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Malaysia 23MAY-06JUN03 It has taken a surprisingly long time to find an internet cafe with all the right ingredients. I was surprised that in both Kuala Lumpur and Singapore that no one would let me load Frontpage or my camera software. After almost 10 days on the Perhentian Islands, at the fourth internet cafe I found, at last, Frontpage and a CD to load my camera software. Alas, the connection is slow. So, I'll just update my journal. I arrived on the 23rd at KLs ultramodern international airport but not without some difficulties with Indonesian Immigration. I had not calculated the 31 days of March so I overstaid my visa by one day. The fine...$20US. I took a taxi to the Chinatown section of KL and checked into a hotel. I spent three or four days wandering the busy streets and sampling the great food. I went to the KLCC center and wandered through the mall, saw Star Wars Episode 2, and had a world class plate of nachos at Chili's. I tracked down a cheap CD player and bought several CDs (about $3US each). On one of my shopping tours I sat and drank a beer with Liz and Jo (English) and got a strong recommendation to visit Kuching on the island of Borneo. Flights connect to there from Singapore so I decided to put off my decision until I arrived in Singapore. I took the train to Singapore. For only a few dollars more, I upgraded to an upper berth sleeper. Since my berth was next to an automatic door and a crying baby, I happily plugged in my earphones and enjoyed my new CDs. I arrived in Singapore well rested. Rooms are expensive in Singapore and I ended up in a windowless air conditioned box up four flights of stairs. I did the usual Singapore things. A Singapore Sling at Raffles and a walking tour of the waterfront. Shontel, from North Carolina posed in front of Raffles statue and we had some good coffee on the waterfront. I decided that I needed a break from traveling and decided to skip Borneo and head straight for an island with a beach. After three nights in Singapore, I took another night train to Kota Baru. Kevan and Liz (Singapore Ex-pats) were beginning an extended trip into Asia and we shared a taxi from the train station to the ferry landing for the Perhentian Islands. On arrival at Long Beach the fast ferry honked its horn until a water taxi picked me up and delivered me to the beach. I can understand why Carola, the Swedish Sun Queen, loved this place. A sandy beach, blue water and a casual atmosphere make Long Beach a great place to chill out. So popular a place, I spent the first couple of hours trudging from place to place to find a bed. I finally found a too expensive room and settled in. Each morning, I walked to the Matahari to see if there was a vacancy. After two nights a room opened up. At $18US (including two meals) I settled into a comfortable room. Baywatch, a beachside restaurant, had a raised platform with a great view of the beach and really good coffee. In Singapore, I had bought a copy of War and Peace and was diligently reading this endless novel. A little time on the beach, a little time watching the World Cup, a little reading and the days began to fly by. I began to feel under exercised and overfed. One afternoon at Baywatch I met Sarah (England) and Angeline (Amsterdam). They had just finished a Thai massage course in Chang Mai and were planning to do an early morning yoga session. Perfect, I thought. So for the last four mornings I've gotten up early and trekked to the other side of the island for yoga at dawn. As a special bonus, Sarah wanted to practice her Thai massage and, selfless person that I am, I volunteered to be the subject. She is quite good probably due to the fact that she is a physical therapist back home. They are taking the Open Water dive course and at the end they get a bonus fun dive. I hope to pull my ambition together and accompany them. The days pass in a sunny blur of beach walking, conversation, fresh iced fruit juice, and Asian food. I will probably stay for two weeks then move on to another island paradise, Ko Samui in Thailand. After hearing about the Thai massage courses in Chang Mai from Siobhan back in Corvallis, and from Sarah and Angeline, I definitely plan to take the course. Angeline also introduced me to Tai Chi and I may have to take that course, too. And, of course, I still plan the check out the CELTA course in Bangkok. Such ambitious plans for a beach bum. 07-14JUN03 I enjoyed my time in the Perhentians. A little rain caused the water to have lowered visibility so I decided to skip diving. I met the owners of the Baywatch who invited me for a party one night. There I met a nice lady from KL named Christine, who promised a tour the next time I visited. The next day Azi (Gabi's friend) and Izu (Baywatch promoter) and I went to visit Mahadi at Flora Bay Chalet. Gabi (see Tahiti and Rarotonga) spent some time in the Perhentians about three years ago and asked me to look up her friends. We made a beer stop at another resort to preserve the reputation of Azi and Izu which we then destroyed by an afternoon on the pier. The trip from the Perhentians to Ko Samui was 25 hours of fun. Up at 6am, catch the water taxi to the mailand, take a taxi to the Malaysian border, walk across through customs and immigration, catch another bus to the train station, take a long train ride to Surat Thani, take a taxi to the ferry, take take the overnight ferry to Ko Samui, and take a taxi to the hotel. It was almost too easy. Three lovely English girls, Isabella, Martina, Chloe and Frank (US, I think) were on the whole journey from Perhentians to Ko Samui. It's great fun to link up with people on the road and it's nice to have someone to watch your bag while you sleep or search for a toilet. As the sun came up over the beach at Ko Samui, I was eagerly waiting for a hotel to open.
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