Backpacking...

It starts with a feeling. A desire for something else. Something bigger. You work hard, talk about it and plan it all out. Then you tell your friends and family the plan. (who might think you're crazy) They hit you with the redundant questions you've been asked from everyone. "Did you get a leave from your job?" "What about your house and your belongings?" "Are you rich?" You keep your head down and tell yourself that it will happen. Before you know it, you're walking the streets of Kuala Lumpur saying, "Holy Shit, we're in Kuala Lumpur!" You find yourself talking to food hawkers in French, so they stop bugging you in English. (Hawker - what a terrible name to describe a potentially beautiful food experience. It sounds to much like phlegm or mucus) Sure enough, there are days that you wish you could be back at home. You day dream about a warm summer day in your backyard with your beloved white cat. Or being over at your brothers house, playing with your niece and nephew while their mom and dad create something delicious for dinner. Yes, these are the things we think about. But you make a commitment and know that once its over, the path changes. Your future moves on to a new set of dreams and desires.  Those feelings of missing home do happen. But we have been on the road for over 2 months now, so it's to be expected. 2 months down, 10 to go!

BOH Tea Plantation for as far as you can see.

 

Sampling some tea.

After 7 wonderful days (one of our longest stops to date on this trip) we said a sad goodbye to George Town and made an unfortunate mistake of thinking a night in the city of Ipoh would be fun. From there we went to the Cameron Highlands. The fruit and veggie basket of Malaysia. Carved out of the oldest rainforest in the world, this mountainous range has  hundreds of fruit, vegetable and tea plantations. We had done our research and when we boarded the bus we weren't at all shocked or confused as to the reason each seat had multiple small black bags tucked away safe and sound for you to use. We were also thankful and grateful for popping those beloved small pink pills called Gravol only a half hour before. The drive was slow and windy but was no concern as it was absolutely gorgeous. A shock to the system was the arctic temperatures that ignited our bones as we departed the bus.  We had read that the temperatures were chilly but we hadn't mentally prepared. Shortly after settling into our room we were shaking the wrinkles out of the one sweater we each had. Wishing that we had some sort of long pants to possibly disguise the dreaded socks and sandals fiasco. We spent the days on a scooter exploring, hiking, relaxing and of course drinking tea and eating strawberries.

Dean in the tea plants.

One of thousands at a butterfly museum.

Kelly trying to find the way on the map?!

  After 4 almost hypothermic days (at night, near +15) we knew we were in desperate need of some hot sun and took the road less traveled to Palua Pangkor.  A small fishing island that is becoming Malaysia's top tour destination for Malaysian people. Still relatively untouched by foreign tourists, this island boasts of it's boat tours, jet skiing, snorkeling and a very laid back way of life.  We once again rented a scooter to explore the few sights on the island. One of which consisted of a Dutch fort built in the mid 1600's. The fort was built to house tin as the island was on a major shipping route. It was the center of much conflict and at one point had over 60 guards stationed to protect it. The fort is no larger than a house. This along with the other sights of the island, took a maximum of 2 hours to explore. We spent the rest of our 5 days here sleeping in, laying in hammocks strung out over some of the bluest waters we have seen and immersing ourselves into two wonderful books. At night we watched the sun set while eating our dinners of crab, prawns and fish. Inwardly, we reflected on the things we gave up and sacrificed and how hard we had worked during the last 4 years to get here. And boy is it good to be here. We also spent alot of time watching the many monkeys going through the motions of their day to day lives. One of their favorite past times is to sneak up on the tourists and get there little hands onto whatever the tourists may have. We are proud to say that we were run off the beach by a whole gang of 3 very small and cute looking monkeys.

The monkey's that ran us off the beach.

Asian Horn Bill Birds.

One of many sunset dinners.

From there we embarked on what was supposed to be a 3 hour bus ride to KL. It, of course, turned into a well over 6 hour ride. It was hot and midly uncomfortable. When the bus stopped in downtown KL and everyone got off, we stood out front, not knowing exactly which way to go. We happened upon two fantastic cab drivers who mixed speaking between Malay and English as they discussed which was the best way to take us to our destination.  We got dropped off in the right neighbourhood and with a list of places we wanted to stay at, we began scowering the area.  "All Booked." "No room." "Sorry, we're full." I guess next time we arrive in the big city on a friday night we best call ahead. The rooms we did find, were only good enough to leave a scaring image, or funky smell lodged in the back of your nose. There is a mental toughness that one needs to be able to backpack. But unlike the twenty somethings, we just wont subject ourselves to the lowest of lows. We finally found a room that is no larger then the smallest New York apartment. Clean, comfy Ikea bunk beds, no smells and a great bathroom, our new home.

View of the Petronas Towers with the smoke from Indonesia

Night time at the towers

View from the very bottom. Can't see the top!

 We have loved Kuala Lumpur! Not sure if it was it's dazzling lights, abundant food options, coffee shops or seeing a different sight at every corner.  We haven't seen nearly all that the city has to offer. Mostly because the smoke blowing in from the slash and burn in Indonesia has been a hindrance for Dean's throat and photos alike. We have seen lots though. Aquariums, souvenir shops, Chinatown, the famous and amazing Petronas Towers, movie theaters (with the oh so beloved popcorn) malls, malls, and more malls. We were both eager to start swapping out the old clothes in exchange for the new, so the air conditioned malls have been a great place to spend our afternoons. We know that we will be back here at least 1 more time if not more in the next few weeks. So those things that we missed, such as the Batu Caves will be seen soon enough.

At the aquarium.

 We FLY out tomorrow to the Perentian Islands. There north of here, boardering Thailand. With airfare as low as $50 each with return, it is to good to pass up on. We are eager and relaxed knowing that the next week and a bit brings white sand beaches and no long bus excursions!!!!

Busy 'hawker' food stall street.

Boarder Jumpers

Entering Malaysia

George Town.

George Town

Fort Cornwallis

           To sit here and see the day to day life of strangers passing by, one can't help but think of how similar our lives must be. Traffic, screaming kids and a love for good food. Georgetown, Malaysia. What was once a stopping off point for trade being shipped between China and India has now become a melting pot for the Chinese, Indians and Malays that call it home. The streets are filled with incredible diversity and thankfully, all the signs and spoken language is in Malay and English. In the late 1700's, migrant workers from all around came here to find work when the British arrived. They worked to be able to send money back home. Now hundreds of years later, the streets still have the charm that was established here so long ago. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, one doesn't have to venture far to see time frozen in its tracks. From forts to mosques this part of the Penang Province is truly stunning. Leave Georgetown and you'll find a modern skyline, with condo skyscrapers and gigantic shopping malls. Malaysia's push to be "modernized" is in full swing. Heck, even the Kernel is here with his buddy that clown (McDonalds). But stay away from these places and venture down the alley ways and you will find Malaysia's true beat and it tastes and feels great. Its people have been incredibly friendly and the food...ohh guys.. the food! Blend this much ethnic diversity and let them all open restaurants and food hawker stalls and the streets smell like they were paved with coriander, cinnamon and cumin.

One evening dinner we were surrounded by these guys. Luckily they stayed in the trees. 

View from atop Penang Hill. We took a rail cart and quickly ascended to the height of  2'723ft. In one
way or another, people have been doing this since 1923 as a way to escape the heat of the day and enjoy the views. 

 

Since our last update, Kelly and I have ventured south and then even further south. Ever creeping closer and closer to that line called the equator. We said our Goodbyes to Thailand. After 7 weeks this trip and another 6 prior to, Kelly and I have spent a combined 3 1/2 months there. Thailand is a great country and we finished it with some major ups and downs. For the ups, we found Koh Lipe. This stunning little island is only inhabitable due to a small fishing village that called it home when the Tarutao archipelago was given National Park Status. All other islands in this chain are uninhibited and will remain that way. It has been its blessing and curse. With the volume of traffic that flaunt to Thailand this hidden gem will soon become another Koh Phi Phi. I can only shed a tear when I think of what will happen to its coral life only twenty feet offshore. Fifteen years ago this place was only a whisper, one that only intrepid backpackers knew of. Unfortunately now, there is major destruction to the rainforest as people knock down and build up where ever they feel, with no real look to the future.

 

  But while we were there we sure enjoyed it. We stayed at an Eco lodge, one that offered purified water for your own bottle, as opposed to giving you two new ones everyday. They also filtered and treated all sewage. Recycling shower water to water their trees and plants. It was a diving lodge and thank our lucky stars, Kelly and I showed up at the best time of year to dive. Neither of us had open water dived before, so we were both very excited. Our instructor was a young Spaniard with over 2000 dives. He and his girlfriend now live on Koh Lipe and are lucky enough to call it home. Our first dive was on the beach at a near by island. He told us this beach in the high season would be lined with long tail boats and people learning how to dive. I looked to my left and then to my right and counted how many other people were there. I did the quick addition and came up with four. Kelly, myself, our instructor and the boat Captain.

We got the hang of breathing under the water pretty quick and after learning all the required skills to be able to continue, we were off. Fish, Fish, Fish everywhere. Constantly being surrounded by small little ones to large schools of every type. We dived to a depth of 7 meters and covered some good ground as we inspected the reefs at our fingertips. We saw eels and giant porcupine fish. They matched our curiosity for each other. There were literally thousands of fish that we saw. My favorite was the Nemo's (Clown Fish). They stayed close to their spongy coral home, yet would come out to challenge you. They were a beautiful orange and white. It was always the large father that would challenge you, while his wife and kids would stay home. When we surfaced the bad weather had set in, so we were forced to head back to Lipe. After the rain delay we set out again to do our second dive. This time our entry would be the back roll off the side of the boat. Nailed it! We quickly descended and gradually got deeper and deeper, a total of 12 m, (40ft)!!! Our instructor brought us around this little island and we were in awe. Blown away with the clarity and with the abundance of life. Our visibility was 20 m that's 66 ft! We saw some cuddle fish! Our instructor tried to point out a sea horse, but we just missed it as it darted into some coral. We rode the current around the island and were down for 52 minutes. We will definitely dive again.


Before Koh Lipe was Koh Mook. We found a comfortable bungalow resort right off a beach and called it home for a week. We enjoyed the simple island life. Our resort didn't have much life or vibe to it, but we made friends with some couples from Czech Republic and Germany. We also came across an adorable little puppy. Most dogs in Thailand are free to roam and we came across this little guy on a walk to our favourite restaurant. He and two of his buddies ran to greet us and then followed us. Slowly, one by one, his friends left but he stayed right with us. We enjoyed dinner and he sat at our feet. We walked back to our bungalow and he followed us there. I decided that if we were to hang out with this little guy, he at least deserved a bath. I brought him in and watered him down. He wasn't to sure about the whole thing. We let him stay in our room for the night and the whole time he didn't leave the two little towels I had placed on the floor. The next morning he followed us to breakfast and soon he was off greeting all the other guest and mooching food. He was such a joy to watch chase birds. He had a trot like a bucking horse when he tried to run. It was full steam ahead, but his legs were all crazy like. Clearly he was still a puppy. His tail had been cut half off when he was a new born, probably as a sadistic stunt. (Lots of animals around here have broken and cut tails) Soon the little guy had made some new friends and was off following them around. Kelly and I finished breakfast and headed back to our room to get ready for the beach. When we got to the beach, we saw him hanging out with some guest as we headed into the water. We watched him follow them down the beach, as they were taking photos of him. All of a sudden a large pack off dogs came out of the trees and started charging him. The group of people just stood and watched and then walked away. He quickly realized he had nowhere to go so he laid on his side in submission. The pack surrounded and attacked. I knew as they were charging that they would try and kill him, so did one other person. We both charged out of the water and the two of us ran to challenge the pack and chase them off.  I picked him up and he was in shock. His eyes were swollen and his breathing was staggered. He was covered in sand and then we noticed the blood. A large three inch laceration and we could see muscle exposed. No one at the resort could/would help. We found out that it is against Islamic practices to ever have dog saliva touch your skin. So for that belief, they do not ever touch dogs. I knew the lady that owned the restaurant we had been going to would help. We brought him up there and she put some styptic powder on and then we wrapped it in some gauze and tape. I thought for sure he needed stitches. But being on a small island, there are no vets and the only doctor was also Muslim. The next couple days were extremely tough on Kelly and myself. Coming from where we do and both knowing how special dogs are, we did not want to just let it be and walk away. We thought about the nearest city (Trang) and bringing him to a vet. We contacted a non-profit animal shelter that was on Koh Lanta. They said we could take him there and that they would help. But he wouldn't be able to stay and we would have to take him back. The trip would be about 8 hours each way. We were very sad and spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to deal with this terrible situation. The next morning we removed the bandages and to my disbelief the wound was actually healing. We returned him to his house, made him a little bed and brought him food everytime we ate. Always making sure he knew not to follow us down to our resort.  He has owners, but they are/were never around. They come to feed him once a day and then leave. Imagine you treating your dog this way? A puppy none the less! We were told by the shelter in an email that he is, believe it or not, one of the lucky dogs in Thailand who at least has someone who feeds him. We still think about him often and hope his wound heals and doesn't get infected. The lady at the restaurant said she would keep an eye on him. I named the little guy Mook. I miss Mook

Mooks home. We made a bed behind the bar for him.

Island taxis.

Beach we stayed at on Koh Mook.

Mook and his buddies when they came to greet us.

Tips For The Adventurous Spirit

Things to keep in mind if you ever plan on backpacking yourself. In no particular order.

Number 1- I'm just going to get this one out and in the open. Toiletry- you either can't go, or you can't control it. Always bring Pepto Bismol, Imodium and toilet paper in your day bag. You just never know. Be honest with who you are traveling with, cause chances are they are going through it as well. Keep track of which foods hurt your stomach and avoid them. Like for me, I love chillies and oil. It is a dressing you get with a lot of rice meals. The orange chilli dressing I can not have. I know this by keeping track three different times. It will not get me the fourth time.

Number 2- You will get sick. The most important thing to do when you are feeling sick is to drink water. Lots of it. Chances are you are dehydrated and this is how your body lets you know.

Number 3- Eat, if you are irritated or getting irritated easily. This one is hard to determine, so just take an observation of how you are communicating with who you are with. If you both are ready to kill each other, you need to eat. Just stop talking to each other and find the nearest restaurant and don't speak until you have eaten your first couple bites.

Number 4- Bring a first aid kit. You never know if you, or someone near you, or some little puppy is going to need help and fast.

Number 5- Bring a travel pillow. You can buy small ones through MEC and  they collapse easy. You never know what you will get for a pillow. Sometimes it feels like a bag of cement in a pillow case.

Number 6- Bring a sheet. Ours, have kindly been sown into a sleep sack. They are awesome. Sometimes the best laid plans can go array. You may end up having to sleep somewhere where you're totally not sure what the maid used to clean the room with. Perhaps she scrubbed the walls with a muddy shoe?

Number 7- And as I'm writing this the power goes out, number 7 will now be, expect power outages. We had one a week ago where apparently all of Southern Thailand was out of power. We enjoyed the dark streets that night and bought some candles. Of course, as I was lighting them in the room the power came back on. Thank god because a/c runs on electricity

Number 8- Travel days suck, period. You go from point "A" to point "B" with a dozen stops in between. You are normally in a small mini van or a large bus. The mini vans are great for a/c, but terrible for being able to see out any window. Generally the drivers drive like they're a bat outta hell. The vans have no leg room and are packed with as many other tourists as possible. Who may or may not have showered in the last week. But hey man, they saved on the a/c and hot water and spent it on the beer! The larger buses are usually great for leg room and getting to know some locals. On the other hand the a/c is not always there, the seats will be well worn. The day after traveling don't plan on doing much.

Number 9- Try try try. You can't go wrong with trying stuff. That is unless you have lost your mind and try something the street dogs wouldn't even eat. If you like, swallow. If not, discreetly spit it into a napkin and throw the rest away. It usually will only cost a dollar to try new food.

Number 10- If you are near the water or swimming always wear sunscreen. Even though now we are brownish, we can still turn a shade of red if we forget. A hat and pair of sunglasses are your best friend.

Number 11- Don't pack a lot. You will find quickly which shirts keep the heat in and which ones are much cooler. You do not need three pairs of shoes or sandals. We have one pair of sandals and one pair of hiking shoes. Shirts and shorts you can buy and replace as you go.

Number 12- Save some plastic bags. The other day we couldn't figure out why our room smelt like wet dog mixed with something terribly foul. It turned out to be my swimming shorts. They must have missed some laundry days and were extremely rank. Having three plastic bags, we were able to safely transport the shorts. Also, place your cold water in a plastic bag before putting it in your day bag so the condensation doesn't get everything wet - especially your beloved toilet paper!  

Number 13- Bring a small lock and a small bike chain lock. Although not always necessary, it's nice to have. We always keep our valuables in our day bags. Most days when we venture out we leave it all in the room. With the locks we are able to lock the zipper tabs together and then chain the bag to a table or night stand. Also, sometimes check out is before your transportation leaves. In that case, we chain our big bags together and leave them in the lobby while carrying around our day bags as we wait for our ride.

Number 14- Eat Local. Although the larger tourist catered places look great and comforting, the food is generally way overpriced and bland. Try the hole in the wall type places. The food is full of flavor and always fresh. Also, try avoiding the Italian Restaurants who are run by Indians.  They are overpriced and you do not get a lot of food. But hey, you are their new best friend, and sometimes even their "Boss man".

Number 15- Enjoy the Suit Salesmen on the street. Generally only in the major tourist areas, these guys stand on the street dressed in shirt and tie. Out front of their shops they will try and talk with everyone to get them to buy a suit. They will try and guess where you are from and they can speak many different languages. I once said I was African and he started "click" talking to me. Don't stop to talk, only engage as you walk by. Definitely do not shake their hand. They will not let go as they drag you into their shop

Number 16- Don't always trust a tuk tuk driver. If the prices are to good to be true there is usually a reason. There will be several stops along the way for you to buy stuff resulting in the driver earning a commission.  This is generally only in the large cities. If the price isn't low, it is usually twice as much as it should be. In Bangkok, the taxis are required by law to use their meters. Ask before getting in if they will use the meter and if they do not, refuse and keep saying "Meter! Meter!" More then likely they will get angry and drive off. I once went through 7 taxis till we found one willing to use the meter.

 Number 17- Be opened minded. This is one that we are still learning about. Just because at home things may be done differently, you can't jump to conclusions with what you see. There is so much more to the day to day life than you will ever know. If there is something you don't agree with, do some research and learn more about why it is done that way. Perhaps there are people out there trying to make a change and could use your support in any way you can help.

http://www.lantaanimalwelfare.com/

Number 18- Give the street pets some love. You may not always want to touch them, but at least acknowledge their existence. They crave affection that they do not usually get anywhere else.

Number 19- Learn their language. It usually will catch them off guard and they will appreciate it.

Number 20- Relax. You will not have every answer you need before you set out to accomplish something. Chances are you will figure it out as you go, or there will be a nice stranger who will take it upon themselves to help you.

Bonus- Keep a journal. No matter how long you are traveling for try and write down the things you did each day. As life goes on you will forget these memories and they are the reasons why you are traveling in the first place.