My round-the-world 2013 route

It’s rather strange being at home on a Wednesday afternoon, typing at my computer…

Oh ya, I am unemployed now. Anyway, I have a whole lot of things to pack in my room and should spend less time on the computer. (I’m only getting started with “things on the floor”. I’ve only managed 15 tiles and it seems that I’ve dug out more things than I’ve tossed.)

Anyway, not to bore you with my packing, I’ll share with you the route of my round-the-world trip (while I procrastinate packing).

My concrete route for now is:

Malaysia -> Sri Lanka -> Dubai-> [Stopping by Jordan and Egypt on a cruise ship] -> Italy -> Greece -> Turkey -> South America (most likely Argentina, Bolivia, Peru) -> El Salvador -> Hong Kong

While there are other places in the world which I want to go, not all of them are on the list. The reasons why they are not in the list are: money, time and out-of-wayness.

The plans that you see now have been distilled from a murky “These are the places I want to go if I am rich” to something that’s more possible.

What my previous goal was

When I was planning the trip, I had big dreams. I wanted to see India, Egypt, Greece, UK (for flight transfer), USA, Hawaii (and by budget airline to) Australia.

I wanted to cross the Atlantic or Pacific oceans on a cargo ship. Even though this might sound like a good and cheap option to cross the sea, turns out it’s rather expensive and very time consuming.

I wanted to do so much but I knew my budget was limited. In the end, I narrowed down my destinations to a few continents while keeping to a few important places: Greece and South America.

Destinations such as Egypt and Hawaii were crossed out because it would be rather expensive to go solo (especially for only a few days). Since Hawaii was out, there was no point going by budget airlines to Australia which I’ve not found the wish to visit yet.

Where I’m going

I will be heading home to Sabah next Tuesday and spend about 2 weeks there. Then I’m heading to Sri Lanka for seven days which will coincide with the the local new year celebration. [Catch the Sri Lanka updates here.]

After Sri Lanka, I will be in Dubai for a few days before my cruise leaves for Italy. [Dubai posts here.] Yes, that’s right, I’m going on a cruise despite being on a backpacking trip. I’ve never been on a cruise but two people who have been on cruises told me it’s dead boring. Will I be bored to death? Stay tuned.

The cruise covers Jordan and three sites in Egypt so I might go on an excursion at those places.

While in Europe, I will only visit Italy, Greece and Turkey because I only have a month there. Mom will join me in Turkey! Yeah! We’ll be checking out exotic locations in Turkey.

After Turkey, I’m heading to South America for TWO MONTHS. Holy macarena! Two whole months in South America in winter. Actually, two months is not much if you consider how gigantic the continent is.

After SA, it’s a week in El Salvador. I know it’s a bit weird but I had a flight connection there and for an extra US$60, I could stop over for as long as I like. Great!

After El Salvador, I’m heading to Los Angeles for a transit to Hong Kong. I am not staying in the US because living expenses there is crazy compared to the other places I have on my plan. But I still need to pay US$160 for visa, even though it’s only a 4-hour transit. Boo hoo.

Finally, I will be heading to Hong Kong. I’ve only been to Macau so I look forward to the many dimsum feasts which I will have.

After Hong Kong, it’s back to Malaysia. I’ll take a mini break before I figure out the next step.

What will happen during RTW?

Of course my RTW isn’t a long vacation which some think it is.

I will continue blogging and share travel tips for the locations I go to. I will also jot notes for the book that I want to write after the trip.

During my journey, I also want to find “the next place I want to stay semi-permanently”.

I’ve been in Singapore for 7 years, which is about one-quarter of my life. I am not sure if I want to be in Singapore for the rest of my life so I want to find the next best place. What better way than to go to places and check out the place? (By the way, this doesn’t mean that I want to settle down in a place with “that special someone”.)

Do you have any recommendations for the countries I’m visiting? Share them in the comment!

Heading to Malaysia’s East Coast

It’s been more than a year since I made the promise to visit all 13 Malaysian states. Now, I have only two states to conquer.

Can you believe it? I didn’t really think it was possible when I made the goals but here we are with only Pahang and Terengganu left on the list.

Good news is, I’ll be crossing out these two states very soon. D and I have made plans to head to the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia and visit the towns in the two states.

Next Friday night, I’ll be taking a night bus to Kuantan. The rest of the plans have not been confirmed but our general plan is to head to Kuala Terrenganu and back to Kota Bahru.

From Kota Bahru, we will take a morning train back to Singapore. The train route is known as the Jungle Line and has a great view. I’m looking forward to the magnificent view but not the 14 hour train ride on a seat.

I haven’t discussed the itinerary with D but I’ll list a few interesting places which I hope to check out.

Pahang

Kuantan

When I was in primary school, I did a project on Kuantan but I still get it mixed up with Kelantan because the name sounds so similar.

Kuantan is famous for its nature stuff like beaches and waterfalls. I’m not sure how much nature we would be seeing but it’s a good-to-know.

Image credit: Phalinn Ooi

Pekan

When I first found out about Pekan, I was very amused by its name. In Malay, “pekan” means town. And this town’s name is Pekan. Imagine a town called town. Haha!

After I calmed down, I read a little more about Pekan (on Wikipedia). Turns out, it’s the royal town of Pahang and the hometown of our current prime minister (which means this place gets a lot of perks!)

Image credit: Shamsul Liza

Terengganu

Poor Terengganu, despite having so much land, it is most famous for its islands and beaches (which isn’t too bad, I guess).

Kuala Terengganu

The state museum is said to be really good. (I’m still hurting from the not-that-awesome museum in Alor Setar.)

Image credit: macloo

I am interested in the Chinatown. Terengganu is one of the muslim dominant states, I’m curious how the Chinese community lives. (This brings back memories of the kopitiam in Perlis where the shopowner was Chinese and the stalls owner was muslim. I couldn’t figure out their living arrangements.)

Image credit: kayb_82

Jungle Rail

The train ride to end all train rides in Malaysia. (Is that how you use the phrase?)

You know what long train rides mean? PICNIC!!

Image credit: Albert Freeman

Have you been to Pahang and Terengganu? What do you recommend doing there?

The real 24 hours in Kuching

My weekend trip to Kuching from Sep. 15 to 16 wasn’t my most productive trip.

By productive, I mean having a planned itinerary packed with activities from the minute I set foot in the airport to the second I head into the boarding room.

You would think that as the author of 24 hours in Kuching, I would have everything planned out.

Nope, I didn’t.

Instead, I accidentally left my guidebook at home and didn’t really bothered doing much research.

So, here’s what really happened that weekend.

1:18 pm Walk out from Kuching airport

I was adamant to find the public bus into the city, despite Lonely Planet saying it will be a difficult task. I walked from Kuching airport to the east (left) in search of the long-distance bus terminal.

D who took a cab some days before said it’s within walking distance from the airport with an umbrella or else it’s a RM17 ride.

So I walked on the side of the road, stepping on broken stones and grass. I don’t think the road builders were expecting anyone to walk on that trail so it was pedestrian unfriendly.

While I walked, trucks and cars zipped pass. Some in the truck would cheer (or cat call, depend on how you see it) me on. I considered hitchhiking.

1:37 pm Reached Kuching Sentral

It wasn’t long until I saw the two-storeyed Kuching Sentral. There were loads of shops inside the airconditioned building but I needed to find my bus.

A man working for the long distance bus companies asked where I was going. He pointed to the opposite side of the road and said I can find my bus there.

I asked if there’s a bus stop. He told me to wait at the side of the road which bends in.

1:44 pm Bus that never came

I waited for about 20 minutes under the sun, with my umbrella. No bus came.

1:58 pm Had milky cold coffee

I gave up and went to a coffeeshop nearby for a drink. The coffee was more milky than the usual ones I have in Singapore.

2:29pm Waited more for bus

I walked around Kuching Sentral and saw a real bus stop. The bus didn’t come.

2:41 pm Got on cab

I gave up and took a cab. RM30. I should have saved myself the time and took a cab straight to the hotel.

The cab ride felt really far. I even passed many places I was sure was opposite the bank of where I was supposed to go. I did reach my hotel in the end.

3:10pm Reach hotel

I made a video of Tune Hotel Kuching before heading to the shower. I’ve included the video in my review of Kuching Waterfront Tune Hotel.

3:42pm Checking out Kuching city

I walked along the Kuching River. There was the Sarawak Regatta happening so it was really packed.

I checked out the Chinese temple which I didn’t manage to see during my last trip.

As it was the last day of Ghost Month, people at the temple were busy preparing for the night’s event.

I walked among the shop houses, found two other nice temples.

I walked to Padang Merdeka but couldn’t find anything fun to do.

4:35pm Rain

It's raining (men). — It’s raining (men).

It suddenly started pouring. I had my S$2 umbrella with me so I braved the heavy rain and went to the open air food center nearby.

Most of the stalls were closed. I ordered a kolo mee which was tasted slightly better than the regular “gan lao mian” I have back home. I am not sure why people are obsessed over it.

When I finished my meal, it was still raining heavily. I stood at the sidewalk of the shops, listening to a mix versions of Adele’s “Someone like you” and Psy’s “Gangnam Style“.

4:47pm India Street

I head to India Street while it was slightly drizzling. Only the smell of incense shows that it’s India Street as the wares sold are seen on any other street.

5:02pm Hide from rain by river

I walked to the river again. My umbrella was collapsing from the wind.

One of the rowers shouted from his boat about my umbrella. I waved. They hoot.

One of the stall owners told me to hide from the rain under the roof of the stalls. I was given a chair later. I chat with the people there. A kid was speaking pidgin Chinese but not directly at me.

One of the man asked if I needed a ride tomorrow. RM300 for a day’s tour. I said, No thanks.

When it looked like the rain was slowing, I said my thanks and left the stall.

5:34pm Had bad cake watching Silent Hill

As I walked along the street, I saw a sign for Maria’s Cake House and headed in.

My coffee cake wasn’t terribly good. My coffee was so so. But I enjoyed watching Silent Hill.

During my teatime, J, who moved back home to Kuching, asked me if I was free during the night in a text message. I happily said: “Yes.”

I was in the shop for a long while before I went back to the hotel for a nap.

7:43pm Wake up from nap, play Pocket Planes

Woke up. Received a message from J that she was waiting for her friend to carpool.

Played more Pocket Planes.

10:29pm Supper with friend till late midnight

Car came to pick me up. We went to a restaurant nearby for food and gossip.

Night ended at 1 a.m.

Day 2 in Kuching

The last 6 hours of Kuching was filled with food which is a very good way to end a trip.

Woke up at 9:30 a.m.

Laid in the comfortable bed for a long long.

10:10am Check out and off to museum

Very surprised that D & M were already at the museum before 10 a.m. I packed quickly and check out.

The Sarawak National Museum was only so-so. There were a lot of stuffed dead animals, if you’re into that kind of thing.

The special exhibition on funeral rites was a lot more interesting.

11:33pm Breakfast of Sarawak Laksa

After the museum, we head to a random kopitiam for breakfast. My Sarawak laksa was great.

We walked around the area and to India Street. It was market day so the narrow corridors were cramped with stalls and customers.

12:17 noon Drink at Little Lebanon

Found the Lonely Planet-famous Little Lebanon where we stopped for non-alcoholic drinks. My mint tea was quite good.

We walked along the river, among the crowd. Nothing much to do and it was hot.

We went to hide in a shopping mall for the airconditioning. Most of the shops were closed.

1:33pm Lunch

Found a lunch place. Service was very very slow. I had cheap lamb chop.

2:00 p.m. Cab back to airport

Hailed a cab to the airport. RM27.

Have you been to Kuching? Was your trip productive?

My travel plans

I’ve been reading my 6 travel books and my travelling plan is this:

Fukuoka -> Kobe -> Osaka -> Kyoto -> Uji (for Genji museum) -> Nara -> Tokyo

I also plan to use the Seishun 18 tickets during my 6 weeks in Fukuoka to visit other places in Kyushu.

To N, I might go and visit Nodame’s hometown, it’s in Okawa, Kyushu. (Secretly wish some Chiaki will ambush me.) ha ha ha

Youthful reads and plans

I like to plan my travels. It makes me more secure than just plopping in some where and walk aimlessly.

But even with planning, I would walk in the opposite direction of my destination. My sense of direction falls below average in foreign places.

I’m now planning a seven day backpack trip (should I say, wheeled trolley trip). I want to stop in historical locations. I’ll skip the big cities during this solo travelling trip because my main aim is Tokyo.

Must-dos in JP

Must Do List for future references:

Watch sumo
Watch kabuki
Eat train station bento
Wear (buy?!) yukata [mem: check out UNIQLO]
Relax in hot spring
Ride shinkansen
Write end-of-summer postcard back

Get back to work!

Catch-22

I just went to STA Travel at science co-op to ask about plane tickets. The summer programme is too long to buy a one month return ticket, so I have to settle for 60 days or 45 days (if there are any)

Air tix are expensive, even from my own online research. Vietnam Airlines flies to Tokyo for $860 (without tax) but I need to be in Fukuoka. Train from Tokyo to Fukuoka is 21210yen (about RM700) My plane back to Sabah is waay cheaper than that, in fact it’s only RM110!

STA lady said I can get Japan Airlines tix at $860 if I have a student visa, and I can get open jaw tix at extra $150, subject to approval. Very good price!

But here’s Catch-22, I need plane reservations to get the visa. And I need the visa to get cheaper plane tix. What can I do???!!!

-I’ve requested for storage at Raffles Hall for the holidays! Yipee. Did that last minute last semester and I didn’t get the storage space.