That time I was abroad for a month (2/3)

Kuala Lumpur - Ipoh - Cameron Highlands - Kuala Lumpur

I figured I'd split this post into at least three parts not only to keep each post short but also to segment it according to each event. This part narrates my buddy travels around Malaysia with a friend from high school.

13 February - 13 March 2015

Day 7: Kuala Lumpur - Ipoh

It was the last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations and people were on a travel exodus. We spent most of the morning catching up on sleep and chores in KL before navigating our way through scalpers for a ticket to Ipoh. It was past 2pm when we were finally ushered to a Penang-bound bus but it wasn't until 9pm when the bus dropped us off at Ipoh Amanjaya bus terminal. The trip that would normally take 3 hours stretched to 7 hours because of intense barely moving traffic at the Expressway.

Despite arriving really late at Ipoh, we still managed to find open establishments such as this Halal reggae "bar" that caters to Muslims looking for a night out and serves juice cocktails instead of alcoholic ones.

Day 8: Ipoh - Cameron Highlands

Ipoh is divided by the Kinta River into the Old Town, where the heritage sites are, and the New Town, where similarly old but not particularly significant buildings are. We have walked around the New Town the previous night/midnight so we ventured out to the Old Town the following morning. It was definitely the more interesting part of the city for a visitor. We had both popular and non-popular white coffee, stumbled upon quirky shops and displays, took pictures with well-maintained heritage buildings, gazed at iconic street art, and wandered through narrow pavements between both abandoned and restored houses.

The Old Uncle with White Coffee is one of the most iconic murals around Old Town, Ipoh. It depicts white coffee as part of the town's culture and heritage.

By mid-day, we were on our way to Cameron Highlands through lush rain forests, winding roads and fickle rains. The way up the mountain was smooth and fast but as soon as we passed the first town, tourist traffic again stalled us. We arrived around 7pm, after 4 hours on the road. Feeling a bit frustrated about the traffic and seeing all the street food, I suggested that we pool money and have a food trip. We had 5 sets of shared meals and spent a total of RM 20.30

For our first meal of the night, we ordered Lamb and Chicken satays from the first barbecue stall that I spotted. The guy already noticed us the first time we passed by because of my slight limp.

Day 9: Cameron Highlands - KL

Instead of joining a tour group and exploring faraway tea plantations and mossy forests, we walked out to the nearest jungle trail from Tanah Rata and did our own hike. Trail No. 10 is a well-marked jungle trail that tackles protruding tree roots and soft moss beds, peaks at a cell site, goes around Tanah Rata, and ends at adjacent Brinchang town. Arriving at Brinchang after 3 hours inside the jungle, we ate at the first hawker center we saw. Afterwards, we walked on and tortured ourselves at the weekend food market with all the local delicacies we cannot afford but was lucky enough to find one stall selling chocolate-dipped strawberries for RM 2.50 which was normally RM 4.00. Satisfied, we started walking back, considering to hitch a ride to skip the 4km walk, and fortunately caught the rare bus shuttle back to Tanah Rata. By 5:30 pm, after freshening up and taking advantage of free snacks at the hostel, we were on a bus going back to KL.

Jungle Trail No. 10 has visible trail markings every few hundred meters and on closed/dangerous trails to keep even inexperienced hikers safely on the path

Day 10: Putrajaya

After a few hours of restful sleep, we were on the move again and on the way to Putrajaya with my friend's officemates. It was a Sunday and they planned on culminating their long weekend with a visit to the pink mosque and an attempt to roller-blade. Putrajaya looked very ideal and new with its un-littered streets, parallel row houses, blooming flowers, and organized transportation. It was new indeed as most houses were still unoccuppied and there were relatively very few people around. We ended the day hunting for fastfood at the train station but still ended up at their favorite Malaysian restaurant, Venny's.

Roller blades, bikes, kick scooters, and giant bubble makers for rent around the skate park which is a great venue for quality time with family and friends

Day 11: KL

Instead of hopping on another train for a day tour to the nearby Batu caves, I decided to use the day to allow me to take a breather from my day-to-day city-hopping. I was actually falling sick and my left leg needed rest but I couldn't afford to stay in bed the whole day because I needed to prepare for my Penang departure the following day. I retraced our previous path back to Puduraya bus terminal to secure a bus ticket to Georgetown and then managed to find my way to Low Yat Plaza where I went back and forth several shops until I decided to just purchase a new smartphone to be able to insert a Malaysian sim card and have access to mobile internet. My Star Mobile phone unit was unheard of in Malaysia so they cannot "open line" it and Digi USB Internet dongles were out-of-stock everywhere. I met with my friend and her officemates afterwards and after an unsuccessful "lugaw" attempt, we again ended up at Venny's.

My chores-day OOTD: sneakers, pants, tank top, cardigan, knapsack, cap

Part 1: That time I was abroad for a month (1/3)
Part 3: That time I was abroad for a month (3/3)

That time I was abroad for a month (1/3)

Singapore - Malacca - Kuala Lumpur

I figured I'd split this post into at least three parts not only to keep each post short but also to segment it according to each event. This part narrates my arrival in Singapore and transit to Malaysia.

13 February - 13 March 2015

Day 1: Manila - Singapore

I arrived in Singapore in the morning and immediately proceeded to check in and drop my bags at my hostel in Clarke Quay. My original plan for the day was to go cafe-hopping in the newly-minted hipster neighborhood of Jalan Besar but ended up going only to Chye Seng Huat Hardware. Nevertheless, I did a walking tour around the Jalan Besar and Little India area and along Orchard road, encountering both traditional and modern shops.

Shophouses are called as such because it consists of a commercial shop on the 1st storey and a residential house on the 2nd storey, usually of the same owner.

Day 2: Valentine Wedding 

After getting breakfast at the cafe next-door, I hurriedly prepared for my colleague's wedding lunch. It was my first time attending a Chinese wedding ceremony so I was a bit conscious but excited. It was also the first time I'm seeing my colleagues after my resignation. We stayed through the whole wedding and although the bride was busy being stunningly pretty and entertaining her guests, we did manage to exchange a few hugs and words.

The reason I flew to Singapore in the first place is to attend my colleague's wedding. It was a modern/traditional Chinese wedding consisting of a presentation of the newly-wedded couple and of the 8-course lunch meal.

After the wedding, I met up with a friend and we spent the rest of the day walking from Clarke Quay to Esplanade, around Parade Loop, backstage of an ongoing parade, inside Marina Bay Sands Mall, and from Ann Siang Hill to Chinatown and back to Clarke Quay.

Because it was February 14, they give out these balloons in Esplanade Theater. I brought this one home and still keep it alive.

Day 3: Pulau Ubin

We got up early the next morning to catch the 8:30 am bus to Changi Village. After a quick breakfast at one of the hawkers, we got on a jetty to Pulau Ubin, the last remaining village (kampong) in Singapore which still embodies pre-modern Singapore. We rented a mountain bike from a resort run by Filipino staff and followed one of many biking trails. Just before sunset, we were back in the mainland and were on a tandem bike heading towards Changi seaside park. We quietly watched the sunset slowly disappear into the horizon before returning our bike and catching a bus back to Clarke Quay.

The biking trails generally go around a big water reservoir offering multiple viewpoints and varying levels of trail difficulty.

Day 4: Singapore - Malacca

We woke up the next morning just in time to beat the morning rush at Song Fa Bak Kut Teh. The line normally builds up around 11am and we arrived at around 10:30am. At noon time, we were on our way to Malaysia -- taking a Causeway Link bus to Woodsland/Johor Bahru from Queen Street Bus Station, passing through immigration, and changing to another bus to Melaka at the Larkin Bus Terminal. (Tip: it's a lot cheaper to change buses at the border than to book a single bus for the whole Singapore-Malaysia crossing.) At past 6pm, we were in Malacca and was exploring what's left of the night market by 8pm.

Malacca, or Melaka, comes most alive on weekends when KL-dwellers and tourists flock to the colonial city and vendors sprout up all along Jonker Walk. Because we arrived on a Monday, this lone Lok-Lok stall was all we could splurge on.

Day 5: Melaka - KL

Waking up late, we opted to rent a motorbike from our hostel, Discovery Guesthouse, which agreed at 20RM for 2 hours. After gaining our bearings, we drove around the city-centre, stopping by at Restoran Formosa for a quick chicken rice ball brunch and at St. Paul' Church for an overlooking view of the city before heading to Pulau Melaka to see the Masjid Selat Melaka, a mosque built on the Malacca Straits. Upon returning the bike, I suggested to walk around Jonker Street one last time to see what it looks like in day time at which we fortunately stumbled upon a top store whose world-champion owner showed us some tricks. By early afternoon, we were back on the bus and on the way to Kuala Lumpur, arriving at TBS instead of KL Sentral. (Tip: TBS is a new bus terminal at which some south-route buses now dock instead of at Puduraya or KL Sentral. Check with the bus driver beforehand to avoid confusion).

Dubbed in the internet as "Top Man", he laments how the current generation no longer knows how to play tops and may not even know what tops are

Day 6: Farewell/Hello

It was a day of goodbyes and hellos. After seeing my friend off at KLIA2 for his return flight to Manila, I proceeded to meet up with another friend in KL City Centre. I was to bunk at her condo unit she was sharing with her officemates the whole time I was in KL to save on accommodation and to possibly make new friends.

Just one hour away from the city centre via a broad hi-way, KLIA2 looks massive inside and out.

Part 2: That time I was abroad for a month (2/3)
Part 3: That time I was abroad for a month (3/3)