel and the surroundings. The hotel was very nice and had two Jacuzzis and two huge swimming pools. My room was for two persons with nice bathrooms and plenty of towels. The hotel was built in a typical Balinese style and reminded me a little of temples in India, however, without the ostentatious decorations. The hotel staff were extremely polite, helpful and spoke English with varying degrees of familiarity. The hotel was practically empty, maybe the fact that it was off-season had something to do something with it as well.

I relaxed for an hour in the Jacuzzi and never saw any other guests. After a quick shower, I checked with the hotel reception for restaurant recommendations. In the meanwhile, one of the hotel staff, Ayub, an extremely nice, polite man, suggested that the following day I try some outdoor activities. He was going to be my de facto guide throughout my stay in Bali. I sauntered along Jalan Legian and had an early dinner at Made Warung restaurant (it was also recommended by Lonely Planet). I relaxed with a bottle of Bintang beer until food. I had some excellent pork satay and nasi goreng (104,000 Rp). I shared my table with two young Japanese girls who spoke very little English. Nevertheless, with sign language and some Japanese words I knew, we had a great time.

Dinner done with, I walked back along Jalan Legian and took in the hundreds of (empty) arts and handicrafts stores, sporting goods stores, jewelery stores, restaurants, clothing stores and the always open bars. The merchandise was touristy for the most part and in my opinion a little schlocky. Of course, you cannot avoid the guys standing around offering you fake watches and shades or hawking "massage parlors". In an effort to survive, many of them convert their motorbikes into impromptu taxis. If you are traveling alone, it's a good deal to take one of these motorbikes. I stopped at Roscoe's Bar near my hotel and had two more Bintang beers (16,000 Rp each). You don't have to tip, although they were very glad when I did so. I returned to my hotel room and slept early, for the next day was going to be hectic.

KL-Hong Kong -- Day 4 -- Goodbye Again!

This was my last day in KL. I checked out of Pondok lodge, left my luggage at the guest house and went downstairs to meet Perng for breakfast. He took me to a local Malaysian-Chinese place where we had typical breakfast, noodles for me, some tripe with noodles for Perng and plenty of hot tea. We went to KLCC (below Petronas Towers) just to chat and had some soy milk beverage (it didn't taste too bad). He gave me a brief lesson in Malay history; we talked about the neo-Islamic architecture and watched some classical South Indian music played in the KLCC podium (it was nearing Diwali-time). Around 12.30 pm, I had to bid goodbye to Perng, since I was scheduled to fly out at 4.45 pm.

I went back to the lodge, picked up my luggage and took a cab to KLIA (12 MYR). From KLIA, I took the most excellent KLIA ekspres (sic) and arrived early. For 35 MYR, you arrive right at the airport within 1/2 hour avoiding all the traffic. I had the lousiest nasi goreng at the airport food court. The plane ride to Hong Kong was uneventful, but on the downside, I had almost 12 hours before my flight to Den Pasar (Bali). The time was too short to venture into Hong Kong Island for an overnight stay.

The best option was to the Hong Kong airport hotel. Unfortunately, it was too damn expensive (1,800 HKD plus 18% service charge/tax) ~ 220 USD. I could have afforded it, but in the spirit of the backpacking trip I declined and walked back to the terminal, and slept fitfully on the none-too comfortable chairs near the arrival lounge. Had I known better, I would have checked in and used the comfortable "barca-loungers" inside the terminal. Oh well! To pass time, I read, listened to my iPod, slept, woke up, read, listened to iPod, drank water, slept and so on. On to Bali!

Malaysia -- Day 3 -- Hello again, Kuala Lumpur!

I woke up early and not wanting to disturb my two roommates, Nicholas and Marianne, I stepped outside, saw the sunrise, heard the birds chirping and updated my diary entries. Since there was still plenty of time left, I took a little nap that turned into a big mistake -- I overslept and missed my ferry ride back to Jerantut that was scheduled to leave at 9.30 am. Damn! No point crying over spilled milk. So, I bade a hasty goodbye to my roommates and rushed to the pier only to see my ferry pull away. I talked to the kind lady at the counter, who miraculously arranged private transportation by car to Jerantut through Mohammad, one of the locals. To make the best of a bad situation, I had a sumptuous, leisurely breakfast.

Around 10.30 am or so, Mohammad was ready with his beat up Honda Prelude to take me to Jerantut. The ride lasted an hour-and-a-half, and I was well in time to catch my 3 1/2 hour bus ride to KL. I thanked Mohammad profusely (terimah kasih, terimah kasih, terimah kasih) and compensated him handily. Despite the lack of a common language, we were able to communicate some. Upon arrival, I had a quick bite to eat, climbed the charter bus to KL and met the Dutch couple, Nicolas and Eti again. Like all Dutch people I've met before, they spoke excellent English. We spent many a pleasant hour chatting with each other.

Nicolas is going to school while Eti works for a travel agency in Amsterdam. She is of Indonesian origin and adopted at a very young age by a Dutch family. Her biological family had to separate her from her identical twin sister for financial reasons (basically sold her for money). Her father has since passed away and only recently has she been able to get in touch with her biological family in Indonesia. She knew very little Bahasa, but she is now learning it in all earnest to reconnect. Eti told me that she was going to write a book about her experience as a immigrant adoptee in the Netherlands and about the differences and similarities of twins reared in different cultures. It ought to be interesting. I wish her luck.

We arrived in KL downtown, walked to the subway station and unfortunately, the entire system was down due to a computer glitch. Bummer! I didn't have a place to stay, but they were booked in Pondok Lodge Hostel in the Golden Triangle area and I went along with them. We took a cab from the train station and surprisingly paid according to the meter, 7 MYR instead of 25 MYR "tourist fare". I was fortunate to get an a/c room at 55 MYR (~ 15 USD) per night. Pondok lodge is a popular backpackers' destination and justifiably so. The rooms were clean, the staff very helpful, free breakfast and close to typical tourist spots. I highly recommend this place. We freshened up, met on the rooftop of the lodge, had a few beers we bought at a store and chatted. The view of the high-rises in downtown KL would have been excellent but for the ubiquitous smog.

We strolled in the Golden Triangle -- this area is filled with expensive, trendy bars with a lot of ex-pats and tourists. Did I mention it was expensive? We glimpsed at the prices in a German bar -- 34 MYR (~ 10 USD) for a glass of Paulaner Salvator! Dinner was at a local Malaysian joint (good nasi Pattaya, lousy tandoori chicken, good murtabak ayam, nasi goreng and a Malaysian fish curry). The total tab was 45 MYR. That was a great, satisfying meal.

We then walked around the neighboring Chinatown looking for mosquito repellent (yes we had to!). In Chinatown, of course, you see a lot of eateries and smelled the infamous durian fruit. The stink from this "fruit" is indescribable. Travel and food writer Richard Sterling says:

"... its odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia."

See the image (courtesy Wikipedia) prohibiting the fruit in Singapore.

Once sated from food and our curiosity satisfied, we walked back and had a few cocktails at Ceylon bar, just below the guest house. Each of us had three drinks for a bar tab of 50 MYR each. Not very cheap, but harmless fun nevertheless. Nothing like alcohol give you a good buzz and to put you to sleep. So, to all a good night!

Malaysia -- Day 2 -- Taman Negara National Park

After a short "overnight" stay of 4 hours at Hotel Sri Emas in Jerantut, I had a long overdue shower and got ready at 8.00 am for my trip to Taman Negara. At 130 million years old, it is one of the oldest (and largest) living rain forests in the world. It became a protected region in 1939 and has since become one of the most popular destinations for ecotourism in Malaysia. I went to the NBK travel agency and made reservations that included bus transfer to Tembeling pier, 3-hour ferry rides to and from Taman Negara, a visit to Orang Asli (Malaysian aborigine village) and finally a bus ride from Jerantut to KL. The travel agency was very nice and the folks very helpful. The total cost of my Taman Negara stay was 130 MYR. Over breakfast, I met again the French couple, Nicholas and Marianne.

The bus ride was very comfortable and at the Tembeling pier we used the restroom, because for the next 3 hours there was going to be no opportunity. Plenty of bottled water was at hand and necessary. The ferry ride was very relaxing and refreshing, but after two hours, we were itching to set our feet on solid ground. Upon arrival in Taman Negara, Nicholas, Marianne and I checked into Tahan guest house, a strenuous 10 minute walk from the pier. There were no individual rooms, so we shared a room with bunk beds at 10 MYR per night per guest. Tahan guest house is a sweet little cottage run by Muslims. Their custom forbids alcohol usage inside the rooms and no footwear was allowed either. I felt very much at home and I shall definitely be returning there.

I had lunch (12 MYR) at the pier (a Malayan fish curry with rice and coconut juice). I had chosen to see the Orang Asli village (orang = old in Malay, asli = real) at 3.30 pm. I wanted to do the very popular canopy walk. Typically, this is a group activity and a guided tour, but since I was running out of time, I rented a ferry (40 MYR) and went bravely to do this.

Normally, the canopy walk takes 20 minutes across one of the most exciting suspended bridges in the world. I stepped off the ferry, and instead of turning left, I turned right. A colossal mistake! I ended up walking alone in the rain forest through relatively empty paths for an hour. I usually enjoy a strenuous trek, but this wasn't the time or the place for it and I ran out of -- gasp -- drinking water. I was sweating profusely, my throat was parched and I was tired. To top it all, the signs are really, really poor. Anyway, I stumbled around desperately looking for a path to the river bank and once I found it, I reached the water joyously and waited for a ferry to pick me up. I was 2 km upstream from my purported drop-off point and was literally "up a shit creek without a paddle". After an interminable half-an-hour, a flagged down a ferry and the local fisherman took me back to the drop off point. Communicating with him was a problem. My ferry took me back to the landing, and my "savior" had a big laugh at my expense with his buddies. God knows what they told each other!

I rested a few minutes, drank drink plenty of water and joined the group visiting the Orang Asli. The aborigines reminded me of the Todas I had seen many years ago in Ooty, South India. Our guide spoke good English and gave us a glimpse into their history, lifestyles and habits. We learned (a little) to make fire using rattan fiber, a piece of hardwood and bamboo shavings, to use a blowpipe and to drink water from branches cut from trees. Survival skills in the jungle apparently. Interesting stuff! The aborigines were very friendly but there was no way to communicate with them.

I had a set dinner of a vegetarian soup, chicken satay and a whole grilled fish (14 MYR) at a riverside restaurant. Excellent! At 9.00 pm, I joined a night safari that took us in open-air jeeps through palm tree plantations. I met a young Dutch couple this time, Nicolas and Eti. We were outside for an hour-and-a-half, but all we saw were a couple of owls and leopard cats -- these leopard cats were more cats than leopards. It was nice to be out in the open, though, with fresh breeze in our faces, mitigating somewhat the hot night air. It was a long, hectic day and I went to sleep immediately.

Singapore - Malaysia -- Day 1 -- Johar Bahru

Here begins the second half of my journey with a well-deserved break in India. I arrived at Singapore Changyi Airport and from Terminal 2, I took the subway to Bugis station. The subway system in Singapore is absolutely fantastic; it is clean, fast and always on time and a pleasure to use. It was around 12.30 pm and I had a bit to eat (nasi goreng and coke) on Queens Street, very close to the fish market. I then hopped over to the taxi stand and took a shared taxi (S$ 8) across the Causeway to Johar Bahru on the Malaysian side. The immigration and customs were all processed while sitting in the cab. A nice touch! Incidentally, while taking the cab ride, there are signs instructing Singapore drivers not to drive empty to Johar Bahru and fill up in Malaysia, because gas is cheaper. The fine for such a "violation" is S$ 500 (~ 350 USD). Singapore is a "fine" city indeed.

You see the difference as soon as you step your foot into Johar Bahru. It's not quite as clean and as well organized. I walked a bit to the train station and bought a second class ticket with a sleeper (34 MYR) to Jerantut, the gateway to Taman Negara National Forest. The train was to leave only at 7.56 pm (and arrive at 2.54 am); I had almost 5 hours to kill. So I left my backpack at the train station and wandered in Johar Bahru with no particular plan. After searching a bit, I found an ATM and withdrew cash for the rest of my stay in Malaysia.

Johar Bahru is filled with people of Indian descent, mostly Tamilians. It is a peculiar thing with emigrants; their behavior and taste are frozen to the time they left their place of origin -- in Johar Bahru's case the 70's. What many of them don't realize is that their places of origin have moved on, but the emigrants haven't changed in the least bit. The city was dusty and hot -- no surprise there, and in the heat, many Indian vendors were preparing for Diwali, the festival of lights. Loud music everywhere and all sorts of things to eat too. Interesting town, but not worth wasting a vacation on.

At a local pub I had a beer, which at 15 MYR is indeed very expensive, but that is the case in all of Malaysia anyway. Some more walking around, some more water, rinse and repeat. Around 6.30 pm or so, I walked into an Indian eatery and got some biriyani and roti channai. It was filling and not the best food. The people running the eatery were very nice and friendly though. I also got some tea, but did not like it all. Finally, I pickup up my luggage and got ready to board the train.

The train was similar in many ways to those in India. Families with wailing kids, upper and lower berths, somewhat mysteriously functioning doors on the trains, dull colors, squat-down toilets, faded curtains etc. It had a quaint and homely feeling to it. The train started slowly and picked up speed only gradually. In some sections, the train swayed quite a bit, but it was no cause for worry. The travel is supposed to offer excellent views during the day, but sadly I took the night train. So, no views of greenery for me. There is excellent information about train travel here and the route too.

Finally arrived at Jerantut station at 3.15 am and met a nice young French couple, Nicholas and Marianne. A bus (or rather a minivan) was waiting to take us to Sri Emas guest house, a short 10 minutes away. I took the only room available, an air-conditioned room (30 MYR) for just three hours. I didn't mind it, because I was sleep deprived and badly in need of a shower. Time to sleep.