Wecome to Malaysia.
As I said, I cross the border in the late afternoon. The border crossing is ultimately again a simple one like in Georgia or Armenia. I simply queue behind the few cars, hand my passport to the officer, get the stamp and can stay for 90 days. Very relaxed and no real time limit.
Short after I see my first animal in Malaysia, unfortunately it’s dead. Looks pretty much, as it died from poison.
Clouds are moving around and cluster at the mountain, which I have to climb. The landscape is beautiful.
Slowly the raindrops start to fall. I try to reach the top, but the rain gets stronger. I am a bit too late. Fortunately on top there is the urgent needed shelter waiting for me. I am wet, but when I sit in the small pavilion the rain gets extra strong and crazy. I am glad, to have a roof over my head.
But I get a bit of a problem, I can’t wait forever, it’s getting dark soon. Finally the rain gets less and I roll down the mountain to the first village.
Almost everyone is inside their house already. I ask two or three times, but the people can’t really help me. Eventually one says, their is a guesthouse not far. Juhu. I get a scooter escort, in the darkness I wouldn’t have found the way alone.
The next morning I get a small shock when I pack my stuff and close my handlebar bag. A small scorpion chills out under the cover. Fortunately I don’t touch it.
When I start, I see a huge camel in the distance, but it’s still sleeping.
The Malaysian sea is very boring, too flat, no possibilities for swimming. In contrast the thunderclouds look amazing.
I find small quiet roads along the sea. A big business here is the swallow’s nest breeding. Apparently you can eat it. I don’t know more about it. Anyway this breeding happens in big concrete houses and you can hear them twitter from far away in a lot of places.
One morning someone shouts to me from a café. I stop and he invites me for tea and Roti. Very pleasant and different than elsewhere in Southeast Asia is, that all people understand and speak English in Malaysia. I can communicate so easy with the locals, as long time ago.
Moreover I cycle through endless areas of rice fields again.
The rain clouds are gathering.
Malaysian graveyard.
The last 5 km to Butterworth I have to cycle in darkness and a bit of rain, but in the end I find a cheap and unremarkable hotel. Next door there is a Indian restaurant, they have delicious food and a great change to fried rice all the time.
Since the end of Thailand my bicycle is trying to tell me something. In the beginning I think it is the chain, which is slowly saying goodbye. But a while later it’s clear that the cracking/creaky sound is not the chain. It is the bottom bracket. Spontaneous I go in the bicycle shop to replace my bottom bracket. The guy is very friendly, he has time and repairs it right now. The old one run about 30.000 km until the left bearing broke down. The bicycle runs perfect again, even the chain is almost 18.000 km old. I will have to change it soon.
Soon I arrive at the ferryboat, which is very comfortable (roll on – roll off) and easy. It is fascinating cheap, only 1,40 RM, which is about 30 eurocent. And the return ticket is for free. But Penang Island is extremely populated. That means a lot of skyscrapers and too much traffic. 2014 they open the second bridge, which is 24 km long and one of the longest oversea bridges in the world.
Today I want to reach the Titi Teras Village House from the warmshowers host Adrian. It’s located on the other side of the island. I choose the shortest way over the mountain, which sadly is very busy and too steep.
The next day I go back to Georgetown by bus and apply for my Indonesian visa. 60 days for 205 RM (43 €). It’s Friday and I can pick it up on Monday. They ask for a flight ticket out of the country. I knew that before, but as I will not fly out of the country and most probably go over a land border to Timor Leste, I don’t have any ticket. The simple solution is to fake a ticket, like I did it. I made a screenshot of a nearly finished booking of a flight. They are satisfied with that. Other people show a bank statement, that they have enough money to buy a ticket, which also works.
60 days for 205 RM (43 €). It’s Friday and I can pick it up on Monday.
For the nth time I let glue my shoes.
