Penang is on the west coast of Malaysia and Kota Bharu is on the East coast, almost opposite each other. Rather than fly (which was all booked up anyway) we decided to take a coach which turned out to be one of life's really good decisions. The coach was one of those where you travel on the upper deck with the luggage, driver etc downstairs. We soon realised the front seat was free and bagged that for the whole of the journey. The seats were really comfortable with leg rests and reclining backs and there were only five passengers including us, real luxury. It was like being in a fish bowl with 180 degree vision and there was loads to see.
Coming out of Penang was like a different world to George Town, modern and clean, with commercial multi-story buildings and we even spotted a Tesco supermarket - don't they get everywhere? We were soon out of the town and I was expecting there to be small villages dotted along the roadside with the odd town along the way. As it was we had a journey of six and a half hours and went through one town, the rest of the scenery was empty forest and jungle interspersed on occasions with either rubber or oil palm plantations. There was evidence of logging as trucks were going along the road with huge tree trunks on the back but we didn't see any deforestation from the road, I think it is controlled in Malaysia, I hope so as the scenery is stunning.
I was very amused to see warning road signs with an elephant picture. Unfortunately we didn't see the elephants but the road sign was almost enough.
A few miles from Kota Bharu we encountered our first evidence of a large habitation, when we arrived here the town looked pretty average and that is just what it has turned out to be. Other than the people, who are so charming and friendly, there is very little to recommend it but also not a lot to say against it. We did not choose the best place to spend Christmas as there is very little going on and it is mainly Muslim town, so Christmas is not widely celebrated. We're staying in the only real hotel here and they do have a Christmas tree and a couple of decorations. I have to say that young Muslim women with a black head scarf and then a red santa hat complete with white fluffy trimming on top, do look rather strange.
On Christmas Eve we went to the restaurant for supper and heard carols being sung from the Foyer. We went downstairs to listen. I was feeling rather homesick and, at the end, when they all came up and shook our hands and wished us merry Christmas it was almost too much. Christmas day passed in a haze of Gin and chocolate and paper hats made out of the local paper, the Straits Times. It was the best way of coping we decided.
Kota Bharu is famous for the local hand made kites and every May they have an International kite flying festival. We have seen some flying over the town and they are indeed very special. So today we engaged a taxi driver who took us to find where the kites are made and when we found them they were irresistible. We are now the owners of a couple of large kites to take back to the UK - and they don't fold! I think we'll to take them to our next port of call, Singapore, and try to post them from there. Time will tell if this is a sound idea.
We also went to a factory selling Batik and woven goods where I have bought a skirt in silk for £10. Another bargain.
Our taxi driver was keen to take us to three temples at a nearbytown of Tumpat. One of these has the largest sleeping Buddha in Asia, it was huge. The next had the largest sitting Buddha, again enormous and the final one was the Dragon Temple which was actually really interesting with lots of Thai influences but built to look as if it is floating on a pool filled with gold fish, very clever.
This last temple was originaly built 400 years ago and has recently had significant restoration. It is interesting in that most of the temples we had seen to date have been in the region of 100 years old, not that old in the whole scheme of things.
Tuesday
Yesterday we had to force ourselves to do something as we were both suffering from a tummy upset, the first day we had both felt grim. We had decided that we wanted to visit one of the State Guest houses called Istana Batu. This had been built originally by the Sultan as a home for his daughter but is now a museum housing many of the possessions of the Sultan and his family. Fortunately it was both interesting and small so we were kept occupied with minds off tummies for a while. We were both relieved to return to the hotel for a light bowl of soup. It was soup in a large bread roll, unusual but delicious and just what we needed. Then it was time to pack our bags as we had an early start this morning for our train journey to Singapore.
We have decided we are not too good with time. Having been there for four days, it now appears that the clock in the hotel room was an hour fast and we hadn't noticed of course. That is the time we had been operating on since we'd arrived (rather de ja vu don't you think?). The result was that we were outside on the pavement at 5.00 this morning for a taxi booked for 6am!
Our train left Tumpat Station at 7am and we are on it now, thankfully with settled tums.
Tumpat is in the far north east of Malaysia near the Thai border. By the time we arrive in Singapore at 10pm tonight we will have travelled the whole of the length of Malaysia by train and what a journey this is. The main two thirds of the journey is called the "jungle railway" for the very good reason that it is right through the dense rainforest of the centre of Malaya. It is an unfenced single track line and so one has the feeling of really being in amongst the vegetation. For much of the way it follows the Sungai Kelantan, which is a large river draining the central highlands.
Apparently in the jungle there are tigers, monkeys, exotic birds and all manner of wild life. Unfortunately for us none were was lined up beside the track for our inspection but fortunately for them there are miles and miles of wonderful rainforest in which to hide. Hopefully it will stay that way but here are already some signs of clearance for the planting of oil palms. It is almost impossible to describe the variety and size of many of the trees, bamboos, bushes, ferns and creepers making up the forest. There were huge rocky outcrops covered in enormous trees, plants growing on the trunks of others, ferns encroaching on to the track. One was able to see how colonialists of old would have been reminded of home by the sheer 'green-ness' of Malaya.
We passed through some lovely little stations, I am unsure who they are there to serve as there is often little evidence of habitation. One station had banana trees growing along the back so if one were a little peckish you could just reach over and have yourself a snack. Another was on the edge of a village which was on one side of the track, on the other side you could see just how quickly the jungle would take over if left to its own devices as there was creeper everywhere; growing up through abandoned houses, along telegraph poles and obscuring the pathways.
The northern part of the jungle railway twists and turns through magnificent scenery, through forest that is truly impenetrable but even the latter part continued to be densely wooded and just a series of small towns and villages.
Now it is dark outside so I have the chance to catch up blogging and I shall post this when we reach Singapore... Just how exciting is that??
Sorry no photos too busy here!!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment