Malaysia is nice enough, but it’s a bit underwhelming after Thailand. Sure, it’s got jungles, coastline, history…but it’s all a bit developed and Western…i.e. expensive, with too much traffic, driving too fast. But perhaps the most galling thing is the price of beer – around $3-$4US for a big bottle. It’s an outrage.
We were on Langkawi the same day as the Ironman. I could do that I’m sure. Well maybe not the swimming part. Or the running. Old Vietnam war injury in the knee and all that.
Penang was nice, history but faded a bit. Maybe livable.
It’s election time in Malaysia, and banners are out everywhere. Here’s a rally nomination day, and later a party gathering in front of our hotel in Ipoh.
It’s not always pretty by the coast. Sometimes it’s tower blocks and muddy rivers.
For a short while we rode along the expressway, until the police told us to get off. Not unpleasantly though. But these sorts of things along the motorway make you realise how heavy those tropical downpours can be.
Jan and Nic, on the way to Taiping.
Kuala Kangsar had some interesting historical sites, but oddly they liked to have a bit of military hardware around too.
Not just a tree – the oldest rubber tree in Malaysia, and a foundation of an economy.
But I didn’t know that deer also seem to be part of the agriculture here
Ipoh was an odd sort of a place – a pretty train station, the oldest bar in Malaysia, and a political rally held outside our hotel.
Kellie’s Castle was a bit of an oddity, out of place in the Malaysian Jungle.
Because I know you like pictures of my feet.
Random shots from the road.
Kuala Lumpur wasn’t really that great – a bit anonymous really, everything too clean and shiny. Interesting enough, but you should visit other Asian capitals first. Random collection of shots:
Getting on the move again from KL – trust me the guesthouse looks much better on the inside.
We rode to Melaka, getting there rather late – hence the fuzzy photo. Guess we should have gotten on the road a bit earlier. A nice town, check out the random photos.
It really can rain in Malaysia, genuine tropical downpours. Pretty much every afternoon the heavens would open up, forcing me undercover if I was still out on the road.
Finally made it – the end of the mainland, Singapore visible in the distance, just over the causeway.
