Happy Birthday Sam! And More Malaysian Madness!!
Saturday, 22nd January, HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAMMY!
Monday, 23rd January, Mizam Guest House, Teluk Nipah, Palau Pangkor, Malaysia, 10:13am
It feels like, destitute, we’re stranded on a desert island. James has left for provisions and to find help, while I stay behind at our camp, fending off monkeys and hoping for his safe return. This is only half true. James has gone off for provisions, and I am kind of fending off monkeys and I’m definitely hoping for his safe return. He is so brave and dashing, I love him very much. See, here’s the big problem with Palau Pangkor. Their ATMs don’t accept our credit cards. And we arrived on Saturday, so the banks were closed until Monday. We have $24US on us as well, but nowhere to exchange it. So yesterday was fun. We spent the day with about $7AUD left in Ringgit (about 20) . First, we bought a bread product from the mini-mart that was so awful that not even the monkey who raided our bin wanted it (he left it under the plastic chair in disgust). So that was a waste of 1.8 of our precious Ringgit. We also bought water and a drink each, which left us with 15 Ringgit. Because the bread was so yuck, we had to buy something better, so we bought a 2 Ringgit burger each and a bottle of water. 10 Ringgit left for dinner.
We walked down the road to Coral Beach, which was stunning, but we were both so frustrated over the whole stupid money scenario that we couldn’t really appreciate it. Although we could appreciate the weird beach-side base that some young soldiers were setting up. They gave us stern looks, and I was like “If you want to be all hidey-hidey, don’t make your base at the most popular tourist beach in Pangkor!!”. They were dressed in sleek black wetsuits, and had rifles over their shoulders which were heavily wrapped in black plastic (perhaps they’d been practising swimming with them??). On the way back, I insisted that we spend 3 of our Ringgit so that I could email my best friend for her birthday. I don’t regret this, but it means we went without water all night, and we were so thirsty, so I feel a bit guilty that James had to suffer because I kicked up a stinky. But it’s important to remember birthdays when you’re on the other side of the world! We didn’t quite realise how important those 3 Ringgit would be later, though. So we went back to our room and read and watched TV and chatted, and then we were hungry again. We tried the futile attempt to find a restaurant on this three street village that accepted credit cards, but had no luck. So we went to the mini-mart again, but this time we bought a loaf of bread and a big tin of tuna, because we figured at least this way we’d end up full. This left us with 0.65 Ringgit. Then we came back to our room and made ourselves three of the yummiest tuna sandwiches each.
But the problem became the water. We had the tiniest bit left, and we were both so thirsty, but James needed the water for his walk into town the next day. Apparently some of the water in Malaysia is drinkable, but on this peeny island we weren’t game to risk it. We were both originally going to go, but then we realised that the logical thing was for James to go alone (he’s better at the whole banking thing than I am), while I stayed here with our stuff. That way he wouldn’t have to take his backpack with him. Oh! I think he’s home!!! Yay! James has returned safe from his travels, with water!!!! He’s very hot and sweaty, and is now going to have a shower, so I’ll quickly finish up this entry.
So we decided it made more sense for James to go alone, since we didn’t have much water and, worse case scenario, if James had to go across to the mainland it would be silly for me to go as well (10 Ringgit each), so I would have had to wait in Pangkor Town with no money and nowhere to sit. Plus he was happy to get up at 8am to walk while it was still cool.
James said it only took him about an hour to get into town, but by the time he got there his shirt was black with sweat. Then he had to wait a half hour in queue, then the woman had to call the credit card company and a whole lot of hooplah like that. But he got our money (more than we need, just to be on the safe side), and I think we’re going to go eat a delicious lunch somewhere now! Yay! We can eat again!! Although that tuna sandwich was yummier than quite a few of the meals we’ve had here.
Oh, and there was a ginger cat asleep on one of our plastic chairs on our verandah this morning. And Liverpool lost to Man U in the last minute. No kidding, the last minute!! It was nil-nil up to the 91st minute. Man that was a frustrating game!! And I think our hotel finds us very amusing, maybe, because all the TVs are controlled through the main TV here. They have over 80 channels of cable, but the people who control the TV only ever watch the three local channels. It’s so annoying!! But then last night, one of their local channels was playing The Apprentice, and I was so excited. They let me get halfway into it, and then changed the damn channel!! So I walked out and very politely explained that I was watching it. They switched it back, and the lady said, “Oh yes, and you want the football at midnight don’t you?”. I think we’re the only people who request anything on the TV, but there’s no nightlife here, so all you can do is watch TV. Besides, the amount we’re paying for this room pays for their satellite bill, so I feel justified in asking them to change the channel from a stinky Malay black-and-white film to something at least with subtitles. Mind you, I haven’t actually asked them to do that yet. I’ve only asked for the soccer, and to have them not change shows halfway through.
James is having a nap now, but I don’t know that I have much more to add. We went for a brief jungle trek yesterday as well, through an overgrown path, which was fun. It lasted about two minutes. We also saw some guys throwing bread to some Hornbills, which were sweeping and grabbing them mid-air. It was really great! And I made a Scrabble game out of paper and sticky-tape, but it’s pretty rubbish. We got a half decent game out of it, but I think I might have made the board too big, or I might not have made enough letters. If anyone can tell me how many squares across and down a Scrabble board is, I’d appreciate it!
January 23rd, 2006 at 5:05 am
Have you been eaten alive by leeches in the Malaysian jungle yet? I once was. Obviously I have risen from the dead (thank god) and I now live to tell the tale. But then again, I have been regularly re-eaten by leeches in the pond in my backyard so really it isn’t such a great story. I’ll just leave by saying “Good writings, Miss Vice Chancellor”