Butterworth-Melaka ~500 km

If we’d speak about hitchhiking in Malaysia it is very easy past stopping cars, which sometimes takes time at least on highway. Drivers are not lazy to drive you even if it is somewhat not along their own route. This way I got on a E1 highway after following 1 national road. I was brought back about 10 km and droped off at rest area. Later while doing small local hitchhikes near or in Ipoh, drivers were eager to drive me around as long as I would need to find the place. Once a motorcyclist after his ride not being able to drive me anymore just paid his friend taxi driver to bring me to a shopping centre, where I was going to look for a new gas stove 🙂 Later that day while going back from Ipoh to it’s outskirts in Bercham I was also being driven around until I saw a familiar street. So summarising, in general, people here once they stop for you, are eager to help you as far as it is possible. Really helpful 🙂

Being in Ipoh for the second day I first exchanged finally some money for Malay Ringgits and later called Augustas, as sms’ing wasn’t helping. We met at the Tesco Extra supermarket, where they were brought by their couch-surfing contact – Chinese girl Junice. It so happened that this day was Augustas’ birthday, so we had a box of ice-cream together. Later Junice brought us 3 to the place Augustas and Katja were renting for at least a month. There I was offered a stay and so I decided to rest from traveling about a week. For going around the place we for the most part used hitchhiking, which was easy here in Bercham. While exploring neighborhood we found a cheap 1 RM internet cafe as well as a cheap vegetarian restaurant 🙂 Life at one place proved to be very laid-back for a change. Although at first I had to fight the mold on most of my spare clothes, which were wet for all the time since my crossing the border last time. Had to get rid of the hardcore moldy stuff, but at least this means a lighter backpack. I was reading a lot of books. Among them – “Follow the road”, written by Katja, “Power of now” – a spiritual book concentrating on living in the “now” and observing your own ego 🙂 and “The giant book of western” – a collection of western stories.

I visited internet cafe each day for an hour, just looking up some information on traveling by sailboats, at which idea I got fired up not without Augustas help and stories 😀 At last I tried contacting an Australian captain planning 6-8 months sailing trip from there to Europe. Now just waiting for reply, but as I was told it is more possible to find a sailboat willing to take you while visiting yacht ports physically. So I’ll try this when I will be in Australia. Vicinity of Bercham seemed to me good for some morning running, which I did and discovered a Zen Buddhism temple and a cave at the end of my run route 🙂

Overall meeting with Augustas and Katja was like some sort of an eye-opener for my hitchhiking life. I hope to try out some stuff they advised me off. Meeting people who’s interests are close to yours is always a great experience, exceptionally while traveling. Last few days of my stay with them, Katja got sick and had to spend them in hospital, but luckily she wasn’t waiting for too long for operation, which was all right. While living with them I had a chance of eating a few healthy dishes and their green stuff they mix to have in the mornings 🙂 On the day that Katja got back from hospital I went to look around the town for a gas stove once more, but now with Junice as a helper. No success though, but I got to taste famous White Coffee of Ipoh on the other hand – has a very sweet sticky aftertaste by the way ;D Walked back from Ipoh that time – 2 and a half hours of nice walk. Saw very toy-looking snake at one time falling from the tree and being instantly run over by the car 😐

Last day of my stay I was packing up my stuff, which was scattered over the room, where I stayed. Felt like a 2’nd or 3’rd leave of home for the same journey 🙂 In the evening Augustas showed “follow the road” (http://www.FollowTheRoad.com) presentation, they were going to show on Couch-surfing meet on Saturday. And then he also have shown a few nice magic tricks 🙂 This was a last and exceptionally warm, cozy evening with these interesting and welcoming people, whom I hope to meet some time, some place again 🙂

7 in the morning I prepared some food of my leftover poridge, cooked eggs and tea for the road. And after a belly overfilling breakfast I had to say goodbye to Augustas and Katja. We parted with a hug and I walked to the highway. First ride was a long awaited one and got me only a little bit out of Ipoh, but from there I got a ride on some petrol carrier, which shouldn’t actually be allowed for their drivers, but well – it all fine with me ;D Didn’t go to Kuala Lumpur, lost the desire, when I saw the net of roads from afar. So I just hitchhiked almost to Melaka, where next day I wandered around. Got some info about the ferry, which costs 110 + 9 (tax) ringgits. Visa on arrival as I was told at the counter was 25$. After walking around the historical part of the town I was too lazy to go to Singapore now, so I decided just to spend the night and go to Indonesia tomorrow. With a 4 hour-package got somehow to use internet for 6 hours, costing me 6 ringgits, even though it is 2.5 ringgit per hour at that internet cafe.

Photo: click