At the ticket counter in Taoyuan International airport, a man in his 40s was also buying a bus ticket to Banquio area. As we were waiting for the bus to pull into #6 slot, we began introducing ourselves to each other. He had also been traveling in Malaysia for 10 days. Like most people he asked, “Are you studying in Taiwan?” I politely said no and started telling him about myself. He also happened to be a teacher, however, he taught math to Jr. high school students. We began chatting and I told him how much I love Taiwan. Most Taiwanese are always surprised when I express my overwhelming joy towards Taiwan. When the bus pulled up, we sat diagonally from one another. As I was sitting reflecting on my trip as well as the feeling of returning back to Taiwan, the man leads over from behind and hands me a chocolate bar in a plastic bag and says, “Thank you for loving my country.” I was blown away by his kindness and thoughtfulness. I insisted for him to keep the duty free chocolate he had bought in Kuala Lumpur airport for his family or friends, but he refused. He said, “I have enough for them.” I want you to have it.
What is traveling?
Why do we feel the need to travel, when were already happy living where we are and still have more to experience?
What makes our minds feel at peace when we travel? Because we are completely free?
Let your mind travel as I tell you about my journey to Southeast Asia.
Chapter 1
The wheels hit the ground in Singapore. I knew I was in for an exciting three weeks. In the airport, I was surprised to see computers you could access free of charge as well as phones to call local numbers. I felt the nerves build up in my body as I couldn’t reach my CS host. Finally, we connected after an hour. I navigated my way in their metro system to the station where I would met my host for the first time. First impression of Rino was his rade black hair. He had a warm smile and I could sense we would get along well. His apartment was amazing: 5 bedrooms, full size kitchen and a huge living room with a large TV and comfortable couch for me to sleep. There was even a swimming pool outside, part of the apartment complex. We sat down at his table and began chatting. He offered me pizza and constantly made sure I was comfortable in his home. We talked for hours that night.
The first day in Singapore, Rino, his roommates and friends showed me the popular areas: Arab street and little India. We found a small Indian restaurant for lunch, then Rino took me on a walking tour for the rest of the day.
Ever since I was young, I had an image of Singapore in my head that my dad painted for me. He would rave about the country and how badly he wanted to go there. I pictured big skyscrapers with mobs of people and many things to see and do. I soon realized it was nothing as I imagined. The atmosphere in Singapore felt very robotic. Three cultures make up Singapore: Malay, Indian and Chinese, however, many expats live there from all over the world. From a local standpoint, daily living is quite nice, but not much for tourist. Many locals say, they have to think of creative ways to spend there time and always find new things to do. I found, many chose to leave the small country and travel to a nearby place like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, etc. even just for a few days. In which they can enjoy cheaper food, transportation and fun activities because Singapore itself is very expensive. For a single traveler Singapore doesn’t have much more than any other big city. With a family in Singapore you have: Universal Studios, a night Safari and many family oriented activities. I stayed two full days and three nights. Later that day, Rino introduced me to his friends; many happened to be CS as well. We met for dinner and stayed out late. By the marina, you could see the night skyline of Singapore where many people were enjoying the beautiful and relaxing atmosphere.
Over time, traveling has changed for me. Usually, I feel the need to pack the entire day from sun up to very late into the night trying to fit in every must see attraction in the area. Some time between my trip to the Philippines in February and the trip to Hualien with Jade and Ian, I have reevaluated my priorities and realized I found more joy in spending time with the locals or other travelers, walking at a slower pace to find hidden streets or shops and doing simple everyday activities that a native would do.
The following day was a Monday; Rino had to work. I took the metro to Gardens by the Bay; a popular man made nature park that had a nice walking path. The night before Rino’s friend had told me whenever he has CSers he would take them to the fabulous five star hotel for an overlook of Singapore. He told me to tell the consear, I would like to go to the bar at the top of the hotel. Instead of taking his advice, I wiggled my way inside the elevator to the top. The marina bay sands hotel was luxurious. With a rooftop pool and costing guests over $500 USD a night. A family I chatting with in the elevator said, “they were just staying one night to get a feel for it.” After I took in the spectacular view, I walked around the marina bay center during the day. Many people were out jogging and enjoying the calm atmosphere with family or friends.
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| Marina bay sands hotel |
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| Gardens by the Bay |
In the evening, I met a CS for dinner. I had messaged, Janel, about hosting me, but unfortunately she was unable to during my stay. With our similar interests we definitely wanted to met up. Janel took me to a Ramadon bizzar. She convinced me to try a mouth watering Romney Burger filled with meat, cheese, egg and heavy layer of mayo. The Romney Burger is a classic food in Singapore. Her and I share the same zest for life; I saw so much of myself in her.
Every night, Rino and I would stay up late talking, much later than we probably should of. Rino was truly a pleasure to talk with. He really was a great host and I didn’t want to leave, but I must continue my travels.
Chapter 2
The cheapest way to get from Singapore to KL was by taking the metro to the closest station to Johan Boar, border of Singapore and Malaysia. Once there, you must take the bus to the border, go through immigration and get back on a bus with the same number for around 20 minutes. Then, you need to buy another ticket for the five hour journey to KL.
In Kuala Lumpur, I went right to my hostel, dropped my things off and decided to walk around the area until I went to bed. Behind the hostel was an outdoor area with many restaurants. A bit more pricy, but many locals do not mind paying the extra cash for the atmosphere.
As I was strolling the lively street, I met a young man who offered to introduced me to some malay food and his friends. We had a nice evening together enjoying some summer fling. Not wanting the encounter to get too far, I decided to depart ways and go back to my hostel.
Very tired from the night before, I slowly woke up and went downstairs for breakfast. Back in the room, I chatted with a nice woman named Allison. Right away, I could tell I really liked her and began telling her my plans to travel up Malaysia and Thailand. She had just came from there and warned me of the typhoons in the area. Many days, she had said they waited out the rain to only enjoy the outdoors for a few hours. Without hesitation Allison told me her plans and invited me to join her and her friend who she would met in KL airport in two days. Instantly, my gut was telling me to take the opportunity. Everything I wanted to do in my route through Malaysia and Thailand, I felt I could do in Sabah. Their plan was to rent a car for four days starting with Mt. Kinabalu national park, then drive east to see the orangutans and I would have the choice to stay in the south and spend a few extra days diving, while they head back to catch their plane for Bali. The plan sounded great! We began looking up flights and I weighed out going with her or continuing my original plan.
Back in Taipei, I never felt the urge to map out my trip other than Chaing Mai, my final destination. Just maybe this was the reason why.
After some thought, I decided to go for it! I bought my ticket, then Allison and I walked into town to look around. We didn’t even walk a few minutes and we already felt raindrops. Due to the lack of rain gear, we sat down for an early dinner and waited out the rain. KL was a lot more beautiful than we had though. We saw a nice temple, park, old style buildings and in the evening we went to the Petronas towers! We made it right before the sun had set to see both the day and night view. Honestly my first take of the towers was: “This is what people rave about! I think Taipei 101 bets these.” The architecture and material of the two towers didn’t seem to match up to Taipei 101. I was feeling a bit disappointed. All of a sudden, the sky became dark and the entire setting changed. I slowly scanned my eyes from the bottom to the top of the two towers and I was in shock! I instantly was blown by surprise of the beauty of these towers. The white lights on the tip of the Petronas towers against the black sky was absolutely stunning. I hadn’t been this stunned in a long time. All I wanted to do was sit in front of the towers and not take my eyes off. Allison and I were taking in the beauty when a young man started talking to us. He said, “I always come here when I’m stressed. It always helps,” he smiled. We enjoyed the atmosphere for a while admiring the view and chatting with some people. Then, Allison wanted to head to H & M before it closed. I really didn’t want to leave; I could have stayed all night. But, I went with her. We walked around the shopping area and then grabbed some pad thai at a restaurant near our hostel. During dinner, Allison told me stories of when she was working as a tour guide in the desert of Australia for a year, right before she started traveling. Her stories were so captivating. We shared a lot of laughs and both had a great time.
The next day, we got up early to walk around the area some more. Our flight was not until the late afternoon. The day felt a bit rushed, but with the short time to spend in KL we wanted to make the most of it.
Chapter 3
Allison and her friend did all the planning; I was just in for the ride. I trusted Allison with all the decisions and let her take control. However, there were two airports in KL and we went to the wrong one. We both stood in the airport checking the screen for our flight when we realized we had gotten on the wrong bus to the airport. Quickly, we had to take a taxi to the other airport if we wanted to catch our flight. Usually, I would double check if it was the right bus or not, but I just went with everything. Thankfully, the airport was only 5-10 minutes away and we made our flight. We met Allison’s friend in the airport and grabbed some food before we went on the plane.
The plane was more grand than a jetstar or airasia. Each person had their own TV and the best part we got food! The plane ride was easy. Immediately at the hostel, we put our bags down and spoke with the guy at the desk to map out our plans for the next four days. The entire table was covered with papers, maps, books, phones, computers, you name it! Multiple car rental places were called even late at night. Sadly, the Islamic holiday to celebrate the end of Ramadan was the next day, which made it very difficult to get a car. Soon we realized that our original travel plan was not feasible in four days even if we found a rental car. After thinking of many different options, the plan of traveling with Allison and her friend was diminishing. We decided to go to bed as it was already after 3 in the morning. We woke up early that morning. After I thought hard about the situation, it did not make sense to travel with them anymore. I felt I had to make the decision to not continue with both of them. Tears filled my eyes; I really did not want to leave them. But, I felt I had to make this decision. “Sometimes the hardest decisions you’ll face in life is choosing whether to walk away or try harder.” The three of us formed a group hug as we didn’t want it to end like this. They said, we want you to do what makes the most sense for you.
They walked away and I started crying uncontrollably. Even though I felt I made the right choice, I felt so disappointed the four days we were going to travel by car around the island turned to 0 so quickly. Instead of staying in the hostel moping around, I went to a museum with two people who were staying in the same hostel. Even though it was a rainy day, the museum was a chance for us to learn about the history and culture of Sabah as I knew nothing about this place a few days ago, and now here I am.
During the day, I needed to come up with a new itinerary because I had not bought a return ticket out of Sabah. I looked at the different possibilities and what I wanted to do. The thought of climbing Mt. Kilabalu didn’t seem possible. I had no hiking gear with me, let alone I never climbed a mountain taller than 2000m and this one was double! Before Allison and her friend left, they told me I should do it if I really wanted to and not worry about the equipment. Part of the reason, I decided to stay back. The two people I was at the museum with also said, “Don’t let the gear stop you from going.” One of them had just climbed the mountain and said, “I didn’t have any climbing experience and was able to do it.” They both gave me the courage to try to get a permit. Since Friday was the Islamic holiday, I had to wait til the next day to many any decision. Therefore, I walked along the boardwalk that evening. Many young kids were sitting on the ledge of the boardwalk overlooking the water. I couldn’t help but notice a young girl sitting by herself. I asked, “May I join you?” I sat and talked with her for an hour gazing at the calm ocean.
Long story short: Sabah was an experience of a lifetime. I had the best week! Sometimes at the moment, you can’t see the impact until the middle or the very end. Or, long after the incident.
The next day, I woke up early to see if I could get a permit to hike the mountain. After a bit of time, they told me their was a cancellation for the following day and I could go! I certaintly took it. That day, I looked all over town in the three different shopping malls for warm closes and a torch. After a long time of searching through the malls, I landed on a fleece jacket and a hat. I also bought a ticket from the southeast part of Sabah to Bangkok at the end of the week.
Chapter 4
Mount Kilabalu is part of the tri mountains in southeast Asia. Kilabalu height surpases, mt. Yushan (Taiwan) and mt. Fuji (Japan) with a height of 4032m. Many people come from all over the world to hike and apply for the permit months in advance. At first the hostel, told me it wouldn’t be possible to get a permit so soon. After he tried contacting a company who sells permits, they had said, there was no availabilities. So, I tried on my own and managed to get a permit; I definitely feel it helped I was only one person.
The morning of the hike, I checked out of my hostel and went to the bus station. I was directed by the drivers to a small van where two Taiwanese were standing. We had to wait until the van was full to leave. So, we waited around 1 hour. Most of us slept for the two and half hour ride to the entrance of the park.
We sorted out the permit and the two Taiwanese and I shared a mountain guide. I had already paid for a package which included a mountain guide, food, transportation, insurance, climbing permit, etc. However, their package was very basic which didn’t include everything. So, that morning I became a bit richer. After I put all the things I didn’t want in my backpack into a small bag to keep in storage at the park entrance, I was ready to go. We took a van about five minute ride to meet our guide, then we were off on the five kilometer journey to the lodge. Almost the entire way was man made steps. Periodically, we would take rest breaks to refuel our body, then continue. The weather was sunny, not too cold, but as we climbed higher the air became cooler. After five hours hike, we reached the lodge, right around dinner time. We enjoyed a delicious buffet dinner, then most went to their room for an early night. I stayed for a bit with two sweet girls from Sweden. We were hoping to see the sunset, but the clouds came in. Moreover, I went back to my room where the three other roommates were already in bed. No hot water to take a shower, I decided to brush my teeth and jump in bed. I pulled the covers over my bed and tried to warm up. Once my body started to relax, my heart began to race. The high altitude was finally hitting me. I tried to get my heart beat to slow down, but couldn’t. I finally fell asleep and woke up at 2 a.m. First things I realized was my heart was back to normal. I was filled with joy that I could continue the hike.
We ate a solid breakfast and were on the trail by 3 a.m. Our headlights guided the way up the stairs then by rope up the steep rock. We would stop every so often to catch our breath for a few minutes and continue to the summit. Around 5 a.m. the weather drastically changed and became cloudy, which meant we wouldn’t see the sunrise. A few people decided to turn around either because the altitude was too difficult or fear of the rain that was about to come. No way was I going to turn back, I already got this far. I climbed a bit more then would catch my breath for a few minutes and continue. The last kilo was a challenge with the thin and cold air. When I saw the summit, I felt a sign of relief. At the top, people were lined up waiting to take a picture. Right after the click of the camera, I grabbed my things and quickly wanted to get away from the strong wind at the summit. The way down was bruttel, the entire day rained. The craziest thing was the heavy rain created strong waterfalls in our path. With just my sandles, I needed to go extra slow to not slip. We all helped each other down the mountain, grabbing the rope and slowly going backwards down the waterfalls. 1 kilometer took about 2 hours. The way down to the lodge was crazy and cool at the same time. We made it back to the lodge for lunch and warm up before the 5 kilometers back to the trailhead. The rain did not let up the entire day. We were all wet, cold and tired, but we didn’t waste any time going down. We just wanted to reach the base.
At almost 6 p.m., back at the trailhead, I gathered my things quickly and waiting for a bus to the east part of Sabah. I stood at the bus stop with my mountain guide for a short time. Then, a van pulled up and was heading east. We both got into the van and the driver dropped him off near his friends house. Most of the five hour ride I slept. We arrived after midnight and luckily found a hostel easily.
Chapter 5
Super exhausted from the hike, I had trouble waking up in the morning. My legs were sore and could feel my heavy body melt in the bed. I drag myself out of bed to make it to breakfast before it finished. A group of four European friends were also staying at the same hostel. We shared some good information with each other and then I slowly got ready for the day. The orangutans were about 30 minute drive with two feedings each day 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. I barely made the 3 p.m. feeding not because I didn’t leave on time, but the bus station was a mad house. People were all telling me different information. I started to become frustrated as I did not want to miss the orangutans. It took about 1 hour until a Filipino man came up to me and told me which bus I could take. I was relieved. However, the bus did not take me directly to the entrance. I had to walk along ways. Every minute, I would glance down at my watch seeing minutes pass. I knew, I wouldn’t make it. So, I decided to stretch out my arm and raise my thumb, and hitch a ride. After a few tries a family came to the rescue and were also going to the oranges. However, we almost missed the feeding. I walked on the boardwalk spotting the orangutan and would stop until I couldn’t see them anymore. You could see so much resembalance of a human in them. That evening, I asked to join two girls for dinner near the water. We sat for a really long time talking and enjoying each others company.
The next day, I had to get up early to catch the only bus to the south, another five hour ride. Off the bus with no one to ask for directions to the hostel, I walk around Semporna looking for the right way. A lady comes to me and asks where I’m going. She said, she helps many people like me and guided me to my hostel. The area of Semporna is well known for scuba diving. With no diving reservation, I looked around before stores closed to find an opening to dive the following day. At the hostel was a nice group of people. In the evening, we had dinner together by the water and shared our cultures and ideas.
Chapter 6
Early in the morning, I headed to the diving shop. Many people were there trying to sort out their forms or tried to get a spot for Sadakon; a very famous and supposedly the most beautiful diving spot where you can see sharks. We waited almost an hour to board the boat, then everyone piled on the boat to our first spot of three. Most people who dive in Sempora sleep on the island for 4-5 days or even a week or more. The island was gorgeous -- true paradise. Many people were already on the island either laying out, participating in a diving course or eating the morning meal. First on the day’s was a simple buffet breakfast. While I was eating, everything around me felt a little chaotic. Double checking when I needed to get on the boat for the first dive, everyone kept telling me just wait. I sat back down, then got up again and got my equipment. I was ready to go! But, somehow the boat for the first dive already left. Did they leave without me? I was shocked and upset no buddy warmed me they were leaving. However, there was nothing I could do until the boat came back for the next dive. I walked along the dock where the rooms were, gazing at the water and thinking how beautiful of a place I was in. I definitely needed more days here. After an hour or more, I finally made it on the boat. The first dive was a challenge. My mask didn’t fit me properly. I kept having to blow out to clear the water from my mask. I recall almost 50 times in only a 40 minute dive, I needed to clear my mask. When you need to clear your mask that often, it’s very difficult to enjoy what you are seeing. The morning part of the day wasn’t the greatest. We came back for a buffet lunch, relaxed awhile then went for the third dive. One of the dive instructors gave me his mask to borrow. Oh, what a difference it made! A great dive we all had. We saw a small seahorse (I’ve always wanted to see) and eight huge sea turtles. It was unbelievable.
That evening back at the hostel, I showered and met a really genuine, sincere, bright boy named Vincent who was my age. He just arrived and I invited him to join me for dinner. Only my second day in Sempora, I already had my favorite restaurants and knew the area pretty well to show him around.
After dinner, we walked around and made ourselves comfortable at the edge of a long dock where we stayed for quite some time talking. A group of kids would periodically come and sit beside us. At first they didn’t say anything just sat and enjoyed the calm water. Vincent and I had a great conversation at dinner and by the water about life -- nature, being free, traveling.. I connect with him on so many levels. Sometimes we didn’t feel the need to say anything. Just gaze up at the sky with so many stars, tried to keep up with the number of shooting stars Vincent saw, and the peaceful water in front of us. The scene was one of the most beautiful places I’ve been; I couldn’t help but wonder about space, life on land and under the water.
Chapter 7
After 10 days in Malaysia, I was off to enjoy my last week in Thailand. With all my bags, I walked to the bus station early in the morning. A car stops asking, “Where are you going?” A little hesitant at first, I said “I’m going to the airport.” They responded, “We are going that direction, we can give you a ride.” I decided to take the offer.
Bangkok was a big, loud, congested city. I walked around for awhile, then tried to find the hostel on my little piece of paper I had jotted down. Very difficult to find and a bit out of the way, I decided to stay one night. With only 1 night in Bangkok, I chose to see what I could. In the city near my hostel, I saw a temple in the distance. As I was searching for the way to the temple, I bumped into two guys. That asked, “Can we help you? What are you looking for?” I told them I was just strolling and didn’t need any help. But, they refused to leave me by myself. Since we were both wondering the streets at night, I thought why not make some new friends. We eventually found the temple plus a few other things and Chinatown for something to eat.
The two boys were quite helpful all evening. Before I went back to my hostel, I went to where they were staying and the boys helped me search for information on the buses to the north. They were just finishing their trip and wanted to spend the last few days in Bangkok. I knew, I didn’t want to spend too much time in Bangkok. All I wanted to see was the Palace and maybe a little more. It was already very late. We made plans to spend the day together, before I caught the bus in the evening.
In the morning, I met the boys in their hostel and we went together to the Grand Palace. Mobs and mobs of people and groups were in line buying tickets or waiting to rent clothing to cover their shoulders or legs. I needed to rent some clothes as I didn’t have any with me in my small little backpack. We walked around the beautiful grounds of the palace most of the morning then found a small place for lunch.
With most of the day still ahead of us, we took a boat across the river to a temple. The steps to the top were very steep, but the view was worth it.
We stumbled upon things during the day and I left around 9 p.m. to take the metro to the north of the city to the bus terminal. Never finding the exact time of the bus to Sukhothai, I felt I needed to be safer than sorry. Days were getting short and I wanted at least 5 days in Chiang Mai for my trek in the jungle, before I needed to go back to Taipei.
The bus station was a bit far from the metro. Luckily, there were plenty of buses to Sukhothai and I decided to just take the next one. I slept most of the six hour ride. We arrived in Sukhothai bus terminal at 5 a.m. Still not even sunrise yet, I sat at the station and waited for the small town to open up. Around 6 a.m. a bus rolled in from Bangkok. Two young travelers from France were on the bus and I started chatting with them to see if they had any information on the area. They had a travel book with them and we decided to go into the city together. We started walking with our bags, but the town was a quite far. A jeepney was driving towards us, so we waved our hands in the air hoping it would stop. We rode the jeepney to the town and got on another one to the old town. The guide book said, we could leave our bags in a bike store near the old town. A better idea than trekking with our bags all day. We found the bike store, set our bags down and brushed up. The couple decided to go their own way and I enjoyed the day riding around the old town by myself. The park was huge and not much people. A very relaxing day taking pictures, cycling and eating Western food. I left for Chiang Mai late afternoon, another six hour ride.
When I got to Chiang Mai, I started walking out of the bus station to look for a hostel. I had not written any names down. I walked and walked, looking at many hotels but no hostels. Around three hours later, I was still walking arriving at absolutely nothing. I stopped a group of girls and asked where they were staying, hoping they could led me to a place. They were staying at a hotel, which wasn’t much help, however, I asked to borrow their mobile/computer and search for something. The hotel they were staying at was really nice. The entire 1st floor was all people in their 20s. They all welcomed me and thought I was staying there and just arrived. I found some names of hostels that I wrote down and went off again. As I was walking to the hostel on my list, I saw a hostel on my left hand side. Of course, I went in. The owners, a husband and wife were so nice to me. Even though the hostel was a bit run down, I couldn’t say no. I made myself comfortable and talked to the owners until I went to bed.
The following day, I looked at many different travel shops to find the elephant trek I wanted. None of them were exactly what I wanted though. After a long day of looking and deciding to go or not with the owner to an elephant camp to volunteer, a place he was passing on the way to the south, I found an itinerary I was happy with. The itinerary included three days in the jungle with 1 hour elephant ride, elephant washing, white water rafting, bamboo rafts, food and two nights in two different villages. I felt really excited!
Chapter 8
I packed my bag and kept all my other things in a locker at a new hostel. The package I bought my trek from was also part of a hostel. Anyone that buys a package gets 1 free night in their hostel. The jeepney picked me up from the hostel in the morning where I met 8 other people in the group who all happened to be from Spain. Too bad I wasn’t fluent in Spanish to speak with them, only managed to say little sentences here and there. I, actually surprise myself in how many words I could remember. They all were really nice. The first stop of the itinerary was the orchard farm. We all walked around the rows of orchids.
After about 40 minutes, we went back in the truck to the starting point of our trek. We carried all our bags with us and began the uphill journey to the village. In matter of minutes, we were all dripping in sweat. Periodically, we would stop to wipe off the sweat from our faces and rehydrate ourselves by drinking lots of water. There was three big hills we had to overcome in order to get to the village where we could ride the elephants. Right away when we got to the village, we saw many elephants in the field. We split up in two groups, two people per elephant. When the first group came back it was my turn. I was lucky and had my own elephant. I climbed up on the elephants hardback and in seconds he was off! I felt the unpaved road below as I was going up and down on the elephants back. Every time the elephant would walk down a small hill, I felt like I was about to slide off his back. It was so fun!
In the evening, we took showers and our guide made us a tasty dinner on the grill and we all sat around the fire and enjoyed the atmosphere. I played with the village children. A boy and a girl had a small bicycle, they kept riding up and down the hill right beside us.
My group and one other group all shared one big room under a bamboo roof. The beds were lifted from the ground on a bamboo style base and beds were separated in groups of 1,2,3 and 4 by mosquito nets. When I woke up in the morning, everyone could feel the effect of sleeping outside in a hard bamboo hut. I, on the other hand, had one of the best sleeps I ever had. I felt like I was on survivor; I felt great! While the others decided they had enough of the jungle and decided to cut their trip short and head back earlier than planned. After breakfast, we all got our suits on and walked to the very dirty river to wash the elephants! Even though the water was brown, most of us went into the water anyways to give the elephants their bath. We all took a bucket/brush and poured water on the elephants, scrubbing them while they laid on their side. It was so much fun especially when they sprayed water with their trunks.
The washing didn’t last so long and we all wished we could of stayed longer. However, instead of going back with the rest of the group to the rooms, I stayed back and played with the elephants in their playground.
I noticed some of the group members were waiting by the car and I quickly went back. They all looked at me and asked, “Where were you?” I casual said, playing with the elephants. They responded, “By yourself?” I said, “Yeah, why not.” : )
Since the people in my group from Spain all were on the two day trek and the other group who was with us decided to go back early, I was alone with a Japanese guy who also wanted to continue the trek and a new guide. The three of us spend the two days together. We said goodbye to our groups and took a van to a starting point to begin our hike to the next village. On our way, we stopped at a nature waterfall. Again, the water was very dirty and brown. The cool part about the waterfall, you could climb up to the top, not so high and slide down the waterfall into a deep pool of water. We relaxed there for a little while, then continued our few kilometer trek. After we ate our lunch along the way and took some pictures of the beautiful sites, we made it to the village with most of the day still ahead of us. Our guide said, we were free to do what we wanted. We first put our bags down in our rooms. Again, we stayed in a bamboo style house, one big room with many beds. Outside of our house was a nice outdoor porch with benches to relax on and overlook the jungle. The Japanese guy right away made himself comfortable with a coke and I decided to walk around the village. I stopped and played with some kids. A little girl grabbed my hand and wanted me to run with her down the hill. It was so cute playing with the kids and seeing a real village in the jungle. Most of the day, we just relaxed the two of us, no one bothering us. As it got later, we saw the clouds roll in and soon we couldn’t see the trees anymore. Rain started to come down and all night into the next day rained.
Across from our room was another small room for the guide with a kitchen to prepare food for the guests. In between the two rooms was an open area to hang out. That evening, we helped our guide cook a delicious thai dinner. We had rice, curry with vegetables and a potato dish, if I remember correctly. With no electricity, we sat in the open area on the floor with a small table and a candle. It was probably the most romantic setting I’ve ever been in. The air was so fresh. We listened to the sounds of the rain and our guide playing guitar while having a home cooked meal. Our guide shared with us some cool tricks and we tried our best to replicate them. Second best evening of my trip. First one being the evening with Vincent in Semporna.
In the morning, a breakfast was already ready for us. Hot tea/coffee, toast and eggs. After we had a slow morning, we got on our rain coats and began our final day in the jungle. We stopped at another waterfall, but instead no one wanted to get in. It was rainy and cold; we took a little rest break and continued. Our last stop was white water rafting and bamboo rafts. At the rafting shop, many other people were there. After a little introduction on what to do in the raft, we all split into groups and started our journey down the river. Overall, the river wasn’t too rough. Many people had never been white water rafting before, so that was cool. Before, we returning on land, we got on a bamboo raft for a short part then got out of the water, gathered our things, had lunch and made the trip in the truck back to Chiang Mai.
Chapter 9
It was hard going back to reality after those three days in the jungle. All I wanted to do was go back. I spent the last day in Chiang Mai. I had a nice breakfast and went to my favorite cafe “Funkey Monkey” where I made friends with the owner. The most popular drink at the cafe was the funkey monkey shake mixed with banana and coffee. I told the owner I didn’t like coffee too much, so she mixed a little bit of chocolate and coffee, so delicious. I discovered Chiang Mai for most of the day, temples, streets, shops and more.
I took a van to a famous temple in Chiang Mai, a little outside of the main town.
I started to get a little sad as night was approaching and I knew my trip was coming to a close. I spent my last night in Chiang Mai visiting an Indian restaurant I went to before and treated myself to a Thai massage.
In the morning, I had one final funkey monkey shake and bought a banana bread for the road. It was hard leaving, but all trips come to an end at some point. I boarded the plane in Chiang Mai and waited about 5 hours for my connecting flight in Kuala Lumpur. We were all trapped in the small section of the airport waiting for our flight. If you wanted to go to the main airport, you would need to go through immigration. I stayed in the small airport and walked around the few shops they had. One shop in particular I will always remember not because of the beautiful ring I saw in this fancy jewelry store, but because of the two staff I met. They invited me to sit down and offered me snacks and fruit. We chatted for a few hours about all sorts of things almost missing my flight in the end. They were two of the sweetest Malay woman I met.
My trip took a turn when I read the message from my host in Kuala Lumpur, he couldn’t host me anymore. I felt I needed to pick up my things, leave Singapore and continue my trip. My trip took a second turn when I was in Sabah alone with no previous knowledge of the island and knew I needed to figure out what to do. I experience some incredible moments: climbing mount Kinabalu, diving with sea turtles, relaxing under the stars in Semporna, trekking in the jungle, sleeping in a bamboo shelter and riding an elephant. Memories like those you can’t put a price on or all the fascinating people I met along the way.
