Thoughts on Travelling

Nothing to report really, just thought my blog was being neglected. Here are some random thoughts, and a bit about what I've been up to and what I plan to do.

After grumbling on Ko Tao about not being able to dive and then picking up a new travel partner, we (for those keeping track: Karlijn and I, plus newcomer Linda) headed to Ko Phayam on the west coast. The island was very secluded, and since it was off season we were only sharing the beach and the waves with about fifteen other people, which is quite a contrast from the city-like Ko Tao and Ko Pahangan.

My initial thoughts on travelling: I love it. It's very busy and I don't have much time to think of home so I don't miss it too much (sorry everyone!), except for when I have the occasional bout of home sickness. I also feel like I learn a lot about myself, some travellers are very open and you discuss everything and through that I have questioned myself (in a good way), and learned a lot. I'm learning to be more positive and outgoing and not to judge people right away.

I am currently still in Thailand, been around Bangkok and Pattaya lately, and on the twenty-seventh of this month I will be flying with my two pals to Yangon, Myanmar (if we can get a visa). At first, Myanmar sounded a bit dangerous to me, which is why I was attracted to it I think. On doing some reading it doesn't sound any more dangerous than any other SE Asian country. Most travellers avoid it because it is difficult to get a visa or because they are boycotting the government due to their violent crackdowns on pro-democratic protesters or other human rights abuses. I also considered not going because of the government's actions on peaceful protestors and monks, luckily there are ways to avoid giving the government your money while there.

OK, so I guess I had more to say than I thought.

School Out and I'm Outta Here!

I finished my last exam and left Singapore on the same day. I am now in Phuket, Thailand for the evening and will be continuing on tomorrow to Ko Phangan. Leaving Singapore was a bit sad , saying goodbye to friends and so on, but I have a lot to look forward to.

Cameron Highlands

The Cameron Highlands has rolling hills covered in thick forests with an occasional European-style village along the winding highway through the Malaysian interior. The European architecture of the villages, and the habit of the locals to enjoy tea and biscuits, is a reminder of the English colonization of these parts.

The climate is like northern Ontario, and made me miss home a lot. I felt like I was at camp at the end of the summer from when I was younger. The days were warm but the nights cooled off so that you needed to put on pants and a sweater. Some coniferous trees stood out around the hostel and you share a room with your bunk mates (mine being the two guys who helped me with my wallet troubles). What reminded me most of Canada was the mounties they have posted in the highlands there. Just kidding, obv. What reminded me most of Canada was the air, the high altitude made the air refreshing (a real treat when compared to Singapore's sticky, wet, and heavy air).

The landscapes were beyond words, especially the Tea Plantation I visited. So I will let the pictures do the talking. I've also uploaded pictures from my weekend long trip to Indonesia a few weeks ago, you can see it on my Picasa Web Albums or below.

Cameron Highlands

Indonesia

Oh ya, I also went to Kuala Lumpur, but who cares about that.

Hitting the Dusty Trail

On Thursday morning I'll be packing a few clothes, my toothbrush and my lonely planet guidebook and heading out for a quick tour before coming back to Singapore for exams.

I will be diving in Pulau Tioman (an island in Malaysia), and then on Monday morning moving onward to Thailand. I am a bit concerned to go to Thailand because of recent quarrels between the government and protesters. But, not concerned enough to not go I guess.

So Far So Good

As I mentioned in the previous post, coming to Singapore has been an amazing experience.  In that time I have had the opportunity to visit some of the neighbouring countries.  I was able to make quick trips to Malaysia and Indonesia.  As well as longer extended trips to Sarawak (Malaysian Borneo) and Cambodia.  I tried to keep this short, but I compiled some of the most memorable parts of my trips:

Malaysia and Indonesia were great, the people there were incredibly friendly.  Malaysia was my first trip outside of Singapore so everything I saw totally amazed me.  Indonesia was my most recent trip and Asia still continues to blow my mind all the time.  Jakarta and Jogyakarta both have bustling busy streets with tuk-tuks, bike-taxis, buses, and cars occupying of all lanes, yet turn down a gang (alleyway) and you enter a quiet, intimate neighbourhood where kids chase chickens and old woman cook meals for their families or anyone who wants to but some food.

Borneo has spectacular untouched forests, enormous (largest in the world) caves, and blue ocean.  It was my first time travelling alone, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I was happy when my pal Karlijn came to join me midway through.  The eight day trip mainly consisted of winding boardwalks through the jungle which lead to ominous cave entrances.  The caves themselves were homes to bats, swiftlets, spiders, and a lot of guano (bat droppings).  Borneo has so much beautiful nature to offer, with wildlife you can only see on that island, I was sad when the trip came to an end.  The final day Karlijn and I were able to relax by the ocean and watch the sun set, it was a great ending to a perfect trip (well it felt a bit short).

Cambodia was a field trip for my geography class about natural resources.  We had the opportunity to stay with families in a fishing village on the Tonle Sap lake.  There was an extreme language barrier between me and the family I stayed with.  The only words exchanged between me and my host father were ar kun (thank-you), and tuk (boat).  We got along really well, and he let us borrow the tuk whenever we liked, which was essential to see the village since it was literally floating on the water.  The meals were fishy, literally, for supper we ate fish soup, with fried fish and rice, but it was quite tasty.  At night many families from the village came to our house to watch Khmer soap operas on the small TV which was hooked up to a car battery (or maybe they came to see the white kid).  My trip to the Kingdom of Cambodia was really great to see first hand another lifestyle completely alien to my own. 

The Beginning of the End

The exchange students at the National University of Singapore are struggling to get all their final assignments in so they can have a week, or more, of travelling before exams.  Soon after exams they will be going home to their respective countries, or (most likely) embarking on trips around South East Asia.  It is the beginning of the end of the exchange student experience.

Coming to Singapore has been an amazing experience, and I am thankful I had the opportunity to do so.  Alas, I will soon be leaving and travelling around the south-east of Asia (woe is me), which both scares and excites me.  I will return to Singapore briefly before heading back to the Great White North.  Leaving Singapore will be bitter-sweet, since I know it mean the beginning of my travels, which I have been dreaming of for some time.  But, this city (which has both amazed and frustrated me equally) has become my home, and moving is always difficult.

Just like graduating high school there is the excitement of what lays ahead but also the sadness of leaving your friends behind.  There is the chance you will bump into each other again, but it may not be for a long time.

Nearly four months have gone by in a flash, but I still have lots of experiences ahead of me before I hop on a flight to Canada.