Hello Penang ;).
Monday, January 30, 2006
Have a look to those funny pink cabs ;). This is just the street when you turn around at the lookout. At this point, I decided to turn around. Unfortunately, I decided to catch a ferry today to the port on the main island. The name was something like Lumpor. Well, it just meant I had to leave. I turned around and wanted to do some final last second shoppings at the shops along the beach front. As I came back to my scooter a local pointed to the ground underneath it. Gas was running literally out. Kind of lucky, I thought. If I had been continuing the trip around the island I had definitely missed my ferry because of a broken gas line. Still...Happy End ;)
We four (Arina, Andreas, the other Swiss girl and me) took our scooters and drove together to a beach and we entered a boat ;). Well, it was just on the beach because of the low tide. Arina and me left those two alone ;) and were told the next morning that a high tide kept them some hours longer on the boat as expected ;). Was this now an advantage? ;)
Friday, January 27, 2006
At the eve, we were sitting again on the roof top. This time I got a nice shot with the towers lightened up at night. Actually, what we didn't know a base jumper tried and did probably a new guiness book world record the day after. He started shortly after midnight to do a 24h row of base jumps from the towers. Yeah, that's approximately over 130 jumps a day!
At the end, we found the Petronas towers. I think they are still the highest twin towers in the world. There is at least on single tower in the world higher but who cares ;). As someone told me you should come in the morning to collect your free ticket because the numbers of vistors per day is limited. We didn't make it ;). but had a nice time shopping, watching and eating in there.
The morning of the 30|12. We walked to around to search for the train station and found some street markets. Do you remember those jack fruits I ate in Singapore. Well, here is a bigger version of it ;). Those they sold were much tastier than those in Singapore which had been over ripe. Actually, now I love them ;).
At night I arrived in KL and checked into the Ayuda hostel near the bus station. It's the street on the pic and the bus station is somewhere further down the right. I met Andreas and Arina again their. They left one day earlier from the InnCrowds hostel in Singapore. We were sitting on the roof top and drinking Chang beer ;). Well, it's quite famous down there. With 6.5% alcohol I don't wonder why :).
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Ko Lanta and Ko Phi Phi
Alright, I was diving the next day at Hin Daeng and Hin Muang. At Hin Muang I saw a lot of Mantas which were circling the area and again and again swimming over our heads. They seem to enjoy the bubbles :). The next day was pretty relaxed and I took a late ferry at 1pm to Ko Phi Phi. Fortunately, all people are an Ko Phangan for the full moon party. So accomondation was not a problem and I found the first dorm since Kuala Lumpur.
The weather is great and I went on the next day - this means today - diving to Bida Nok and Bida Nay. Well, although I saw a black reef shark Hin Muang was much better.
Will publish some pics hopefully from Bankok. Will take a plane tomorrow at 5.45pm from Phuket to Bankok in order to avoid a long trip by bus. Then my final days will be focused on shopping because I'm allowed to take twice 32kg with me back :). Yeah!
Besides, you really see here still a lot of the damage the tsunami made. And I don't have to tell you the stories how people survived.
Well, the island is nevertheless beautiful but more expensive in high season and public holidays. I missed out Ko Lippe and Ko Jam. They should be great. And all the East coast is just waiting for all of us.
Besides, I would love to travel through Cambodia, Vietnam, etc. Heard so many nice things about those places.
Hope to see you soon and plan already tour trip to Asia.
Chris
PS.: Back on the 19th at 9.40am at the airport in Cologne :).
The weather is great and I went on the next day - this means today - diving to Bida Nok and Bida Nay. Well, although I saw a black reef shark Hin Muang was much better.
Will publish some pics hopefully from Bankok. Will take a plane tomorrow at 5.45pm from Phuket to Bankok in order to avoid a long trip by bus. Then my final days will be focused on shopping because I'm allowed to take twice 32kg with me back :). Yeah!
Besides, you really see here still a lot of the damage the tsunami made. And I don't have to tell you the stories how people survived.
Well, the island is nevertheless beautiful but more expensive in high season and public holidays. I missed out Ko Lippe and Ko Jam. They should be great. And all the East coast is just waiting for all of us.
Besides, I would love to travel through Cambodia, Vietnam, etc. Heard so many nice things about those places.
Hope to see you soon and plan already tour trip to Asia.
Chris
PS.: Back on the 19th at 9.40am at the airport in Cologne :).
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
From Malaysia to Thailand!
Langkawi - Satun - Hat Yai - Krabi - Ko Lanta
Those were my stops to the island Ko Lanta. Took the ferry at 1.30pm because I missed the one at 9.30am. Bad mistake!
Well, after around 2 hours we arrived in the Thai town Satun which is really only popular because travellers renew their visa with a jump across the boarder. Normal tourist visas are valid for 30 days. If you apply for it at home you get 3 months directly but you pay a little bit. Sometimes though it's goot to be forced to lift up your bump and get off the hammock :).
Alright, we had to take a cap to town because there wasn't a bus station their. We were ripped off of course with 160 Bath (1 Euro is approx 43 Bath). The ferry cost 25 Ringgit. Afterwards we got a real Thai second class bus for 60 Bath for 1.5 hours. Well, this was more the price you should pay. Hat Yai was our aim because we had to change buses again. I thought there would be a direct bus and didn't checked the whole thing out before hands. Might be because I got too laid back in Oz :).
Bettina and me, she is a graphic designer from Hamburg, took the next bus to Krabi. This means we had to wait. Besides, I got to know to her on the ferry from Langkawi to Satun but we lost us in Krabi again. After the minibus which is more expensive but faster and not overcrowded was full we took again a second class bus for 158 Bath for 4 hours :). The minibus would have cost 270 Bath. Well, still a bargain but is was booked out. The next time, I will book a so called VIP bus but this had to happen a day in advanced...too much planning :).
We we're almost thrown out of the bus at 1.30am somewhere in Krabi but not in the centre and not near out hotel. We called some hourse before we arrived to reserve us a room at this time...just to be sure :).
The cab drivers who were just private dudes ripped us off with 150 Bath for a 10 min ride. A least we had some nice leather seats. They wanted to have at first 200 and we said 100 but they were quite keen separate us from our money and only decreased the price shortly before we almost paid 200. Even this is cheap you have to make the effort to bargain the price. That's the culture :).
Alright, our rooms were doubles for spoiled 400 Bath with a fan and bathroom. The mattresses were great. Really, you start to appreciate this. I told Bettina for the next day we meet on the boat to Ko Phi Phi because she wanted to shop and I wanted to sleep in :). In reality, I took the ferry to Ko Lanta because I thought she wanted to travel on her own. A pity indeed, we talk all the way to Krabi and she seemed to be a nice travel buddy. Besides, I didn't meet to many backpackers in my age and with my attitude here. That's so different to Oz. Nevertheless, I enjoy Asia heaps and would love to pay money for extending my ticket.
So I took at the 10th of January - the next day - the ferry to the island Ko Lanta. On our way we passed Ko Jam which is much smaller and I jumped out almost :). Before I left the hotel I booked a flight from Phuket to Bankok on the 15th at 17.45 because I decided to skip the East Coast with Ko Tao and Samui. This would be a bit stressy. Afterwards I heard the full moon party is on the 14th and not the 16th as I thought. So I could have taken a flight to the other coast and then head to Bankok again with a plane. As you see, this would be annoying, too. Although Phuket is huge and touristic I will try to find something there for a day or stay on Ko Phi Phi after Lanta. Phi Phi lies on the way from Lanta to Phuket and was also hit by the tsunami. Just heard some stories today on the diving boat. Well, my dive and the dive for all the others on the boat to Ko Ha was cancelled because the engine didn't work properly. I'm used to it now after Oz, cancelled tours and scuba diving trips, too.
Here we go, the story about the tsunami was as follows. A girl from Munich - there are masses of Germans and Swedish on the island - told me she was last year here and was at a dive spot on Ko Phi Phi. They were wearing already their diving equipment when the recognized huger rippled waves - they stayd in the wave shadow of the tsunami. So the dive master decided to go down and they stayed at 25m. Shortly after they hit the ground the first wave hit them and they were blown through the water. You couldn't see you hand in front of your googles she told me. After an hour and with no air left they surfaced just to recognize they disaster and chaos. Their boat was to only one left and the island - is formed like and H - was in this rode of the H quite heavy distroyed. On Ko Lanta a lot of people died, too. The owners of the dive shop (lanta fun divers) who are from Munich organized some charities for the Gipsies. The Gipsies are allowed to stay on the island but only work as fishers. They lost all their long boats and therefore the basis of their existence. I was impressed as I heard this story and that they made it to buy several new long boats for those people.
That's enough now. Will organize my day now. After the tour was cancelled I wanted to go dirt biking with a motorcross bike. AFter they told me tour would start today get me to their shop I was informed it's only available tomorrow.
Well, so keep an open mind!
Cheers from the sun!
Chris
Those were my stops to the island Ko Lanta. Took the ferry at 1.30pm because I missed the one at 9.30am. Bad mistake!
Well, after around 2 hours we arrived in the Thai town Satun which is really only popular because travellers renew their visa with a jump across the boarder. Normal tourist visas are valid for 30 days. If you apply for it at home you get 3 months directly but you pay a little bit. Sometimes though it's goot to be forced to lift up your bump and get off the hammock :).
Alright, we had to take a cap to town because there wasn't a bus station their. We were ripped off of course with 160 Bath (1 Euro is approx 43 Bath). The ferry cost 25 Ringgit. Afterwards we got a real Thai second class bus for 60 Bath for 1.5 hours. Well, this was more the price you should pay. Hat Yai was our aim because we had to change buses again. I thought there would be a direct bus and didn't checked the whole thing out before hands. Might be because I got too laid back in Oz :).
Bettina and me, she is a graphic designer from Hamburg, took the next bus to Krabi. This means we had to wait. Besides, I got to know to her on the ferry from Langkawi to Satun but we lost us in Krabi again. After the minibus which is more expensive but faster and not overcrowded was full we took again a second class bus for 158 Bath for 4 hours :). The minibus would have cost 270 Bath. Well, still a bargain but is was booked out. The next time, I will book a so called VIP bus but this had to happen a day in advanced...too much planning :).
We we're almost thrown out of the bus at 1.30am somewhere in Krabi but not in the centre and not near out hotel. We called some hourse before we arrived to reserve us a room at this time...just to be sure :).
The cab drivers who were just private dudes ripped us off with 150 Bath for a 10 min ride. A least we had some nice leather seats. They wanted to have at first 200 and we said 100 but they were quite keen separate us from our money and only decreased the price shortly before we almost paid 200. Even this is cheap you have to make the effort to bargain the price. That's the culture :).
Alright, our rooms were doubles for spoiled 400 Bath with a fan and bathroom. The mattresses were great. Really, you start to appreciate this. I told Bettina for the next day we meet on the boat to Ko Phi Phi because she wanted to shop and I wanted to sleep in :). In reality, I took the ferry to Ko Lanta because I thought she wanted to travel on her own. A pity indeed, we talk all the way to Krabi and she seemed to be a nice travel buddy. Besides, I didn't meet to many backpackers in my age and with my attitude here. That's so different to Oz. Nevertheless, I enjoy Asia heaps and would love to pay money for extending my ticket.
So I took at the 10th of January - the next day - the ferry to the island Ko Lanta. On our way we passed Ko Jam which is much smaller and I jumped out almost :). Before I left the hotel I booked a flight from Phuket to Bankok on the 15th at 17.45 because I decided to skip the East Coast with Ko Tao and Samui. This would be a bit stressy. Afterwards I heard the full moon party is on the 14th and not the 16th as I thought. So I could have taken a flight to the other coast and then head to Bankok again with a plane. As you see, this would be annoying, too. Although Phuket is huge and touristic I will try to find something there for a day or stay on Ko Phi Phi after Lanta. Phi Phi lies on the way from Lanta to Phuket and was also hit by the tsunami. Just heard some stories today on the diving boat. Well, my dive and the dive for all the others on the boat to Ko Ha was cancelled because the engine didn't work properly. I'm used to it now after Oz, cancelled tours and scuba diving trips, too.
Here we go, the story about the tsunami was as follows. A girl from Munich - there are masses of Germans and Swedish on the island - told me she was last year here and was at a dive spot on Ko Phi Phi. They were wearing already their diving equipment when the recognized huger rippled waves - they stayd in the wave shadow of the tsunami. So the dive master decided to go down and they stayed at 25m. Shortly after they hit the ground the first wave hit them and they were blown through the water. You couldn't see you hand in front of your googles she told me. After an hour and with no air left they surfaced just to recognize they disaster and chaos. Their boat was to only one left and the island - is formed like and H - was in this rode of the H quite heavy distroyed. On Ko Lanta a lot of people died, too. The owners of the dive shop (lanta fun divers) who are from Munich organized some charities for the Gipsies. The Gipsies are allowed to stay on the island but only work as fishers. They lost all their long boats and therefore the basis of their existence. I was impressed as I heard this story and that they made it to buy several new long boats for those people.
That's enough now. Will organize my day now. After the tour was cancelled I wanted to go dirt biking with a motorcross bike. AFter they told me tour would start today get me to their shop I was informed it's only available tomorrow.
Well, so keep an open mind!
Cheers from the sun!
Chris
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Still Malaysia!
Alright, instead of taking the "Transnational" official bus company from Lumut to Butterworth I took a local company called "Sri Maya" or similar :). It took only 3 hours instead of 5 with Transnational. Arrived, I checked in a ferry for 1.20 RM. Besides, one RM is approx. 4.4 Euro. Well, the accomondation costs only 8 RM. That's not even 2 Euro a night. That's really bloody cheap but we will upgrade.
Got to know again to someone from Switzerland. His name is Dominik. The first night we just went out for dinner. The second day we did some sightseeings. Indeed, the temples didn't interested us and we had a huge lunch instead. The Indian food is great here and we paid each 8 RM. Yes, that's not even 2 Euro again. We had a lot with fresh orange juice and a desert. Can't help myself, I just love the food here although I can't remember the names :). Of course, chicken tandoori was one of them.
Well, we checked out the shopping malls today and got quite excited about the prices. You can imagine that it is pretty cheap. Alright, electronics are only around 15 per cent cheaper but clothes are really a bargain.
I think I will stay another day and make then my way to Langkawi island. Afterwards Thailand will be the place to be. Heard a lot of good stuff about it :).
Just to remind you I will arrive in the morning (9.40am) of the 19th of January at the airport in Cologne with a flight from London :).
Cheers from Penang where the main town is called Pinang or Georgetown,
Chris
Got to know again to someone from Switzerland. His name is Dominik. The first night we just went out for dinner. The second day we did some sightseeings. Indeed, the temples didn't interested us and we had a huge lunch instead. The Indian food is great here and we paid each 8 RM. Yes, that's not even 2 Euro again. We had a lot with fresh orange juice and a desert. Can't help myself, I just love the food here although I can't remember the names :). Of course, chicken tandoori was one of them.
Well, we checked out the shopping malls today and got quite excited about the prices. You can imagine that it is pretty cheap. Alright, electronics are only around 15 per cent cheaper but clothes are really a bargain.
I think I will stay another day and make then my way to Langkawi island. Afterwards Thailand will be the place to be. Heard a lot of good stuff about it :).
Just to remind you I will arrive in the morning (9.40am) of the 19th of January at the airport in Cologne with a flight from London :).
Cheers from Penang where the main town is called Pinang or Georgetown,
Chris
Monday, January 02, 2006
Malaysia!
Hey people!
Spent only two nights in Kuala Lumpur (KL) and was really ready for an island. Met two people from Switzerland (Arina and Andreas) and travelled with them to the island Pangkor for NYE. It was just great and sooooo relaxing. Really, those huge Petronas towers which were the highest towers in the world once, aren't so impressive. Neither was KL itsself really beautiful. Alright, I didn't spend too much time there and would give it another try.
But now after having ridden scooters around the island and pushed the jetski to the limits I can say I love Pangkor. You could even do a jungle hike there or a kayak tour but I didn't do any of them. Ok, we drove our scooters to the edge of the jungle and walk 1 minute to the next waterfall :). Besides, we were just going out for eating breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday :). It' just unbelievable cheap here. After I spent so much money in Australia it's an relief. You get for 1.5 Euros an omelette with toast and spread, a fresh orange juice and even Nasi Goreng or whatever takes your fancy for an early prelunch :). Yeah, I love it!
At the moment, I'm in Lumut. That's the town from where I took the ferry to the island. I"m waiting for my bus to Butterworth where I have to cross the waters again to Penang. After some days I will go to Langawski (or similiar spelled :) ) and some other island. Heard it's better to cross the boarders to Thailand with island hopping or by train because there are some fights which are serious.
Besides, we met yesterday in the morning another girl from the Swiss. She told us she was travelling already around 4 months and spent 3 months in Indonesia. Well, the story is that she had an angel there who saved her life twice. Once, she wanted to have dinner in Bali with a friend but they didn't have enought money with them. So the sat down on the beach in front of this location. Alright, a bomb went off just there!!! I think this chances your life and I
m so happy that I met her alive! Another time she was bitten by an almost dead snake in the jungle and the locals sucked the poisson out (I heard you die if you did this...well...I think I should read more about it) and collected all kind of plants and made a bandage with banana leaves. Ok, that's scary, too. But if zou get bitten you should have someone around you and just don't move! This will let your blood circulate more and spread the poisson in your body. I don't have to tell you what's more important...your heart and lungs or your leg!
Alright, I'm fine :). But this really impressed me. Besides, Andrea is her name and she does even paragliding with a snowboard on her back just to get the right powder. Now, I was even more amazed and had respect. Anyone can top it!?
See you in five hours in Penang. That's the island I'm heading to :),
Cheers still from Malaysia,
Chris
Spent only two nights in Kuala Lumpur (KL) and was really ready for an island. Met two people from Switzerland (Arina and Andreas) and travelled with them to the island Pangkor for NYE. It was just great and sooooo relaxing. Really, those huge Petronas towers which were the highest towers in the world once, aren't so impressive. Neither was KL itsself really beautiful. Alright, I didn't spend too much time there and would give it another try.
But now after having ridden scooters around the island and pushed the jetski to the limits I can say I love Pangkor. You could even do a jungle hike there or a kayak tour but I didn't do any of them. Ok, we drove our scooters to the edge of the jungle and walk 1 minute to the next waterfall :). Besides, we were just going out for eating breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday :). It' just unbelievable cheap here. After I spent so much money in Australia it's an relief. You get for 1.5 Euros an omelette with toast and spread, a fresh orange juice and even Nasi Goreng or whatever takes your fancy for an early prelunch :). Yeah, I love it!
At the moment, I'm in Lumut. That's the town from where I took the ferry to the island. I"m waiting for my bus to Butterworth where I have to cross the waters again to Penang. After some days I will go to Langawski (or similiar spelled :) ) and some other island. Heard it's better to cross the boarders to Thailand with island hopping or by train because there are some fights which are serious.
Besides, we met yesterday in the morning another girl from the Swiss. She told us she was travelling already around 4 months and spent 3 months in Indonesia. Well, the story is that she had an angel there who saved her life twice. Once, she wanted to have dinner in Bali with a friend but they didn't have enought money with them. So the sat down on the beach in front of this location. Alright, a bomb went off just there!!! I think this chances your life and I
m so happy that I met her alive! Another time she was bitten by an almost dead snake in the jungle and the locals sucked the poisson out (I heard you die if you did this...well...I think I should read more about it) and collected all kind of plants and made a bandage with banana leaves. Ok, that's scary, too. But if zou get bitten you should have someone around you and just don't move! This will let your blood circulate more and spread the poisson in your body. I don't have to tell you what's more important...your heart and lungs or your leg!
Alright, I'm fine :). But this really impressed me. Besides, Andrea is her name and she does even paragliding with a snowboard on her back just to get the right powder. Now, I was even more amazed and had respect. Anyone can top it!?
See you in five hours in Penang. That's the island I'm heading to :),
Cheers still from Malaysia,
Chris
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