Hanging by a Thread

Ulrik suspended above the jungle.
Even if you spend the rest of your time hiding from leeches in your room, if you go to Taman Negara you have to do the Canopy Walkway. The walkway -- which is about 400m to 500m in length and divided into five or six different segments -- is constructed of overlapping wooden planks about 0ne-and-one-half feet wide that rest in a loose-weave net whose ends are tied by a series of ropes to steel cables that run the length of each section.

A close up look at the sophisticated 'engineering' behind the walkway.
Because of its primarily net-and-rope construction, the walkway sways with every step. And with the walkway being suspended about 40m to 50m above the jungle floor, you can imagine that all that swaying can be a bit disconcerting!

We had been told the walkway can become quite crowded as they limit the number of people on the canopy at any given time, but we were lucky and had it all to ourselves. And as you can imagine, the views were quite spectacular!

For more photos, see our Malaysia photo album.

Leeches Chased Me From Taman Negara

Ulrik and Graham at the base of a really big tree in Taman Negara
Okay ... leeches didn't literally chase me from Taman Negara, but their presence certainly didn't make me want to stay.

Taman Negara (literally "national park") is, at more than 150 million years old, considered the oldest rainforest in the world. It covers more than 4,300 square kilometres in the centre of Peninsular Malaysia. After being in Kuala Lumpur for a week we wanted to get back to nature and do some trekking.

We had been warned of the leech issue before and after arriving in Taman Negara. As much as I was freaked out about the prospect of encountering one of these disgusting little bloodsuckers, at the back of my mind I was thinking that they couldn't really be that bad. Unfortunately they were!

We travelled to the park via a basic wooden 'canoe'-like boat. It was a really peaceful way to travel. The sun was shining, there was a lovely breeze, the waters were calm, and rainforest lined both banks.

Three hours later we arrived at Kuala Tahan. Located on the opposite side of the river from the park, this is where most visitors to the park are based (there is a resort on the same side as the park, but it is exorbitantly expensive). Floating restaurants line the river and it was at one of these that we disembarked.

Our first order of business, after finding accommodations, was to visit the park office; we wanted to get more information about the seven- to nine-day hike to summit Gunung Tahan which, at 2187m, is the highest peak in Peninsular Malaysia. Unfortunately, it sounded very complicated. We had hoped that the guide we hired (which is an absolute requirement) would assist us in organizing the logistics of the hike. (Although there are a few huts within a day's walk, there aren't any after day two or three; we'd have to carry in our own tent, sleeping gear, food, water, and cooking gear.) Ulrik and I both felt confident that we could do the hike itself, but since we had never undertaken a completely self-sufficient hike before we weren't 100% comfortable with having the responsibility of kitting ourselves out. (Some of you might remember the story of our overnight hike in Honduras where we carried only tortillas and peanut butter for food and a sheet to sleep with.) So, instead, we decided to do a day hike to a small hill (about 11km roundtrip), and then do an overnight hike to one of the bumbuns (animal hides) where we could spend the night and, if lucky, see some animals. The two day/one night hike would cover a total of 22km. Great plans ... but they didn't take into account the leeches!

Before setting out, though, we decided to spend a day just relaxing. We headed to a nearby swimming hole which was really lovely; the water was cool and refreshing, which was wonderful because the Taman Negara is stinking hot! Unfortunately, our lovely afternoon ended on a gross note as Ulrik found a BIG FAT LEECH on his foot just as we were leaving. (Fortunately it was Ulrik and not me as he is much better at handling that sort of thing than I am.)

On our way out of the park, we met Lauren and Graham, this lovely South African couple who had travelled into the park on the same boat as us. We stood and chatted with them a bit and Lauren told us how she had had three leeches on her the previous day. Three! One of them was on her shoulder! After commiserating with her about her traumatic experience (if I was her, I don't know if I would have left my room again) we told them of our hiking plans, and arranged to do the day hike together.

Unfortunately, on the morning of the hike Lauren backed out. (She later said she just couldn't face the leeches again, and I can't say that I blame her.) But Graham was still up for it, and off we went.

My leech defence system.
Well ... before we headed out, I had to make sure that I would stay leech free. There are all sorts of suggestions for avoiding leeches: wear tightly-laced ankle boots, liberally spray your shoes with bug spray, rub tobacco on your feet, etc. Here's the strategy I came up with (I had thought of nothing else during the three-hour bus ride, one-hour bus ride, and three-hour canoe ride to Taman Negara):

1. Tuck long pants into socks.
2. In absence of ankle boots use gaiters with shoes (my gaiters went to my mid-calf).
3. Tuck tobacco in all exposed lace holes, and between gaiter and boot. (Although the Malay locals were laughing at me while I was doing this, secretly I think they were just sad to see the waste of so much tobacco.)
4. Tighten everything to the point of cutting off your circulation. (Hey, if one manages to get in at least there won't be any blood for the little f@%ker to suck.)
5. Liberally spray shoes and gaiters with bug repellent. How much is enough? Spray until you can actually feel yourself becoming sterile ... that's probably enough.

So did it work? Read on ...

Off we went into the rainforest. It was very cool. Some of the trees were huge. We got a little lost, but we ended up happening upon an Orang Asli (the "original people"; they are an indigenous people, and the only people, allowed to live in the rainforest) village. A tour guide visiting the village with paying tourists quickly pointed us in the right direction (I think he was worried that we might get to see the fire starting demonstration for free). After getting back on the right path, we stopped and explored a small cave and two bumbuns that were en route. Up until this point we'd only encountered a few small leeches. Both Graham and Ulrik got the occasional one on their shoes, but each time the leech was really small and slow moving and they were able to flick it off quite easily. And even though a couple actually got onto their socks, they weren't biting them -- I think they were just too small to get through the material. But as we started on the last kilometre of the hike, we noticed that the ground was much more damp, an environment that leeches apparently thrive in because we quickly noticed how many more leeches there seemed to be. Not only that but these were fat and aggressive leeches. These would get on your boot and haul ass to get to your skin. You had to flick them off quickly, and it usually took four or five tries to get the little buggers to let go. This was also the first time in the hike that I had leeches on my own boots, and I have to say that I was not too impressed by this development. So we're all distracted by the leeches, and with trying to move quickly to try to prevent them from getting on us, when we reach a point where the trail just seems to end. And, of course, we don't have the luxury of standing there to discuss which direction to move in, because if we stand still too long it's likely we will be overrun by leeches. So at this point, I said that I'd rather just turn around. Now most of you probably know how much I hate to concede defeat when it comes to physical exertions like this. I know I am not the most physically fit person, but I will run myself into the ground rather than be the first person to suggest turning around. And we were only about 3/4km from our goal. But I was not having any fun whatsoever. I was becoming totally paranoid that one of those aggressive buggers had gotten through my defence system and was, as I was standing there, having a little feast in my shoe. Based on how quickly everyone agreed with me, I think both Ulrik and Graham were happy that someone suggested it. So we turned around and practically ran through that stretch of the trail. We had to stop at one point because Ulrik noticed he was under serious attack ... he actually had a leech working its way through his sock! When he pulled his sock off, it was stuck halfway through! We stopped at the last bumbun for a bite of lunch and the boys assessed the damage. I refused to dismantle my defence system to take a look ... I knew that if I found one in there I might not be able to get myself together to get back out and Ulrik would have to carry me!

Shortly before we reached our starting point, it started to rain. Boy did that spur me on. I was just going for it. Forget the boys (who were behind me), I was getting the hell out of there ... everyone knows how leeches are so much worse during and after it rains. In fact, it was raining when Lauren got that leech on her shoulder.

Eventually we all made it out. (Pardon the dramatics ... leeches tend to do that to me!) And none to much the worse for wear. We quickly met up with Lauren, and then it was time for the great unveiling. Had my defence system worked? Was I leech free? Or was there a whole colony of the buggers enjoying a buffet in my shoes? Off came the gaiters, off came the shoes, off came the socks. And not a single leech. Phew.

Although I liked the hike and the scenery, I told Ulrik there was no way I was doing any more hikes in this rainforest. The prospect of leeches was just too much for me to relax and really enjoy myself. Even though I was pretty confident in my leech defence system throughout the hike, I was still paranoid the entire time. And even though I saw that my system did indeed work, I knew that I would still be paranoid if we went on another hike. And that's just no fun. Besides, I knew that there would be many other opportunities to go hiking in places that don't have any leeches. So we said goodbye to Taman Negara. We also said goodbye to Graham and Lauren, unfortunately, as they were headed south to Malaysia and we were headed north to Thailand.

F@%king leeches ...

For more photos, see our Malaysia photo album.

Kuala Lumpur

Mmmmmmmm ...
After Lee's last few posts, you might think that Kuala Lumpur has been only about doing taxes and chasing after mirage FedEx offices (by the way, the other day while sitting at an outdoor cafe, we saw a FedEx van drive by!). But that is far from the case; we've definitely experienced a lot of what KL has to offer.

Saturday we went to the district of Little India to check out its famous Saturday night market. The place was amazing! Picture several city blocks of tables laden with food, drink, snacks, desserts, etc. We feasted on such items as fried chicken breast, a beef sandwich, murtaback (similar to a samosa), chocolate cake, nasi lemak (which is really supposed to be for breakfast), and a tasty 'frappucino'-type iced mocha. All for under C$3 (the frapuccino was only C$0.60 -- take that Starbucks)! Well-stuffed and tired from looking at all the colourful stands, we decide to walk the half hour back to our guesthouse. After a few blocks we came upon a makeshift stage in a little plaza. As we got there, the MC (this very flamboyant, Liberace-inspired gentleman) who seemed to be introducing the next act spontaneously, and to much cheering, broke into song! He was actually quite good but Lee, cynically, believed he was lip-syncing. His act was followed by a local band called Master Clan. Part gangsta rap, part boy band, and part hip hop, they were dressed in the usual uniform of baggy clothes, trucker hats, headbands, etc., and they played it up with all the right rap/boy band/hip hop moves. They worked hard to get the audience to "feel the love ... it's all about the love, baby," but they just weren't buying. Probably because the audience consisted primarily of older couples, young families, and middle-aged men. They were actually quite good, and we felt a bit bad for them. Next up was a young Asian girl who was more to the audience's tastes. She sang a number of Hong Kong classics (including a famous soap opera theme song). It probably also helped that she was young, cute, perky, and wearing an outfit that was both demure and sexy (a look that has been mastered in the Muslim countries we've visited). We also saw a couple of traditional dances before we decided to head home.

During the last couple of days we've taken in a few other of KL's sights. First was the KL Tower, which is similar to the CN Tower in Toronto although shorter. The view from the observation deck was quite good despite the bad weather moving in. Afterwards, we managed to beat the rain to the Petronas Towers, the highest twin buildings in the world, and KL's most famous landmark. They really are quite stunning. While the KL Tower is rather plain and uninspiring to look at, the PTs are a marvel of classic and modern islamic architecture in glass and steel. At their base is a giant mall, Suria KLCC, and although we couldn't afford anything from the posh stores (think Gucci, Hermes, etc.), we did treat ourselves to some really tasty watermelon gelato.

Statues at the entry to the Batu Caves Hindu shrine.
Next on the agenda were the Batu Caves. This Hindu shrine is the site of the annual Thaipusam festival, an orgy of colours, dance, music, and skin pierced with metal hooks (apparently to show repentence). Alas, we missed it (it's in February), but the caves were rather impressive nonetheless. A stairway with 272 steps leads to the maw of the cave, and it's lined with monkeys waiting for handouts from tourists and devotees. While most of the older monkeys just sat around, the younger monkeys were a bit more playful and aggressive. Indeed, one little guy kept trying to grab at peoples feet and bags. On the way down the steps, we saw what was likely the cause of this behaviour. We saw a family teasing the monkeys with candy (it should be noted that the candy was still in its wrapper). And we were effectively ignored when we pointed out that not only could the monkeys choke on the wrapping, but also that candy is not good for them. And we later saw a woman waving a shirt in a monkey's face; I assume to get it to 'do' something. Why are people so ignorant?

Despite all the 'hard work' we've had to do in KL, we've enjoyed our time here. But it's time to move on ... next up, Taman Negara and, hopefully, a trek up Gunung Tahan.

For more photos, see our Malaysia photo album.

F@%king F@%k!

Our bank card's home for a day.
Pardon the language but, OHMIGOD, I practically had a heart attack yesterday.

We needed to replenish our cash stocks, so we went to find an ATM. Since we were at a big mall, there was a whole bank of ATMs to choose from. Well, I CHOSE WRONG!!!

A few seconds after putting our bank card in, the screen said,

"There is a problem with your card. Your card has been retained. Please contact your local branch if you have any questions."

RETAINED?!? RETAINED!?!? What the f@%k do you mean RETAINED?!?? At first I looked at the screen stupidly. Then I looked at Ulrik stupidly. Then I started punching buttons (e.g. like 'cancel', like that was going to work) stupidly.

Since I was pretty useless, Ulrik went to a nearby information desk and they told him that, fortunately, there was a branch for this bank just across the road. Since I still hadn't recovered from the shock, he headed over to the bank on his own and, about 45min later, came back with mixed news. The good news was that we should be able to get our card back; the bad news was that it wouldn't happen until the next day.

So, today, we trudged back to the bank and, el hum d'Allah (Arabic for God be praised), we got our card back. For that, and for making it happen so quickly, we have to thank Mr. Radhi Yaslam Bin Zainudin, Bank Executive at Bank Rakyat, for taking such good care of us stupid tourists. Mr. Bin Zainudin, we promise we will never use a Bank Rakyat ATM again!

For more photos, see our Malaysia photo album.

Mission: FedEx? Mission: Impossible!

A completely unrelated photo. Oh what a carefree day that was ...
With our taxes complete, the next task at hand was to file them. Since TELEFILE and EFILE weren't an option, our only choice was to send them by mail. But I wasn't about to trust my original receipts to Malaysia's post (no offense Malaysia), and since FedEx doesn't have a depot on Pulau Tioman, it was time to head back to the big city. In this case, Kuala Lumpur (KL).

We had originally planned to bypass KL (which is on the west side of the country), and instead head inland and north to Taman Negara National Park. But Taman would just have to wait ... the taxes need to be filed!

We got to KL in good time and -- shockingly! -- during daylight hours. Again, our connections were smooth and hassle-free (we love you Malaysia!). But we arrived on Friday night, the end of the work week. We've obviously been away from the working world for too long already!

Thinking that a drop-off point might be open on a Saturday, we headed out with a list of addresses and telephone numbers from the FedEx website. We ran into problems almost immediately.

1. With only the map in our sad little Book, we couldn't figure out where the offices were actually located.
2. We tried calling them, but couldn't figure out how the public pay phones worked.
3. Once we found a phone that did work, it wouldn't accept the toll-free number for FedEx Malaysia.
4. We found a telephone centre, but the man who worked there couldn't figure out how to get the toll-free number to work.
5. We eventually figured out, after extensive research on the internet, that all but one of the offices were nowhere near us.
6. The office that was sort of near us still wasn't answering their telephone number.
7. After deciding to just go to the store anyway, we found that it was shut tight for the day and, more likely, the weekend.

We finally got a break at a fancy hotel near the store location, the Hotel Istana. (The map on their website is how we found the store in the first place -- go figure.) As they were located in the Central Business District, we assumed that their guests would regularly use a courier service like FedEx, so Ulrik asked them if they had any contact information for FedEx in KL. They did. So after a whole day of chasing our tails, all we had was a new telephone number. And we would have to wait two days until we could use it.

Well, we should have known. When we called the number on Monday, there was no answer. Fortunately, I also had the number for UPS (the guy at our guesthouse helped find it for me), and that number worked. Within two hours of calling them, a guy showed up and picked up our package.

Damn FedEx Malaysia. And damn taxes for being the cause of all this bother.

For more photos, see our Malaysia photo album.

Tax Time

The view from our dinner table.
After an wonderful week in Singapore, it was time to get back on the road. Actually, part of the reason why we were delayed leaving Singapore by a couple of days is that we really didn't know where we were going next. We knew we were heading to Malaysia, but should we go west or east? Sigh. The problems of being a world traveller. (Don't hate us too much, please!) I left it to Ulrik and he picked Pulau Tioman, a laid-back little island just off the east coast (I should have known).

The border crossing was incredibly straightforward, and cheap! We took the MRT to the bus station, caught an express bus to the border, hopped off to go through Singapore's immigration, hopped on to cross the Causeway to the Malaysian side of the border, hopped off to go through Malaysia's immigration, hopped back on to get to the bus terminal in Johor Bahru (JB), Malaysia. All in all, it cost us about C$3 each to get from Singapore to Malaysia.

Once in JB, we quickly jumped on another bus bound for Mersing, where we would catch a ferry to the island. We left Singapore at about 9:00am and arrived on Pulau Tioman around 3:00pm. Each connection was quick and without hassle. If only it was always this easy!

We spent about five days on the island. Most of that time was spent DOING OUR TAXES!!!!!!! When I realized that we were well into April, I knew it was time to bite the bullet and get them done. Now most people would think that if they had to do their taxes, then a tropical island would be a pretty great place to do them. I thought the same until I actually had to do them on a tropical island.

Why a Tropical Island is Not a Great Place to do Your Taxes
1. It is very hot on a tropical island. Sitting doing calculations is no fun when you're sweating. (And don't even think about getting in the water to cool down.)
2. It can be a bit breezy on a tropical island. Your papers tend to fly everywhere. At one point, I couldn't figure out what I did with Federal Schedule 1, but then I found it on the ground behind me! (I hope I didn't lose anything else.)
3. It is very humid on a tropical island. The seal on the envelope kept getting stuck to my papers.
4. There are a lot more fun things to do on a tropical island. The last thing you want to be doing is your taxes!

To break up the tedium, and reward me for getting through them the first time (I always do the calculations twice), we went for a hike to the other side of the island. The walk is only about 7km, but it goes straight up and then straight down. It took us just over two hours to get to the other side. We took an hour to enjoy the beach and have a light lunch, and then we walked back. More than four hours of sweating like a pig for a bit of fried rice and a beach that looked just like ours. What were we thinking? Actually, the hike was quite enjoyable. It's good to stretch your legs after being stuck in a chair DOING YOUR TAXES!

I suppose that's one benefit to doing your taxes on a tropical island. Don't hate us too much, eh ...?

For more photos, see our Malaysia photo album.