We weren’t able to finish the posts; there was always so much going on, or the connection was poor. Now a break from diving is forcing us to take some time out. Markus has an ear infection again.
Our itinerary from Johor Bahru to Penang (George Town)
So we can tell you all about what we got up to in Malaysia. Johor Bahru lies right next to the island of Singapore and is connected to it by a bridge. The city is also very large by our standards and has a population of 1.7 million. The driver picked us up from the hotel at 09:30 sharp. The journey to the meeting point with Raaj, who was going to show us round his country, was an enjoyable one; we made good progress and then first had to clear customs to leave Singapore and enter Malaysia. It was all done from the car – we didn’t have to get out. Raaj was already waiting for us at the Glass Temple.
There’s always a lot going on at the border; getting in was straightforward – we just had to show our return ticket.
We’re going to stick that slogan on our car too…
IF YOU CAN READ THIS, YOU’RE TOO F*CKING CLOSE!
The closer you get, the slower I drive
Raaj is a busy Malaysian; he owns two cafés, is an actor, sets up venues for weddings and, in between, also takes tourists on trips. We got on really well straight away.
We saw a great deal on the first day and arrived at our hotel in the afternoon. Our room is on the 33rd floor; it’s a flat with a living room, kitchen and bedroom. You could easily fit four or five of these into the space of a hotel room in Singapore that costs twice as much. In the evening, Raaj picks us up again; we visit the night market, pop into a rooftop bar for an after-work beer and then head to an Indian restaurant for dinner.
glass palace
Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman – a dream in glass, truly impressive.
Gurdwara Sahib We have never seen an Indian Sikh temple either.
The Islamic Centre is right next to the Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque, which belongs to the King.
Lunch at the Indian restaurant
There is a white church in Johor (Church of the Immaculate Conception) that became a running joke because we kept passing it and pretending we were seeing it for the first time. One of the many Chinese temples we saw.
We were then driven to our flat; we were already quite worn out from taking it all in, so the short break came at just the right time. The view was brilliant; you could make out the skyscrapers of Singapore on the horizon. We set off again towards evening; we were really looking forward to it.
First we went to the night market – well, it was still light. Sylvia spotted some mongooses; they were marvellous.
Independence from the British Empire is celebrated every year in Taman Merdeka Park.
At the sky 26 rooftop bar, with its fantastic views, we have another beer, and at the Indian restaurant, we enjoy biryani, tandoori chicken, naan bread and daal. We have a nightcap round the corner at the pub; an eventful day draws to a close, we fall into bed exhausted and look forward to tomorrow.
