Singapore and Malaysia

So. Where did I leave off?

Right, saying goodbye to Warner and Frans in Jakarta.

SINGAPORE:

As I mentioned before, it felt quiet. Very quiet after parting ways with those two. All of a sudden I had no one to talk with, and only my own sense of humor to amuse myself instead of three. Nonetheless, I boarded my flight to Singapore and checked into the same hostel I had previously been in. What a nice change it was; hot showers, air conditioning, and nearly everyone speaks English in Singapore. I opened my to-do list when I arrived, and all the things mentioned were hawker stalls recommended by friends and fellow travelers. I managed to gorge myself the first day and attempted to walk around as much as possible to work off the four meals I had indulged myself in.

First stop: Maxwell's Food Court for Chicken Rice (Hiana)

Second stop: Little India Food Court for Chicken Briyani

Third stop: People's Park (Chinatown) Food Court for Kuay Te-ow

Fourth stop: Newton Food Court for Chili/Pepper crab and Oyster Omelette

"Don't forget to breathe" I thought to myself as I inhaled each dish.

As for dessert, it's hard to avoid the small ice cream vendors along the waterfront selling slabs (1x3x6 inch) of the stuff for just over a dollar a piece. Thankfully the humidity is high enough that you manage to sweat off a couple calories in between sittings. But the ice cream melts fast, so eat up! As I recovered from the onslaught I had just dealt myself, I managed to meet a couple fellow travelers in my hostel. The following day we embarked on yet another food tour sampling a few more food courts on the outskirts of town, and finding some local specialties along the way as well. In between meals, I wandered along the waterfront taking in the iconic Marina Sands and central Clark Quay. It wasn't long before my taste buds were overruling my stomach, but somehow I managed to pace myself. That night I squeezed into my jeans (with more effort it seemed) for the second time in Singapore, but opted to leave the hiking boots back at the hostel, and wore a pair of sandals instead. Our destination: Zouk nightclub.

Upon arrival, as the rest of the gentleman went inside I was halted at the door. The bouncer pointed to my sandals and informed me they had a strict dress code. I reached into my pocket to pull out a twenty when he happily informed me they had a shoe rental service on site. A 50 dollar deposit, plus another 5 dollars for socks was all it took before I had myself a snazzy new pair of dance shoes. I decided to give them a work out. We arrived on the empty dance floor and took the lead immediately before the place was packed....

About two hours later as the sweat was soaking every inch from shirt to rental shoes, the rest of the patrons eventually arrived. However, as we were tearing up the place with our horrendous western dance moves, I noticed everyone else was just kinda shuffling. They didn't dance really. A couple intoxicated ones managed to let themselves go, but as for the majority it was a jostling and stuffy affair. As for the price tag it cut our night short. The costs there were easily comparable to any European or Western city. In any case it was a fun time to mingle (or shuffle) with the local Singaporeans.

My last day in Singapore I ventured out with a couple guys to Sentosa, the Disneyland of Southeast Asia pretty much. This place is something else. It is incredibly well organized and neat, but very difficult to navigate. I imagine the more lost you become the more money you will spend. Sentosa is home to Universal Studios, two enormous aquariums, and a hundred other activities from a SkyDive simulator to a petting zoo. We ventured their for the larger aquarium which was really fascinating. It was funny to see all those fish in tanks though, instead of surrounding me on a dive, like back in Indonesia. Regardless, it was an enjoyable trip, despite the difficulty in finding our way home. We also took a quick stroll through the Botanical Gardens of Singapore for a change of pace from the stimulation-overload that is Sentosa Island. Upon our return, many different dishes were ordered as I indulged myself in the Singapore kitchen one more time. What a great tasting city!

MALAYSIA:

After leaving Singapore I went overland to the city of Malacca. The old quarter of this city is a UNESCO world heritage site, recognized for it's aging architecture and meandering river that some compare to a canal in Venice (which is true but there's only one canal through town). A dutch fellow named Job, joined me on the bus ride and we checked into the same guesthouse on the riverbank. It was a nice quiet part of town, minus the river boat cruises that hummed by every ten minutes packed with Chinese tourists. This was just the tip of he iceberg we soon found out. Malacca was also recommended to us based on it's unique Malaysian-Chinese food and Night Market. The most authentic dish, Lakso, is a fantastic mixture of coconut  milk and curry along with noodles and vegetables. It was delicious, but so popular it was sometimes hard to find a place without a queue. As for the Night Market it was catering mostly to the Chinese crowd with lots of small kitsch items and tacky plastic toys. The food they served along the way was luckily quite delicious, with enormous Dim Sum vendors and oyster omelettes a plenty. While you enjoy your dinner on Jonker Street, you can also appreciate the not-so-distant sound of some 65 year old Asian ladies singing their favorite karaoke tunes from an enormous center stage. They are also crazy about their "bejaks" in Malacca (bicycle taxis) which are decked out with fake flowers, speakers, and even lights. The Chinese tourists line up in hordes to ride these things. You can usually hear them approaching you from behind as "Hit me baby one more time" is nearly exploding the small speakers they carry. Two days was enough for us in this popular city as Job and I carried on to Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur was my last stop before heading onward to Nepal. I arrived with a couple days to spare and relaxed in a small, centrally located hostel. Job and I sampled some local cuisine while aimlessly wandering through the open flea markets selling just about anything. We also made a small trip to the Batu Caves which are a short trip on the train just on the outskirts of the city. As you walk up the 300 steps to arrive inside you have to be careful to avoid the monkeys snatching at everything from cameras to water bottles. Basically if it's shiny, don't let the light hit it. Alongside you is an enormous Hindu statue of Lord Murugan as you crawl up the steep steps. Looking around the caves we cut our trip short noticing the enormous looking storm-clouds that were brewing. It was an absolute deluge by the time we returned to the train station. We waited half an hour hoping for it to slow down, but the rain was relentless. Instead, we ran across the streets and got drenched stomping in every puddle we could find. Think of it as a free 28 degree shower. The first time was fun, but as the rains became more routine each day they limited our daily activities. No matter, it was good to catch our breath in Kuala Lumpur.

I also had the opportunity to meet up with Safina, a fellow diver from our time in Bunaken, Sulawesi. She had been working in Kuala Lumpur for AirAsia and knew the city inside and out. The first night we all met up she took us too a food court specializing in tofu cooked a hundred different ways. Personally, I'm not a huge fan, but this stuff was done right! We also visited an enormous vacation compound in the Genting Highlands, owned by the same people who set up Sentosa Island in Singapore. Way up high in the hills this place boasts everything from three enormous hotels (and casinos), an amusement park, indoor "winter wonderland" (which I found particularly amusing) and enough shopping to make your head spin. It was Western Idolization to the extreme, fascinating to see as I was the only white person mingling among the Malaysian and Chinese Tourists. My final night in Kuala Lumpur was spent enjoying the best Indian banana leaf by far thanks to Safina as well! On the way back we stopped at the Petronas Towers and enjoyed the colorful fountain at their base. It was great having Safina show me around the city and let me taste the real Kuala Lumpur. Job and I parted ways as I left for Nepal. He was heading to the Perhentian Islands and later Borneo. I look forward to hearing his stories when he's back in Amsterdam, the same time I will be there. Good luck Job!

I was very excited to see Nepal. I would be arriving in Kathmandu and immediately setting out for some Himalayan trekking. The weather in Nepal is transitioning to the rainy season (May-June), so I knew I would have to trek high to see the mountains.

And see the mountains I most certainly did.

Tim