Malaysia 2000, Part 1

MONDAY 29 MAY

We had a sad start to the day for we didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to the president of YMAT
nor thank him for his hospitality. 

Took the 8:30am train to Sungai Kolok. Crossed in to Malaysia effortlessly - my second consecutive
trouble free border crossing! Wow! After lunch at the border we took a bus to Khota Bharu. 

After booking in to a guesthouse went to the Islamic Musuem but could only spend five minutes
there for they were closing. The museum is close to the State Masjid and we prayed Asr there,
meeting four wacky Arabs afterwards - one each from Jordan, Egypt, Yemen and Somalia. Wacky Arabs
equal wacky and animated conversations! They are so expressive that it is possible to enjoy their
conversations even though I don’t understand much of their language! Mustafa of course speaks just
like them, so much so that they didn’t even believe that he was a Bengali! 

Unfortunately, we went to a McDonalds for dinner - there aren’t many places that you can get halal
Big Macs, was the reasoning. The food is crap, unhealthy, not very tasty, expensive and
un-filling! Never again!

TUESDAY 30 MAY

Shared a taxi to Kuala Besut with a couple of English guys we’d met on Monday - they needed help
in finding the hostel they were staying in! Took a boat to the Island of Perhentian Kecil.

Despite being on the very first boat it was very difficult to find accommodation. We couldn’t find
anything for less than 25 ringitt (1USD = 3.7 ringgit) each. But our chalet was in a beautiful
location perched on the rocks of a headland jetting out from a coral beach. It was picture
postcard stuff. 

Headed straight for the main beach, which was nice but not as nice as those of Phucket. But the
water was so much nicer! I’d never seen water so turquoise. The water was also still so it was
great to swim in. Man, it was wonderful. In late afternoon we hired a two-man kayak and padded
around for about an hour and half. It was fun and at first also exciting as we didn’t really want
it to capsize! And it didn’t. 

Went back to our chalet just on sunset and just in time not to get caught up in a tropical storm.
I love the sound of rain, and especially by the sea, but unfortunately I couldn’t appreciate it
fully as I got some water in my left ear when taking a shower. Did I tell you about a similar
problem I had in Bangladesh with the right ear? They are both fine now, Alhamdulilah.

WEDNESADY 31 MAY

On Tuesday, we seriously contemplated doing an open water diving course but decided that we’d do
it in Lombok, Indonesia, instead. So we were to return to the mainland.

We slept very well. Too well. When we eventually got out of the chalet it was already 10:30am. We
were to take a 12noon boat back to Kual Besut so only had time for breakfast. Returned to Khota
Bharu in a taxi with a couple of Americans who also stayed in our guesthouse. 

Went to the Islamic museum again. Had 45 minutes this time and it was nearly enough. Half the
museum was about the rise of Islam in the Kelatan region while the other was about Islamic
architecture in general. 

After Asr at the State Masjid, where this time we didn’t meet any wacky Arabs, we went to the
Cultural Centre. Nothing much was happening there so I played a bit of soccer with a kid at a
sports complex nearby. Mustafa also had a couple of kicks. We then went to the “YMO” of Malaysia’s
office but only to find it closed, unfortunately. A little light shopping, dinner and sleep
followed. 

THURSDAY 1 JUNE

Took the 6:05am jungle train to Jerantut. The bus would’ve been much quicker but the train route
is much more scenic. Having said that, I didn’t really take advantage of it due to catching up on
some much needed sleep. 

In most places, the touting for backpackers’ custom starts after you’ve arrived at your
destination. But with Jerantut it started on the train. Despite the statement “We know what the
Lonely Planet Singapore, Malaysia & Brunei says about us but we wouldn’t let that ruin 11 years of
good work” we decided to stay at the Sri Emas hotel. And we didn’t regret it either. It was very
good value, very clean, very friendly and very helpful. Did I tell you that Lonely Planet talks a
lot of crap most of the time?

Prayed Asr and Maghrib at another onion-domed masjid - most of the mosques we’d seen by that time
in Malaysia had been of that design. After dinner attended a very useful, but totally free,
briefing on the Taman Negara (National Park). Taman Negara was of course the reason for going to
Jerantut.

FRIDAY 2 JUNE

The minibus for Taman Negara was due to leave at 8:30am. We woke up at exactly 8:30am! But we
managed to get ready in less than 5 minutes and they waited for us. 

Took the “Agro” tour to the Park. This involved stopping off at three plantations - cocoa, rubber
and palm oil - on the way. It was very educational plus we got to taste raw cocoa, see rubber
tapping and smell palm oil straight off the seeds. 

Arrived at the village of Kuala Tehan, just across the river from the Park, an hour or so before
Jum’a. The Jum’a gathering at the village masjid was quite large and impressive. 

After Jum’a we trekked through the rain forest to a bat cave. I’ve yet to visit a cave which
wasn’t a bat cave but this one had rather a lot of them. The cave was packed with a group of
school kids from Singapore so it took a full hour to get through it. There were way too many
people in there so I didn’t really get that ‘cave feeling’. 

It started to rain before we got out and it continued on our trek back. But you have to get wet
when in you are in a tropical rainforest! It was great, but Mustafa caught a cold. Returned to
base just before sunset. 

We were in dorms with two Brits, a Swede and a Vietnamese American from San Jose who was a bit of
an artist and did a portrait of me. Mustafa thought it was good. I thought it was ok. At dinner
San Jose was asking a lot of inquisitive questions about Islam and in particular the reasons for
women wearing the hijab. We tried to give satisfactory answers but I don’t think we totally
convinced. San Jose tried to be really profound and deep with worn out arguments and political
correctness but always ended up the fool: “I am an atheist. I believe in God but don’t follow a
particular religion”.