Sunday, April 17, 2011
New pictures uploaded
Malaysia Wrap-up
The Great: The tea plantation at Cameron Highlands (Ania) and the
The Hidden: The textile museum in
The Overrated: Melaka. The historical city is enjoyable for a day or two maximum. There is an interesting night market and many local eateries, but we found that the city lacks a defining feature to make it a not-to-miss destination. After hearing other travelers rave about the city, Ania and I found Melaka to be below our expectations.
The Ugly : Transportation between cities. Three times out of four we never managed to be dropped at the convened destination. The bus simply stopped in a random location (see Ania’s post). It can be quite frustrating as we arrange our connections and lodging according to our landing point. Very annoying.
Compassion not yet on the radar
My fear is that Kuala Lumpurians may sacrifice their human side on the altar of unstoppable development along the way.
A surreal scene as we walked in the city: a pedestrian was hit by a bus as he crossed the road. The accident did not surprise me. Since our arrival in
What was incredible in this accident is that the man lay on the road, unconscious or dead. Onlookers just stared for a moment and did not do anything. Then the bus driver came out of his bus, dragged the man on the side of the road, re-embarked on his bus and continued on his journey. The man was left there, motionless on the sidewalk.
Can you freaking believe it?
The unconscious man was a curiosity but nobody helped him or checked for his vitals. At some point, a man dragged the unconscious man further because he was – how dare he! – blocking the sidewalk. Again, there was no need to carry the man – it was faster to pull him by his shirt.
At last the man attempted to check the vitals - by gently kicking the injured man on the shoulder: the unconscious man woke up, visibly hurt and unable to get up on his feet. Nobody helped him to get back on his feet.
This was shocking. Are big cities all the same? Would the same situation happen in
I want to believe that the answer to this question is “no”.
Malaysian Transport: sort of efficient...
We came to Kuala Lumpur on bus from Singapore. When we bought our tickets we were informed that the bus was going to Time Square in KL. We noted addresses of some hostels nearby and happily set off.
The bus was very luxurious and comfortable - nothing to complain there. But then we arrived in KL and the driver said that the journey was over. We asked whether we were at Time Square and he said that it was not far. We later discovered that we got off about 50 minutes walking distance from where the driver was supposed to bring us. Anyway, we found a place to stay and didn't think about it any longer.
After a couple of days, we decided to travel to Cameron Highlands (a few hundred km north of KL). This time we booked a door-to-door bus. The driver picked us up from our hotel all right. There were three groups of people on the bus going to 3 different hotels. The first group went to the hostel associated with the bus company we used. They were brought directly to the entrance of the hostel.
The second group of people were told that the road leading to their hotel was too steep for the bus. They were dropped off at the main road and had to walk their way up. And then the last group - us - was informed that the road leading to our hostel was broken and so we had to walk too. Needless to add that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the road, we inquired just out of curiosity.
Finally, we planned to go from Cameron Highlands to Melaka, a town in southern Malaysia. There were no direct buses but we were informed that the bus from Cameron Highlands would arrive at the Central Station in Kuala Lumpur, where we could take the bus directly to Melaka. Well, guess what. We were left off at some big parking lot at the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur and the driver disappeared before we could ask him where we were.
We started asking around about buses to Melaka and a taxi driver confirmed that we needed to go to the central station. We went with him. When we arrived at the station and asked him if he new which direction we need to go to find buses to Melaka, he answered: "Oh, you wanted to go to MELAKA? Then you need to go to a completely different part of the city!" I suppose he expected that we would pay another taxi fare and then who knows where we would end up - Thailand? :-)
So once again I have a confirmation black on white: trains are the best! And if you can't take a train? Well, prepare for a lot of unplanned sightseeing...
Malaysia versus Indonesia: so similar, so different
Some might say that it is not fair to compare Malaysia to Indonesia because we saw different things and didn't spend the same amount of time in each country. But then - I never said that my posts would be fair. The following is my very subjective comparison based on personal experiences only!
Having experienced all kinds of reckless driving in Indonesia, before buying tickets to get from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, we asked several times about the quality of the bus and the driver's record. The lady at the ticket office looked at us in a bizarre way but she assured us that the drivers in their company were not reckless and their buses were fully functional.
Once we crossed Malaysian border I understood why the lady was so surprised at our questions. Roads in Malaysia resemble much more those in North America than in Indonesia. There are actually proper highways between cities. Drivers tend to stay within their lines and nobody goes at high speed against the traffic. Huge difference!
In general, Malaysia looks much richer than its neighbour. One can see it on the roads, in the cities and even in little towns. In Indonesia even bigger cities looked sort of shabby (granted, I never saw Jakarta but I warned you that the comparison might not be fair!). In Malaysia, while obviously not everything is new and shiny, most constructions gave the impression of being solid and built with a plan. We also saw several residential developments of houses very similar to those in the suburbs of Warsaw or Ottawa. And we never encountered anything like this in Bali or Java - most places there seemed run down even if they were quite new.
On the other hand, Malaysia doesn't seem to be the first choice destination. Every person I met was there on the way to (or from) some place else. There is a simple explanation for that: Malaysia cannot boast on any landmark even remotely as significant and impressive as several places we saw in Indonesia, such as the temples from 9th century we wrote about in a different post. Indeed the most impressive thing I saw in Malaysia were the twin towers in Kuala Lumpur.
What surprised us a lot, is that we could use in Malaysia everything we learnt in Indonesian language. I knew that both languages were similar but I had no idea to what extent. And not only do people in Malaysia speak an almost identical language, they are also as nice as Indonesians, which was another agreeable surprise. We only visited relatively touristy places in Malaysia, so people were not as curious about us as in Java, but it was enjoyable to talk and laugh with them. We still feel that Indonesians are the friendliest though!
One could say that Indonesia felt like emotional roller-coaster in terms of impressions it left upon us. Malaysia is less impressive both in a negative and a positive sense. It didn't leave us in awe but it gave us some very pleasant days and some beautiful views (my personal favorite is the view of hills covered in tea plantations). I would recommend it to anybody who is looking for a light version of south-east Asia :-)
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Trip Monthly Update
Mar. 9 2011 – Apr. 8 2011
Summary of the fifth month of our trip
Number of countries visited: 5
Number of flights taken: 5
Number of posts added to our blog: 23!!!
Number of marital conflicts: 0. Did Marc finally acknowledge that I'm always right? :-)
Best overnight stay: Hotel Sorga in Kuta. Definitely the best hotel we stayed in, although situated in the town we liked the least... It was located away from all the noise, and had a beautiful garden with a swimming pool. And we met there a few very nice people, including our new friend JP.
Worst overnight stay: The choice is easy: our hostel in Singapore. The location was great and I had no particular complaints about the room, but the rest was DIRTY. I will spare you the details but Marc had a post on this place and if you want to know more, he is always happy to tell our saga at Kal****** River Backpackers hostel :-)
Best Call we made: Deciding to go to Hong Kong after all. Hong Kong was on our initial route but we scratched it out because it was too much for our stay in Asia. While in Bali, we decided that Egypt might be out of the question for our trip and we thought that in this case we could at least go to HK... Boy, was it worh it! Visitng HK made me regret that Eastern Asia wasn't on our itinerary. Well, maybe I shouldn't say so after the events in Japan...
Worst Call we made: Making plans to stay and relax in Kuta, Bali. The original concept was to stay there at least a week, relax, I wanted to take a surf course, too. The first evening when we saw the town and, especially, the beach, we amended our poor plan immediately. This means that we saw many more geat things than anticipated, but also that we didn't have time to relax. We need a short vacation from our holidays :-) changing places every few days is fun but can't be done forever. New plan: a relaxing week in Thailand.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Hong Kong Wrap-Up
The Hidden: Ten Thousand Bhuddas Temple. The main statues inside the temple are covered in gold and the view outside, being on top of a hill, is impressive. The site is mostly empty.
The Overrated: Hong Kong Island itself. We enjoyed much more the mainland part of Hong Kong where Kowloon is situated. Hong Kong Island is worth seeing but you’ll surely want to spend more time in Kowloon.
The Ugly: Pollution. Sewers emit a nauseating stench and ocean water is stinky and dirty. Smog makes it near impossible to snap a good picture of the skyline. What a shame.
Sky-Walking in Hong Kong
The center of Hong Kong Island is home to numerous impressive skyscrapers and highways. But the most interesting feature to me (well, apart from double-deck tramways) are the numerous elevated pedestrian passages. They don't just serve to cross one street or two. They constitute a large web spanning over the whole city centre, much like the underground passages in Montreal.
Almost every square centimeter (hihi, I almost wrote "inch") in Hong Kong is already developed in one way or the other. Indeed, few buildings rise to less than 20 floors. So why not elevate the sidewalks as well? It saves the precious space on the ground and admiring Hong Kong from some height is definitely the right thing to do:-)
Marc and I just let ourselves be lead by the sky walks. Definitely a new way of visiting a city!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Hong Kong - City of Lights
The best way to enjoy Hong Kong is to sleep late in the morning, a time when the city is still half awake. Take your breakfast early in the afternoon. Stroll around town and have a rest late in the afternoon. And go out at night.
Start at 8:00 pm with the Symphony of Lights, a signature Hong Kong light show. Ideally you want to watch the show from Kowloon and not from Hong Kong Island. After the show head to the Night Market where you’ll be able to dine cheaply and shop for incredible bargains. Finish up the night in one of the many bars around town. The streets will still be crowded when you are ready to go back to your hotel.
Hong Kong never sleeps at night. Make sure you adjust your clock and follow the rhythm!
學廣東話!
We found countless restaurants with menus in Cantonese. Knowing that Chinese people love to eat delicacies that I would never want to eat in a lifetime (pig skin, shark fin, dog meat, etc), we found ourselves spending too much time looking for a restaurant in a city where restaurants are everywhere.
So take up the challenge and learn Cantonese before you visit Hong Kong! Who knows, maybe you’ll be able to order in Cantonese a spicy fish head marinated in ginger - or is it duck head? :)
Monday, April 4, 2011
Bali-Java Wrap-up
The Hidden: Easily the city Yokyakarta on Java. This is a city with a rich history, beautiful UNESCO temples and…virtually no tourists!
The Overrated: I mean, do you really want me to write on this subject again? Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last two weeks (or have not read our recent posts :)), you know the answer. Denpasar/Kuta. The place stinks. Period.
The Ugly: Pollution. It’s hard to see the locals just chalk their trash outside their homes.
Other observations:
• It felt weird to withdraw a few millions from the ATM. I felt so rich :) But then at 9000 rupiah for a dollar…
• Bali was an interesting destination. We completely veered off our initial plan. Initially our plan was to visit Lombok and possibly the Gili islands as well. However, somebody we met on the plane to Bali convinced us to visit Java instead. Both Ania and I are really happy with this change of plan. The best part of the Bali trip was our escapade on Java.
Now truth to be told, Bali is not entirely the destination I expected. I expected beautiful beaches, a relaxed atmosphere (and people) and a strong, distinct culture. The history, culture and architecture of Bali are definitely its strong points. However, after having seen fabulous beaches in Fiji, Australia, and Hawaii, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with the beaches we saw in Bali. Heck I’ve seen nicer beaches in Canada (friends who come to our yearly trip to Sandbanks know what I am talking about). Also, Balinese people in general view tourists – to borrow an expression my brother-in-law used – as walking wallets. It becomes tiring to say “no thank you” every two meters. Our experience with people on Java couldn’t have been more different.
That still leaves us recommending Bali but make sure you visit Java as well to get a real taste of Indonesia. Also if you come to Bali stay in Ubud, a great and relaxing art city. Whatever you do make sure you do not stay more than one day in Denpasar/Kuta (transit).
Saturday, April 2, 2011
April Fools! - prima aprilis!
April Fools!!!!
Well, we got you! Who actually believed that Marc got into a fight?:-)
Let's clear this up, shall we?
The post about trekking mafia was partially an April Fools' joke. Everything about guys chasing us on the motorbikes and the argument is true. However, the fight and the part about the police is pure fantasy!
What happened in reality is this: the guys got in front of us and really said that we would be in trouble if we proceeded. We really got into an argument, however there was no physical contact whatsoever.
We found that the situation was so absurd that it was simply asking to be posted on April 1 :-)
And for your information, the trekking mafia is a fact and everybody around knows about it. I would have loved to climb some mountains in Indonesia, but I simply refuse to reinforce this unjust system.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Trekking Mafia
Marc, our friend JP and I planned to climb a volcano in Bali. We only had time for a little escapade so we picked Gunung Batur, where ascension takes a couple of hours. Moreover, unlike other volcanoes, climbing Gunung Batur during the day is allowed without a guide. Just to be sure, we confirmed it on the official internet website and with a tourist police officer starting our ascension.
We had to drive on our scooters a little bit before arriving at the beginning of the trail. On the way, as we had expected, a lot of local guides offered us their services but we declined them all.
The last guy we refused insisted more then the others. When we said firmly that we were not interested in his services, we pretty soon realized that he and his friend were following us on their motorbikes. They got in front of us and then blocked the way. Marc asked them to move so we can pass. They answered that if we go any further without hiring them, we would regret it.
Marc got very upset about the situation and that's when a verbal argument started. The guides were claiming they worked for the government and required an equivalent of 35 CAN per person (an astronomical sum in Indonesia) to make the two-hour trek with us. We insisted that we don't need to hire their services. They in turn suggested that we might not find our scooters when we go back down. Or, alternatively, that we would have to fight our way through them.
At some point one of the guides advanced his bike and ran over JP's foot. This was too much for our friend. He pushed the guy off the motorbike and they started fighting. When the other guide grabbed JP as well Marc had no choice but to help out JP.
Some of the villagers must have called the police because suddenly two policemen arrived and ended the fight. The "guides" talked with the policemen for over two minutes. The result: Marc and JP were fined an equivalent of 100 CAN for starting a fight!
So if you think about climbing mountains in Indonesia, one word of caution - beware of the trekking mafia!