Yee Ling Tang

I arrive in Kuala Lumpur Sept 5th for an intended 2 day stop over in Chinatown before taking to the beach of Cherating. But as I am unable to get everything back in my backpack or carry it without the support of a taxi, I stay in Kuala Lumpur four days. Wandering about, breaking for dumplings, sweet local coffee, Fuckien noodles, Tiger Beer, Thai noodles, Korma, Roti cani. I read and people watch - I like Kuala Lumpur - so far.

The first evening I share my streetside dinner table with two men from Singapore here with their families. Their families are still shopping. One of them worked for a couple of years in Luton (not such a pleasant experience for him). We discusss South East Asian Economics (I listen, they try to explain) and then they invite me to join them at 7am the next morning for a trip to the Genting Higlands 'for gambling and relaxation'. I decline having arrived in Malaysia only 30 minutes previously.

Third day, (I think) I take a 'Hop On Hop Off Bus' tour of the city, stopping off at Merdeka Square, Little India, the Petronas Towers and the Golden Triangle (shopping malls). All very flash, I traipse into this Parkson Department Store landing at the Origins Counter and this assistant asks me if I'm looking for anything in particular and i say no, I'm just looking. She smiles and says, "Let me give you some peace of mind". She demonstrates for me to hold out my hands and puts a squirt of a little bottle labelled 'Peace of Mind' on the index, middle and ring fingers of my right hand. She tells me to join the fingers of my left hand to my right just under my nose. She demonstrates for me to breath in through the nose, out through the mouth three times. It actually smelt really good, refreshing and relaxing. Then she demonstrates (and I copy) massaging the ears, the forehead and the temples and shoulders before finishing with the three breaths in through the nose and out the mouth whilst adopting a prayer position. Anyway, it was very relaxing - lovely smell, but far too expensive.

Last evening in Kuala Lumpur, I go back to the same cafe as the first evening because it makes me smile. The kitchen is open so I can see that one of the chefs is wearing a T'shirt that reads (in big letters) ELECRICIAN and the chef next to him has a T'shirt on with FBI on it and then there's a another sitting on a chair in front of the wok with a Vicks inhalor stick plugged up his nose. This evening, I share my table with Angel, a wonderful Chinese Malaysian (32) from Kuantan who loves Cheshire Oakes - my idea of Retail Park Hell. We note how good the Fuckien Noodles are and then she asks about my next port of call which is Kuantan in order to get to Cherating. Angel lives in Kuantan and insists I call her when I arrive and "we will do lunch" and she will drive me to Cherating in her "wee white car". She also insists on paying for my dinner telling me tonight is my lucky night(!)

Next day, after a bus ride to Kuantan (in an arm chair seat), I check into Makmur Hotel because it's the closest hotel to the station (cannot carry the pack any further). I have dinner in Makmur restaurant and call Angel to arrange lunch for the next day. I am to be outside my hotel at 10am the next morning. A little early but perhaps she is busy at lunch. So, at 10 am Angels turns up in her wee white car proposing that I spend just one more night in Kuantan. I can have the guest room (with en suite), she will do my washing for me, we will go for lunch, pick up her son from school and then go out in the evening. I accept. So she drives me to her big house with electric gates and palm trees in the garden. Lunch is in a very Chinese restaurant and it seems rather extravagant for a lunch with friends. After we pick Angel's son (Owen) from School. He's six and then we drive out to the East Coast Mall for Sushi (Owen's lunch - our snack). Back at Angel's house I meet Angel's sisters Connie and Karen and later Niel, Angel's husband who is Scottish - hence Angel's expressions like "wee white car". In the evening, Angel, Niel, Owen and I dine at a very nice Western Style restuarant in Kuantan and then at 10.30! (after the children are all in bed) we go to the Pub (Angel, Karen and myself). Angel tells Owen she's "going to the Gossip Centre to work" when she's going to the pub, and this evening she tells him that I am also going as we want to see if I can get a job at the Gossip Centre. I don't really know how to play this one with Owen. I have a lovely day and a lovely evening and then alarmingly both Angel and Karen drink drive home.

The next morning we go for a Noodle Curry breakfast

and then Karen and Angel drive me to the coast of Cherating and settle me into Mimi's Guesthouse. We go for lunch at the Chinese cafe overlooking the beach and this is the first time they let me pay - as though I'm on some sort of pilgramage which they must support. Over lunch we discuss my next port of call after Cherating which is Terengganu in order to get to Redang Island. It turns out Karen's husband, Peter, has business in Terengganu on Saturday and they are making a day trip of it. A few phone calls and it is agreed they will pick me up Saturday at 6am.

Mimi's Guesthouse

Cherating is quiet. It is nice to be by the sea and have time to read and walk for two days, but after the excitement of the last week it is as though something is missing.

Cherating Beach

. Then, Connie and Karen turn up at my Bungalow on the off chance that I want to go back to Kuantan and join them for a Seafood Feast. So, we head back down the Coast line to Kuantan and I am dropped at Angel's house while the sisters collect their children. Curry Fish on a coal burner, two different dishes of lobster, scallops in a creamy butter sauce, Tofu, my favourite greens (tung choy) and Tiger beer - yum yum.

6.30 the next morning Peter and Karen take me for a Curry Noodle Breakfast before we begin the road trip to Terengganu. (The business Peter has to attend to is the delivery of three truckloads of mattresses to an enormous hotel in Terengganu.) We arrive in Terengganu at lunch time and while Peter goes off to do his business stuff and Karen books me a hotel challet and Ferry ticket to Redang Island. We do lunch and then they drive me to the Jetti.

Redang is gorgeous. (Part of a protected marine park!) Beautiful water, white white sand and lush dense jungle all the way round to the tiny strip of beach which I dont have a ticket to leave for three days. The beach is lined with luxury resorts. The first I can see from the boat is the Grand Laguna Hotel and on seeing this I panic that I've been tranferred to the wrong strip of beach. (I only paid RM60 for my Laguna Challet.) But I find my Laguna Hotel is a little place round the corner. I introduce myself to Miss Ma who Karen has spoken to on the phone to make the booking. Miss Ma assumes I speak Malay and only after many attempts to book me in in Malay realises I am not the person she spoke to on the phone. I do lots of swimming alone in the big sea whilst off around the rocks are large groups Chinese people snorkelling (fully clothed and with Lifejackets on). In between swims I work my way along the beach from resort to resort sampling Keoy Tow noodles, Ice lemon tea and Satay Chicken. The food in Redang is all good! In the evening a live Chinese band plays (very loudly) outside the Lagoon Resort and this continues until 3am along with fireworks. At 1am, rain is pouring in down the far wall of my challet directly onto the light switch. As reception is shut, I arrange the hotel towels above and around the light switch and turn off the Air Con. The next morning, I report this to Miss Ma and she has a word with House keeping and they say "it is not dangerous and no problem". (It doesn't rain again.)

the view from a Redang Bar

After a glum night in Terengannu town, I take a bus to the small Perhentian Island. I spend six glorious days swimming and running (only actually ran twice), eating great food (especially in Rumours hill side restuarant); watching free movies in the restaurants in the evenings; meeting up with new friends, Anna and Pete (from England) and Vidard from France (on a visa break from Shang Hai) and it is all so easy and comfortable its hard to leave. Feeling flush, I book myself on a snorkelling trip . Charging out in a speedboat, first stop Turlte Bay, driver gives you the signal, fins and mask on, jump in, find the turtles. We see three, the last of which swims right past me to the surface. It is massive (well, about 3 foot long). Fins off, back in the boat, off to Shark point, jump out of the boat, sharks all gone, flippers off, back in the boat, signal from the driver, flippers on, back over board. We see four (little) sharks. Next, Coral Garden. Gorgeous coral and so many amazing fish of different sizes and colours, you cannot see for fish.

Last stop before the Malaysian month is up is spent in the cool Cameron Highlands (tea plantations, strawberries and cream, scones and a cup of tea, lunch at the Smokehouse and quieter roads much easier to cross than those in Kuala Lumper). I am staying in the best place I have stayed so far (aside from Angel's House). A main 1920s building, big clean rooms in the gardens which grow nastursuims and roses and gladioli and lots more but I don't know their names. There's a movies room, a cafe which does the tastiest fry up (perhaps coated in honey), a small bar and its only RM25 a night.