Pacific Rim, Part VII: Malaysia

Fri, Mar 14
The Larkin parking lot is a mess of stalls selling tickets to different places. I’m having trouble reading the signs, because I’m not familiar with the cities. I’m just looking for Kuala Lumpur or for KL. I find one and try to look for a price, but I don’t see one – this is looking a lot like Bali. Is it all negotiable? Anyway, I see a bus ride for about $8 and stand there. Meanwhile, men have been swarming around me asking “where you go?” since I got off the bus. Now that I know the going rate, I feel more comfortable with talking to them. Buses are scheduled hourly on the hour, and it’s 1310. Looks like I’ve got a 50 minute wait, so when the guy says he’s got a bus leaving right now, I pay a $2 premium to get started early.

I hindsight, I think I may have been taken for a ride, but again, I chock it up to a learning experience. Besides, can I really feel robbed for $2? All I know is that I got on the bus and waited another 30 minutes for the bus to fill. Once it was full, we left, yet I saw a bunch of buses leave earlier; they’re nicer, and they’re not full. Hmmm? I wonder if those were the “reputable” hourly buses… Oh well. I sit in the back row next to a woman and feel terrible for her. I STINK! I’d been warned of the heat, but it doesn’t feel that hot. The humidity however, is insane. I walk outside and start to drip. I’d been walking all through Singapore working up a sweat, then I had to drag my 44 pound pack to the bus stop, then across the border… I feel terrible for her and do my best to keep my arms down.

About half way we stop at some type of truck stop on the side of the road. They have a bunch of restaurants (if you can call them that), toilets, and basic needs. It’s no Flying J, but I find it curious enough to go in. I’m reminded that Malaysia is a Muslim country when nearly everyone working there is dressed in full Muslin garb. It’s hot as freakin’ heck, and I’m wondering how they manage…

Back into my own stink on the bus for a few more hours… The ride is long and terrible. Actually, it was more comical than terrible. The roads are miserably broken, and I think sitting in the last row signed me up for a rollercoaster ride that I hadn’t planned. I was hoping to read my BEST INVESTMENT EVER and get some rest. Not so much.

I arrive in KL about 21:00. The bus station is an absolute zoo, and I decide to get out of the crowd ASAP. Surprisingly, it’s been raining (more like a downpour), but the rain stops for me and start looking for a room in Chinatown, next to the bus station. I find the Red Dragon Hotel, recommended by Lonely Planet, and get a room to drop off my bag.

A guy named Rold waits to check in just after me, and we decide to grab a bite. The food they’re preparing on the street doesn’t look appetizing to me, and the smell is even worse. We end up at the Reggae Bar and have a drink instead. He’s from Poland and is the reason why we have Polish jokes. Sure, he’s well traveled, but he’s narrow minded and not interested in an opposing point of view. Maybe someone else is interested in what he has to say, so I not-so-kindly excused myself. I think he may be the reason I lost my appetite.

Sat, Mar 15
I’m up early on purpose. I’ve planned to make a couple of stops in Kuala Lumpur then hustle up to Thailand. I set an alarm, but as usual, my excitement wakes me early. Back in 1999, the Holy Cows did a presentation on Malaysia in our Human Resources class. Aside from Robin in my cow print boxer shorts, I honestly don’t remember anything about the presentation. I’m actually not sure about the topic either, but I also remember the Petronas Twin Towers. They were the tallest skyscrapers in the world until 2004, and they’re here in Kuala Lumpur. Better yet, there’s a bridge that connects the two at the 41st floor, and at 08:30 they give out timed tour tickets that start at 10:00. I figure I’ve got a 20-30 minute commute, so I’m up at 07:00 to be safe. It’s about 2km away, but rather than walk, I decide that I should learn to use the subway.

I get to the Petronas Towers at about 08:10 and find about 200 of my closest friends already there, sitting on the floor, patiently waiting in a very organized line. They’re not messing around here either. They’ve got armed police officers there to make sure that the line stays orderly, and that really means that no one cuts in line. That alone makes me love Malaysia. I think the people working there are Swiss too. They roll up the door at 08:30 and start organizing tours. It’s all first come, first served, and the tickets are provided in 15 minute increments. The earlier I go, the sooner I can get to Thailand, so I’m anxious. At 08:50, I get my 10:15 ticket and decide to spend a little time in the building.

The two towers are connected by a six story mall, and it opens at 09:00- an excellent place to blow a little time. Unfortunately, my cold finally caught up with me. I thought I’d escaped the normally associated cough, but I developed one in Singapore. Now I’m all kinds of phlegmy, and I stop into a drug store to grab some cough syrup. I can’t read a word of the Malaysian nor the Arabic, so I seek help from the pharmacist. I get what I need and check out to find that I don’t have enough money! Oh Dear! I look for a money changer, but they don’t open until 10:00. I’m sitting on a bunch of Singapore dollars, because their stronger than the Malaysian Ringgit, and I have no idea how much I’ll need to survive for the day. I leave the pharmacy with my head low and promise to come back with money.

I make the money exchange at 10:00, get the cough syrup and hustle back to the tour site just in time but find that my tour already started! They race me into the elevator and tell me to see the promotional movie afterwards. The view is nice but the morning’s events were much more fun. I’d planned to also visit the KL Tower and the National History Museum, but I’m anxious to get to Thailand. I take my time walking through town enjoying the trees and hills and tourist traps. I get very mixed KL opinions from other travelers, but the part I saw is lovely.

I make it to the bus station to find out that the busses to Thailand leave at either 09:00 or at 22:00. It’s 12:00, so I have a decision to make – spend the day in KL or make my way north and see what happens. What the hell – why not head north. I get a 13:00 ticket to
Butterworth. From Butterworth, I should be able to take the ferry to Georgetown and spend the night on the island of Penang.

I hoof it back to the Red Dragon to collect my bag and grab some food before the 5 hour bus ride. The bus system is complete chaos. I stand where I’m supposed to be about 15 minutes early and wait. Then some guy shows up and tells us to leave that spot and go somewhere else. Then we end up leaving the station, walking across the street, down the street, across the street again… Still I manage to follow the crowd and get onto the bus at 13:25. This time I was able to sleep a little, maybe because I was tired, maybe because it was a nice bus, and maybe because I sat farther forward; it doesn’t really matter now.

At 18:30, we arrive and I manage to catch the ferry to Georgetown. I learned my transportation lesson and take a bus to the central bus station to figure out how to get to Thailand before even considering where to stay. Buses leave at 05:00, 08:30 and 12:00. Cool. I find my way to 100 Cintra Street and get a room in a very interesting old Chinese warehouse. The door, if you can call it that, is so narrow that my pack almost won’t make it. Anyway, the owner is super cool, gives me a map, and tells me where to go for food, Internet, phones, buses, etc.

I decided on the 05:00 bus, because I’d like to get to Thailand and actually enjoy the daylight. I figure I can go to bed early and get a full night’s sleep or I can stay up late and take my chances at sleeping on the bus. It’s dark now, but I head out and spend the evening getting to know Georgetown and wonder if Jolie is feeling me.

I stop at a night market (open air food court with entertainment) to check out the scene and buy some yam ice cream. I have no idea what to expect, but it sounded more interesting than it tasted. I make the rest of my way through town taking photos of things in the dark and appreciating the night’s energy. I suppose since it’s so hot everyone really gets out at night. I make it back before the midnight curfew and head to bed.

The room is overflowing with character so I spend some time appreciating it. The room is about 6’x8’. You step in (if you’re thin) and have about 2 feet of space to stand before reaching an 18 inch platform. The platform has a futon-type mattress with a mosquito net over the top. The other half of the platform has a fan and a hanging basket. Lastly, it has huge burnt red shutters (no windows) that open to the roof next door and black iron bars to protect me from whatever’s out there. I leave my pack and shoes on the lower level. I open the windows, turn the fan on, and put my purse and clock in the basket. I close the mosquito net around me and check inside for any current residents. I see only some ladybug looking insect and go to sleep.

Sun, Mar 16
My alarm is set for 04:00, but I wake at 03:58. I look at my clock to see the time and think I’m a bad ass. I lay down for a couple of seconds when I hear something at my bag. I decide to be adventurous and turn on the light. I start to lift the top of my bag when I think I see a little mouse run away. How cute! I guess the mouse was small enough to get through the iron bars and really liked the idea of my Australian goodies for breakfast. Anyway, time to get ready. I pack the last of my things and check the room. I see those ladybug things again, but this time they’re bigger and darker. The sadist in me comes out and I squash one (like a bug.) HOLY CRAP! It’s loaded with blood, and I’m guessing that it wasn’t from my mousy roommate. Ladies and Gentlemen, I think I’ve been introduced to bed bugs.

My bus comes at 04:45, and thankfully I’m essentially ready. I wrap things up and head out. It’s more of a minivan than a bus, but that works for me. We pick up some more folks on the island and make a run for the border. It’s supposed to take 8 hour to get to Krabi, Thailand from Penang, and I wonder why I don’t fly. The flight from KL to Krabi would have been the same price as the two bus rides, but I would have missed Penang entirely. Granted, I didn’t see a whole lot of the island, but I got a good feel for it, and its character. Besides, there’s no scenery on the plane, and I’d probably be with a bunch of tourists. The bus rides are overflowing with character, and I totally recommend them. I will however, start looking into the night buses simply to take advantage of the daylight in the cities a little more. Then again, it’s hot in the daytime and the a/c on the buses are generally on turbo mode.