Nazri Nipah Camp Pangkor

... be nice and cozy and chilled out (like Pulau Weh, my last island, which was so wonderful)...but actually it wasn't. On the plus side, I had the beach all to myself most of the time and it certainly is a nice beach, but on the downside, well, I was alone most of the time, and the town wasn't so friendly. So I just spent two days on the beach topping up my tan (don't laugh) and reading two whole novels (okay so they were of the chick ...

... are pink minibuses and are unionised with standard rates for destinations. The island is small, perhaps 10x3km only, with most inhabitants on the east coast facing the mainland. Most of them are in fishing; dried fish is the island's speciality. The single round going round the island is narrow and goes up and down steep hills to reach the other side, where there are a few beaches, some villages and restorts and the airport strip. Nipah Bay is a ...

... hangover. But my favourite hangout at the Highlands was a place serving roti - a Malay pancake - it comes in different forms. Franz and I left the CH and headed to Ipoh. The ride was tough up to 25km. We climbed up, but then afterwards it was steep descent. On the way, F hooked himself to a bulldozer to get through a steep hill. I emulated, but fell off because I failed to time and pace myself. So this is my fall No 1. At about ...

... I tried to write up some diary but couldn't concentrate due to the fact that Karoke was taking place. I sometimes wondered what on earth Malay people would do without karoke and mobile phones! Anyways - this place was obviously competing for the worst karoke ever sang on the entire peninsula - at first I found it difficult not to laugh, I smiled and placed my hand over my mouth for fear of offending anybody, later I just looked on, almost in shock at the efforts from ...

Well - nothing to report. I just thought I'd throw a fake out. We are headed to the Kapital, and stopped in Penang for a couple days. Damn, I don't think I even took one photo. Chinatown in Georgetown on Penang (if you follow) was shady. Like a shady bottle bounce only worse! Lady boys everywhere, leering eyes, I thought we're toast. We packed up, and headed to the beaches ...

After meeting back up with another fellow traveller, Dan who we met in Laos, we all travelled together up to Pangkor Island to catch some rays, before we head to Singapore for Christmas. A very quiet Island (normally - although it was summer holidays for the locals, so ...

... He's from Santa Cruz, I remind you.) He never could get Pat's name straight. He also (and here he was not alone) found it shocking that Pat -- a Malaysian female -- would travel unescorted with two guys and another girl. He asked us if we were registered as married couples at the camp -- we had a good chortle about that one. There was another Slug, Kevin, who had lived in KL from the time he was nine years old (so for about eight years). His father was principal of the ...

It was raining in the morning, so we didn't go to Emerald Bay as originally planned. Instead, we played cards all morning, and Pat told our fortunes. Ate at the camp canteen for lunch. Did very little between lunch and dinner. Pat and I jogged/walked down the beach to the government camp, then came back. We went for a swim, but it was very painful -- we kept being stung by something. Besides, there were two ...

... a bodyguard. Eventually, the LA businessman decided to go back, and we went with him. Journal: After breakfast, walked 20 minutes or so to another beach. Swam for a while, then read and rested in the shade. Pineapple, bananas for lunch. Return in early afternoon. Walked to government camp restoran for dinner. Played card games afterwards. Pat and I stayed out for a bit, talking, then went to bed. Got up again when -- late -- Doug called us down to the beach for campfire and singing.

... travels. He's been over a lot of Europe, to Israel, and also lived in Brazil for six months. Once we reached Ipoh, we caught another bus to the otwn of Lumut. This ride was really bumpy and several times I nearly flew out of my seat. But we arrived in Lumut safely and just in time for the ferry out to the island. We stayed at a place called "mini-camp" -- only M$4.20 per night per person. The huts were A-frame -- just wide enough for two people and their ...