Bagan and Mandalay

Tuesday 18th October

At lunchtime I got a taxi with an older British couple to the long-distance bus station, about 45 minutes north of Yangon. I got fried rice for late lunch and the waiter brought me another side serving of chilly sauce and onion when he saw I had already finished one - I like the customer service here.

The bus was comfortable and air-conditioned. The only other tourists on the bus were a French guy with his wife and son. For entertainment a Myanmar comedy was showing on the TV; it was a bit loud but with my earplugs in it was ok and I watched some of it and although I didn't understand the language it was easy enough to get the gist.

We stopped for late dinner at a roadside food court. I felt  a bit like a pop star as the young male and female staff did a lap around the table to have a look at me; it was fine.

After a stop to repair a flat tyre, we arrived in the rain in Nyang U, near Bagan at 3am. Our taxi was a horse and cart. The driver was helpful and we checked into the second place we found and the owner didn't charge us for this night. Sharing a room with Japanese Kage. Bed at 3:30am.


Wednesday 19th October

We had breakfast across the road; Kage had fried rice, but, not being Asian, I try not to have rice 3 times a day, so I had pancake with honey. We hired sturdy bikes and headed out in the rain to see the famous temples of Bagan. There are about 4400 Buddhist temples in this area dating from about 850AD until about 1100AD. There are temples everywhere, mostly small red-brick temples but plenty of bigger ones too.

As we got to Old Bagan we saw the first few small temples and continued on to Tharabar Gate. Ananda Pahto temple houses four large Buddha statues. We went to Nathlaung Kyaung temple which is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. We cycled down to the Ayeyarwady river which is maybe a km wide at that point.

After late lunch Kage headed back to the hotel and I continued on. I went south to the Manuha Paya around the back of which, inside, is a reclining Buddha with a big smile. I headed north again and was thinking that it was ok going from temple to temple, but each one is not that spectacular in its own right, and I have done this kind of thing quite a few times in other countries.

Anyway, I carried on along some flooded tracks, which was kind of fun and I followed the horse and carts taxiing the older tourists around. This led me to the most popular temple, Shwesandaw Paya. I parked my bike, took off my sandals and began the steep ascent up the west side of the temple. When I reached the top terrace and looked around and saw the view across the countryside with so many rust-coloured temples dotting the landscape I realised why people come here; it was beautiful and serene, inspite of, or perhaps because of, the skies being overcast.

I took a couple of small detours on the way back and then headed along the main road and back to the hotel. Tasty veggie noodles for dinner but a bit oily.

Thursday 20th October

It was after 10am by the time I had slept in, had breakfast with the French family and then hired a bicycle. I headed out in the same direction as yesterday making more stops along the way to visit temples off the main road along muddy tracks. I visited Shwezigon Paya (temple). where the ladies tried to steer me towards their souvenir stalls, even gently grabbing my arm. This is a big temple with a gold stupa and a seperate building housing statues of the nat spirits.

The sun was shining today which was a blessing. I stopped at small and big temples, including some from yesterday so I could see them in the sunshine. After the heavy rain from yesterday, some of the tracks were flooded so I had to cycle hard to get through the water, or wade in up to my knees, which was all part of the fun.

I headed off the main road onto the Central Plain, 1km along a partially-flooded track to Dhammayangyi Pahto (temple) and Sulamani Pahto. Like most of the temples of Bagan, these two are rust-red brick buildings, housing Buddha statues. But most impressive about them were the frescos on the walls inside - 800 year old coloured paintings of Buddha, and more murals on the ceiling. Amazing.

Further along I passed some local guys carrying shovels, passed through some more floods and after 1.5kms arrived at Minnahtu village. From there I visited the small Payathonzu temple and the tiny Nandamannya Paya which also had frescoes, before turning around and visiting the large whitewashed Leimyethna Pahto. Back on the road I rode along with a young goat herder and about 50 goats.

I continued along a better road for about 3kms and then turned off and to Dhammayazika Pahto, another imposing temple with a golden stupa. This is one of the few temples that visitors are allowed to climb up and get a 360 degree view of the plains. I clambered up the narrow steps and, like yesterday, when I turned around, the view of the plains was fantastic - the red-brick temples, of all different sizes are dotted around the landscape of green grass and green trees, a wonderful sight. I stayed there chatting to a Dutch couple for about an hour. There was not really a sunset but it was ok at dusk just enjoying the view.

Afterward, all that was left was the 8 mile cycle ride back to the hostel along the broken, unlit roads. I did have my head torch on and my bright yellow backpack raincover on my back, and it was fun; at times it was pitch black and at times the shops and restaurants and other vehicles lit the road. Some of the temples were lit up too. It took me less than an hour and I was back by 7:30pm. I had dinner at a local's restaurant; I had Shan noodles which were nice, though there were no veggies and the chicken wasn't great. As usual the table has a complimentary flask of hot weak tea and I ordered Indian milk tea and then topped it up with the weak tea, like the locals do.


Friday 21st October

I checked out at 8:30am and sat on the low wall outside, people-watching and waiting for the bus to Mandalay. The hotel staff in Myanmar are very attentive and they brought a chair outside for me to sit on (or maybe they just didn't want the scruffy backpacker on their wall). Eventually a very crowded bus pulled up opposite; there were people hanging out of the door and windows and crammed on the roof. So I hesitated until someone called me over, then I took a deep breath and climbed into the bus. Even the aisle was packed with passengers sitting on plastic seats, but my reserved seat had been kept vacant for me, which I felt a bit colonial about but with 8 hours ahead of us, I gladly took it. I was the only tourist. The bus was not air-con but a good breeze came through the windows

The journey was not too bad. We stopped for lunch of rice and some not-very-appetising veggies. Back on the bus I swapped seats with an older lady who had been sitting on a plastic seat but soon had second thoughts about that as it was pretty uncomfortable even sitting on my fleece. I had a bit of banter with some kids but they kept talking to me in Burmese even after I made it obvious that I didn't understand.

On arrival in Mandalay at 6pm, it was raining and I still had to get into the main town. A friendly, polite motorbike taxi guy waited patiently while I put my raincovers over my bag and then he gave me a helmet and we headed in the rain and traffic to the Royal Hotel. Whereas in other countries the taxi would have just dumped me there, the guy waited to see if there was a room available, which there wasn't; so he took me round the corner to another place (I think he knows the staff there but that's ok).

I had a quick run around and found a cheaper hotel which also has the sports channels, and made a reservation there for the next couple of nights.

Yangon, Myanmar

Friday 14th October

I left very humid KL at lunchtime, taking the bus to the LCC Terminal. The flight was uneventful, and after putting my clock back 1.5 hours, we arrived in Yangon, Myanmar at about 7pm local time. The airport is modern and as we came down into the arrivals area there were locals looking through the glass smiling and waving at the people they were there to meet.

The immigration people take everyone's mugshot, and probably shaving my head just days after handing in a passport-sized photo of myself with hair, to go on the visa that they put in my passport, wasn't the best idea; but they stamped me in.

Outside there was a rep from one of the hostels listed in the LP; he was there to pick up three French people so I jumped in the taxi with them, with my bag on my lap and sticking out of the window. The roads were not too bad and somehow the taxi kept going despite its age; the pollution made me cough a bit. We passed a very bright shopping centre, but then closer to town the main roads were not lit.

The Burmese staff at the Mother Land Inn 2 hostel made us feel very welcome; their English is very good (they study English at school)  and they are polite and smiley and helpful, much more so than in most of the places I have stayed in the last few months. The hostel is clean and comfortable.

On the other hand....the hostel does feel a bit like a boarding school, although that might be just because I have opted for the dorm room, which at the moment only has one other occupant. I get a bit put off when a hostel/hotel is full of western guests and no locals, like here. There are a few reasons for this:
1. it is probably more expensive than where the locals stay (albeit cleaner?),
2. the owners here are probably relatively well-off compared to the owners of a place where the locals stay and so don't need my tourist dollars as much,
3. I don't like the idea that it is assumed I need some things laid on for me, e.g. breakfast, western food, bus tickets; I can do these things myself around town and when I do I will interact with more local people. But, hey, the veggie noodles I got in the hostel's restaurant next door were good!
Later............it seems tourists are only allowed to stay in such hostels, foreigners are not allowed to stay in 'local' guesthouses?

There are no ATMs in Myanmar so you have to bring with you however much cash you think you will need and exchange it for Burmese Kyat on the street, or at a Guest House, although accommodation and some tourist sights are normally paid for in dollars anyway. You can only change dollars (and maybe Euros) and the locals will only accept dollars in pristine condition. Well, I have heard enough stories of people getting ripped off on the street (even though they offer a better rate than the Guest Houses) so I just changed US$100 here at the Guest House.


Saturday 15th OCtober

The included breakfast of toast, two frieds eggs, jam, a banana and coffee was appreciated. At 8am I headed out to explore Yangon. The area around the hostel is pretty run-down but there are a few tea shops and then trishaws as you get towards the main road. Most of the men wear longyi instead of trousers, and many of the women wear a sunscreen on their cheeks that looks like paint.

On the way in to town I saw a couple of groups of monks in single files collecting their morning alms. I have seen this in other countries but in more serene surroundings than in the suburbs of Yangon.

I found an efficient internet cafe then dropped into a tea shop for samosa and tea. These places are popular with the men where they catch up on the gossip and maybe do business. The friendly manager replaced my third samosa as soon as he saw it was a bit burnt. In the city there are shops selling plasma screen TVs while ancient buses stop outside to pick up passengers.

The centre of the city is considered to be Sule Paya, a 151ft golden temple with its origins dating back 2000 years. As I got close there was a cloudburst so I took shelter for a while in a large telephone kiosk with 5 locals. Then I ran across the main roundabout to the temple. I left my shoes at the bottom of the steps and paid the $2 foreigners charge. As I walked around, the main stupa was shining against the blue skies behind. On the inside were various different rooms; some rooms had Buddhism classes running, some had Buddhist statues and another a series of simple paintings describing Buddha's life, in the same way as at the statue in Singapore.

Some people were praying, but many were just hanging out, relaxing and chatting, perhaps in the same way that we might go to a bar or a cafe on a Saturday afternoon. Two University students came up to talk to me and we chatted for quite a while. They told me that monks are not allowed to go to University, not since the Monk protests of 2007.

There was another cloudburst just as I was on a covered pedestrians-bridge across a busy road. There are people selling stuff on the bridge and While waiting for the rain to stop a guy kept trying to sell me a large pair of pliers! What did he think I would want them for?

I followed the LPs guided walk, past some colonial buildings. I liked walking down the side streets off the main roads; there are shops below and above them are apartments painted in various pastel colours; I think they were built in the 1950's. There were locals stood out on their balconies and washing hanging out.

I went to look at the Yangon River and a couple of nice kids bothered me to buy postcards from them and to buy them biscuits. During our chat, the girl said she didn't go to school because her Mama can't afford it, and that she was hungry. Well, her English seemed far too good for an 11-year old who has not been to school, and she looked well-nourished. Anyway, I tried to persuade them that fruit would be better for them than biscuits but they were having none of that! So they got their biscuits to share and I then agreed to buy some postcards if they could show me where to buy stamps - the post office was across the road.

I had Indian for lunch, sitting opposite two Banglesdeshi Merchant Navy guys. They speak Bengali at home, the same as the people in West Bengal. After, I went to the Trader's hotel to watch the RWC Semi-final between France and Wales. It was posh in there compared with outside and there were about 60 expats. I chatted to an English guy who works for Medicine Sans Frontiers; he runs 4 HIV/AIDS clinics in Yangon.  Meanwhile, the game was pretty tense and I was disappointed to find that the one coke I had cost $3 whereas beer was only $1.50, but I am tee-totalled at the moment so that's it.

I went to look for the offices of the local Times newspaper, which is the least-censored English-language paper in Myanmar, and owned by an Aussie who has just been released from prison; such is the Government in Myanmar. Opposite the offices I found lovely St Mary's cathedral. It is a large modern red and white brick building and is similar inside using many other colours. There was a service on so I just loitered at the back for a while but I might go and have a better look another time; instead I wandered around the outside and then sat on a step and read Dracula as it seemed a safe place to do so with all the crucifixes around!

Most of the streets that run at 90 degrees to the main streets are numbered like in America. So in 35th street I found a 'Beer Station' where they were showing Liverpool v Man United. I had Japanese Tofu with veggies and rice and it was really good, lots of garlic and ginger. The atmosphere in there was ok and the locals got more interested towards the end.

It rained 3 times today, each time for about 10 minutes, then it stops and the sun comes back out. No problem. I got back to the hostel around 8:30pm so it has been a very long but enjoyable first day in Myanmar. I feel like I have seen so much already just from wandering around.


Sunday 16th October

We were all a bit pushed for time this morning so 3 British girls, Irish Bob and me got a taxi into town. We got dropped off at the train station and Irish Bob and I walked up to Kandawgyi Lake, where we had to pay $2 to go in. On the other side of this natural lake is a big concrete gold-coloured fake royal barge. Bob and I walked around the lake on the raised wooden walkway, swapping travel stories as we went; Bob is a fair bit older than me and had some entertaining stories to tell. We took shelter from the quick downpour then headed out to the road and while waiting for a taxi a car zipped through a puddle and splashed the pair of us. We got the cheap old bus back into town; it was like being in a tin can.

After lunch we headed to the Trader's hotel and got there in time for the start of the NZ v Australia game; the Haka was amazing, the way that the guy's voice echoed around the stadium and even the Aussies in the room were applauding it. Not really a surprise that the Kiwis won. I had 2 beers, my first in months. We sat there after the game watching football highlights and chatting to other visitors.

Bob and I walked to Chinatown for dinner and sat at a table with 3 local guys and chatted to them for a bit. On the way back to the hostel we stuck our heads into a few tea shops to check on the football scores. Good chat back at the hostel.


Monday 17th October

Blue skies today. I went for a walk into town, and checked out some of the hostels in the centre for when I come back to Yangon in a couple of weeks. This hostel is ok but a bit expensive and bit far from the centre.

Mid-afternoon I walked to the north of the city and to Yangon's main attraction, Shwedagon Paya. This is a Buddhist temple/shrine complex which is probably the most spectacular and the most important to the people of Myanmar. Approaching from the south I could see the top of the main golden stupa.

I took off my shoes on the bottom step and headed up the wide, covered staircase towards the entrance. Even though there are souvenir stalls on both sides the decoration and the paintings still make it a pleasant walk and there is some anticpation building as you approach the actual entrance. I tried to ignore the cashier because the entrance fee of $5 goes to the Government, but they saw me and I had to pay up.

A few more steps and then I was in front of the first colourful shrine, Konagamana; there were Buddha statues and pilgrims inside. I looked to my left and to my right and saw smaller golden shrines on either side and stupas behind - it all made me think of a forest of golden shrines. I took a few steps to the left and looked up and there was the main stupa; the stepped bottom half of the stupa is gold-leafed and the upturned-bell-shaped top half is gold-plated. Also there are huge precious stones decorating the very top. The stupa was relecting the sun and was so bright against the blue sky. Definitely a wow moment and I was stood shaking my head while I stood and stared up at it.

I carried on walking round and it felt like being in a Buddha theme-park, in a good way. Many different shapes and sizes of shrines and stupas and Buddha statues. It was fairly busy but the atmosphere was good; the locals are so friendly and clam that it is nice to walk around with them.

Sometimes at sunset the sun shines through the diamond on top of the main stupa and casts colours around the complex, but not today. But the complex is nicely lit up after dark and I started to walk around again, seeing it in a different light. Monks and locals lit candles and continued to walk around or pray. I almost felt left out while the locals were praying so I headed for the exit and left them to it.

Internet access at the cafes was slow today. It seems sometimes the government likes to slow it down. At the last cafe the guy said 'it is slow today', I asked 'Why?' and he just smiled. I said 'Secret?', and he smiled again, nodded and said 'Yes'.

There is no hassle on the streets in Yangon, nobody trying to get me to buy stuff; this is probably because there are fewer tourists about. But I did try for the first time to change $100 on the street, obviously being wary of getting ripped off. Well, the money changer offered a good rate and so I counted out the 85 individual 1000 kyat notes and that was ok. But when I showed him my $100 note which looked pristime to me, he said 'no good' and offered me a lower rate so I walked off. Maybe he was being cheeky but he didn't call after me when I walked off so maybe even my 'pristine' note really wasn't good enough for; everyone has told me they are very picky......

Melaka and Kuala Lumpar

Sunday 9th October

Well, another lazy day in Melaka. One day and evening is all that is needed to see and appreciate the town. But I am here for longer because I don't leave Malaysia until Friday and I am not interested in going anywhere else, until I go back to KL.

This afternoon I went to The Discovery Cafe again and watched both RWC matches and in the evening wandered along to the night markets with English Ryan and Carla, and Canadian Anna. Other travellers seem to feel the same as me about Melaka; it is ok but nothing special and not very exciting.

Monday 10th October

Masala dosa and big cup of tea for very late breakfast. Went to the Maritime and Naval museum which is housed in a replica of a Portuguese ship (Flora de la Mar); there is a diorama of early traders and their wares such as spices, veggies and crockery. There are some paintings showing the ships in the harbour and in the Melaka straits and Melaka when it was a small village. The displays were quite informative and not too wordy.

I wandered around Chinatown again looking at the different historical buildings, and went into the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple. Then back to the Indian restaurant for veggies and rice and tea and egg roti, and reading Dracula. I walked down to the Quay and sat on the rocks looking out to the Melaka Straits, but no shade so I didn't stay for long.

Laksa for dinner; the town was pretty quiet this evening, the weekend's tourists have gone. Played cards with Ryan and Carla and Anna.

Tuesday 11th October

Checked out and got local bus to Melaka Central and straight on the bus 2 hours back to KL and to cheap, friendly hostel. After Chinese beef noodles, I crossed the river to look for the Sultan Abdul Samad Building and found it, along with some other nice-looking buildings; it is a mix of Victorian, Moorish and Mogul architecture with a clock tower. There is an old cricket pitch opposite and a large flag pole in Merdaka Square.

I then went to the old seldom-used KL train station which is Mogul-Moorish. Opposite is the Malayan Railway Admin building which has many gothic arches and external stone stairways; I like that kind of thing anyway, and more so since I am reading Dracula at the moment!

Next I was in the area of the National Mosque but I didn't bother getting to close since I had my holey shorts on which would not be deemed appropriate attire. Maybe another day.

After more Indian food I wandered to the shopping malls since there are some good clothes here in the sales but I didn't buy anything. Street noodles for dinner, and late night Macca's choco top ice cream for supper - yum.

Wednesday 12th October

Lazy lie-in. Followed the LP guided walk of Little India, passed some places I had already been and through a market and past a couple of mosques. It is the Deepvali festival this month so the streets in Little India are even more colourful. Samosas and tea for lunch and then I walked up to Lake Titiwangsa, north of the city centre. The lake is man-made, it was peaceful and pretty up there. I sat and read my book and walked around the edge of the lake. Then I walked back into the city.

I got my new shorts taken up as they were too long. The Chinese lady there was very nice. Her English is good because she lived in a convent in Georgetown (I had passed it when I was there) so she learned English from Irish and English nuns when she was a girl. She also talked about how she and her friends wanted to send their children to study in Australia but it is too expensive, because the dollar is so high......tell me about it!

Egg roti canai and tea for afternoon snack. Good chat with friendly shop assistant where I bought a couple of shirts. She is from Surabaya in Java.

Thursday 13th October

Late breakfast of veggie fried rice. Short walk to the post office to send 3kg home by surface mail. Stayed in the hostel during the middle of the day out of the heat. Mid-afternoon I walked to the National mosque. I wasn't really planning on going in since I have been to many mosques this year, but when I got there I saw that it was during the one hour in the afternoon when tourists are allowed in, so I donned the mandatory blancmange-purple gown and headed inside.

The mosque was built by the British and has a umbrella-style roof to represent protection for the faithful. The main prayer hall is quite spectacular with Italian stain-glassed window. I chatted to some volunteers there; we had a good talk about the customs of Islam and different mosques and the 5 Pillars of Islam, by which all Muslims must abide. Men must visit the mosque at least once a day. The lady said that the men sit nearer the front because they are head of the household. The women sit behind, or upstairs. Nearby there is a mausoleum housing some ex-Prime Ministers.

I walked up to Little India and to a veggie restaurant I had passed yesterday. I had a delicious crispy masala dosa followed by kesari, and tea. For dinner I got 4 types of veggies, rice and some sauce and tea.

Friday 14th October

So this week I have enjoyed hanging out in Melaka and KL. It was never my intention to visit many places in Peninsular Malaysia and rush around like I did in Indonesia; I have enjoyed taking it easy and being a man of leisure instead. Most of all I have enjoyed sitting in the restaurants people-watching while eating good food, drinking tea, and reading Dracula, which might be my favourite book.

But tonight I am back to being a proper traveller again. I fly to Myanmar this evening; I will be there for 4 weeks before heading home to Sydney.....

Georgetown, KL, Melaka

Tuesday 4th October

Georgetown/Penang. Lazy lie-in. I have had this large dorm room to myself since I got here, which has been good. But this morning an Indonesian girl called Flower arrived. Her family is from Parapat, near Lake Toba in Sumartra, she was born in Jakarta and now lives in Medan; so we already had lots to talk about.

We went for late Indian breakfast and then just pottered around the town. It was a bit overcast and there is not much to see but I was kind of showing Flower around. We enjoyed the sights and sounds and smells of Little India with the colourful shops, the Hindi music playing and the whiff of Indian food. We got lovely crispy samosa. The hardest part of being here is deciding whether to have sweet milky tea or mango lassi with the delcious food. And it is good to have slow days after the hardcore travelling in Flores last month.

Wednesday 5th October

Up at 6am and went for paratha and chai for breakfast at a street stall. At 8am, got the minibus then super-comfortable coach back to KL; I slept most of the way. The coach dropped us close to the hostel here in Chinatown which was good because it is raining.

I walked and got the skyrail and walked some more to the Myanmar consulate and collected my passport and Myanmar visa. On the way back I had a longer look up at the Petronas Towers, and walked all the way back to Chinatown. Sharing dorm room with two Welsh guys and Danish girl.

I had street noodles and chatty Norwen from Brittany sat at the same table and invited me to go with her to see the Petronas Towers by night, so we got the LRT there. When we walked out of the station and looked up, there were the Towers, all lit-up, looking very futuristic. We took some pics, hung around and then walked back to China Town and got ice cream from Macca's.

Thursday 6th October

Skipped breakfast and got the bus out to the bus station from where I took another bus 2 hours to Melaka. But the main station is outside of town so I then had to get the town bus. In town, the driver genuninely forgot to tell me when we passed the road I had said I wanted to go to, so I ended up doing a circuit of the town, going back out to the main station, waiting there and then coming back in. So it was after 2pm by the time I had checked in, so I was pretty hungry. I walked straight out of Chinatown and to Little India where I got a great veggie meal.

It was quite a successful day: the hostel is really good with a clean dorm and free wi-fi, I got Burmese Days from the second-hand bookshop (the specific book I was looking for) and I got a new pair of shorts because my current ones won't last much longer. The new ones have a few grubby marks on them so I bargained the lady down to half price! They will soon be really grubby anyway!

Penang/Georgetown and Melaka are similar in that they both used to be important sea trading ports and they both have Chinatown and a Little India. From walking around this afternoon and again this evening, I think I prefer it here in Melaka. Chinatown is more colourful here and the architecture is much more pleasing. There is a canal/river running through the town with nice bridges across and a town sqaure with a fountain and a church.

I had dinner in Chinatown; the chicken in ginger and onion was ok.

In the evening I got another traveller (a German guy) to shave my head. He only had one blade which we guessed was a grade 4 but maybe was a 2 or 3. It is not flattering but it feels better.

Friday 7th October

Had dim sum at the restaurant nearby. You pick and choose what you want. It did not look like much food at first but it tasted good and was quite filling.

I walked to the old Portuguese fort of Porta De Santiago. An archway (entrance) is all that is left of the old fort (the British destroyed most of it) and some of the walls have been reconstructed. At the top is St Pauls Church and a statue of St. Francis Xavier who was here for a while and whose body was stored here for a few months before being shipped to Goa (where I visited the church named after him).

I ate too much Indian food for lunch. Came back to the the hostel and Chinese guy was watching a Hong Kong soap opera/drama. I had a lazy cat nap and 4 hours later the guy is still here watching the same DVD. There are many Taiwanese/Hong Kong dramas and the locals including the men seem to love them.

Melaka has a night food market in Jonker Street on Friday and Saturday nights. I had a wander up and down but it was mostly souvenirs and tat and some food. I had Nonya Laksa. Nonya refers to people of Chinese descent who married local Malays. Anyway the laksa was good, though no different from other Laksa.

I watched Montenegro v England on the internet in the hostel; never a dull moment following England. Bed at 5am

Saturday 8th October

Slept until 11am, then pottered about. Had Indian food for late lunch, friendly Indian couple I chatted to paid my bill. Went to small cafe with English couple and watched England lose to France in RWC.

In the evening I went out with some Dutch girls and a guy who work in KL. We went to the night markets and ate radish cake, a spring roll, popiah (a kind of spring roll) and cendol (ice with syrup, jellies and chocolate bits). Heavy rain.

Georgetown / Penang

Saturday 1st October

Georgetown. Indian food for breakfast. Had a look in some bookshops and also looking for somewhere to watch the football tonight. Penang is very clean and modern. I walked up to the coast, where a few guys were fishing. Further along I came to the colonial-style Town Hall and City Hall.

Across from the playing field is Fort Cornwallis. This old English fort, named after the then-Governor of India, was first established by Captain Light when he landed here in 1786. It was built for administration and trading as much as for military purposes. There is not really much to see but the old outside wall is still there and there are some canon lining the wall, including a big one dated 1603 that originally belonged to the Dutch.

I left the fort and walked past the Clock Tower that was donated by a Chinese merchant to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. I met 3 locals dressed in traditional Malay clothes; I walked with them as they went to an outdoor film set where there were others dressed up too. (I should have gone back later but kind of forgot).

After big Indian lunch in a packed restaurant I came back to the hotel and watched England v Scotland on the TV. In the evening I went to look for the football. I tried Little India first but of course that was pointless because most Indians don't really know about football so I walked up to Red Garden Night Food Market, and there they had lots of TV screens and one huge screen - showing the football. Joy. The food there is great, though you only get small portions, but that is ok, I just ate twice. During the first game I had Penang Laksa, and during the second game I had Thai food. Not many people were watching the football, but there were lots of people there, mainly Chinese, and there was some live music too. The place was still busy when I left at mignight.

Sunday 2nd October

It rained heavily last night because it is that time of year. Murtabak and chai for breakfast at the same Indian restaurant. I followed the LP's walking tour, past some of the places I went to yesterday. There are many shop houses here and some Chinese temples which is fine but I have seen those in Kuching so I only have a passing interest.

The Penang Museum was pretty good, lots of stuff about the different ethnic groups that settled here (Chinese, Indian, Malay, European) and some old clothing and furniture including opium beds, where guys would lounge around and get high, which was acceptable before WWII. Most Indians here are South Indian muslims, also known as Chulias; hence Chulia Street (where my guest house is). I also learned that calligraphic Arabic writing is called Khat.

I went to a local's coffee shop hoping for Malay coffee which, the museum display told me, includes butter as well as sugar; but if they had it that's not what I got, despite trying to emphasise that I wanted Malay coffee. Still, it was good to watch the Indian and Chinese guys chatting about weddings and birthday parties while topping their coffee up with whiskey.

For afternoon tea I had chicken and naan bread and a declious mango lassi. I got back to the hotel for the second half of the NRL Grand Final; I sat next to a snoring Chinese man, who was sat next to a Kiwi, great game.

In the evening I headed out to the Red Garden for dinner and football again. It was raining heavily but the tables are under cover and the big screen didn't seem to mind getting wet. I chatted to a nice old Chinese guy who was born here, but I couldn't really understand his English very well, especially with the live music and dance show behind us.

I had Chinese noodles for first dinner. The lady said it was a Penang speciality, but when it came it was just noodles with a couple of bits of chicken and some pork fat; the noodles tasted of pork fat. I have to say that I'm really not a fan of Chinese food. So for second dinner I got veggie jalfrezi with garlic naan and that was much better.

Once it dawned on me that the second game was not being shown, I walked back to Chulia Street and soon found a group of Indian and Chinese guys watching it on a big TV under the cover of a shop porch, with a guy serving tea; so I sat there and enjoyed watching the game with the locals.


Monday 3rd October

Lazy lie-in, partly because I thought it was going to rain. But it didn't, so after breakfast I hired a decent bike and headed out of town (I asked the bike-hire guy for a helmet and he gave me his motorbike helmet!) After half an hour I arrived at Kek Lok Si temple, which is apparently the largest Buddhist Temple in Malaysia. I cycled up the hill a bit and then left my bike locked up in the car park.

There are a few different parts to the temple, including a 7-tier pagoda and a courtyard with lots of small Buddha statues. There are a couple of smaller temples too. Then I went up the short cable car to an area that looks out over the town and where there is a 35 metre high statue of the Goddess of Mercy. Well, it was all very good but I have seen many Chinese temples in the last few months (well, before I went to Indonesia) so I had a quick look around and moved on.

I cycled a short way to the foot of Penang Hill. From here there is a funicular 30 minutes to the top of the hill and, apparently, a great view of the island. Well, when I got to the ticket counter and saw that it was more expensive than I expected, there were quite a few tourists there and that it looked cloudy up on the hill, I decided I couldn't be bothered and decided to just ride my the bike around the island a bit more.

I headed south towards Relau along a busy road; but soon there was a steep hill and I had to get off and push the bike. The road reminded me of the one up to Victoria Peak in Hong Kong; there was forest on either side, tall buildings and the sea in the distance. I was dripping with sweat by the time I was able to cycle back down the other side.

I carried on through Bayan Lepas, past the airport and tried (not very hard) to find the fishing village near Batu Maung, without success. So I decided to head back towards George Town, partly to get back before the rain. The quickest way is along the expressway which runs parallel to the sea. The road was sometimes a dual carriageway and sometimes three lanes and not really intended for bicycles so it was a bit of an adventure, but the traffic wasn't too heavy and the other drivers were good. It didn't rain and I got sunburned, because I had the helmet on and not my sun hat. Doh!

Kuala Lumpar and George Town, Malaysia

Wednesday 28th September continued....

At the airport in Kuta, Bali, I went to the Immigration office, rather than the counters so I could be open about my genuine mistake in overstaying my visa by one day. The guy in the office showed me that it had registered on the computer so they would have known anyway. He was pretty uninterested in my explanation. I got the feeling he just wanted me to pay up and get out, which makes me wonder whether the money will go straight in his pocket. But maybe I am wrong about that, maybe it is just no big deal. Anyway, he gave me the exit stamp and told me to go through the 'Crew only' counter, so I just walked through there without anyone noticing, so maybe I should have just done that in the first place!

The flight was fine. Started reading Bram Stoker's Dracula, had a nap, and enjoyed looking out at the bright lights as we approached and landed in Kuala Lumpar. There was a long line at the Immigration counters and then the Skybus waited until it was full, so it was after midnight when we arrived at KL Central so the only choice was a taxi, which I shared with a Swiss couple going in the same direction. I was glad I had made an online hostel booking; when I arrived at 1am, the guy here at the Irsia B&B was very welcoming and gave me a much needed bottle of cold water. I have the dormitory room to myself - sweet.

Thursday 29th September

Up at 7am, toast and jam and coffee for breakfast. I took the LRT for a few stops and then got off. From outside the station I could see the Petronas Towers; they look good. I walked along the same road for a few kms then turned off and found the Myanmar Embassy quite easily. Once it opened, I was third in the short queue and filled in the application form and should be able to pick the visa up next week.

My next mission was to find a pair of Teva Dosa III sandals, because sadly, after almost 2 years  my old Tevas are finally beyond repair. From the Teva website, I got a list of stores in KL that supposedly stock Tevas, but some didn't sell any Tevas and the others only had older styles. Annoying. Still, I did buy a decent money belt and a red and black stripey t-shirt.

I walked around KL for about 12 hours today, mainly through China Town and parts of Little India. For second breakfast I had savoury Ayam pancake and sweet milky tea in an Indian restaurant, exactly as I had been looking forward to doing. I had Egg Roti and chai elsewhere later on. And Thai for dinner.

Today I found the locals to be really friendly and not at all pushy when I was shopping, a welcome change from Kuta Bali. I had a really enjoyable day running around KL, watching the local Chinese, Malay and Indian people. Each group tends to hang out with their own kind but of course they interact and integrate in the shops and restaurants.

Friday 30th September

At 8:30am, got the big comfortable, aircon-and-seatbelt bus out of KL, 4.5 hours to Pulau Penang (Penang Island) and to George Town, which is just as developed as KL (I hadn't realised that and was expecting it to be more rustic). We had to get another bus 10kms into town. Saw a hostel that said 'Recommended by Peter Pan in Australia' so thought I should check it out, and it's great. I have a dorm room to myself and the Chinese couple running the place are really nice and there is free wi-fi.

Well, I couldn't stay away from Little India. I soon found a restaurant there and had masala dosa and chai. Had another wander round Little India in the evening enjoying the colour and the music coming from the shops, but want to try other types of food too so ended up having Chinese food at a foodstall opposite the hostel.

As I write this in the hotel lobby, there are five locals sitting in the comfy seats opposite with their feet up receiving a foot massage. I am not sure anyone would want to get involved with my feet right now.
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