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So tomorrow is my last day in Malaysia. I catch my flight in the afternoon to Bangkok where I will meet my mum and celebrate seeing a friendy face with a bottle of wine or two (I’ve decided after being away from home for over 3 months that wine and catch-up nights with my friends are really the only things i miss).

I’ve had a lazy few days in Kuala Lumpur, getting really burned out on doing touristy things now. On my first day I went to explore the bird park, which was lovely (if expensive!) and I cleverly left my camera in the hotel room. Had a nice afternoon of just wandering anyway and i must have looked like I knew where I was going because 4 people asked me for directions on my way back.

Yesterday I spent nearly the entire day in the KLCC shopping mall, most of it in Kinokuniya where I happily browsed books for many many hours and today I pretty much sat in starbucks and did some freelance work. I’ve enjoyed malaysia but I’m really excited to be going back to Thailand, meeting my mum and eating tom kha.

So I’m nearing the end of my stay in the Cameron Highlands and I must say it’s been a lovely break from the heat and the chaos of cities. I’ve managed to get in a fair amount of hiking which I hope has gone some way to cancel out the amount of chocolate I’ve eaten. I’m currently curled up in starbucks (have the whole top floor to myself again), enjoying being able to work from anywhere and feeling very sleepy.

After arriving and exploring the town a bit, I headed back to my guest house (Cameronian Inn) and met the 3 other people I was sharing the dorm with - 2 dutch girls and another english girl called Carla. As Carla was also travelling on her own, we decided we’d pair up to go trekking the next day with the resident trekking guide, Yen. He took us up trail 1 to the summit of Gunung Brinchang, which was a pretty steep hike up, the last 600m being more of a scramble up tree roots (both feet and hands required!) however despite feeling desperately unfit compared to the other 2 (with not a drop of sweat on them!) I made it up to see the views. We managed to hitch a lift back down with an english couple who’d asked us for directions on the way up and we all stopped off at the Boh tea plantation for some much needed refreshment. We got dropped off in Brinchang town and went to find the strawberry moment cafe that we’d seen advertised on a billboard on the way up (very much worth the 6k walk from Tanah Rata!)

The next day we decided we’d have a go at a hike on our own and Yen very helpfully drew us some very detailed maps to help us up the confusing trail to the summit of Gunung Jasar. I amazed myself with my map reading skills and we somehow managed the entire trail without getting lost (although scrambling up the landslide to rejoin the trail was interesting!) and were back by 1pm. We had a nice chilled out afternoon eating copious amounts of chocolate and took over the TV room to watch vcds all night.

Argh, a jazz acoustic version of ‘come as you are’ is playing in starbucks… how strange… anyway!

Carla left to go to KL and so today I decided I would brave doing one of the trails by myself. I picked one of the better worn trails, 9a and 9b loop past the Robinson waterfall as I didn’t particularly want to get lost on my own, despite the warnings of an ‘exhibitionist’ on the trail! Anyway managed not to get lost and complete the loop in super quick time and I was back at the guest house in a couple of hours. Had a nice long shower and decided to reward myself with a hot chocolate at starbucks, which brings us to the current time.

I’ve booked my bus ticket for KL for thursday which leaves me with one more day to chill out here, catch up on my blogging and eat many strawberry desserts!

So right now I am sitting in a little coffee shop in Tanah Rata in the Cameron highlands. I arrived here just a couple of hours ago and can already tell i’m going to like it here but rather than talk about the place I’m going to talk about my adventures on buses!

Now I really don’t like taking buses, even at home, I much prefer taking trains. You never know where to get off when you’re on a bus route you’re not familiar with and i usually spend the entire journey jumpy with nerves, staring out of the window trying to see something I recognise. Yes I’m a freak, I don’t care!

So yesterday I decided to pop into town as I was already bored of the beach after one and a half days and I was in dire need of bookshops. I would have settled for a second hand book exchange but after wandering up and down the main street of Batu Ferringhi and finding nothing (I realised later that there is actually a shopping mall just a little further down the road, past the holiday inn on the way to Georgetown. someone reading this might find that useful at some point…) I decided to catch the bus into town. All fine and good, I spent about half an hour browsing in popular, bought a couple of books and popped into the air asia office to see if i could change my flight (I couldn’t). Then time to go back so I make my way to the terminal at Komtar and wait for the no. 101 bus, which I took into town. 20 minutes later and it still hasn’t turned up so i decide to hop on the scummy little local bus instead of the nice new air conditioned one (but it’s the same price? what?). After a couple of minutes of being on the bus, I realise that they intend to drive around the bus station in circles, shouting the destination through a megaphone until they can pack as many people on as possible. I am standing with sweat dripping down my legs (did i tell you it is HOT in penang??) squished between a bunch of school kids and some smelly men. I fall out of the bus an hour later vowing to wait for the nice new air conditioned bus next time….

So this morning I get up early to catch my bus to the Cameron Highlands. My bus leaves at 8am and the bus station is quite a way around the island so I have to get a taxi to the bus station. We get there at 7.55 am, the driver shoves my bus ticket at me and points in the general direction of the buses and then buggers off. Queue me running up and down with a panicked expression trying to find the right bus (turns out i had the right one first time but the person I asked said it wasn’t! then i got told off for being late!). Once on the bus I start to do my usual trick of second guessing myself and worrying that the bus is going to the wrong place or I won’t know where to get off, etc etc. so i spend most of the journey in mild panic. This isn’t helped by the fact that the bus seems to be broken and we stop in Ipoh for about an hour while various people come over and pour things into the engine while the driver seems to get very angry and shouts at them (obviously i can’t understand what’s going on). The bus chugs up the hills at about 5 miles an hour with the engine making a horrible grinding noise and i’m convinced we’re going to start rolling backwards… then as soon as we’re going downhill we speed up by an insane amount and fly around the corners at breakneck speed. i’m being flung from one side of my seat to another and by this time convinced that the driver is a maniac. We finally pull into Tanah Rata about 3 hours late and I am so glad to get off that damn bus!

Anyway I’m here now and a bit of trekking and chilling out is in order. Maybe there will be more updates!

And once again too much time has passed and my little blog has been forgotten. When was I in Laos again? November? Now it’s January, Christmas and New Year have been and gone and I am in Malaysia. There is a lot to catch up on as i’ve visited another 4 countries since I was in Laos and I’m still only up to Nepal in the online world. I’ve been travelling for 3 months now and if nothing else, it’s made me realise that I am very good at doing nothing - hence the lack of updates. I have no problem being on my own for long periods of time. I can entertain myself for days just wandering aimlessly. If I find a decent bookshop, I’ll be happy for at least an afternoon. I like sitting in coffee shops, people watching, exploring random streets, walking for miles (when I’m not being asked where I’m going every 2 minutes). I do not like being dragged around temples in the middle of the day by tour guides, people asking me where I’m going and guest house rooms with no plug sockets.

I have been in Penang for nearly a week now and I’m very confused. I expected Malaysia to be similar to Thailand but from what I’ve experienced so far, it seems to be a country with multiple personalities. Georgetown is a big mashup of Chinese and Indian culture, with a dash of colonial (or as I prefer to think of it, Pirates of the Caribbean - all palm trees and cannons) architecture and then the call to prayer filters down the streets from the mosques (which by the way is beautiful - I’ve never heard anything like it before). And it is so HOT here. This is the furthest south I’ve ever been and I can feel it - I just have to walk down the road before my entire body is dripping with sweat - pleasant! And now I’m on the beach there are no air conditioned malls to escape to and there are jellyfish in the sea so I can’t cool off that way.

I’m here for 2 more nights and then I’m catching a bus (the guy in the travel agency told me to find some friends because the cost of a taxi to the bus station for one person is the same as the bus ticket - the cheek!) to the Cameron Highlands and I’m looking forward to chilling out there in cooler temperatures for a while and doing some trekking before I head down to Kuala Lumpur. Hopefully this will give me a bit of free time to do some much needed blog catch ups. Now where was I?

Just to give you some idea of how cute Luang Prabang is, they have cake stalls on the main street every evening. If I ever go home, I think I might take the idea with me and make a fortune selling baked goods to the drunken masses. Anywhere where was i?

Oh yes, Varanasi. Pretty much summed up the whole India experience. Every aspect of human life goes on at the ghats down by the ganges – thousands of people eating, drinking, washing, socialising, all in scummy water with god knows what floating in it. We took part in a candle lighting ceremony where we lit many little candles in dishes with flower petals and floated them down the river and attended the evening puja (prayer ceremony), where the number of boats of people watching was as much a spectacle as the ceremony itself.

At dawn we took another boat ride to watch the day begin and thousands of people washing in the river. Exploring the back streets behind the ghats is quite scary as it’s such a maze of tiny alley ways and you’re never quite sure where you’re going to end up. We visited the burning ghats where a constant stream of bodies to be cremated is passing through 24 hours a day and got trapped by a man who told us to give money to the dying old women or we’d have bad karma.

We were lucky enough to be in Varanasi for Divali which I suppose is the Hindu version of chrismas but is more like Bonfire night, Indian style. The fireworks had already started when we arrived and hadn’t quite finished when we left. On the actual night of divali we may as well have been in a war zone as explosions sounded around us and smoke filled the air from the moment the sky became dark to well after I fell asleep. On the tuk tuk ride back from the restaurant we had dinner in, I was convinced we were going to die as we had several really near misses (nearer than the usual – i think maybe our drivers had been indulging in some seasonal good cheer while we were eating dinner) and fireworks whizzed past our ears and blew up on the road beneath us. Everyone was very much in good spirits, shouting “Happpy Divali!” and giving us Indian sweets. Back at the hotel V had bought us our very own firework display and we sat drinking and hiding behind our hands as he disobeyed all the rules of firework safety and nearly blew himself up several times, all whilst giggling hysterically.

So a fitting end to my final night in India as the next day we would cross the border into Nepal. India suprised me as I didn’t expect to like it but something about the dust and chaos made an impression on me and I’ll definitely be back. I was sad to be leaving as we made our final trip towards the border.

Next day, back on the trains, in second class this time which was much better that first class in my opinion. No air con but all the windows were open and we got plenty of air when the train was moving. Plus things are a lot more interesting when you step down a class. We were sharing seats with locals and there was constant entertainment going on down the aisles. People selling chai and snacks and acrobatic children with spinning things on their heads (you really had to be there).

We hopped into tuk tuks at the station and arrived at the most amazing hotel. We thought we were just stopping for lunch but were all ecstatic when we found out we were staying. We’d been told we were staying in luxury tents but what I wasn’t expecting was that these tents were complete with bathroom, proper beds, tv, fridge and aircon! Mine also had a lizard living in it, which I thought was quite cool. All this set in beautiful gardens and the best bit of all? A pool!

After the intensity of Delhi and Agra we were all very happy to chill out by the pool for a while. Ended up drinking far too much whiskey and swimming in our underwear, after they’d closed the pool for the night – the manager even came and asked us to get out but in India it seems you can get away with whatever you like when you’re a paying customer. I learnt to count from 1 to 10 in Hindi – must remember to use alcohol for a useful technique in learning languages faster.

We spent the next couple of days exploring Orchha, which is really a beautiful village and very laid back for india. There are still kids begging but they looked a lot happier and better clothed than elsewhere and they were mostly just shouting “hello! Chocolate!”.

The first morning we took a guided tour of one of the palaces which was deserted apart from the monkeys prowling around the outer walls. Our guide took us into the bedroom of one of the kings wives and started talking about something but at this point my memories get a bit fuzzy. I remember feeling a bit sick and then everything getting slowly darker, then suddenly everyone was staring at me and I didn’t know why. Turns out I’d fainted – apparently it took ages for me to actually collapse and everyone was asking if I was ok but I was just staring into space and not responding (I didn’t remember any of this) oh and apparently my lips turned blue! So I was made to go and sit in the shade for a while and drink water. Remember to drink lots of water when you’re in India! You need at least 3 litres a day. Anyway for about an hour after I fainted I couldn’t see properly out of my right eye as everything was all swirly but I felt well enough to explore the rest of the palace (though i made sure to stay away from high drops without barriers).

That night I ate the best thali I had the entire trip for the shocking price of 60 rupees, marred only slightly by the power going off just after we’d sat down in the restaurant so that we had to shout over the noise of 2 backup generators for half an hour.

While in Orchha, we took a cooking class and learned how to make yummy masala chai and various kinds of curry. The food is just soooo good here, I’m not even that keen on Indian food at home but actual proper Indian food is in danger of pushing Thai off the top of my favourites! Swear my clothes are getting tighter with the amount I’ve been eating…

Also went to visit a small village near Orchha with lots of really cute kids. Rather than begging for money and sweets like most of the other children we’d met, they all just wanted their photo taken. They were so excited and happy and just chased after us laughing and screaming “hello, picture!”. We ended up having to be quite firm and say “no more photos!”. I’m really going to have to send copies of the pictures I took to the village when I can.

Next morning was an early start as we caught the train to agra. My first experience of many Indian train stations, which are all like little cities - hundreds of people piled all over the platforms. Selling techniques in Agra seem even more aggressive than Delhi and they just don’t give up trying to sell you tacky souvenirs, chasing everyone to the bus and shoving things through the window.

Visited the Red Fort first, which is much more impressive than the one in Delhi. Someone tried to give me their baby to hold so they could take a photo of him with me. I’m not used to being treated like a celebrity but beginning to realise it’s pretty common to be photographed over here!

Next stop Taj Mahal, which was mega busy. I managed to get a queue of people wanting their photo with me here and just had to walk away in the end to pleading cries of “please, just one more photo!”

On the way back from dinner we passed a wedding procession (insane!) and an a road accident (causing semi riot). Had a nice evening of drinking whiskey on the roof and chatting (one of many to come!). When I went back down to my room it was full of thousands of little flies, despite me closing all the windows before I left. I had to sleep under my mosquito net to escape.

Okay, lets head back to the present for a while. I’m really enjoying my holiday from my holiday. It’s so lovely to do nothing after weeks of sightseeing and I think I was on the brink of a culture overdose so I’m trying not to feel too guilty about sitting in coffee shops on the internet all day. My days here go something like this - get up, wander down to a cafe with free wifi; Eat breakfast and do net stuff for a few hours; Go for a wander around the Mekong, look in a few shops; Go in another cafe for lunch; Wander back to guest house; Saunter down night market (which is the most peaceful and loveliest market in the whole of asia); Have dinner; Drink beer; Sleep; Repeat until Sunday.

I am half considering doing a little trek before I head back to Hanoi but half of me is whining that it’s too hot to trek and why not use the break to update my blog, sort out my photos (although connection is too slow here to upload so think I’ll be adding the pictures when I go back to Hanoi) and finish off Jane’s website. If I only had wifi in my guesthouse, things would be perfect. I feel guilty about sitting here for 5 hours after only buying breakfast and a coffee shake.

Everyone around town is talking about the protests in Bangkok. I guess most people here came through Thailand and will be going home through Bangkok. I personally wouldn’t be too upset to be stuck in Laos for another couple of weeks. Was much more shocked this morning to read about the attacks in Mumbai - luckily I don’t think anyone I know was there at the time but can’t help feeling a bit shaken. The world is so unstable, I just don’t know where is safe anymore.

So as I don’t want to give the impression that I’ve done absolutely nothing since I got here, I should tell you that I did go to a cooking class the other night where I learned how to make coconut curry, Luang Prabang style salad and spicy tomato jaeow. I also went to explore a waterfall and decided to climb up to the top and cross over the stream to the other side. walking along a tree trunk I was unsure of my balance but with people behind me couldn’t go back so I decided just to take my sandals off for a better grip. Didn’t do much good as I stood on some slimy moss and went flying into the water. I somehow managed not to dunk my bag which contained all my money and my laptop and just splashed my camera a little - it survived.

So all up to date now, I guess I will go back to where we left off in India…

Delhi, India - five and a half weeks and another world away. I arrived off my flight from London fully prepared for the chaos that I was warned Delhi airport was, only to find a small terminal with 2 neat rows of people patiently holding up name cards. Found my airport pickup and took the car into town, experiencing my first taste of driving Indian style. Basically the roads are a free for all, lanes are ignored, horns are used constantly and dirty children wander up to the windows of any stopped traffic to beg.

Checked into my hotel in Karol Bagh and asked for the Intrepid noticeboard, which I’d been told would have useful information about sightseeing and the upcoming trip, however this didn’t exist so I just went to sleep for a couple of hours. Investigating the roof top bar later, I met the first of my group - 4 Canadians who’d been in Delhi for a few days. We had a chat and a few beers before heading off to bed.

The next morning after breakfast I hopped into an auto-rickshaw and headed off to the Red Fort. Before leaving I’d been terrified about spending my first day in India by myself, but once I was here I just found it quite amusing to sit back and watch the craziness unfold around me. I got to the fort early so it was nice and peaceful before the hoards of organised tours arrived, there were just a few Indian tourists (taking photos of me on their mobile phones) and some school kids who took the opportunity to practice their english on me. I was very impressed with the flocks of green parrots that flew around the fort and they looked beautiful against the red brick.

Leaving the fort I was followed by some very persistant cycle rickshaw drivers who wouldn’t tell me their prices. I crossed the road under an underpass and walked for 10 minutes before I could escape into an auto-rickshaw. Took the auto to Connaught Place and felt very underwhelmed - I was expecting more of a city centre but all of Delhi looks the same - dusty, polluted and full of people. I wandered around in circles for a bit before deciding to walk to India Gate. Nobody seems to understand the concept of walking in Delhi and many people shouted at me “where are you going? there’s nothing that way!”. One guy even followed me for half an hour, trying to persuade me to go back to his house for a massage… hmm I don’t think so!

After visiting the India Gate, I hopped in another auto to get back to the hotel for my trip meeting. The meter was already on 240 rupees when I got in so I told the driver I wouldn’t be paying that! After hearing so many stories about being ripped off by delhi auto drivers, I was convinced he wouldn’t take me where I wanted to go or demand more money. I was so pleased that he actually took me back to my hotel and didn’t try and rip me off that i paid him extra!

I arrived back just in time for the group meeting and we headed out on a walking tour. Took the metro to a Sikh mosque where we watched people making chapatis in the communal kitchens and were fed an offering of a mixture of flour, ghee and sugar. We took cycle rickshaws to the spice market (which is really more of a nut market). I found this experience hilarious and couldn’t stop laughing, even though I was convinced I was going to fall off. At the end of the day we all went for a few beers at an english themed pub in Connaught Place (complete with a fake bar that you couldn’t actually order drinks at) and caught the metro back to Karol Bagh.

So it has been nearly six weeks since I left. Six weeks and five countries, a blur of bus trips, overnight trains, temples, mountain treks and city explorations. I have lost track of which currency I should be using, started converting prices into US dollars instead of pounds, can’t remember which language I should be using to say “hello” and I keep waking up in the middle of the night, frozen trying to make out shapes in the darkness as I have no idea where I am.

And really today is the first day I’ve stopped and decided to do absolutely nothing, catch up with my blog which has been terribly neglected since I left the uk. My moleskine travel journal is stuffed full of tickets and momentos, empty and waiting for me to write or draw or something… but I have been too busy exploring until now.

I am currently in Luang Prabang, Laos, and this is a very good place for doing nothing in. On arrival I instantly felt relaxed (after the initial hiccup when my tuk tuk driver took me to the wrong guesthouse from the airport and I had to wander the streets trying to find somewhere to spend the night). I had many plans for exploring here as I have only a week before I head back to Hanoi, but 10 hour bus journeys to archaeological sites seem like a crazy choice when I can just sit here, drink coffee and watch monks walk by with their orange robes and umbrellas. A few days of peace and quiet seems like a very good plan to me right now before I’m thrown back onto the streets of Hanoi, dodging motorbikes and trying not to get too annoyed at everyone screaming at me “you buy banana!” or “yoohoo, motorbike!”

So maybe a little time to stop, sit back and catch up on all my travel stories, starting with India which seems like a lifetime ago….rewind…