After Thailand, the next major destination on our loose itinerary was Australia, specifically Melbourne, where we planned to meet up with my brother who has been living there for a couple of years. We were on the island of Koh Phangan, somewhere in the neighbourhood of 7000 km from Melbourne. With a little research, we found that it could be relatively straightforward to get from Koh Phangan to Melbourne. A short ferry to the adjacent island of Koh Samui, a flight to Singapore or Bangkok, then another flight to Melbourne. The entire journey shouldn’t take more than half a day. That would be the easy way. There was also another way, a 6 day voyage through 6 cities and 4 countries, using just about every means of transportation imaginable: the hard way. Guess which one we chose.
 |
| Another train ride |
The journey started with a 3 hour ferry ride from Koh Phangan to mainland Thailand. It was a gorgeous morning, so all the passengers were up on deck for the sunrise and the ocean breeze, a little crowded, but a great atmosphere. The best part was disembarking at the port at Chumphon. A pod of 10 to 15 pacific humpback dolphins were hunting fish just off the quay. They were so close, you could actually see them chasing the fish. Also, pacific humpback dolphins can be pink, and at least two in this pod were. Pink dolphins definitely go in the things you don’t see every day category. Next up was the bus ride from Chumphon to Surat Thani then on to Penang (Malaysia). Another typical Southeast Asian bus ride like so many others we’ve had: brutally uncomfortable, long (12 hours), confusing transfers, and an aggravating border crossing thrown in for good measure. We spent the next day in Penang partially to recover from the bus ride, and partially because we liked it so much the last time we were there. We ate our faces off of course, but also managed to do some shopping (Colleen got herself a new carry-on bag) and Colleen was able to get a haircut, her first in six months.
 |
| Petronas Towers |
Next stop Kuala Lumpur. There was a direct train from Butterworth, (just a 15 minute ferry ride away from Penang), to Kuala Lumpur, so the trip was pretty straightforward. However, in a nod to frugality, we decided to book the overnight train to save on hotel costs. This worked out fine except that there were no beds available, so we had to take reclining chairs in second class. Also, for whatever reason, the train’s air conditioning was on the arctic setting, and we spent most of the night shivering instead of sleeping. Kuala Lumpur was an amazing city, at least the parts I was able to see. I came down with the flu, and spent the better part of the next two days in bed nursing a runny nose and a fever. I know they say you can’t catch a cold from being cold, but I couldn’t help but direct a little anger and a few choice epithets at the Malaysian railways and their temperature control protocols. I did manage to see the skybridge at the Petronas Towers though, very impressive.
 |
| Singapore skyline |
Next up Singapore. Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are also linked by regular rail service, so we chose the overnight train again. This time we were able to get beds, and the temperature was set to accommodate humans, not penguins, so the ride was fine. As for Singapore, I’m not sure there is too much to be said. It’s peculiar history, lilliputian size and its disproportionate economic importance in the region make it interesting in the abstract, but on the ground, it is just like any other modern city, in some ways even more sterile than most. There are some interesting reminders of its colonial past in buildings such as the supreme court and the cricket club hidden among the skyskrapers, and there is a fusion of Indian, Malaysian and Chinese cultures and religions similar to that found in Malaysia. However, it was a little stale compared to other Asian capitals we have visited, it was missing Bangkok’s flair, Vientiane’s charm, or Phnom Penh’s hustle and bustle. For the most part it is just a big, very clean, very modern city. I managed to explore a good part of it on foot the morning we arrived, but unfortunately Colleen caught my cold, so she wasn’t up for much. Our hotel was pretty grim though, so we decided to go to a movie just to get out. We saw The Adjustment Bureau with Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. Not the best movie I’ve ever seen, but good enough to pass a few hours. After the movie, we went to Little India for some dosai and cafe tarik. The next day we took a local train to the airport and caught our flight to Melbourne.
So there you have it. 7000 km on a combination of buses, trains, planes and boats, four countries, three border crossings, long bus rides, sleepless nights on freezing trains and dingy hotels. It cost more, was more aggravating, more uncomfortable, and just plain exhausting than the more direct option. However, we saw sunrise on the deck of a ferry in the gulf of Thailand, watched pink dolphins chase fish, stood on a bridge linking the towers of the world’s fourth tallest building (from 1988 to 2004 they were the tallest) 170 meters above ground, ate great food, and were able to add two more capital cities to our list. Sure we could have taken the easy way, but where’s the fun in that? Michael
Wellington YHA
North Island
New Zealand
