No bikinis in Malaysia
Back in Thailand after a long day of traveling. Yesterday was my last day on the Perhentian Islands and I decided to do nothing and just enjoy the beach and read my book. I considered doing more diving but after talking to other divers I found out that the visibility was not improving so I couldn’t really justify spending the money. It was a great beach day though – sun, blue sky…and Mannie and I spent most of the day on the porch of our bungalow just chatting and sharing my walkman to listen to music.
We had dinner last night with Alex and James – that’s the original 4 of us who shared a taxi to the pier. Again I convinced everyone for a night swim and it was great especially because there was some phosphorecense in the water.
This morning I got up early to pack and then spend some time on the beach before the 12pm ferry back to the mainland. To get to the ferry you have to get on a small motor boat at the beach which takes you out to the ferry, and it was just our luck that as we tried to get on the boat a big set of waves came crashing to the shore and my one duffel bag got COMPLETELY soaked! I was fortuneate that my camera was in my daypack and was ok. Alex’s backpack was SOAKED! What a disaster. Mannie was laughing his head off but I reminded him that his stuff was dry – not quite so funny when it’s yours!
That was the beginning of my traveling today. From there we got the 1-hour speedboat back to the mainland. Then it was a 40-minutes taxi from the pier to the town of Kota Bharu. That’s where I said goodbye to Alex and Mannie – Alex is off to somewhere in Malaysia and Mannie is heading to Amsterdam and then home to Germany after 1.5 years of traveling. In Kota Bharu I took the local bus to the Thai border – another 45-minute ride. At the border I had to check out of Malaysia, then walk across the no man’s land into Thailand and enter Thai immigration. From there I started the half-mile walk to the train station, but I got lucky and the tourist police gave me a ride. I managed to catch the last train by 15 minutes, and got a seat on the 3-hour train ride north to Hat Yai which is where I am for the night.
First thing I did when I got to the guesthouse was open my duffel and hang every piece of wet clothing around my room to dry. Now I am resting up for Part II of the traveling bit to be cont. tomorrow. It will start with a minivan ride from Hat Yai to Surat Thani -4.5 hours – then a one-hour bus ride to the pier then a 2-hour boat ride to Ko Samui, then a bus ride round to the other side of the island where I am meeting friends from Philly! My first 2 visitors from home on this trip – how exciting!
By the way, if anyone is reading the newspaper in Singapore this week, look for an article on the bikini ban in Malaysia and you may see me quoted! I forgot to mention before that on my second day on the Perhentians, Alex, myself, and 2 other girls were approached and interviewed by a woman from the Associated Press doing an article on the proposed bikini ban. Yeah so apparently the Malaysian government is trying to pass the ban specifically for the Perhentian Islands because it’s a particulary conservative Muslim part of the country. The reporter’s questions were along the lines of what do you think about it, would you adhere to it, and would it affect your decision to travel in Malaysia. I thought it was pretty strange and interesting that as we were being interviewed there were about 3 or 4 topless Western women on the beach. I guess that’s one way to follow the ban – not to wear anything at all – hah! No but seriously I cannot understand why or how people can be so ignorant and go topless on a Muslim island. As for me, well if I ever get to the Perhentians again it may be shorts and t-shirts only. I don’t care though – the snorkling will still be kick-ass.
Time to rest up now, dry out, and get ready for some Yo-Yo-Yo Philly culture shock tomorrow!!!!
The Original 4 – James, Alex, Mannie, and me
Dad, heres that close-up you were asking for (dont mind the bottle of Arak Im holding)
Add comment May 3rd, 2002