"Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride...

...nodoby's gonna slow me down, oh no, I got to keep on moving...." Come on, you know the lyrics, sing along!

Well, I committed those words to serve as my motto for the last days of my trip. Come hell or high water....errr, flu in this particular situation....I was bound to pack in a little more Bali before my trip across the big pond on Saturday.

And I did.

About 36 hours after coming down with the bug and 9 or 10 liters of water later, I was feeling like a champion once again. For anyone that believes in modern medicine to cure your everyday cold/flu, keep on believing. I'm sure perscription drugs have a purpose. But I have and will forever stick with the Cole Kopacek home remedy of "flushing out the system": start drinking water, more than you feel is physically possible by one human being, and don't stop drinking. Magically, in 48 hours or less, your body is working like a greased machine once again.

In my case, Tuesday noon-ish is when I felt purified once again and fully capable to trek on and complete this journey. Time, unfortunately, wasn't going to allow me to climb the volcano I had hoped to see, but hey, there's plenty of Bali to keep me busy otherwise. So, I set off on my $3/day moto-bike and headed to the countryside.

My first stop was the Besikah temple, the island's largest and most significant temple.





















It sits high in the hills. More specifically, it rests midway up the island's highest point (a once powerful volcano). The weather was dreary, so visibility didn't allow to actually see the booming figure above, but seeing the temple was still quite impressive. Local Balinese roamed around in traditional dress, taking part in a daily ritual/ceremony that is common to the Hindhu religion.

As I continued to cut through the country, I managed to stumble on an ongoing soccer match between some, from what I learned, local amateur teams.




















No, the quality of the playing fields aren't what most would call "up to par", but the fan support and enthusiasm in the air was evidence that everyone involved was quite satisfied with what they were provided. Like most places I have gone in Bali, where not many Westerners are present, I was approached by a young man (my age or so) who was happy to introduce himself, start a conversation with the common opener "Where you come from?", and practice his English a bit. These Balinese folk are a friendly one...you have to give them that!

As darkness began to fall, I had to make a quick call. Dive or no dive? Feeling back at 100% again and wanting to squeeze in one more session underwater (can you tell I'm addicted?), I made a quick reservation in Tulamben (on the island's NE side) online and started my journey around 7:30pm.

I was told the drive could take 2 or 2 1/2 hrs from my current location. Well, that would be under "good" conditions. Factor in complete darkness, no knowledge of the road system other than a worn, barely legible, basic map, and pissing down rain....and, well, it made for quite the journey. Cruising up and down winding roads through the jungling mountains stretched for about 3 1/2 hours. Let's just say the road signs aren't as "clear" as they would be in the Western world. When in doubt, go straight. That's the methodology I've learned to adapt. In most cases, it works. But, as I found out on Tuesday night, it is not foolproof.

I arrived at the dive resort at 11:15pm, still unaware of how I actually found the place. But what a nice little reward I had upon arriving.





















Originally, the price is $30/night (very expensive by Balinese and definitely backpacker standards), but being it is slow season, I was able to pre-book the place at a negotiated $15/night.

TV....DVD player....air conditioning...? The high-pressure, hot shower was my personal favorite. I haven't seen these kind of luxuries since big sis treated me to them in early October.

The dive the next morning was incredible.




















Just off shore, about 20-25 meters in depth, sits the USS LIberty, a cargo ship that was sunk by a Japanese submarine during WWII. Today, it is completed coralized and taken over by large and small underwater creatures. Well worth the challenging trip the evening before!

After diving, I headed back through the country, first finding myself surrounded with a new type of terrain, one that is still evidence of the volcanic eruption here years ago.


The fishing village where the dive site was located, Tulamben, sits on the side of the volcano most devasted by the eruption. Not sure on this without doing my research, but I think it was 50-60 years ago. To see the desert-like fields that are still evidence of the disaster was very interesting.

And soon, I was back in lush fields and valleys, surrounded by rice terraces/paddies dotting the countryside. The photos don't do the place justice. Incredible.
















































After a good day's drive, I arrived in Ubud, a stop I made previously last week. I needed to pick up a few souvenirs, and this is the shopping mecca of Bali.

Ubud, also, is a place where I really got to feel at home in Bali. I meant to stay for a few hours, do some shopping, and jet. But after being at the market, hearing some of the stories behind the vendors pushing their products, and truly feeling the welcome, I ended up staying the night last night (Wed). And I'm glad I did.

After inquiring to a local man about the location of a much needed toilet, I soon found myself going to a restaurant he happily recommended next door, where I had some amazing Gasi Noreng (spelling?). The Balinese dish consists of rice and vegetables, topped with chicken satay, egg, and fresh shrimp/prawn. Mmm.















Shortly after, I ended up buying an event ticket off the same guy who recommended the restaurant....the event? An event very special to Bali, the 'kacheek' dance.














A photo cannot begin to describe this event. Half naked men dancing around chanting "Ka-Ka-CHEEK, Ka-Ka-CHEEK!", traditionally-dressed women prancing around candles, dragon characters swooping in for attacks, and a man on a horse dancing on red-hot coconut shells that had been set afire. Again, nothing I planned to see in Ubud, but something I walked right into and was pleased to have done so....

I cruised back into Kuta this morning, my home base close the airport on the island's south coast.

Today (Thursday) being my last day in Bali before my red-eye flights to Singapore then Bangkok, I decided to end things properly. On the beach. But it was a productive day....I learned to surf. I booked a beginner's course through a local surf school and took a 3-hour course on how to ride the waves. And for those of you wondering, yes, I got up! Bali is known for the surf, so I am glad to say that I spent my last day here in Bali doing as the Balinese do....


I noticed today that, even on the beach, as with everywhere in the Hindhu island of Bali, small arrangements in homemade palm-leaf baskets can be seen wherever you look. These "offerings" can consist of small food articles, greenery, incense, and flowers....I've even seen cigarettes in them. Its the Hindhu way of offering pleasure to the gods and demons alike. And they are put out at doorsteps, on the street, the beach, and/or wherever every morning....

And that's a wrap. The trip, basically is concluded! I'll spend the wee hours of the evening on a plane and arrive in Bangkok around Noon tomorrow. After an afternoon and evening in the hustle and bustle of the big city, I'll head to the airport around 3am on Saturday to catch the big flight home!

Stay tuned for one final post on Sunday or Monday. I'll try to get all deep and put my final thoughts into this little trip I've taken on. It's been a good ride....and I look forward to milking my final hours over here.

Off I go to pack for my 12:30am flight that is now just 5 1/2 hours away....talk to you on Sun/Mon!

Almost made it......

Backpackers are always leery about drinking foreign water, eating food off of questionable street vendors, and other factors for the sole reason that they want to avoid becoming ill while they're traveling.

Well, I made a good run at it.

After more than 3 1/2 months, I'm finally sick, just shy of the finish line that is the 22nd of November. I've been actively taking my anti-malaria medicine, so I would say it's hardly possibly to have malaria. Rather, I think it was just my turn to catch your run-of-the-mill flu.....something I've just come down with in the last 24 hours. And, maybe it's even the big man's way of saying it is finally time to come home.

But enough of the Debbie Downer talk. This all comes after a pretty productive 5 or 6 days since I've last updated the blog. so let me share away....

On Wednesday, an English buddy and I set off the see some of the famous temples that dot the Bali landscape. Well, due to an afternoon thunderstorm with rains that refused to let up, we only made it to one temple. It rests on a small island that sits just a few meters off the Bali mainland, but it is accessible by foot during low tide. Pictures won't really do the thing justice as it was a dark, gloomy day, but the temple itself was quite amazing, clinging to the natural rock formations as it sits high above the waters below.

What was brilliant about this day may not have been the actual destination but the scenery along the way. Terraced fields and abundant rice paddies comprised the landscape--local farmers could be seen wading through the muddy fields tending to their crop. It made for a beautiful trip.

On Thursday, we set off to the Gili Islands, a set of 3 small islands that lie between Bali and Lombok here in southern Indonesia. The big draw to these islands? Diving and a quiet place to find tranquility from the madness that can sometimes overtake the more touristy Bali. There are no motorized vehicles on the islands, even on the largest of the three (Gili Trawangan, its name) where we stayed. The only form of transport are pedal bicycles and horse-drawn taxis on the small network of dirt roads that make up the island.

As I have made clear before, I've become a bit addicted to SCUBA diving over here, and these islands were just the place to expand my experiences a little further. We managed to do three different dives in all, two of which will count toward the five courses needed to become an Advanced Open Water diver: a night dive and a deep dive.

Imagine going 60 ft down under water with just a single-beamed flashlight to guide you around. A little freaky? Definitely. But the art of night diving definitely opens the doors to seeing new types of marine life that you wouldn't normal see during the day.

On Friday, we went down to 90+ feet (30 m) to satisfy our "deep dive" requirement....at this depth, we managed to see some large sea turtles, a spotted shark, an extremely venomous sea snake, and several other large fish species. Yes, I think this whole diving thing is getting a bit addictive. I don't know how much practice I will get in the landlocked Midwest, however....

After a weekend of diving, logging some beach time, and playing sand volleyball with some local islanders, we headed back to Bali yesterday. It was sometime mid-afternoon when I began to feel like garbage, and I spent my night in bed...from 7pm until Noon today (Monday). How can someone sleep that long?

I'm flooding my body with water in hopes of shaking this bug in the next 24-48 hours so that I can squeeze in a couple last activities before the jaunt home on Saturday. If all goes as planned, I'll have the chance to see Mount Bromo in the next couple of days--it is an active, ever-smoking volcano that sits in a very strange, I-feel-like-I'm-on-the-moon type terrain. If I can make it there, I think I can say I've done about all I have set out to do on this trip. If not, well, I won't complain. It's been an incredible trip.

So for now, enjoy the few photos I'm putting up, and we'll look forward to one or two more posts before winding this journey down in the next week.

1:-2 The rice paddies of Bali
3: One of the hundred of wood sculpture shops in Bali. I particularly liked this one.
4: Local school bus, Bali.
5: Farming in Bali
6: Hindhu temple on the sea
7: Blessed by the Hindhu gods?? At the temple.
8: Local transport, Gili Islands
9: The women are strong on the Gilis Islands!
10: Scuba heaven.
11: View from the beach on Gili Trawangan
12: Kids of the Gilis
13: The backroads of Gili Trawangan
14: Captain Kopacek, leaving the Gili Islands on Sunday

Extending my trip from Bali?

Actually, no. I just wanted to see if I could make my mother's heart skip one last time before I made my way back to the continental US.....

....quite the opposite, actually. It's official. I've booked my flight home from my American arrival point of LA back to the home grounds of Des Moines.

[Mom, I can actually hear your sigh of relief from here as you read this. My congratulations!]

[Sister #2, I can actually see your disgust/disappointment for not extending my trip another month as you read this. My regrets.]

So here is how my final itinerary pans out:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Northwest Airlines NW022
Depart Bangkok --- 11/22/2008 6:00am
Arrive Tokyo --- 11/22/2008 2:25pm

Northwest Airlines NW002
Depart Tokyo --- 11/22/2008 3:45pm
Arrive Los Angeles --- 11/22/2008 9:25am

US Airways 332
Depart Los Angeles --- 11/24/08 6:30am
Arrive Phoenix --- 11/24/08 8:54am

US Airways 2816
Depart Phoenix --- 11/24/08 10:04am
Arrive Des Moines --- 11/24/08 1:58pm

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And that's how and when it all will all end. Coe, if you're free at 2pm on the 24th, I'll openly welcome a cruise in the minivan with you back to the 'burbs of the big city.

Now, it's back to Bali. Gotta cram in as much as I can in the next 8 days here. I'll get some pictures up in due time, but for now, an overview in a few words: I think you could stay here forever. The place seems to have it all: beach, jungle, mountain/volcano trekking, diving, shopping, wining/dining, you name it.

Tuesday (yesterday), I set off on my own after renting a motorbike for the day. The cost? 30,000 Rupiah. The translation? 3 US Dollars. Gas, of course, was additional.....a whopping 15,000 Rupiah (a.k.a. a buck fifty) to fill the tank for the day. I went on a cruise to the north part of the sizable island, passing through village after village, each lined with woodshops and craftshops. For anyone out there building a home and searching for items to decorate your interior, look no further than this place.... Large, hand-carved and hand-stained statues (say, 3 or 4 feet in height) can be yours for anywhere from $US 20 to 40. Incredible. And the quality of these pieces is insane. If only I had bags big enough to cart some of this stuff home.

I also made my way through several rice patties/terraces that comprise the country's interior, sandwiched in between layers and layers of thick jungle. Along the road, you constantly see women walking from market to market, carting anything they can as cargo atop their heads---baskets of fresh produce, woodcrafts, and one woman even had several bundles of fresh, green herbs so peacefully resting on her noggin as she walked down the road. Now that's talent.

And the people here, incredible. Once you find your way outside of the main tourist area, where souvenir vendors are hawking everything from fake designer sunglasses, purses, non politically-correct t-shirts, and jewelry, the people are truly genuine. Everywhere I stopped along my cruise yesterday, I was offered a kind hello and the infamous "Where are you from?" opening inquiry. And as it has been for most of my trip, once I responded "America, 9 out of 10 locals reply with an excited "Oh! Obama, yes!!". I think the world has been delighted by our recent election. Receiving this reaction is a warm change from the reaction I may have received earlier in my travels when stating, almost hesitantly, that I was American.

So, I had an excellent day yesterday, traveling through the countryside. The only downer was getting caught in a heavy downpour last night, 1 1/2 hours from the part of the island I've called home the past two nights. It sure made for a more interesting time trying to navigate my way home in a foreign land once it was cold, dark, pissing down rain, and roads partially flooded. However, the nice spray of warm water in the face when cars passed actually became something I looked forward to....

Off today to view some temples. Photos to come later!

Adios. Ck.

Rocky Mountain high?

Well, it's official. I've climbed a mountain. Her name is Mount Kinabalu, and I have amazing photographs, as well as slightly sore legs and feet, to prove that I did, indeed, make it to the top.

As a whole, I have to say that I'm pretty impressed with my endurance, being I haven't exactly been one to practice "daily exercise" since my trip commenced. The closest I've come to "daily exercise" in the past 3 1/2 months is flexing all bodily muscles as I cringe immediately prior to jumping into my daily, cold Asian shower. But otherwise, this body hasn't seen many physical tests as of late. That was until the 13,450 ft mountain called my name this past weekend....

I set off on the climb on Friday with two others, Arjen (representing the Netherlands) and Marjut (representing Finland). The trek starts with a 4-5 hour climb that stretches 6 kilometers in an upward direction. All upward. The destination of day one is Laban Rata, a lodge-style accomdation where climbers rest for a few hours before making the early-morning ascent the following day to the summit. Luckily, to prevent erosion, the National Park has done a great job of creating a rock- or natural-stepped path that leads to Laban Rata. So while it is a difficult, uphill hike....at least the path is well developed and easily recognized.

Day 1 (Friday) started off nice, fairly cool, and overcast....great hiking weather in just a short-sleeved shirt and shorts. Soon, however, the weather turned a bit nasty, and the rain gods let loose. Luckily the full-body rain coat I had just purchased was a quality one, and for the most part, I managed to stay dry and continue the surge up the mountain.

After just 3 1/2 hours at a rapid click, we made it to our cozy accommodation. The hike took many others 4 or 5 hours, but we managed to keep pushing forward even when our legs disagreed. I can't lie, though, I was beat. I nearly could keep my eyes open for 6pm dinner....

After an early bedtime of about 8:30pm, we caught a quick night's sleep and arose just after 2am to get the day rolling. A cup of coffee and a bowl of cornflakes was the morning fuel, but it certainly wouldn't end up going too far! We started the ascent around 3am, equipped with headlamps, trail snacks, and clothes sufficient to guard against below-freezing temperatures. Day two's (Saturday's) climb involved a little more caution and our guide's supervision--much of the 2.7 kilometers to the summit consisted of slippery rock and the usage of ropes to pull ourselves up. Again, we must have kept the end goal in mind with each step because it wasn't long and we were finding our way up the final climb to the top. We arrived at the summit at 5:15am. It was cold, dark, and windy.....a far cry from the balmy, tropical conditions we experienced at sea level just 24 hours prior. Talk about going from one extreme to another!

The sun started showing its face just before 6am, and we were ready for it. Numb hands and sweaty (now cold and sweaty) backs quickly warmed up when the sun came around. The view was amazing--fairly cloudless skies allowed us to see for ages. We managed 1 1/2 hours at the top before slowly making our way back down to Laban Rata, our overnight stop. After a well-deserved, hearty breakfast there, we continued our descent down to the park headquarters and reached the base of our climb just after 12 Noon. Let's just say coming down certainly moved quicker than going up--it was certainly a nice change of pace!

After arriving at the base, we were again fed (just some 3 hours after having a huge breakfast) and offered up a huge, buffet-style lunch. Oh, it felt so American it was heavenly. I think I probably went back for third or fourth helpings.....it's pretty hard feeling guilty about what you're stuffing your face with after you just tackled a mountain.

Sunday, well, Sunday was a day of rest. We managed to take a 30-minute ferry from Kota Kinabalu to one of the small islands that helps to comprise the marine park surrounding the city. A lazy, sunny day on the beach was openly welcomed after the activities of the previous two days......

....and that takes us to today, Monday. I arrived on an early morning flight today to the island of Bali, Indonesia. I've exited Malaysia and will spend the last 10 or so days of my trip in and around Bali. I'm looking forward to some more diving, more hiking, and inevitably some more beach time in the next week and a half....

Enjoy the pics, all! I am a bit frustrated...I just spent a couple hours uploading even more for y'all to see, but I just lost half of them. So before I throw this monitor out the pretty little window in front of me, I'm going to sign off and let you enjoy the ones that did make it to the blog anyhow! Can't wait to see everyone in less than two weeks.

1) Day one, are we there yet?
2) A misty afternoon in the hills....
3) Glad to finally find our overnight stop!
4) Day two begins...bring on the ropes.
5) 0.7 km to go until the summit, feeling good about things!
6) Done and done. 5:15 am.
7) First glimpse of what is about to unfold in front of us...
8) The crowd awaits the sun
9-11) The view unfolds....
12) A shot from the top once again!
13) Beginning to make our way down...checking out the scenery we couldn't see on the way up!
14) Local porters who carried food/goods/lumber/anything up the trail to Laban Rata....these guys are animals!

Sharks and Turtles and Devil Rays, Oh My!

Formula for a great two-day trip:

Fun = Quiet island + Lively Waters + Unique Accomodation + Free TIGER Beer

You really can't put together a better combination, can you? I had an extremely abbreviated stay on the eastern coast of Sabah (the Malaysian province where I am currently) over the last two days, but although short and sweet, these two days will go down as two very memorable days of my trip.

After catching a short flight from Kota Kinabalu to Tawau on Monday evening, I taxied about two hours and arrived late in the evening in Simporna, the Malaysian port city that would serve as my departure point for Mabul Island, my home for Tuesday and Wednesday. More specifically, home for me was a little backpacker resort on Mabul Island called Uncle Chang's. And boy, did Uncle Chang put together a nice little package....

60 Ringits (a.k.a. $US 16) per day provided me with my own room/shower (well, there was room for 4 in all, but it's slow season, meaning I had the place to myself!) and all the food/coffee/drink I could stuff in my body each day. But it was the intangibles that made this place amazing..... You see, although quite a wealthy man I imagine (because he has multiple resorts/hotels around Asia), Uncle Chang is a bit of a martyr as well. Every youngster he has employed at this backpacker resort, whether a cleaning person, a dive guide, or a member of the band (which you'll learn about shortly) was a young person from a rough household, partial household, or no household at all. He's taken all of these young adults under his wing, given them job, and as a result, created heck of a "family atmosphere" at this place he calls "Uncle Chang's."

After Day 1 (Tuesday) of doing some "muck diving" (focusing on small fish and coral, as opposed to hunting for the big guys) around Mabul Island, Uncle Chang and crew not only put together a heck of a BBQ (complete with fresh tuna), they threw a party. A piece of plywood was removed from what initially appeared to be a wall, and WALLA, a miniature stage appeared in the dining area, complete with two guitars, a drum set, and a tambourine. From 7pm until the wee hours of the morning, Uncle Chang and crew played many American classics with their own Malaysian twist on each one, ranging from "Country Roads" to "Summer of 69." Talk about hilarious. Or, maybe it just seemed more hilarious with each compounding Tiger beer Uncle Chang brought out for his guests. Apparently the $US 16 per day included a buffet of the regional beer as well....can't complain there!

The funny thing to mention? While the 15-20 staff members, band members, dive guides, and others put on this spectacle, the grinning audience begged for more....all 15 of us....a whopping 15 people in this entire place. That's right, it's slow season here in this part of the world, and that means receiving a much more "personal" treatment when it comes to evenings such as these. To have the chance to be a part of the "family feel" of Uncle Chang's and not have to throw elbows to compete for a front row seat made the time all that much better.

Day 2 was the big day. Day 2 (Wed) is when we ventured away from Mabul Island and made the 30-minute boat journey to Sipadan Island, one of the top dive sights in the world. (Thanks for the recommendation, sis.) Although a cool, rainy, and overcast day, what we saw deep beneath the ocean's surface was nothing but clear, vibrant, and eye-opening. This little island, you see, sits quite a ways from mainland Malaysia, far enough that once away from the shallow waters near shore one finds himself in some pretty deep waters. In more detail, when you are underwater, much of the coral and marinelife you are seeing sits on or along a fairly steep wall that makes its way up to the island's base. Venturing a bit further AWAY from this sea wall, it's evident that there is another wall, this one about as sheer and steep as it gets. In more detail yet, this bad boy drops about 600 m (or let's just say about 2,000 ft) straight down to the ocean floor. Talk about daunting when you are gazing down below and seeing nothing but a vast, deep blue abyss.....yowza!!!

The pure scale of the place was just the beginning. When it came to marine life, we saw it all. Black tip sharks, leopard sharks, massive sea turtles (which I had a blast playing with and waking them up from their slumbers), packs of hundreds of barracudas (you called it, sis!), and even a huge stingray swimming by us. It certainly made me glad that I had gathered up the "cojones" to get my certification in Thailand. I'm hooked.

I wish I had an underwater camera (undoubtedly a future purchase) and could show you a taste of what I saw, but unfortunately the out-of-water images will have to be satisfactory!

Today, I'm back in Kota Kinabalu after another memorable overnight bus last evening. Oh yes, it was 8 hours of pure enjoyment. Winding roads and a driver with a heavy foot make for an ever-enjoyable ride....

A day of relaxing today serves as a precursor to what will come tomorrow and Saturday, the 13,000 foot ascent to the summit of Mount Kinabalu. I look forward to showing you all pictures from the top of SE Asia. Let's pray to the mountain gods that altitude sickness does not send its rath down on me anytime this weekend!!

Talk soon,
Coletrain

1) Last weekend, Singapore by night.
2) Famous black pepper crab of Singapore. Great recommendation, Carleen!
3) Uncle Chang's!!
4) View from dock of Uncle Chang's
5) Another glimpse of Uncle Chang's
6) Sunset from Uncle Chang's on Mabul Island
7) My favorite picture to take, you've seen a few of them already....
8) The rock show, 7pm to 1:30am, live at Uncle Chang's
9) Braving the rain, on the way to Sipadan Island for Day 2 of diving
10) Glimpse of Sipadan from shore
11) Happy with the day of diving...
12) ...But sad to leave the little place...
13) ...And even more gutted to leave Uncle Chang's. They even sang us a goodbye song as our boat was taking off!

Bouncing around Borneo

Finally! A chance to get online, get some pics uploaded, and show all you Americans (rather than just tell you) just what I have been up to as of late....

Here are some images to catch you up on the Paranhtian Islands and the Taman Negara National Park:

Sign on the Paranhtians....literally, the next day after poking fun at this sign, a coconut fell from a tree and landed about 3 ft from where I was standing. Karma?

Our basic bungalows on the island: cold showers and musty smells.

Day of snorkeling off the Paranhtians (10/24). This little guy and a few of his cousins were hanging out on the beach, catching some rays...

View from the beach, also on the Paranhtians (10/25)

Nice sunset (10/25). Even nicer shiner.

Remember my free night's accomodation I spoke of? I would say the cliche "You get what you pay for..." captures this moment very well.

I'm going to assume this means "STOP" in Malaysian...



It's easy to tell I'm in a different world here (taken in Jerantut, small sendoff city for the boat ride into the Taman Negara National Park)...

Sign greeting me as I came into Kuala Tahan, the small village sitting adjacent to the jungle/national park. I thought it was catchy.

Warm up climb, day 1 in the jungle....5-6 km


"Floating restaurant", sitting on the river separating the village of Kuala Tahan and the Taman Negara National Park. Want dinner? Walk the plank.

Little friend watching me from his spot on the ceiling in restaurant

Biggest roach/bug/beetle beast I have ever seen. Conveniently, he was comfortably situated next to the sink where I was brushing my teeth at my "budget accomodation"

Breakfast before embarking on my 2-day, 25 km trek. The menu, needless to say, was a bit limited. Above: Indian Pancake and curry dipping sauce (those aren't spices in the sauce, they're dead flies...mmm) Not pictured but also eaten for breakfast: Coconut Rice

Packing my breakfast/lunch/dinners for the big trek!


Ready to rock. Admit it, I look like I'm headed out to not only explore the world, but conquer it....

Destination of Day 1 hike: our jungle hideaway

This ain't no Holiday Inn...

Select Comfort?

The pictures don't do it justice, but my body was in some serious pain after the first day's hike. The up and down, relentless terrain through which we hiked was extremely taxing on the body. The 12 km took roughly 6 or 6 1/2 hours, and was I sweaty, stinky mess when we reached our jungle home.

Through the window seen in the photo above, we (there was 6 travelers who made the hike and stayed in the hide) were able to peer out all afternoon and evening, in attempt to spot any wildlife feeding in the habitant below our home. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any large animals. However, the animal noices that came to the surface once the lights dimmed in the jungle created a symphony of sound that provided a not-so-ordinary backdrop for sleeping. Staying in the jungle, without the aid of electricity or even screened windows, was quite the trip.

On the morning of Day 2, we peeled our sore, stiff bodies off the wooden bunks and made our way back on the muddy paths. No one was all that anxious to repeat the exhausting hike, but when you're 7-8 miles out in the jungle, how else are you going to get back??

Not too far into the hike, we spotted a mean old scorpion of substantial size (see comparison to woman's hand....yep, it was a fatty) on the path....

On the hike back, we also managed to sneak in a glimpse at some wild boars/pigs running through the trees. But other than these fellas, along with our scorpio friend, the hike was a fairly quiet one (with the exception of our deep breathing from the hilly terrain)...

The hike back seemed to go a bit quicker. I think the anticipation of a cold shower, a backpack-free back, dry clothes, and some Gold Bond powder all contributed to our increased "hustle" on the way back.

(Me, post hike. I had changed into glasses after washing my face in a babbling brook backfired and caused me to fling dirt in my eye. I'll just say this: glasses and rain forest don't mix well. You can't keep the damn things from fogging up!)

The jungle, though an exhausting 3 days, was a great experience. The chalk-full-of-oxygen air, various aromas, and ever-changing sounds made for some incredible time in the deep.

Consequently, it also made for some serious chafing, rotten-smelling clothing, and bloody feet via hungry leeches. But hey, it's all in the adventure, right?

Next, it was back to the city for me. After taking an overnight train to Kuala Lumpur, the country's capital, I had time for a quick 6-hr pit stop (Friday 10/31) in the city before continuing on to Singapore.

A stop at the infamous Petronas Towers was a must. As was the photograph below.

Two other fellas and myself then took to the top of Menara Kuala Lumpur tower, the world's 4th largest telecommunications tower.

The view from the top provided a nice overview of the capital city.....

After getting a glimpse of the city, it was off to Singapore, my final destination on the "mainland" before shipping east to Borneo Malaysia, the portion of the country due east of Peninsular Malaysia.

Singapore, as I was told in advance, was a very Western city. In fact, with the modern amenities offered, the modern shopping centers, and the state-of-the-art architecture, it seemed like I was indeed in an American city. The big difference? The place's cleanliness. Never had I been on an underground train/subway and seen such spotless floors and walls. Considering one of Singapore's laws enforces a fine for chewing gum, it shouldn't be surprising that the place is nearly spotless. Having said that, leave it up to me to chose the day I crossed into the country's border to purchase a pack of chewing gum.....needless to say, the woman at customs was not too happy to have found the stuff in my pocket when crossing the border. Luckily I only received a "slap on the hand" treatment and was permitted to bring in my newly purchased treat....

After a weekend in Singapore, I made my way out early this morning (Monday, 11/3) on a flight to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. It's only a brief stop before catching another flight tonight (in 3 hrs) to Tawau, on the east coast of the country. It's from there where I will take a short commute (land, then water) to the waters around Sipadan Island, a diver's paradise. I've been told this place has some of the best diving in the world, year in and year out, so I am about to find out!

(Cue music from JAWS now.)

I will dive tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday, going down 6 times over the course of my stay. It's been a 2 weeks since my course, so I am looking forward to going deep again and exploring the waters once again!!

I'll leave you all with one last image: my poor, poor attempt to grow a beard. I tried for 2 1/2 wks and this is all I could put together. Back to baby face for me.....

Welcome to the jungle...

Well, here we are....in the tiny village of Kuala Tahan, sitting at the foot of the world's oldest rain forest, the Taman Negara. I'll be honest. I never really knew too much about the place, and I nearly passed it up as a stop in my journey through Malaysia. Fortunately, I think I'll soon find out, I chose to make a pit stop here. Based on the little hiking I did today, I should be in for a treat.

But first, just a bit of a recap on the happenings of the last several days....

On Thursday morning, I set off on a 30-min taxi boat to the Paranhtian Islands. I shot over on the rickety little wood boat with a few others, two being an American girl and an English girl I had met on my travels to the Malaysian border. We arrived to find the much-hyped small island (there are two islands that comprise the Paranhtians, a "big" island and a "small" island, simply named) very quiet. Actually, the place seemed dead! It was almost as if we were going to have the place to ourselves, a big change from the very populated Thai islands I had seen over the past several weeks. It would soon become evident there were more people on this island than we initially observed, but nonetheless, it was still very quiet given the place's natural beauty. Monsoon season, we learned, is just a couple weeks away and the island closes its doors at that time.....so that would explain the aura of a "ghost town" we received upon arrival.

Day 1 on the island was a pretty simple one: we walked around the island, literally. A few hours on foot and we had nearly covered the island's perimeter. What the place has to offer is much what I've seen in the past few weeks--beautiful beach and blue/green waters--but this time, without the traffic. After barely beating the sunset, we came out of the jungle that makes up the island and arrived at "home". Home, for two or three nights anyways, was a simple little bungalow set just far enough off the beach to allow trees to surround us.... A fan room, (versus air-conditioning), cold shower, a stale smell, and a cheap price tag (15 ringit/person, or just over $4 US)--just what we are used to and what we were looking for!

Day 2 on the island is where nature took over. After hearing good things about the snorkeling off the Paranhtians, we signed up for an all-day trip that would include 4 different stops over the course of the day. We were in for a treat. The day went on, and as it did, the stops continued to get progressively better and better....

*First, we saw some amazing coral, some colorful fish, and some pesky jellyfish. Sure, cool stuff.
*Next, we investigated some more coral. This time more elaborate and more decorated, and the fish over abundant. Schools of large fish (unfortunatly I can't identify them yet) passed by, clownfish lurked (Nemo was a clownfish, FYI), and eels tucked themselves into small crevices in the coral. We're starting to get warmed up here.
*Thirdly, our driver took us to a shallow water spot named Shark Point. They weren't kidding when they called it this. We were able to see and swim near 3 good-sized (5 or 6 ft long) shallow water sharks. I'm fairly certain they were "Black Tip Sharks", but can't be 100% positive. In either case, although they are not in any way harmful, it was pretty amazing being in the water with these beasts.
*Finally, we were taken to see the turtles. And I'm not talking small, wimpy things we're used to seeing back home. These were massive sea turtles, 3 and 4 ft in diameter, that swam through the salty water. As they would come to the surface periodically, we were able to swim right up behind them. I was even trailing one close enough that allowed me to give the guy a bear hug as he made his way to the top. What a treat!

Easily, the best snorkeling I have been a part of since I've been in the water.

Day 3 was a lazy day on the beach. After two days of overcast, rain-threatening days, a day of sun was more than welcomed. I type this just moments after I read an email from my old man, explaining that Iowa just saw its first dusting of snow. I'll enjoy the warm sun and sandy beaches while I have the chance!

I made my way back to the mainland on Sunday after a quiet, but very nice, stay on the Paranhtians. Unfortunately, most of my day back on land was spent in a Malaysian police station. No, not because I was the recipient of another fist, but because three Westerners I had met and got to know quite well during my stay were victims of theft in their bungalow. A long story short, they had some encounters with the dodgy management, and it became clear they were not all that welcome at the resort. Upon coming back to their rooms on their last night, with their provided padlocks still intact and windows locked, they found their bags had been filtered through and were lacking iPods, cameras, phones, and cash. Needless to say, all fingers pointed to a staff-driven robbery. So I spent the day with them in the police station as they sorted through the police report....

Speaking of friends, I had made friends with the Malaysian man that worked at the travel shop where we had booked our boat tickets for the islands. Upon arriving back to the mainland and not having accomodation yet booked for Sunday evening, he offered to put me up for the night. Free accomodation? Why not! Turns out his friend (one of the boatmen) lived just 100 meters from the tourist shop and offered me a place to crash for the evening. I arrived to his place around 8pm and joined him and two others for some hot tea....they went on to toss me the keys to the travel shop and told me that I was free to use the Internet if I needed. Talk about hospitality! I was a bit hesitant about their level of kindness after the rough times I had experienced in the previous two weeks (a.k.a. getting robbed, getting punched), but I went along with it. I'm glad I did. They were great people and, although the place was no Holiday Inn, were happy to offer up what they had. Still, I can't wait to post pictures of the room I stayed in....a simple, airy little loft above a local shop....it was a classy joint I tell you....

Monday, I set off solo on the Jungle Railway, a trainline that runs through the jungle and makes its way to Jerantut, the jumping off point to enter the National Park.

Today, I took a 3 hr boat ride into the jungle and arrived in Kuala Tehan (across the river from the park boundaries) around Noon. I managed about a 6 -7 kilometer hike today in effort to warm up for what is to come tomorrow and Thursday.... I set off around 9am tomorrow, with two others I met on my boat this morning, for a trek a little deeper into the jungle's thickness. We will trek about 11 or 12 kilometers and hopefully arrive to our destination around 4 or 5pm. Our destination? A basic, electricity-free hide (as it is called) , a basic shack that sits above a man-made salt lick. The salt lick is meant to attract all sort of different wildlife at night, and hopefully we'll be able to see what nature throws at us tomorrow night. Rats and tamirs are apparently the most abundant creatures we will see, but there should be wild deer, monkeys, and the occasional elephant (although not likely). I've been told that the sounds you hear as you go to sleep make for quite an interesting evening.... I will hike back the 11 or 12 km on Thursday and eventually make my way out of the park.

That's what's new on my end, everyone! Sorry, I am not able to upload any pictures at this time....the Internet is painfully slow here but ironically quite expensive. Once I make it to Kuala Lumpur, the country's capital, in a few days, I should be able to get some images up on the blog.

Until then, I hope you all are enjoying the snow and the Iowa State losses. Sounds like nothing changes!