Fit for a Coffin: Journey to Malaysia

The route, if we had flown.

Tom and I got driven in the back of a pick-up truck to the port in Koh Tao where we waited to board our 'sleeper boat', it was around 10 at night. We'd been shown pictures of what the boat would be like. It was bunk beds, it looked like a very large long room in a clean well looked after hostel. Below is the boat George and Jordi got and what we expected.

What we experienced when we boarded could not be further removed from the image above. It was a slave ship. We were boarding the Titanic and we'd got tickets for a class that wasn't even fit for the quarantined animals. Coffins would fit appropriately and snuggly here. In front of us stretched out two long lines of thin 'mattresses' about a foot wide places directly on the wooden floor tightly packed next to each other. Some had a small pillow, most didn't. The floor to ceiling couldn't have been more than 4 feet high . The ceiling above us housed another two rows of 'beds' for backpackers.

Tom and I couldn't believe what we were seeing (the above, which is only a quarter of the cabin), it was insane. We ducked our heads and made to find our beds carefully stepping between the dozens of people's legs. We found our places and lay down, as if there was anything else we could do? We listened to others complain about the state of the boat. It turned out we were the lucky ones- they'd double booked more than one person's bed so some people didn't even get the mattress! One chivalrous man gave up his bed and took a lie down on the incredibly uncomfortable luggage rails in the centre of the cabin. He wouldn't be sleeping that night. We'd been told we'd arrive at 6am on the mainland. It's always a lie- overnight buses and boats are the same, you always get in earlier but saying you arrive in the dark at an ungodly hour doesn't sell as well.

We settled down and tried to sleep. Arms to arms, everyone was super cosy, I'm just glad I had Tom with me so I only had one stranger's arm to try not to touch (impossible). I'd almost dropped off when I felt dripping on my head. I opened my eyes and stared up at the near pitch black ceiling. There was a little pool of water collecting above me. Apparently we were sinking now too. As the drips kept splatting me my irritation grew and I tried to move my head out of the way but barely succeeded because the serious lack of any personal space.

Somehow arriving undrowned, the next part of the journey (we'd booked a tourist 'ticket' that'd take us from Koh Tao to Penang to avoid public transport) included several unmarked cars just picking us up and dropping us down random side streets outside a small stall or 'agency' to wait for the next vehicle. At about 5am we were waiting for what we hoped would be a shuttle bus to take us the rest of the way. The woman in her agency/hut asked who of the small group of backpackers around us were going to Malaysia, it was just me and Tom. She told us we had to enter with a certain amount if Malaysian ringgit (their currency) in cash, I think it was about 300 quid equivalent each? I'd heard of having proof in cash that you can afford to get out of the country before but not from this country.

We wanted to check of course but she didn't have wifi and there was nowhere else open down the dark street so early in the morning. She had a cash machine for us to get out Thai Baht and she was offering a suspiciously good exchange rate. We had no idea what to do. We didn't want to make it to the border and get turned away but we also didn't want to carry that amount of cash on us. We'd be sitting ducks.

After some discussion and panic, we made the decision to wing it with no money and see what would happen, the woman was clearly disappointed, angry even. The next vehicle was another random car with some random guy taking us to another bus stop/'agency'. It was an eerie drive with just the two of us in the back. When we got out Tom and I were convinced that had we have taken the money out we would've been hijacked and robbed in that 10 minute journey. We'd made the right choice. (The Malay border police didn't mention money, let alone ask to see it.) For the second time that journey, I was grateful not to be alone. About another two shuttle buses, a truck, a border crossing and one man's Cadillac (with what appeared to be his family) later we made it to Georgetown in the island of Penang.

Amy, myself, Tom and Josh - failing to be edgy on Step by Step Lane

It's a beautiful, interesting town with a real mix of architecture from it's colonial style buildings with balconies to more Asian style winged roofs. It's culturally very diverse with a strong Indian presence. This became apparent when we walked through the markets of the area known as Little India. It's bizarre how similar it felt to India! The market sold curries and samosas and this time I actually gave the street food a go - I was always too nervous in India. It was delicious!

Channelling my inner Penel Cruz from Vicky, Christina, Barcelona

At dinner that night it was the weirdest thing, we bump into a couple I'd met two months earlier on the slow boat going into north Laos who, like Tom, were from Blackpool. It meant that the day after, I had my 26th (ugh) birthday with a bunch of fab northerners! Tom bought me a delicious birthday breakfast bagel and we spent the day with Amy and Josh wondering the around Georgetown discovering the most spectacular street art. It was like nothing I've ever seen before. That night we discovered the local food market/restaurant area, we stuck out like a sore thumb as we were the only tourists but it was so cool, we tucked into a combination of the most popular local dishes that we couldn't pronounce and had no idea what they contained, other than noodles. Our hyper, seriously odd waitress kept us entertained (middle below).

After a few days in Penang we got the bus down to Kuala Lumpur. It was a busy, bustling city which didn't come off as the friendliest. We explored some of the architecture which was steeped in British influence because of that time when Britain tried rule everywhere (below aren't good examples, I guess you'll have to take my word for it.. or visit KL).

Not my picture, found online, but too pretty not to include.

We managed to cross paths with Harry and Lucy which was a great last memory before I had to speed off to the airport. I said goodbye to them all feeling apprehensive for the next chapter but knowing my flight would take me into the arms of my fave Aussies Adile and Nita in Melbourne, Australia.

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