Perhentians. The long story

After my short updates on borrowed computers and crappy wireless connections, it's now time to sit down and write the full story of my two week stay at the Perhentian Islands, or Pulau Perhentian in Malay.

But let's start at the beginning.

The two days before I left for the Perhentians were interesting, there were a lot of "first times". My first puncture, in the rear tire, was fixed with the help and encouragement of the whole restaurant staff and free kopi ais. After the whole staff had checked my tires once more I was allowed to leave. Right after I left I stood in front of a junction. I thought I had to go straight and follow the smaller coastal road, but the sign with Kuala Besut pointed to the left. So I took the left turn. I shouldn't have because I ended up in Bandar Permaisuri, which is 15km inland and not in the direction where I was going at all. So that was the first time I got lost and made a 25 km detour. Which was nice, because there were hills and rice paddies and I hadn't seen them in a while. Lesson of the day: don't trust road signs.

The day before that was my first unfriendly encounter with a Malaysian. A fifteen, maybe sixteen year old boy sat down next to me on the beach. I asked if he spoke English. He answered "yes". Good, I thought, we can talk and I can ask him about the road and stuff. I asked his name. He answered "yes". Hmm. Maybe no chat then, so he just sat there being quiet. After a couple of minutes it got a little bit awkward so I decided to leave. He followed me on his motorbike, which is scary enough all by itself but when he grabbed my arm I freaked out and slapped him in his face. This sound more heroic than it was because it was a halfhearted slap somewhere on his head but it worked and he backed off. Lesson f the day: none, really, because things like this happen and the only way to avoid them is to lock yourself up at home and then things like this and worse can still happen.

In Kuala Besut, the departure point for the boat to the islands, I parked my bike and the security guard of the parking lot asked how long I would stay there. "Maybe a week", I said, already adding extra days in my head for sun and lazyness afther the dive course which was supposed to take four days. It took six days because the weather was shit, it was raining and the sea was choppy and all in all not very nice. Still in need of some lazy days but this time with sunshine, I departed for the small island after finishing the course and it was there that I decided to do the advanced dive course which took another four days (with very nice weather though). And then I really wanted to leave, sort of, but couldn't because I had a hangover and there is no point in cycling with a hangover so I left today, more than a week later than my original plan. That's fine, no hurries, and Thailand was flooded anyway.

About the Perhentians. It's a small tropical paradise. Turquoise water, sand like powdered sugar, palm trees, everything you would imagine on a postcard. There were big lizards, ladyboys, ladies nights, good company, kittens and monkeys and monkeyjuice too. And expensive food that made me want to cry because it was so good. It was pasta with gorgonzola, mmmm. I already told about the diving but it's awesome. It's something completely new and although I didn't really know what to expect, I love it and I'm hooked. See the pictures on Flickr for some impressions.

And all of a sudden (not really, after cycling 60km) I am in a town, no, not a town but a city, where there are supermarkets and, hold your breath, shopping malls! I haven't seen those since Singapore. However, non of them are selling maps of Thailand so tomorrow is probably the second time I will get lost because tomorrow is the day that I will leave Malaysia behind.

Terima Kasih, Malaysia. Thank you for all the hospitality and generosity. For all the fun. For all the good food and the bad food and my new favorite drink and the thumbs up and the smiles and the honks from passing cars and waving children and curiosity and, since today and I don't know why, men in cars passing by shouting "I love you". Which is nice to hear but a little bit strange. I liked the "welcome to Malaysiaaaaaaaa" from the cop on a motorbike better.

Tomorrow will be a new adventure although I don't know really what kind of adventure (which is, of course, exactly why it's an adventure). Maybe it will involve a train or maybe it will be cycling across checkpoints and army trucks. I don't know. Now is decision time. It will be alright.