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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Mar 15, 2016 09:00 PM Sunny Warsaw!...
The night flight from Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul took us 11,5 hours. The airbus 330 was full. Then there was long waiting for the connection to Warsaw, also on Turkish Airlines plane. I just landed in Warsaw airport greeted by wonderful, spring sun. The big voyage is almost completed. How nice is to listen again to my home language spoken around! I am waiting for the LOT plane to Gdansk.
(later) Fortunately they did not checked the weight of my carry-on pack (there was much more kilos, then the allowance). When you fly to Gdansk it is worth to have a seat at the right window to see the beautiful Old City on descent. Welcome home! It was sunny, but cooler then in Warsaw…. The 2,5 months grand voyage is completed!
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Mar 14, 2016 09:00 PM It is time to sail back...
Perhentian islansd offer also great smnorkeling and diving, but this costs extra money. I saw underwater gardens in many places of the world, so this does not excite me.
January, February, half of March on the trail...
Now it is the time to come back home. My friends write me, that the spring is arriving to Poland!
In the morning I took the speedboat back to the mainland. Then in Kuala Besut I found the bus to Kota Bharu - I costs only 6 ringitts but be prepared for the slooooow journey. From the bus station in Kota Bharu city bus no.9 took me to the airport. Flight to Kuala Lumpur (Cheap Air Asia) was one hour delayed, but I have enoungh time to wait in KL...
Now I am sitting in the bright KLIA1 airport using excellent free internet (no internet on the Perhentian Islands)...
The voyage is almost over, I fly back to Europe, dear Friends!
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Mar 13, 2016 09:00 PM Views from the Jungle trails
On both Perhentian islands you will not find any roads. All transport to the tourist resorts goes via the sea... But there are jungle paths so I decided to try them today. I did not use expensive water taxis but... boat hitchhiking to go island to island. Because the boats coming with the tourists from Kuala Besut go to few different resorts. If you are lucky - they will take you for free! At the beginning they took me from my Coral Bay to Flora Bay - the nicest place on Besar Island.
Then I took from there jungle trail across the island to the PIR resort on the other side. Path is poor but I took me only 40 minutes. Nice view was also on the descent to PIR. Then I hitchhiked again to be taken back to Kecil Is - to the village. There are food and vegetable stalls, so this was good opportunity to buy bananas and a plate of nasi (rice) and have a lunch. Here on the island fruits are expensive - be prepared to lay 7-8 ring per kilo. People are nice - tourists from the resorts do not come to the village, just me...
From Long Beach there is only 10 min walk across the island to my Coral Bay... Very sweaty, ale what a great day! People are coming here to stay on the beach - not me!
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Mar 12, 2016 09:00 PM Lovely Perhentian Islands
To get to this beautiful islands you have to use the speedboat (slowboats are rare). In Kuala Besut close to the jetty there are many little agencies. Each one will be happy to sell you return ticket to the islands for 50 ringitts. You pay, they put you on the passenger’s list with the number of your passport, you go to the jetty, you pay Marine Park tax -5 ringitts. And you wait until agency of your choice will have the list completed (10-12 pax). Then you have to put on the lifejacket and you will start bumpy, 40- minutes journey. Seats are hard, so take care about your backbone!
There are two Perhentian Islands separated by little channel: Small (Kecil) and Big (Besar). What a colors of the waters! People who arrive here have accommodation booked in advance and are delivered by boat to the destination resort or hotel. I do not have booking, so I decided let they drop me in the only fishermen village – on the Kecil. It is very small place, but they have very ornate mosque.
Mistake! In the village they have only 2 guesthouses and both are full because of school holidays. Somebody is calling other places on same island. Yes, there is a budget room for 106 ringitts per night, but on the other side of the island – in Coral Bay. You have to take a water taxi for 15 ringitts to get there. Yes, I jump on the little motorboat and we go around the island along the rocks, green coast and pristine beaches in the bays.
My room is without any view, but has a bath and a/c. At the sunset I am going to the beach to swim in the crystal clear water and to enjoy the view. Welcome to another paradise island!
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Mar 11, 2016 09:00 PM Along the eastern coast...
Aaallah akbar! I am in muslim Malaysia and several times each day I listen the call for pray. First time around 5 am!! But today it is OK – I go in the dark to the jetty on Tioman to catch the first ferry back to the mainland. Should depart at 7 am, departed on 7.45…
In fact, it is not a ferry but big motorboat taking only around 150 people.
Book early since sometimes sailing is full 2-3 days ahead!
Bye, Tioman! Two hours later we landed in Mersing. In the bus station I recognized that today is the beginning of the school holidays and almost all buses are already fully booked. Wow! Fotrunately I got a ticketfor the passing through bus to Kuala Terengganu. I am going north – to see another paradise islands on the Malaysian coast – Parhentian Islands.
It was a long, 8- hours bus journey. Through the palm plantations, little villages and coastal towns. We reached Terengganu at 8 pm. On the bus station there was a guy offereng shared taxi to the port of Kuala Besut for 20 ringgits per person. OK! Another 1,5 hours drive. It was 10 pm when I found the last room in the shabby Samudera Hotel. Hefty 100 ringgits – vacations price!
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Mar 10, 2016 09:00 PM Jungle walk to Juara
I am on the South China Sea… On the eastern coast of Tioman Island there is only one settlement – Juara. They tried to build the mountain road to this village but what was born is the single lane concrete track with a gradient 45 degrees in many places so only 4WD cars allowed on it.
Planing a hard walk to Juara I decided to take rather the old jungle trail. It starts at the mosque (masjid) in Tekek. It was 9.15 am when I took a picture of empty mosque (Malaysia is Muslim country but it seems that few people go to the Mosque on Friday) and started to walk uphill. You do not need a guide to follow this trail. It is clear, single path with no alternative routes. Water is present in many places since you are going along the pipes who transfer catched water from the mountain to the ssettlement. Trekking boots required. A lot of concrete stairs, but around you have real, lush jungle with giant, old trees. A lot of sweat! On this jungle trail I met only 2 other tourists – from France. After 1,5 hours I reached the pass on the altitude of 380 m – that’s what my GPS said. It is not written any guide that 15 minutes later the jungle trail joins the concrete Tekek – Juara road! It took me one hour more to come down to Juara village located in the beautiful bay. The beach is beautiful here – see the top picture. There are already small guesthouses and restaurants, but few tourists because this difficult access (drivers ask 25 ringitts one way pp).
Exhausted after few hours of the walk in the heat I started to hitch on the exit bridge from the village. No, locals didn’t stop to pick me up. You know who finally took me up after one hour of waiting? Russian tourists! Shame on you, Malaysia! & Sposibo bolshoye, rebyata!
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Mar 09, 2016 09:00 PM One more paradise island
The bus from Johor to Mersing departed with 25 min delay. I do not recommend SxS International company. On the way I saw through the window kilometers of oil palm plantations. This must be big business in Malaysia! After some 2 hours of drive in Mersing I bought at the bus terminal round trip ticket for the ferry to Tioman Island. Jetty is 10 min walk along the river. Uuuuu, there is a lot of bureaucracy… You have to call 4 windows one by one. One -check the ticket, two – register passport, three – pay 20 ringitts National Park fee, four – pay 5 ringitts Marine Park fee, five – get boarding pass. Little speedboat was full when we started 2-hours journey. After 90 minutes I saw through the dirty windows the green mountains of Tioman. So it is not flat like the Maledives?!
Tekek, the little “capital” of the island was the third stop on the estern coast. Where to stay? Just 500 m walk in the heat and humidity south from the jetty I found Cheers Chalet. Little single with a/c will costs me 60 ringitts per night. Bath is next door, flowers around… Lovely and cheap place!
In the afternoon I took a walk north – to the next coastal village. You have to know that Tioman is undeveloped. The only stretch of the concrete road goes 2 kms north from Tekek and 3 kms south. I reached northern end and then there is just a path after some steps at the cape. I went to the next village Air Bartang (ABC). There is a lot of accommodation and little restaurants. Peopla are nice and ready for a chat, but sometimes they do not know English, Malay only like tis old man:
I was walking till the beautiful sunset. Tioman is 20 kms by 11 km big.. But not easy to explore due to the tropical climate (locals are to lazy to walk in the heat – they use motorbikes), lack of the roads – practically to many villages you can go only by the sea. Let’s see what I will manage to see tomorrow. Good night from the paradise island Dear Friends!
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Mar 08, 2016 09:00 PM I am flying to Malaysia!
It is time to say goodbye to China. During the night I am flying by Air Asia to Malaysia – much warmer country.
Night flight never is comfortable, unless you travel in the first class. When we landed in Kuala Lumpur before sunrise I used my heater to prepare big (my size) cup of strong coffee. Then I was feeling much better.
It was 9.20 am when I landed in Johor Bahru – capital of the province, close to Singapore. After icy Chinese mountains I experienced again the tropics – hot,hot and very humid climate. I ame close to the equator!
The airportin Johor is 35 kms north from the center so it was important to find public bus 333 going from here to the Larkin Bus Station. The have a shelter just opposite the exit, but the timetable is erratic. Ticket cost only 3.50 – less then a dollar. Money changers at the bus station pay 4 ringitts foe 1USD. Some 150 m up from the bus station I found Double K hostel -room without windows but with good a/c costs 50 ringitts here.
Bus station is 5 kms from the center but it is wort to know that they provide free bus service to downtown from stand C32-33. Itook it to see the attractions of the city.
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Mar 07, 2016 09:00 PM The Panda Day
It is International Women's Day - besst wishes for all our ladies! But in Chengdu it is cloudy day. Early in the morning I took no.1 bus to the final station and changed to 87. This one took me to Chengdu Panda Base - the only place in China where you can see these funny animals in the big enclosures.
The ticket costs 58 yuans, but seniors over 60 has 50% discount. You have to be early, since later, after big bamboo breakfast the pandas go sleep! I was on time for good pictures and had a lot of fun. Do you know that they have also red pandas? But they are completly different...
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Mar 06, 2016 09:00 PM Chengdu back to front
I have been here last time like 15 years ago, before climbing Emeishan. Today I had good opportunity to refresh memories and to see the new places. Once a week staff from my Mix hostel offers free walking tour. I signed for and we started at 10 am. The only advantage of this tour wast that they took me to the hard-to-find back alley where is hidden mini local market for fruits, vegies and ready to eat food. This was great to see how they sell, buy, shout.
Then we went to the Wenshu Monastery - largesf and most important Buddhist monastery in Chengdu. Entry is free and the local people are coming to practice here. It is the must if you are in Chengdu since the city hasn't more such a places. Little charming Park is nearby.
Then I said goodbye to the rest of the group and.. started lonely walk south - to the central Tianfu square. I was lucky to find in the side allet the little barber shop. O yes, I am on my trail already more then 2 months so it is time for the haircut. Maestro de barbiere wanted initially 25 yuan, but finally he did it for 10 :) When I arrived to Tianfu square to be photographed with Chairman Mao I had already new outlook - see the picture...
Mr Mao is doing well, like 15 years ago. But more police forces around. There are new skyscrapers around the Tianfu, a lot of flowers, but in the weekday not too much people. I was walking onward to the People's Park where since morning local amateurs are playing, singing, dancing. For the stranger it is great opportunity to see elements of the culture, but also their everyday life e.g. licensed ear cleaners.
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