Malaysia Kuala Lumpur

The train from Singapore was OK. I didn't bother paying for a first class ticket and my seat was fine.

The border crossings were a bit weird though - You got your Malaysia immigration paperwork at Singapore station (to fill in on the train I thought). Everyone had to get off the train at the last stop in Singapore and get stamped out of Singapore however there was no checkpoint for getting into Malaysia - I expected a check at Kuala Lumpur station but there was nothing.

My first hostel was OK too although you had to take your shoes off at the door (I've since leaned this is quite common) and there was no hot water. The room was clean though and at only 6 pound a night I can't complain too much.

On the first day I walked around to get my barings. As soon as I walked out the door though people started hassling you - It was a bit like South America but I'd forgotten what that had been like. Every time I got my guide book out some weirdo would come up to me. Anyway things improved once I could find my way around a bit.

Next day I was up early and headed to the Petronas Towers to go up to the Sky Bridge between the two towers on 41st and 42nd floors - it's a shame you can't go to the top. It's free but there are only a limited number of tickets given out each day but I managed to get one. The tour starts with a video about building the towers (The Worlds highest twin towers, once the Worlds tallest building). Then you go up 170 metres to the skybridge for some photos.





After the towers I decided to check out the Minara Tower. The viewing platform was much higher than the Petronas skybridge at 276 metres. You had to pay for this but there were much better 360 views - you even got an MP4 player which showed you a video clip at each window highlighting the sights.





From there next to the tower is a place called Forest in the City. It was a nice walk and you did feel you were getting away from the city. There were even monkeys running around.



Unfortunately although I didn't realise it at the time I was getting bitten to death by mosquitos!

Next stop was Pudraya bus station to find out about bus tickets for the next leg - it was mayhem all round the bus station. Inside was worse there were people with radios trying to look like security who blatently worked for one of the hundereds of bus companies inside.

Next to the bus station I checked out a hostel in the Lonely Planet (Pudu Hostel) it seemed a bit better tham where I was staying so I decided to move there. At least I could catch a bus from the front door.

The hostel was pretty strange as was the guy who was always on the desk but I had no real problems there. However since then I've read a lot of horror stories about people getting stuff stolen from their rooms - luckily I was OK.

Next day I moved hostels and booked a ticket for the Cameron Highlands. As I had some time to spare I decided to check out Batu Caves.

Batu Caves is a limestone hill in the Gombak district about 13 kilometres north of Kuala Lumpur which has a series of caves and cave temples. It takes its name from the Sungai Batu or Batu River, which flows past the hill. Batu Caves is also the name of the nearby village.

Finding the bus to the caves was half the adventure. The bus stopped right outside the caves. I walked passed the huge gold statue at the base of the steps leading up to the caves. There are 272 steps that a visitor has to climb in order to access the temple at the summit of the hill.



As well as the temple at the top there were a lot of macaque monkeys running around scaring children - it was entertaining to watch them.





I went to start snapping some photos only to realise I'd taken the memory card out of the camera to upload some photos. Fortunately I'd got chatting to a lad from Hawaii and he let me copy the photos he took. We headed down from the main cave into another cave which was a kind of art gallery with a lot of religious statues.



The 2nd cave was interesting but there were no descriptions of what you were looking at.

There was a lot of activity going on to set things up for the Thaipusam festival which happens at the caves every year. (I'd miss out on this but check my Georgetown entry for more details and pics on this festival).

Singapore

We didn't really have an idea in mind about what Singapore would be like stepping off the plane as we'd not read any of the guide books.

We grabbed a taxi to our hotel - we'd taken the budget option so our hotel was a bit out of town in a red light district. Not as bad as it sounds though as we were only three train stops from the centre and although there were ladies of the night parading outside the hotel opposite - our hotel was fine. It was a bit of a culture shock though as there were no westerners staying in the area and we couldn't find much to eat unless we wanted Frog Porridge or Chickens Feet - I did dip a foot in some porridge - luverly!

Colonial Tour, China Town and Orchard Road

On our first day we decided to do a Colonial Walk which looked OK on paper but was actually really boring. We'd hoped it would give us our bearings but all the areas we visited were pretty quiet.

After a coffee break and a thunderstorm (which happened every other day!!) we decided to check out China Town.



This was more like it although it was like stepping into a different World with all the temples, market stalls and street food. We had our first try of Hawker food - no where near as intimidating as some of the guide books make out - we went to the Maxwell Road food centre and picked a dish each.



After China Town we headed to Orchard Road - although only a few train stops away this was a million miles from China Town with posh hotels and huge shopping complexes with all the designer brands!

Sentosa Island

A must do when in Singapore. There are a number of ways to get over to the Island - we opted for cable car. We headed to the cable car station and opted for one of the tour packages which turned out to be a good move.

Before heading to the island the first cable car took us up to Mt Faber for views over the city - the views from the car were better than those from the top however.



We headed back down from Mt Faber and accross to the island where we were met by our guide.

Our first stop was a butterfly farm which was OK, there were some pretty big insects (The Hercules Beetle - the World's biggest!) to liven things up and we did get to see some butterflies hatching.

Next stop was Underwater World - a pretty good aquarium with some huge fish. There was also a touch pool where you could stroke a stingray! The sea dragons and jelly fish made for some good photo opportunities there was also a conveyor belt which took you around a tank filled with sharks and other creatures of the deep!







Next stop on the tour was a chair lift ride (Not like Thora Hird's) which gave us some good views of the island.

Next we headed to the beach where we crossed a bridge to an island which is the most southerly tip of the Malaysian Peninsular. The beaches are all man made but if you get a sheltered spot with some palm trees you may be able to screen out the oil tankers and other ships.

Included in our Underwater World ticket was the option to see Indo-pacific humpbacked dolphins, commonly known as Pink Dolphins. This was a pretty good show although the sun decided to come out and fry us as we were right at the front with no shade.



Also included rather randomly in the show were some otters that could pick up and recycle litter - I reckon they should be installed on every beach.



Next we decided to squeeze in a tour of Fort Siloso - built in the 1880s as a military base it has a series of gun emplacements linked by underground tunnels. When the Japanese invaded by a surprise land attack the fort did not help as all it's guns were pointing to the sea. The fort was later used by the Japanese as a POW camp. The story of the Japanese invasion was told along with the British surrender as well as the story leading up to the Japanese surrender ceremony at Singapore city hall. We enjoyed this alot (even though we were a bit short of time) as we both didn't really know much about this bit of World War II.

After sheltering from another downpour we went to grab a good seat for the Musical Fountain Show - this sounds rubbish and when you see the fountain in the day light it doesn't look much, however as night fell and the crowds came in we started to think this might be worth sticking around for.

The show was spectacular although the story was aimed at the kids the sound and laser light show was fantastic. There were jets of water with computer animated 3D images projected onto the water like a giant screen.



We took the cable car back to the mainland and had some great views of the city at night.

We rounded the day off with a beer and a curry at Little India.

Singapore Zoo and Night Safari

Quite a trip to get here with a train then a bus but it was definately one of the highlights of the trip - definately one of the best zoos I've been to. We joined a guided walk around telling us about the animals. The animals were all easy to spot. Some of the highlights included the Polar Bears which we watched being fed, loads of different primates, lions and white tigers. I also got to see a Tree Kangaroo and a Manatee (which I'd just missed in Belize).





We went to see the Elephants at Work and Play show and watched the elephants throw logs around as if they were sticks.

There was even Orang Utans swinging through the tree tops above your head and interacting with the Keepers.

(Left Turn Clyde!)



The whole park and gardens were very well laid out and there were some great views of the Upper Selator Reservoir.

Although we were completely 'animaled' out after a rest and some food we headed to the Night Safari. This place (completely separate from the Zoo) is award winning and it's easy to see why, however if you have the time I'd recommend you do this on a separate day to the Zoo.

We started the Safari with the Creatures of the Night Show. The show was a good introduction and included binturongs, otters, raccoons, owls, hyenas and servals. You also had to boo anyone using flashes on their cameras which I enjoyed.

Some sections could only be seen by tram with commentary so we hopped aboard one. You really felt like you were journeying to different places. We passed through Himalayan Foothills, Nepalese River Valley and Indian Subcontinent. Each of the enclosures were cleverly lit so that we could see the animals but they were largely oblivious to us. Animal highlights included Rhinos, Jackals and Hyenas.

We hopped off the tram at the Leopard Trail where we saw the Clouded Leopard, Binturong and the Malayan Civet. We walked through a special enclosed dome to see some huge flying squirrels which whizzed right passed us. There was another enclosure with loads of bats in too.

From here we hopped back on the tram through Equatorial Africa where amongst others we saw a Hippo and a Bongo! Next on to the Indo Malayan region home to a bearded pig and a tiger! We journeyed on through Asian Riverine Forest (with elephants and tapirs), through South American Pampas (with Maned Wolf and Giant Anteater) to the final region - Burmese Hillside.

We then explored the Safari on foot taking in the Forest Giants Trail and the Fishing Cat Trails featuring Fishing Cats, Otters and Barking Deers.

After another exhausting day we caught a taxi home.

Shopping and Raffles Museum

After a lie in we headed out to do some shopping. I found Funan - the IT mall - floors and floors of technology - (I think Jen was a bit bored by the 6th floor!)

(Mmmmm Technology...)



We also got our first look at the Raffles hotel and visited the free museum.

We finished the day at Orchard Road with a look around some of the stores there included a huge book store and a 3 storey HMV shop.

Chinese Heritage Museum

We headed to the train station first as I'd decided to head overland to Malaysia so I booked a ticket to Kuala Lumpur.

We got free tickets to the Chinese Heritage Museum from our visit to Sentosa.

As we both knew nothing about this we found it pretty interesting. It was all about the history of the Chinese settlers in Singapore. You climbed up through the levels following the timeline, before heading down through two floors which were like stepping back in a time warp as they re-created the pokey rooms which would have existed in the building in the olden days - definately worth a visit.

The Raffles Pub Crawl

As we'd not really had a drink in Singapore (alcohol is pretty expensive) we decided to splurge.

Our first stop was the 70th Floor of the Swiss Hotel. We got a great view of the city as night fell and sipped some very reasonably priced cocktails - the bar itself was mega-posh.



From there we headed to the Long Bar at Raffles where we got to eat unlimited monkey nuts and flick the shells on the floor. We gave in to temptation and tried a Singapore Sling - I'd heard it was pre-mixed but as we were sat at the bar we saw it even had it's own tap (like a beer tap)!

We went to the Hogs Breath Cafe for a Steak and some Long Island Ice Tea before heading back to the Bar and Billiard Room inside the Raffles Hotel itself - apparently a tiger was shot in 1904 underneath one of the Billiard tables.



Following many cocktails we headed to Chijmes where our first stop was at a really strange bar next to one of the entrances as there were jugs of beer on offer. Basically our drinks were served by a woman in a maids dress (more Manga style than French Maid!) who couldn't pour beer for toffee. When I went to pour my second beer I got into trouble and told - "Master must not pour his own beer" - weird but quite funny.

We finished the night in Father Flanegans Irish bar before heading home.

Jen's Last Day

Both a bit hungover we headed into town for some food before a quick visit to Funan to pick up some cheap PSP games.

Then farewell to Jen at the airport - but only 5 weeks to go before I'd be back home.

Waiting for the Train

As I had another day to kill before the train I decided to do a bit more exploring. I found a Chinese temple - the Tan Si Chong Su temple and was allowed to look around inside.



From there I headed to Clarke Quay - a very westernised area of Bars and Restaurants where there was a Ministry of Sound and even a Hooters.

Alongside these were old Chinese Junks (boats) converted to bars and a floating restaurant.



From here I headed up Fort Canning hill. The hill is home to a shrine to Sultan Iskander Shah the last ruler of the anceint kingdom of Singapura. I checked out an archeological dig where there were some Javenese artefacts from the 14th-century. Also on the Hill is the Battle Box Singapores largest military operations complex during WWII although I didn't have time to check it out.

So it was time to leave Singapore - a really interesting place and take the train into Malaysia.

Sydney

Christmas in Sydney is a bit of blur - literally. I was staying in the Darlinghirst/Kingscross area which was really seedy - however I did get a room upgrade to a nice double with en-suite free of charge.

I took a day off before meeting up with some friends from the trip down from Cairns to celebrate Christmas Day.

We had a picnic on Bondi with quite a bit of wine. Vodka was added to the wine which was really the start of the blurry time. Thankfuly I was guided home safely (thanks to Em and Jess)!

I had a bit of time to catch up with the Blog and do some general exploring before Jen arrived for New Year.

Rather than giving you a day by day account of what Jen and I did I'll just give you a summary and include some pics.

At first we stayed at The Woolbrokers on Darling Harbour which was in a really good location plus close to the wharf for the New Year's Eve boat. For the second week we stayed above a pub on George Street which was OK if a bit noisey.

Harbour Bridge Pylon and the Rocks Pub Crawl (Strange Combination!)

After checking out some of the older pubs at the Rocks in Sydney (Hero of Waterloo and the Lord Nelson Brewery) we climbed the Pylon for some views over Sydney before heading down for more beer (Australian Heritage Hotel for a Scharers' Lager and The Fortune of War Hotel - the longest continuously licensed pub in Sydney!)





Star City Casino

Sorry Sydney but Melbourne beats this hands down!

Opera House Tour



This was a lot better than expected. It was a bit of a dash across the city to make the start of the tour but it was worth it. We had a good guide and we got to see inside a theatre as well as a concert hall although we couldn't get in the main hall as they were rehearsing for the New Years Eve celebrations. Our guide who was an opera singer herself (although we didn't know it) even tested the acoustics for us which caught us all by suprise.

Sydney Aquarium

Wish I'd taken my sea sickness tablets for this one as some of the exhibits were actually floating in the harbour. I finally got to see a platypus!!



As well as loads of fish there also were penguins, crocs and seals (not in the same tank!), there was also a really good exhibit on the Barrier Reef featuring Nemo and Dory!

New Years Eve

The top highlight has to be New Years Eve on Sydney Harbour.

After a few beers on Darling Harbour (very reasonably priced!) we boarded the Jerry Bailey.



There was a free bar and free food all night although some fat crackers seemed to be scoffing most of the food before it could get to us. We cruised out under the harbour bridge randomly passing the English cricket team (I think they'd been given a down-graded boat for losing!)



We then took up a position right across the harbour. At first we thought it was a bit two far away but it turned out to be perfect. We got great views of both sets of fireworks as well as the bridge all lit up which was v impressive.



The Rocks Ghost Walk

We thought this was going to be spoiled by the weather as a thunder storm started just as the walk did however we got on with it. It was really well done and a lot of people had parts to play - I had to act the part of a dead undertaker where hammering could be heard coming from my house long after I'd been dead.

I thought the best story was one in which a Greek Sea Captain staying at lodgings in the Rocks who was supposed to be saving his money to bring out his wife and family but went out to visit a lady of the night. In the middle of the night the landlady woke to screams coming from his room - it turns out he'd cut off his meat and two veg to punnish himself!

After being sent to hospital the landlady was surprised to see him back at her door next morning looking very pale - he asked if his room had been let to which she replied it had not been touched - he thanked her and walked off - concerned about his condition she telephoned the hospital only to be told that he had died late the previous night from loss of blood! Some scary stuff - I had to sleep with the light on that night.

The walk was particularly good as we visited some areas either not open to the public or else really hard to find, including some excavations of an old house.

Didgeridoo Peformance at Darling Harbour

I took Jen to see this as I'd enjoyed it last time. I was amazed to see it was the same bloke. He was really good and got the audience to participate and answered loads of questions about playing and Aboriginal culture.

Taronga Zoo

We took the ferry over from circular quay over to the zoo where just about every tourist in sydney decided to go that day too. It was a good afternoon though despite the weather. I was able to show Jen all the different animals I'd spotted all round Australia. The otters were pretty good and there was another Platypus! It was also strange to see some of the animals like the Giraffes against the backdrop of the city.

This Komodo Dragon was pretty impressive:



Powerhouse Museum and Great Wall of China Exhibition

Another rainy day - I can't understand the Sydney drought situation judging by the amount of rain that fell between Christmas and the 14th Jan!

Never mind though this was a good museum all about Science and Technology with loads of interactive exhibits. There was lots of transport stuff too including the first train in Australia and a replica of a space station. One display had me fascinated as there was a 3d projection of a man walking around inside a case talking about australian inventions and interacting with objects (just like when Princess Leia gets projected from R2-D2!) - amazing!

Also included in the museum was The Great Wall of China Exhibit: dynasties, dragons and warriors - at first I wasn't that interested but there were lots of video presentations which caught my interest. There was also some really impressive panoramic photography. Jen was asking why there was a diosaur running about and I had to point out it was a Chinese dragon!

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Technically nothing to do with Sydney but we did see this film when we were there. I think they must have set out to offend every group in society so no one felt left out. A really really funny film although the naked fight scene is just wrong!

Hunter Valley

A very strange tour this one. Overall I enjoyed it but it did make me realise how good a lot of the backpacker tours really are. We got picked up from our accomodation and after a few laps of Sydney and some wrong turns we headed off to the Hunter Valley.

Here we had a wine tasting at Hunter Cellars which was pretty good. I bought a bottle of wine but was dissapointed to find that the grapes were not grown in the valley - still it tasted nice though. The chocolate tasting that followed was dissapointing and we were told there was no time for Cheese tasting (boo!)

We headed on to Port Stephens where after some frantic parking by the driver we were hurried onto our boat for lunch. After lunch we did get to see quite a few dolphins and see a lot of the coastline.

Once back on shore we were driven to our next stop - The Stockton Bight Sand Dunes where we did a spot of sand boarding - it was pretty windy though so lots of sand in the teeth as well as well as everywhere else.

The drive back to Sydney was a nightmare though with a family who had no control over there kids who shouted and screamed for the whole journey. I think I've been spoiled by those backpacker tours!

Bondi to Coogee Walk

We took the bus to Bondi for this walk which I'd definately recommend. First we walked up to the golf course at Bondi to see the Aboriginal rock carvings - these were definately not worth the trip and you could just as easily start from the promenade.



Basically you walk along the coastal path taking in lots of different beaches and other sites - Tamarama, Bronte Beach, Waverley Cemetery



(really old by Australian standards and quite picturesque for a cemetery), Clovely, Gordons Bay (with underwater guided snorkel) - before arriving at Coogee.

Paddington Markets

A bit more upmarket than the Paddo markets - lots of arts and crafts. We also took the opportunity to find some of the old pubs around Paddington and Woollahra. We visited Four In Hand, Bellevue, Lord Dudley and Durty Nelly's.

The Blue Mountains

Day 1
A fantastic trip - our first stop was at a camp site where we got to see Kangaroos up close - I'd seen enough by now but I know Jen enjoyed it - there were also loads of Cockatoos flying around.

From there we headed on to the first walk - quite a challenging one at that a 3 hour loop walk at Wentworth falls - there was a really steep stair climb towards the end and I thought we were going to need a helicopter rescue to get Jen to the end!

We were all ready for lunch then straight into another walk (Furber Stairs)- this time the stairs went straight down - it was the Furber stairs walk to Jamieson valley - we got our first view of the 3 Sisters on the way down. Fortunately we didn't have to walk back as we took the "scenic" railway back to the top - this is the steepest railway in the world and more like a rollercoaster than a scenic ride - just when you thought the train couldn't tilt up anymore it would move up a few more degrees - good fun though!



After a tiring day we got dropped off at our accomodation - The Katoomba YHA - A really nice hostel however typical of any YHA there were a lot of rules.

Day 2
We explored Katoomba town centre checking out the book shops and The Paragon Chocolate factory before doing our final walk - The Prince Henry Cliff top walk. There were loads of great views on this walk and climbing was kept to a minimum as we worked our way along to Katoomba falls - we persisted climbing around and eventually got a good view of the falls - we were surprised to come out at the start of the Furber Stairs walk.





We had time to relax back at the hostel before being picked up and driven back to Sydney.

Manly Beach

A ferry trip from Sydney. It was a nice beach but there was quite a bit of rubbish left behind by people. It was late afternoon when we got there so we spent a few hours on the beach before going for a Mexican meal.

Contemporary Art Gallery

This was free so we went to check it out. There were lots of weird stuff here including a really strange film that looked like it had been inspired by the Matrix projected onto a huge screen - the sound effects were deafening. There was one exhibit I was interested in based on the film Dog Day Afternoon (I'd recommend it) basically without giving too much away it's about a bank robbery that goes wrong. The exhibit showed a split screen view of the film along with a surviving member of the gang who talked through his version of events.

Sydney Museum

Very Poor - half the museum was closed and there was not much to diferentiate it from any other museum.

Botanical Gardens

Relaxing place to get over that hangover. Loads of good views and photo opportunities of the city (Mrs Macquaries Point and Chair are good spots).

There are also tonnes of wildlife especially Flying Foxes.

Liverpool Street

One of our favourite eating spots with lots of Spanish restaurants clustered together.

Justice and Police Museum

Not the most thrilling sounding of museums but this place was spot on - in contrast to the Sydney Museum. The Justice & Police Museum was originally the Water Police Court (1856), Water Police Station (1858) and Police Court (1886). Restored to their 1890s character, the building's heavy blocks of sandstone, spiked gates, winding steps and corridor of cells reinforce the Museum's themes of crime and punishment and law and order.

There was lots of information about some notorious Australian crimes such as the Pyjama Girl Case and the Graeme Thorne Kidnapping. There is also information on some the old criminals who operated in and around Sydney.

When we were there, there was also a really good photography exhibit here called City of shadows: inner city crime & mayhem 1912-1948 -

"The extensive collection of police forensic negatives held at the Justice & Police Museum casts a fascinating light on the shadowy underworld of Sydney between the wars. In the mugshots we encounter people of that world – thieves, breakers, receivers, ‘magsmen’, ‘spielers’, ‘urgers’, ‘gingerers’, false pretenders, ‘hotel barbers’, shoplifters, dope users, prostitutes, makers of false oaths – and the occasional murderer. And within this medium of crime and accident scene photographs we are able to view, sometimes in extraordinary detail, their physical milieu – the mean kitchens, bedrooms and parlours, the pubs, boarding houses, corner shops and residentials, the sheds, garages, back lanes, streets and byways of a Sydney that is both eerily strange but all too familiar".

The Rocks Market

One of the last places we visited to pic up a few souvenirs and presents. We also found some good photos of the fireworks and bridge at New Year.

Sydney Tour and Oz Trek

At first I thought this seemed pretty expensive but it turned out to be quite good. The OZ Trek part was the best - it started in a rotating theatre - I couldn't believe it it was all presented by the 3d projections I'd seen in the Science Museum! After 4 views of Australia we were taken through to the main ride where you were strapped into a seat surrounded by cinema screens. As you were 'flown' all around Oz including back in time the seats moved with the camera - Not recommended for if you have a hangover!

The tower itself gave good views as you'd expect, however it was cloudy when we went up.

Hyde Park Barracks

We visited here on our last day in Sydney. It's pretty hard not to get interested in the history of Convicts when visiting Australia. I knew a bit about this place from a book I was reading - "The Fatal Shore" by Robert Hughes and was a bit surprised when Jen said she wanted to see it.

The Hyde Park Barracks, built between 1817 and 1819 and constructed by convict labour, the Barracks is one of the finest works of the accomplished colonial architect Francis Greenway. As the principal male convict barracks in New South Wales it provided lodgings for convicts working in government employment around Sydney until its closure in 1848.

It has had many occupants since then. It was an Immigration Depot for single female immigrants seeking work as domestic servants and awaiting family reunion from 1848 to 1886 and also a female asylum from 1862 to 1886. From 1887 to 1979 law courts and government offices were based at the Barracks.

The museum had lots of information on Transportation, convict life as well as excavated artefacts and exposed layers of building fabric.

And of course The Pubs...

We got a Sydney Pub guide book and checked out quite a few...

And so with all this under our belts we headed to the airport for our flight to Singapore.