From the sublime to the ridiculous!!!

Isn't life a funny thing.....

One day you wake up, life goes well and you make it through the day....you know the days where you get a few smiles from fellow humans (that make you feel warm and alive inside), the bathrooms free, the ticket machine accepts your notes, you make the transport link (even though you was late), the list you've had sleepless nights about reduces without an exhausting amount of effort, and your hair falls just the way you want it to. You drift contently off to sleep at the end of the day in love with the world and all its inhabitants.

The next day you wake up and without any rhyme or reason life just goes to complete rat shit....your day begins with a massive cockroach dropping out of the wardrobe, the cleaner walking into your room when you've no pants on, the queue you stand in is definitely the longest (2 hour queue) when it's your turn the counter closes....you queue again (1 hour) but miss the bus anyway. You walk and get lost with seemingly not a single person on this 'kin' planet being able to tell you the correct direction to head in ...oh and no matter how much you straighten your hair that morning you cannot shake the 'Don King' look ...this was my day yesterday...honestly wtf!

I was not happy about sharing my room with this un-paying guest!

Today I decide to try again ...I convince myself a happy and determined attitude is sure to generate a positive outcome. 6am the alarm sounds..I arrive at the station for 7am. There was no queue...a stark contrast to yesterday's mayhem...things are looking up!! I board the 8am coach to Malaka (I've been trying to get there for two days now bear in mind) it's a quaint little town I've read about, two hours south of Kuala Lumpur. 

The lady at the hotel said a one day visit was enough but to book my return ticket as soon as I get to Malaka (I think this little crafty crow knew what she was up to)....it's a ridiculous system where you can't book a return until you get there. We made good time arriving early around 10.40am, a great journey and I'm feeling good 😀. I head straight for the ticket booths asking for a 5pm return. 

I'm swiftly advised there are NO PM return tickets available ....the only one that day 11am!...seriously.....I mean SERIOUSLY! As the bottom drops out of my world AGAIN, with no other choice I purchase the ticket and make a swift WC stop before spending hours returning immediately from where I just came! I pay 0.3 ringgits to use the facility ...which is a dirty hole in the floor and in a fluster and panic to catch the connection completely misaligned and end up peeing all over my shoes!

   

My only view of Malaka...the bus station.... and uh hum .....said shoes!!

The return journey was not joyous and I arrive home 8 hours after leaving having achieved absolutely *uck all with one pair of 'pissed up' shoes in tow! 

It always amazes me how the cycle of life never fails to deliver...you know these days are coming, and everyone has them you just never know when! I was pushed to my limit today but managed to comfort myself in knowing out here your more of an observer if it all...your not in the 'rat race' so dependency on outcome isn't critical ....I just roll with it knowing 'it'll all come right in the end', but it has and I think will always baffle me as to the reason this happens to us all. 

I do feel sorry for people who've booked to come away for some sunshine. It's been raining and thunderstorms for 9 days solid now and continues for the foreseeable according to google weather. I've never seen or heard storms like it...they literally have me jumping out of my skin...it's like a bloody earth quake! (great for cleaning you shoes though...every cloud and all that!). To make things worse everyone has now left the apartment (apart from the critters) so it's just me on my own in 'spooksville'...I'm literally petrified at night.

With such a disastrous couple of days under my belt I don't have too much in terms of scenic views or new places to show so I'm going talk a little bit about my experience of solo travel thus far. 

When you do something like this it's unexplainable...you just know when your ready...it calls you rather than vise verse, you know you'll weather any storm because the urge to continue is so uncontrollably strong.

After 6 weeks on the road I've discovered that backpacking really isn't for the over 40's. I've not met a single person within a decade either side of my age backpacking alone. I've met lots of young people, couples or groups who are revelling in the experience and it's wonderful to see and everything I would like for Owen to experience (I'm always asking for tips) but the reality is no one wants to be saddled with 'Shirley Valentine' (seriously no sympathy or pity required it's just an honest observation). I have brief and fleeting conversations along the way and I will definitely continue this way because this is how I enjoy it...I don't need company, but you've seriously got to have rhino hide and be happy in your own company to survive it. 

You also must have self awareness. You inevitably have moments of loneliness, home sickness and general malaise but I've learnt to recognise when you feel like this to first serve your basic needs. Ask yourself what you need? I find with me its primarily over tiredness. This creeps up on you without warning. Moving every 4 days requires a lot of effort. The thing I find the most taxing is researching your next stop, booking transfers, hotels, currency changes, visa entry requirements etc, its exhausting and no matter how 'on top of it all' you feel, it soon catches up with you. So this is when you have to 'check in' with yourself. Basic needs: Sleep, rest, food, hydration. Take the time to address all these and your spark for travel soon re-ignites. 

One last thing that is really starting to 'get on my pip' though is the looks of disdain from locals. This is pretty much the same throughout my trip. I understand that they are a Buddhist or Muslim culture (Dependant on where you are)..and there is a huge cultural gap. I'm as respectful as possible and have learnt to wear tops with sleeves and long shorts/trousers where necessary and am sensitive to their beliefs. Britain however as a country has been taught to accept and embrace these religions, their buildings and the associated cultural behaviours.....so I'm sorry here's where I draw the line and honestly believe we deserve the same respect in return. Yes this really bugs me... and I've started a personal defiant campaign to stare back. Rant over.....and breath!

No-one will ever sit next to me willingly on transport...if they must they always leave half a seat between you and them - how rude!

To finish off I'm adding a few randoms to the post to keep the reality and honesty of my trip in tact.

     

Women only carriages on the rail network...women have been fighting for equal right for years, what a backward step this is. One of the 'signs' (to the right) no indecent behaviour...a kissing couple?!

This poor woman was made to crawl on her hands and knees for circa 250 steps, stopping and praying at each...she was really struggling and upset at about 75 steps in, it was a pitiful sight. I wanted to punch him and tell her to run off with me. There is no way on this earth I would be on my hands and knees for any man!

    

There's lots of disturbing sights... homelessness, mental illness and begging on the streets. These two were in the same place everyday for the duration of my stay. I struggled with this but noticed the Malaysian people are extremely generous and were constantly donating to their people.

This little tot captured my heart...she was wandering alone with adult flippy flops on the wrong feet no pants. I wanted to bring her home. I stayed with her around 15 minutes until eventually her mother came back, they live on the street. She kept touching my hand and smiling....I adored her.

I found the 'pound shop'... I took this just for you Jill Bennet!!!

Look whats coming ladies, imported from Japan...bum pants!! Thankfully we need never worry about

saggy arses again! ....I could have done with these back in Bangkok!!

One glass of wine: 48 Malaysian Ringgit ...Approximately £8!!!....I'll be having just the one then!

A pet store...a sorry sight with animals having barely any room to move...they were crying, I couldn't handle this it was upsetting.

Three blind masseurs? All these questions come to me...I mean how?...do they feel their way?...what if they massage the wrong part? ha ha ha it's these little things that keep me entertained.

   

I leave Kuala Lumpur today, had a great time here but It's now time to move on again..... Next stop Singapore!

PS I'm off now to find that lady from the toilet scene in 'Full Monty' to see if she can give me some tips on 'aim' ha ha ha

Bye for now xxx