Island Life

Sooo I've spent nearly the last week lying on beaches in Thailand (Ko Phi Phi) and Malaysia (Perhentians). It's been fantastic, and soo nice just to chill out, relax, and get a tan!

Ko Phi Phi was very nice (although after being to Long Beach on Boracay Island in the Philippines, it's hard competition to find another beach to match). But it was packed, littered and swarming with foreigners...so it quickly lost its appeal. There was no local culture to see unfortunately.

This is where the gang split up - Natascha and Antonie headed to Ko Panghan for the half-moon party, and I head into the 'dangerous' parts of Southern Thailand to cross into Malaysia.

I took the train from HatYai, Thailand to the border, and along the way (but mom, it's okay, I have safely passed through the following...) a local guy, who was visiting home for one night, said that he was scared to pass through the area and didn't know how I wasn't frightened, and traveling by myself! I have only been this way by turning a naive, blind eye to the travel warnings about this area. However, after he said this, I noticed the armed (machine gun) security/army guy on the train car. And at all of the stops after, the guards had sandbags piled up around the entrance of their quarters to take shelter behind for shooting, as they were all also carrying guns!! Hmmm, I don't know whether they made me feel more safe or not. Most people say that the attacks aren't against foreigners as I think it's the muslims in the area not happy with the government, but I was traveling on a local train, having seen only two other westerners board a few cars back. With a sigh of relief however, I made it successfully across the border to lovely Malaysia.

A couple of local bus rides and a lot of stares/smiles, completed with a ferry ride out to the Perhentians, I arrived at a much less-touristy island, with amazingly clear water!! Paradise, pretty much. I spent a couple days here with a group of really nice Brits, and then on my last day went snorkelling and saw Nemos!!

I am now in Kota Bahru waiting to take the train south to Koala Lumper, from which I will head to the Cameron Highlands for a couple days, and then finally arrive in the comforts of Singapore at the end of the month! I was supposed to take the train this morning, but had a terrible time dragging myself out of bed at 4:30am! That will be tomorrow...

loves & misses,
hugs & kisses,
I can't wait to see you all soon!!