Perhentian Islands

Passing Countryside
see all photos »

May 6, 2006

We fled Hat Yai by early morning train.  A sleepy, misty, and peaceful countryside rumbled past on the way to Rantau Panjang, the border crossing into Malaysia.  The closer we got to the end of the line, the more full the train became, and at one point the locomotive lurched to a halt, screeching, grinding, and clunking along the tracks.  The foul smell of the greenish smoke that billowed forth from the undercarriage was definitely a bad sign.  After about half an hour of a few men poking around under the train, we continued more slowly on our way.  Each consecutive station we pulled into brought with it more astonished looks from bystanders and inspections from men who were obviously not train mechanics.  Who knows whether we ran something over, dropped a piece along the way, or just blew a gasket, but somehow we finally made it to our destination, and walked across the border hassle free.

Into Malaysia

Dawn from the Train Window
see all photos »

A new country, new language, new religion, and apparently a new form of transportation awaited us on the other side, as there was no bus to the Perhentian Island ferry dock.  We shared a dilapidated, yet very fast, taxi with a nice, talkative Canadian girl, argued our way onto a slowboat to Perhentian Kecil, and raced a monsoon ashore to find lodging for the night.

We booked the very last "room" on the island (for under $150 US, that is) at the Rock Garden on the end of the beach.  Luckily the shack on stilts did not collapse under us, but that was about all we could be thankful for.

Flame Tree
see all photos »

We took a rejuvenating swim in the liquid moonlight of the clear waters, while a spectacular lighting show played over the mountains to the East.  While we drip-dried, we ate a delightful dinner on the beach of grilled kingfish by candlelight.  Further along the beach we shared a desert of "Bananas No Name", a savory fried treat, with JJ, a friendly New Zealander.  A few beers and good conversation washed down our long day, and we parted ways to return to our respective hovels for the night.

Misty Morning
see all photos »

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This Entry is Under Construction..................