Unguaranteed Prophecies & Guaranteed Ramblings

The Gautam Menon Magic Logic

Gautam Menon Film Pattern

We arrived at KL as the last leg of our journey across Malaysia and Borneo. KL offers excellent connection to and from the LCCT as well as KLIA terminals to the City Center (KL Central). We stayed at Pasar Seni, about a stop from KL Central on LRT (light rail transit). There are quite a number activities in and around KL. KL is typical like any major Asian Capital City. It is a confluence of ethnic communities and offers life on the fast lane.

The main shopping area (Bukit Bintang) is well connected with LRT through Monorail. You can hop on and off through transfer stations at KL Central or Dang Wangi. Low Yat Plaza is the place to be for tech enthusiasts. This time I saved time from shopping for DVDs. Although there is a notion that Malaysia can be a destination for shopping electronic items, I don’t think the price of consumer goods offered by American Stores is beatable! America is the place to be to shop for tech gadgets! On the other hand -  if you are looking for counterfeited stuff, South east Asia is the best bet! That should make you extremely cautious about shopping for branded items in small retail shops in those shopping malls. It is advisable to go for reliable chain stores or hypermarkets (as they call it here).

Finding a decent budget accommodation can be a challenge in KL. There are quite a few in the China town area but they are priced in the medium range (RM 60 and above for a night). I heard that KLCC offers decent budget accommodations. If not try the Little India and Chinatown area. Based on our shopping experience, we found that the Guardian Chain of Stores were quite expensive than the Watson Chain of Stores. So, cross check the price before deciding to purchase.

Like Sabah, Sarawak has its own immigration control whilst respecting the duration of stay established by your arrival stamp in peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is also a haven for nature enthusiasts. You can fly to Miri and take a DR-72 (twin propeller) MAS Wings flight to Bario (to visit Kelabit Highlands) or Mulu (popular Mulu National Park). Mulu National Park is famous for its natural limestone caves with stalactite and stalagmite formations (it takes years for such formations).

The earliest recorded human activity in south east asia has been narrowed down to Sarawak province - dating back to a 40,000 year old Skull. The local tribes also had the habit of shipping their dead in “Coffin Canoes” (Canoes designed as COffins). They placed their dead in those Coffin Canoes along with precious stones/gems for their after life. This practice dates back to the early century of AD. This practice was noticed by archeologists at Niah Caves (en route Miri - Bintalu).

If you are looking for a cheaper alternative to Mulu, I would recommend Niah Caves. It offers a terrific walk through the Rainforest before stumbling across a massive cave with an opening equivalent to two Football Stadiums. On a clear day, at dusk, one can view the changeover of guards. Swiflets rushing in to the Cave after the day’s hunt and bats rushing out for the Night’s kill. It was once estimated that half a million bats called Niah Caves their home. The current day number should be a percentage of it. Collecting birds nest is a dangerous yet lucrative profession for birds nest hunters in this part of the world. A kilogram of Swiftlets’ birds nest (made out of its saliva) can fetch up to USD 1000. The hunters are also noticeably in the Krabi province of Thailand (with similar limestone - cave formations).

It is a shame that we skipped Mulu and Kelabit Highlands. Intrepid trekkers can go on a 5 to 7 day trek in the deep jungles of Kelabit Highlands through those swamps and trails infested with leeches. At the time of visiting, a roundabout fare from Miri to Mulu costed RM 280 - RM 300 per person. A roundabout trip from Miri to Bario (to Kelabit Highlands) costed RM 180 per person. Make your connections accordingly. There is no land transport from Miri to Bario or Mulu. The other option is to hop over boats that take you closest to Mulu or Bario and then look out for a 4×4 taxi (seriously!). Borneo at its best!

We concluded our trip with a three nights at Kuching. Kuching is the Capital City of Sarawak and has a diversified population of Indians, Chinese, Malays and indigenous tribes (predominantly Iban, Orang Ulu, Pekan). The Handicrafts bazaar by the waterfront is a good place for souvenirs. A stroll along Kuching’s waterfront during the evenings is quite memorable (for its activities and good food). We tried the popular Sarawak Lakso. I would recommend it! Kuching is also a hub to other activities like a day’s trip to Bako National Park. I would recommend an overnight stay at the park to view the dusk and dawn time wildlife. It is THE PLACE to spot the endemic Proboscis monkey. The locals call it “The Dutch”.

No wonder they dislike their Colonizers. We spotted the Green Viper as well (dwelling on tree branches). It you have the stomach to digest crawlers and creepers, then do the night trek. It is usually undertaken with sufficient number of interests from overnight stayers at the National Park. BTW, remember that the Bako National Park can be visited only by boat and it is dependent on high tide. Call the National Park on the high tide info before venturing there. There is a public transport service from Kuching’s Jalan Market. Bus series 6, 6A and 6B take you to Kampung Bako and from their you can board the boats at the Jetty. The water is said to be infested with Crocodiles (although we didn’t spot one).

CPH Travels runs a recommended afternoon tour to Kuching Wetlands National Park. It costs RM 160 per person and they take you through mangrove vegetation and wildlife and a chance to spot the elusive Irrawady Dolphins. Semanggoh Orangutan Rehabilitation Center is a great alternative to the much publicized Sepilok Reserve in Sabah. But if you are visiting it during fruiting season (like we did) then there is a very less probability to spot the Orangutans. We were unlucky not to spot one. Else, they are easily noticeable during the feeding hours. The objective of the Center is to train the orphaned or once petted Orangutans to return to the wild and hunt on their own for a living. The Center is actually a small wildlife reserve with only twenty four Orangutans. The folks out there call them by names and it looks like Delima (the mother of three) is a notorious one as it is reported to have attacked visitors (trying to get close to her). The Orangutans are known to observe human activities and imitate them to their level best. They are quite curious as well. Hence, the public toilets are few hundred meters away from the main park entrance - just to ward off the curious onlookers (i meant, Orangutans).

Trips to longhouses can be organized from Kuching as well as Kapit. Kapit is about 3 hours on a boat ride from Sibu (en route Kuching - Miri). Visitors are required to obtain permit before heading out to the inner parts of Sarawak to stay at the longhouses. Longhouses are traditional community dwelling of the Iban, Orang Ulu and other tribes of Sarawak. Although it is a must see among the list of activities in Sarawak, we didn’t prefer it. We are quite used to the community way of life - from the Sub Continent and we are pretty sure that we won’t go agape like our European counterparts. The month of harvest (usually celebrated in May) should be a good time to visit longhouses. The Malaysian Government is also doing its part to move the natives to the City by offering special reservations. I don’t know why would they do such a thing like their Indian counterpart - in the name of rehabilitation. In fact the tribes have a wealth of knowledge about the endemic flora and fauna - passed on through generations.

At the end of stay at Kuching, we flew back to KL. At the time of writing, there is no public transportation from Kuching center to the Airport. The Taxi ride costs RM 20 per way.

We arrived at Kota Kinabalu, the Capital and coastal City of Sabah. If you are arriving at the Kota Kinabalu Airport, you can take the Public transportation from the Arrivals entrance. At the time of visiting the City, the frequency was said to be once every hour during the day. For RM 1, the Shuttle drops you at the Old Bus Terminal (Wawisan). From the old bus terminal hop on to the City Bus that takes you to the City Center. At the City center you can find a number of guest houses and hostels. Just ask the conductor to drop you at Api-Api City Center.

I would recommend you to schedule your visit to Sabah accordingly as it is a haven for nature enthusiasts! I would recommend at least a week. It should offer you enough time to explore the Kinabatungan river and its wildlife, Sandakan mangrove forests, Sepilok Orangutan Nature Reserve and the Mighy Mt. Kinabalu (at 4000+ meters). Trips to Kinabatangan are organized tours and I don’t think they allow independent travellers.

Sabah has its own immigration while honouring the duration of stay established by your arrival stamp in peninsular Malaysia. It is more of a “arrived in Sabah on DD-MM-YYYY” stamp on your Passport. I would recommend you to arrive at Sandakan and visit nearby places and then head to a two day trek to Mt. Kinabalu Summit. Eventually, you can end your trip at Kota Kinabalu after enjoying a day or two strolling the waterfront and tasting fresh sea food. In fact, you can take a day off to Manukan Island (part of Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park) and go snorkeling. Sabah is famous for its dive sites - especially Sipadan.

We took the early morning flight from KL LCCT terminal to Penang. On arrival, Penang offers rental cars (self driven as well as chauffered), taxi and shuttle services. If you plan to spend a week or atleast three days at Penang and intend to use the Rapid Penang Shuttle Service, I would recommend you to buy a three day pass for RM 20 (subject to change). The 3-day pass should allow you to hop-on and off at any of the bus stops serviced by Rapid Penang. Rapid Penang service has a new fleet of air conditioned buses (with no smoking on board).

This is a welcome change as Malaysia and Indonesia are notoriously famous safe havens for public smokers. If you are looking to stay close to the action, then I would recommend to find a decent guest house or hostel in Georgetown area. If you would like to skip it and head to a quieter suburb then Tanjong Tokong should be a good choice. It is somewhere between the touristy Batu Ferringhi (in the north) and Georgetown (in the south).

Komtar Bus Terminal serves as the hub for Rapid Penang Bus Service. From the Airport, head to Komtar. From Komtar, you can choose from a wide array of destinations. Bus 101 heads to Batu Ferringhi via Tanjong Tokong. Penang offers a blend of Indian, Chinese and Malay Cuisine. We tried the ubiquitous Roti Canai et al series. Mamaks (stalls run by Malay Indian Muslims) offer tasty food to sub continental palate. We recommend Nasi Kandar Pelita and Hameediah on Jalan McAlister. You can choose from a wide selection of Nasi and Roti series. By the way, Nasi is rice and Mee is Noodles. Ayam is Chicken and Daging is Beef. While Telur is Egg.

We spent most of the time aimlessly strolling in the streets of Georgetown lined on either side by buildings built in Colonial architecture. In a typical Malaysian city layout, one would notice a Little India and Little China (otherwise dubbed Chinatown). Heard that Penang has a large percentage of Chinese. Since our visit coincided with Chinese New Year, it was even more colorful around. By the way, if your visit coincides with Chinese New Year, business establishments close on the day of the New Year as well as a couple of days following the New Year. A large number of businesses are run by people of Chinese origin and you might be stuck if your itinerary coincides with Chinese New Year.

On the other hand, you can get discounts leading up to the Chinese New Year on merchandise. Motorbikes can be rented in Penang and there are few on Leboh Chubria (Chubria Street). Sam’s Store is recommended by travel books. Look around RM 25 to RM 45 per day - depending on the type of motorbike. Longer rentals can fetch you a bargain. Petrol/Diesel is darn cheap in Malaysia and Indonesia. With Petronas (Govt. Company) being the licensed driller to Malaysia’s blessed fossil fuel deposits. No wonder it is cheap (even by Indian exchange rate).

Shame: There are more armed personnel in Delhi than Civilians

To the Libertarians, it is a mockery of Democracy by making Delhi appear like Police State while to the rest, they don’t mind sacrificing Liberty at the cost of Security. A shameless parade of “weapons of mass destruction”.

Song of Sparrows, an exellent movie by Majid Majidi! I happened to watch it on UTV World Movies. The lead performance by Mohammed Amir Naji (character name: Karim) delivers an equally fantastic performance!

Considering the level of media control in Iran, I am very surprised that it keeps dishing out World Class movies while over here, in spite of a relaxed media control, we keep ending up with chronic disorders named “Vettaikaaran”.