Marang, Malaysia (Day 41, 4837 km)

Although it's an unusual way to travel, I think I decided fairly early on to just aim for the goal and see what I ended up doing along the way – so I have very seldom turned far off the road to see something, or made a large detour to make sure I catch it all – while many have told me this is a “once-in-a-lifetime" I hope that I will be back to see more of some of these countries later on. If I tried to see everything in any one country, I think that in the end I'd have to aim towards New Zealand again if I was to meet up with Wendy!

So instead I've aimed more for a cross-section of life in the countries I've visited – the real locals don't all live in the touristy or “nice" areas, and some of the best experiences I've had and friendliest people I've met have just been in day-to-day activities. I trust that God will continue to allow me to “chance" upon just as many interesting people and places as I have thus far.

The Singaporean mechanic, for example – letting me sit outside his shop and put the bike together myself over the course of 3-4 days (even using some of his tools) – that would never happen in NZ, and neither would the Kiwi mechanic give me free drinks out of his fridge when I looked thirsty! Ditto for the shipping company people before that in Singapore, who gave me a free drink when we'd tired ourselves out trying to start the bike...

While I was waiting for the spares in Singapore, I went to a local engineering shop to get them to make new brackets for my toolbox mounts (the old ones, being only thin aluminium, had sheared off after 6000km). He told me they could do it, but that it would be expensive, and started asking me for precise measurements – after a while I told him that I am an engineer too, and I understand that his metalwork is usually to within thousandths of an inch, but that as long as the hole spacing was within a millimeter or so, then the rest of the bracket could just be done by eye! “Well, if you are an engineer too, then you are welcome to take these two pieces of stainless steel and make them in my shop!" Ah, it was wonderful – two of his employees waiting on me hand and foot (although they didn't have much English between them) – getting me drill bits and files and safety glasses, and within 30 minutes, I had two nice new brackets, better than the originals! Payment? He wouldn't even take a 6-pack of stubbies... His only wish was that I send him an email with a photo of Wendy and me when we finally meet up (so I hope you don't mind, Wendy? It's all in aid of getting me there...)... In NZ I wouldn't have been allowed into the workshop!

That day I also got some stickers (85UFW) cut out for a front number-plate – seems to be the law in this part of the world, and, while I'm unlikely to get stopped, obeying the law will probably not hinder my progress...

After getting the bike finished, and stumbling around Singapore for ages trying to find my backpackers (even with the GPS), I made a dash for the border (although it is always open, I wanted to get somewhere decent before dark) – that queue was the largest number of motorcycles I have ever seen in my life – easily 5000 in the queue at any one time, 4-6 abreast, but moving quickly – apparently when it's a holiday, many people in Singapore head for Malaysia and Thailand, so that might have had something to do with it, as well as it being 5pm...

And so on to Malaysia... On the road? A dead boar... also some smaller roadkill and a few cows and goats (and a tortoise crossing the road) to avoid, but none of these were the slightest bit interested in meeting up with my bike, unlike those in Australia – I guess here they're used to actual traffic! Despite the dire warnings I've heard, the traffic has been very well-behaved – with the sole exception of some really suspect overtaking maneuvers, I've been more than comfortable with the way that the road suggestions are adhered to. Use of the horn was occasional in Bali, but practically non-existent here – everybody politely lets everybody else in, and ducks on round the side, or where ever there is room, but it all happens in a very orderly and non-threatening way. (I admit I haven't been all over Malaysia, but this is from my experience) The roads are great too – haven't had any potholes or dirt roads, just a few with uneven surface, but often they're 4-lane and brand new.

The people are great too. The first night, after crossing the border, just rejoicing to be free, I rode in a generally northwards direction, to see where I'd end up. When I stopped for dinner, I found very quickly that English was going to be a bit more of a barrier here... until two people at the restaurant adpoted me, helped me order a meal, plied me with lots of beer, and at the end, insisted on paying for it, because it's not every day they meet a foreigner here! They had been in more countries than I have, and one of them could speak at least six different languages, including Indonesian, Malaysian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, English and possibly one or two others. In fact they were quite Westernised and worldly, and it was rather amusing hearing them swear away like anything. They also suggested I forget about my girlfriend until after Bangkok and Shanghai, advice I do not intend on following!

They said I should head back onto the new highway, and find a rest area, which I did – nobody seemed to object to me setting up my tent on the grass next to the children's play area, and I passed a comfortable, but noisy (due to passing trucks and idling car engines) night – there were even shower facilities, so I was very well catered for.

The next day I rode up towards the east coast. Wherever I go now, people are interested – where am I from? Where am I going? How long has it taken? How old am I? More and more these times involve a delegation with a translating spokesperson, so after every answer there is a delay followed by sudden group jubilation and amusement, smiling and nodding, and sometimes bemused shaking of heads...

Everything here has suddenly gotten cheap again, although well-known (i.e. imported) brands are still a bit more. Petrol is cheap too, but possibly because of the huge refinery I passed. The second night I decided to stop at a small fishing village and stay in a guesthouse – RM20, which must be about NZ$7? (breakfast not included, unlike Indonesia, but for RM3, or NZ$1, I'm not complaining!) The food is usually pretty yummy, too, although room standards are becoming “less westernised", though – I'm thinking of you, Mr Hallett... ;-) Hot showers seem to be a think of the past, at least within the budget I'm staying at – however it's all you really need in this climate.

Not that I'm finding the climate at all bad – whether Darwin was worse, or whether I've just acclimatised, even working on the bike in Sinapore, although I'd end up pouring with sweat, just seems part of life now. Wearing the leather suit through Malaysia has not been that uncomfortable at all – maybe the humidity allows for some windchill factor? Also in both Bali and Malaysia, I've found a ceiling fan quite adequate for sleeping comfortably at night.

Ah Malaysia, land of mosques in every village (complete with megaphones on the towers, of course), crescent-and-star flags off every lamp-post, but still beer and pork for those who want it. Also the land where every second car is either a Proton Saga (just like your one, SarahT) or a Proton Wira – I'd only ever seen a couple of Protons before!

Another thing more common around here is cats – cute little kittens that remind me of Andrew Bryan. I'm not sure how many of them are strays – some don't have tails, which makes me think that they're pets... Some of them are collared too.

Anyway, I'm behind schedule, so I decide to press on towards Thailand – this is not “I'm behind schedule so I'm going to miss out on seeing anything", but “My priority is to cover a bit more ground right now, and I don't feel I'm missing out on interesting experiences at all" – I think personally I prefer this “passing through" - I think it's a lot closer to living life than being a sight-seeing tourist, and I think I'd be inclined to overload and get sick of it all rather quickly.

The border I chose involves signing out at Malaysia and waiting half an hour or so for a ferry to come and take you to the other side of the river into Thailand – an interesting border crossing, and at RM1.50 for both me and the bike, I think Interislander could learn a lesson or two from these people...