The Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre and Deerland

My most eagerly anticipated daytrip from KL took me to the center of the country to a tiny little village to the site of the Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre. I had read about this spot online and knew that it was one of the few things that I truly had to do while in Malaysia. The center began as a rehabilitation center for elephants that had lost their habitat due to logging or were causing problems in nearby oil palm plantations and thus had to be relocated. It has eventually morphed into more of a tourist attraction, yet it retains its focus on conservation and learning about the beloved animals, instead of exploiting them as other places in Southeast Asia do. I thought about trying to save a little bit of money and get there on my own, but after reading about the distance and very nondescript directions and lack of public transport there, I decided to just go with the package tour from the city, paying about $50 for the day out, admission into the park and another neighboring one and a small lunch. Our group consisted of the driver/guide who was a strange looking Malaysian guy with a scraggly beard and long, patchy moustache, missing front teeth and large canine teeth, one of which actually stuck out of his mouth even when his lips were closed, a young British pair (one of whom is originally Iraqi), a guy from Hong Kong and a couple from Bahrain (the first people I've ever met from Bahrain).

Two hours outside of the city, we arrived at Deerland, our first stop. I had not heard of this place until I spoke to a French guy here in Malaysia that was actually pretty excited about it, as he had just returned from Deerland and the elephant center. He mentioned lots of different types of animals in a petting-zoo style, giving us good access to the animals. Once in the gates, we were greeted by about 50 medium sized deer, obviously used to human contact. You are then given a bowl of food to give them, being told to hold the basket up high, so that they don't simply knock it out of your hands. Then, you are supposed to hold the food up as high as you can, and the deer actually stand up on their hind legs and gently take the food from you. In reality, they are very gentle and don't bite your hand, but the first few times that their heads come flying towards your hand are a bit scary, leading many people to just drop their food and run off to the side. Next, we got to hold a tiny hedgehog (not as spiky as I expected), though many in the group were also a little reluctant to do this, so I pushed my way to the front to make sure I got to touch all of the animals on display. After that, we moved on to holding a huge python around our necks and then feeding a large ostrich, letting it pluck the leaves from your hand.

After that, we saw the Malaysian sun bear or spectacled bear, the smallest bear in the world, though probably similar in size to a small to medium sized black bear. In a small enclosure, the bear was just sitting around with one of the workers when we were allowed to enter. Hoping that the bear was as calm as it looked, we got closer, and I was even allowed to touch it. Then, I hand feed it a few pieces of food, and the bear was very calm and polite. Growing a little more trusting, they let me stick out my hand and they poured handfuls of honey into my hand, and the bear licked it straight out of my hand. I couldn't believe that I was able to do this, and I was actually pretty content with this experience already, though we still had the elephant highlight to come. To finish off Deerland, the group of tourists lined up front to back and one of the monkeys was placed at the back of the line. When the guide yelled go, the agile monkey hopped quickly from head to head, making it within seconds up to the front.

We stopped for a quick lunch, then we arrived at the elephant center, just a few minutes down the road. We were supposed to watch an educational video about the center and the area, but the power in the area went out about 10 minutes into the video and without air conditioning or fans, we were allowed to leave the hot room and go see the stars, the elephants. In the front of the park are three small elephants; I don't know how old they are, but they are each about five or six feet tall, eating peanuts and sugar cane out of your hands as they posed for pictures alongside the large groups of tourists. We also got to feed watermelon and bananas to the full sized elephants, four of them hanging around the edge of the park. Then, the main event was riding the elephants around in small circles. As I lined up, our guide quickly came over and tried to explain to me to wait and not do this yet. He mentioned that I should wait for the river portion of it, where you get to bathe the elephants, but I didn't understand why I couldn't do both activities. I was in the front of the line, but after a few minutes of back and forth, I decided to trust him, though we didn't exactly understand, so I, along with one of the young English guys, waited while watching the groups go around in quick circles on the back of the massive elephants.

Finally, when every person had their ride, the guide then appeared again, said a few things in Malaysian to the workers, and we were pushed up the stairs to the top, ready for the next event. Apparently since our guide goes to the park every single day, he has made some friends and some connections there, so he was able to get the premier ride for me, the English guy and the Chinese guy in our group. Instead of a quick ride around in a circle, the three of us piled on to the largest elephant, along with the trainer and headed from the platform through the park and down a fairly steep walkway into the river, all holding on tightly to each other as we felt like we were going to tip forward into the water. We were told beforehand to bring extra clothes and that we'd get wet, but we just didn't know how it would transpire. As the entire park watched, after slowly waddling past the visitors, we entered the shallow river, the elephant was given some command and boom...the elephant fell to its side, dumping us all in the muddy river. As we were going down, the Chinese guy behind me was flailing around, none of us knowing how deep the water was, though it turned out to just be three or four feet deep in most spots. Afterwards, we stayed in the river as they brought down the smaller elephants, and we proceeded to splash water around on them and play around for a little while before the other visitors were allowed to join. Eventually, everyone had a turn to just sit on the elephant and get dumped in the water, but we were really lucky to have been able to get the long ride and first dip in the water. I thanked our guide over and over, but he always responded in his heavy accent, "It's my job." All in all, it was another great day of wildlife interaction, being able to hand feed a bear and elephants, as well as getting a ride and a bath with a huge elephant. The center is a bit touristy and overcrowded, but after an experience like that, it really didn't matter. I even bought two cheap t-shirts after the tour, to help support the center and add to my collection of random travel shirts.

(At Deerland, the friendly deer would literally stand up as you fed them, delicately taking the food right out of your hand, if you were brave enough to hold on. Many people just dropped their buckets of food and ran.)

(I was one of the few that wanted to hold the tiny hedgehog. It wasn't as prickly as I thought it might be, though it did try to poop in my hand, so maybe it has developed a new defense system for tourists.)

(Feeding the ostrich, trying to make him work for his food. Like emus, I'm a little scared of these things. Mostly, I'm just not a huge fan of birds in general.)

(The adorable sun bear. He posed for photos while a few of us gathered around and even got to hand feed him. Apparently hand feeding bears is a good idea. See the next photo for proof.)

(As the trainer pours honey into my hand, the bear is licking it out. This was an incredible experience, since feeding a real bear is more exciting than my childhood tea parties with my teddy bears.)

(Afterwards, we lined up front to back and this little monkey jumped from head to head to head, making it down the line in a matter of seconds, usually while clutching a bottle of honey in one hand.)

(At the Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre, three smaller elephants greeted us just after entering. As for the land of the rising sun shirt, I get confused with all of these Asian countries.)

(It was really crowded with tourists here, but it's hard to match being able to hand feed baby elephants, so I can't complain too much.)

(After some confusing English, our guide convinced us to wait for the last elephant ride of the day, and it certainly paid off. With his connections, he arranged the longest ride for the three of us, going from the center of the small park down to the river bank...)

(And then into the river...)

(And then collapsing into the water. We knew what was happening beforehand, but that didn't stop the little Chinese guy behind me from flailing frantically as we splashed into the water. This really was an incredible experience. Others got to get on the elephant in the water and be dumped, but our guide was able to help us get the best ride of the day. "Thanks." "It's my job." Repeat.)

(After being dumped, the smaller elephants were herded down into the river, and we were also the first to be able to bathe them.)

(One of the bigger ones trying to steal sugar cane from the other, though he had a perfectly good pile in front of him. Why can't we ever be happy with what we have? Huh, elephant, huh?)

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The Blue Mosque of Shah Alam

As a day trip from KL, I took the local bus over to Shah Alam, a city just about an hour away from the capital. The city itself offers just one large attraction, the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Asiz Shah Mosque. The mosque, known as the Blue Mosque, is the one reason that tourists come to this town, though I found it to be a nice quiet place, not seeing even one other tourist during my half day in the area. At over 350 feet high, the massive onion shaped dome of the mosque is the largest dome in Southeast Asia and perhaps the world (in terms of mosques), and it is covered in intricate blue and white tiles, giving the mosque its name. Surrounding the enormous structure are four tall minarets, akin to a church's chapel, these are huge pillars from which the call to prayer is made every day. In the past, someone would have to climb these minarets to shout out the call, but these days, it is all done with speakers and recordings. These rocket shaped minarets are each 460 feet tall, dominating the meager city and making them the tallest minarets in the world. Arriving at the first roundabout in town from my bus, I immediately saw the mosque standing tall over the city. Overlooking a calm lake and sitting atop a small hill, it's hard to miss this huge building.

Taking a break from the hot sun and hazy day, I relaxed under the shade of the nearby trees while taking in the views of the mosque. I also found a local cafe for lunch, a place not accustomed to tourists, as most of the locals were staring at me and children would giggle every time I looked at them. That also meant authentic food and prices, so I had a large buffet lunch (which is common) for about $1.50. I tried to order roti canai, the wonderful flaky flatbread that you dip in curry, but I was told that was a morning meal, though they did manage to scrounge up two leftover pieces. I then tried to order chicken fried rice, but I was told that it was an evening meal, so I was stuck with the buffet, which turned out fine. You are basically given a plate of rice and choose from a variety of soupy curries with random cheap cuts of meat or vegetables thrown in, along with many types of over-dried fish, complete with the head and tail, and other not-so-appetizing choices. I opted for some potato curry and some sort of chicken, chili and green bean combo, along with a nice donut to top it off.

Moving back to the mosque, as I circled around the huge compound, I was approached by a security guard on a motorcycle, thinking that I was going to get in trouble for not dressing appropriately, taking pictures, etc. As it turns out, he (along with many other random Malaysians that I have met) was extremely nice and just wanted to talk for a second. He wanted to know what I thought of the place and offered to take some pictures of me (though they didn't turn out too well). As always, these chance encounters with locals away from the tourist centers always seem to make my day, since I'm always impressed by the true hospitality and friendliness that I find along the way. A few minutes later, the speakers began to buzz and then the call to prayer began to play, droning on in a slightly lyrical way, sending its message across the entire neighborhood. I spoke with one of the workers at the front of the mosque, and I unfortunately couldn't enter to see the inside of the mosque until after prayer time, which would last for another hour, so I didn't have time to wait around. The expansive interior is said to be able to hold 14,000 people, but I didn't see that many shoes outside, so who knows...

On the way back, I had to make a few bus connections, unbeknownst to me, but a few locals helped me find my way, and I was back in KL by the evening, impressed with the signature attraction of Shah Alam.

(The massive blue mosque of Shah Alam, overlooking a nice little lake.)

(The intricate Arabic script of the huge dome, the largest in SE Asia and maybe the world...)

(The front of the mosque, right after being greeted by a very friendly security guard, anxious to know what I thought of the place.)

(If this were a video, soon you'd hear the call to prayer streaming out of the four minarets.)

(I'm not exactly sure why they chose blue, as green is more of a Muslim color, but who knows.)

(Since I couldn't enter during prayer time, I had to admire the outside of the impressive structure.)

(The local buffet. I seemed to be a bit out of place here, but that's good, meaning that it's pretty authentic. You can see random curries, vegetables and lots of dried, crunchy fish.)

(My plate, for under $2. Donuts, potatoes, beef, rice, curry, and flat bread. Pretty good deal.)

(Back in Kuala Lumpur, this is the street market of Jalan Alor. Every night, one lane of the two lane street is cleared out and filled with tables and chairs, offering up hundreds of different kinds of cheap Chinese, Thai and Malaysian food. This is chicken sate/satay, basically just skewered chicken with peanut sauce, grilled over an open flame.)

(The crowded streets of Jalan Alor, just about two blocks from my hostel.)

(The pungent and ever-popular durian fruit. Durian is all over the roadside stalls of SE Asia, and its smell can be overwhelming, but I didn't think it was all that bad. Inside of the prickly exterior are a few pockets of fleshy interior wrapped around large pits.)

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Manchester United Comes to Malaysia

While in a random taxi one of my first days in KL, the driver mentioned something about Manchester United, the world's most famous soccer team, to me in very poor English, trying to tell me something important about them. After going back and forth a few times, I confusedly concluded that perhaps a few of the United players happened to be in town and were partying at some upscale club or hotel. Not really knowing what to think, I left the cab, wondering why he was telling me this. Through town, a lot of people were wearing the red or black Man U jerseys, so I figured something was happening. I spoke to a few other locals and figured out the Man U was actually beginning a brief exhibition tour of Asia with a stop in Kuala Lumpur just two days after I arrived. Unfortunately, tickets were already sold out to the 85,000 seat stadium, as the fans here are huge supporters of the English club team. I asked around, though, trying to get an idea if I could just show up at the stadium and buy scalped tickets from someone, if that market even exists in Malaysia. People seemed a bit confused, though I figured I'd try it anyway. I even spoke for 20 minutes with a woman at the information desk at the KLCC in the base of the Petronas Towers who called all around the city trying to help me out, even calling the hotel where the team was staying to see if they had any extra tickets. Then, the day before the game, just before going to bed, I checked online one last time, and there was an announcement that a few more tickets would be released. I found a local outlet and got through a maze of confusing multi-story Asian malls to find a tiny music shop that is an authorized seller. As my luck would have it, many other shops opened, yet the workers of the music store hadn't arrived, and I started to worry that the limited new supply of tickets would be sold out by the time they got in. Fortunately, 45 minutes late, the two workers showed up, and getting tickets turned out to be quite easy. Amazingly, for a ticket that would be something like $100 in the US, I paid $17 on the day of the game, and I was on my way.

Taking the crowded subway, packed full of red jerseys, I made it to the stadium, amazed at the electric atmosphere of chanting, singing, whistling and overall commotion that surrounded the massive stadium. Seas of red moved in unison, passing food vendors with noodles and sandwiches, t-shirts and horns, pushing towards the entrance gates. Once inside with my general admission ticket, I actually got a good seat at the start of the second level (out of three levels), just behind the goal. The Malaysian national team was already warming up, but the crowd was anxiously awaiting the visitors. As soon as the first Man U player stepped out onto the field, the entire stadium went crazy. I truly didn't have an appreciation for how popular these guys must be worldwide until seeing how beloved they are among a culture half a world away. Every touch, every moment on the big screen, every little nod to the crowd was cheered so loudly by the crowd. They particularly love Rooney, Giggs, Owen, and the coach, Ferguson. The packed stadium greeted both teams, and we were soon underway. Not expecting much from the inferior Malaysian national team, many people cheered for Man U as they dominated early and took the lead after about 15 minutes. Soon after, they pushed it to 2-0, and held control of the game until right about halftime when Malaysia pulled back a fluke goal on one of their few chances. The crowd went absolutely berserk, as they didn't seem to be expecting much from their national side. Later in the game, a mistake by the backup goalkeeper of Manchester gave away an easy goal to Malaysia, tying it up 2-2 and almost leading to hysteria in the stadium. Though Manchester United was still dominating the game, it was tied, and time was running out. Then, with just 5 minutes to go, Michael Owen finished an easy chance and put United ahead 3-2, the way the game finished. The crowd stayed on their feet after the game for a trophy presentation and a victory lap by the celebrities of Manchester United, pleasing the crowd and being pleasantly surprised that their country held their own against a top club team. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures, as the ticket said cameras were not allowed, and I didn't want to risk having mine confiscated.

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The Petronas Towers Standing Tall

The Petronas Towers are the true icon of modern-day Malaysia, standing tall against the skyline, visible from almost every part of the city. When built in 1998, the twin towers stood as the highest building in the world, a pretty significant achievement for the small country of Malaysia, boosting national pride and helping them feel like they are recognized on an international level. The name comes from the government owned petroleum company, Petroleum Nasional...hence Petronas. Each of the adjacent towers are 88 stories high, connected by a sky bridge on the 41st floor. Since being built, a few newer buildings have claimed the title of the world's tallest building, though they still hold on to the claim of the world's tallest PAIR of buildings, standing at something like 1,490 feet tall. They were designed by an Argentinian architect, emphasizing Muslim influences in the construction of the building, consisting of five tiers representing the five pillars of Islam, using star shapes as the pattern, again from Islam and each building have a base of 18 points - thirteen for the number of states in the country plus the five pillars of Islam. Despite seeing them on tv and movies (they play a key role in the movie Entrapment), it was amazing to see them in person, shooting up out of the ground and dominating the skyline. At the base is a massive six story shopping mall surrounded by a large park, all encapsulated within the KLCC moniker, Kuala Lumpur City Centre. My first forray into the mall was actually disappointing for the sole reason that I opted for the fourth floor food court and was not too happy with my meal. It's not that the meal was all that bad, but I opted for some touristy Chinese food, and I had come to expect so much from the wonderful Malaysian cuisine throughout the city that I really second guessed my choice of food for the next few hours, knowing the potential of other meals in the vicinity. My second time there, I went to a Thai restaurant where I had the real version of Penang curry, a yellow mix of coconut milk, chili paste and curry powder, along with a few vegetables and chicken. This is one of my favorite meals back home, so I was anxious to try the real thing, and it didn't disappoint.

For my second day in KL, I awoke early and got up to the basement of KLCC, where I lined up with a bunch of other eager tourists, getting in line for the free passes up to the Sky Bridge. Though it's free, they limit the amount of people to something like 1,600 per day, so you have to arrive early, get a pass and then come back at your scheduled time, so I chose a ticket for later in the day, as the perpetual haze in the sky starts to clear off by that time. I'm told that KL is often like this, as the heat and humidity create some haze, but the larger part is attributable to the burning of rainforests and garbage in Indonesia, with the smoke and pollution being carried North by the prevailing winds. As for the Sky Bridge, at 3:45, about 20 of us watched a short 3D video (3D was not that good) about the towers, and then we took the express elevator up to the 41st floor, the highest level you are able to reach as a visitor. Walking into the wide hallway, the windows all around give panoramic views of the entire city spread around you. It was great to get the aerial view, but within about 15 minutes, we were all ushered out, back down the elevator to make room for the next group. I then spent the evening relaxing in the park below, enjoying the view of the buildings and watching the sky change from hazy grey to a bit of pink to a deep blue as night set in.

(The massive Petronas Towers, nicely symmetrical.)

(Here you can see a few of the tiers, relating to the pillars of Islam and the numerous points, relating to the pillars of Islam plus the number of states in Malaysia. It sounds like they actually planned this out before they built it - always a good idea.)

(Cool picture, but this really took so, so long for someone to get it right. It's amazing how many people took pictures where you could hardly even see the towers.)

(From the Sky Bridge, looking down on the city park below. Notice the imposing shadow produced by the towers.)

(If you zoom in, you can tell exactly what time this sunset happened, as there is a massive digital clock on the building on the right.)

(Just a little while later. The sky changed, but I stayed in the same place.)

(At night, the bright lights can be seen from all over the city.)

(As I'm typing this, I'm singing the Standing Tall song in my head, the theme song from the old sitcom Perfect Strangers, I think. Either way, catchy, terrible old song.)

(I have nothing left to say at this point, though my head keeps telling me to write Standing Talllll... Unfortunately I don't know any more of the lyrics to that song, so that's just repeating over and over in my head.)

(A great way to finish off the day, with a bowl of penang curry in the KLCC. This coconut chili mix is one of the best meals ever invented.)

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Kuala Lumpur (aka KL)

I arrived in Kuala Lumpur around 4:45 in the morning after a night of sliding around the bus as it sped through the windy roads of the center of the country. Overnight buses always seem like a good idea, but the reality is that it typically means that I just get a few hours of sleep and arrive groggy in an unknown city early the next morning. I talked to a few people at the crowded bus station, finding that the subway didn't start up until 6:30 or 7 and not wanting to pay the 50% surcharge on taxis after midnight, I decided to just find a seat and wait it out, deciding that once the prices went back to normal at 6, I'd take a taxi in town and hope to find a place to relax for a while. Predictably, the taxi drivers still tried to scam me, refusing to use their meters, and I eventually gave in, not wanting to wait around another hour or two to find an honest driver, though I only paid about a dollar extra - another instance where it's not so much the amount of money but just the whole concept that really annoys me. Stepping out of the taxi to my potential hostel, I found a narrow stairway and a sign pointing to the third floor, though I quickly thought I'd find a different place, as there was a homeless guy sleeping on the concrete threshold of the entrance, meaning that I'd literally have to step over him to get to my place, thinking that might not be the best sign. Fortunately there was another cheap hotel just a few doors down, and I got a private room, deciding it was worth it, as I took a nice nap in the comfort of the dark, air conditioned room.

Not knowing what to expect, I explored the city in the next few days, finding a mix of a few colonial style buildings, interesting Indian and Chinese influences and Arabic-inspired architecture all contributing to the look and feel of the city. There are not of lot of major sites in the city, but I did take a bus tour to get an idea of the layout of the city as well as providing quick transportation to each of the spots. Winding through crowded streets filled with buses, walkers, cars and incredible amounts of scooters and motorcycles, we passed a few key attractions, with the mosques and domes catching my eye along the way. The city is also linked by a series of subways, trains and monorails, all having been developed separately and thus not linking all that easily to each other, though taxis are really cheap, so that's the easier way to get around anyway. By the way, the name Kuala Lumpur means "Muddy Confluence," as it originally developed as a trading center at the meeting point of two muddy rivers.

Overall, the city had a decent feel, but I was more excited about doing a few day trips to the outlying areas and sampling the exquisite food. Even more than Singapore, I was really, really impressed by the food in KL. A mix of Chinese, Indian, Thai, local curry, noodles, rice and even a bit of Arabic, the offerings here are full of flavor and variety, all at very cheap prices. I had assorted noodles, soups and curries, usually for about $2 a plate. There was even a night market street just two blocks from my hostel where they literally stack plastic tables and chairs out into one lane of the two lane road, filling up with tourists and locals until the early hours of the morning with any variety of fresh seafood, curry, noodles and fresh fruit. The putrid smell of the durian, the "King of Fruit", was also present around this area. The durian, a large, spiky, hard brown fruit about the size of a large cantaloupe is iconic in Southeast Asia. The smell is described as something of a mix of disinfectant and vomit, being so strong that it is even banned in some hotels, taxis and restaurants. I spoke to some locals who despise the odor, but there are just as many, if not more, that absolutely love the fruit, purchasing it from the markets or roadside stands selling just this that line the backroads of the country. I even gave it a try, watching the vendor chop open the hard casing with a machete and prying it apart to reveal a few large pockets within the thick white inside. The pockets are a custard yellow color, looking a bit like a chicken breast. The fleshy part, covering a large pit, is probably most like the texture of a dense avocado, not really sweet, and obviously not tasting like anything I had ever eaten before. I chomped down the few pieces that I bought, actually not falling into either of the two polarizing groups that love it or hate it.

(The colorful colonial buildings of an area near Little India backed by a modern skyscraper.)

(One of the government buildings on the side of Merdeka Square...I think Merdeka means independence or freedom or something.)

(An incredible version of the Thai dish pad kee mao. This is a spicy basil noodle dish with vegetables and ground chicken. I went back twice for this, and it was only $1.67. I regret not sending a few of these back home via the mail.)

(A fragrant display near the Hindu temple in Little India.)

(Incense coils in a Buddhist temple in the area between Chinatown and Little India. I call it Littletown.)

(The Sultan Abdul something something building. Nice enough to take a picture, not nice enough to look up the proper name.)

(One of the guards at the government house, trying to stay awake.)

(More interesting buildings along Merdeka Square. This place was probably the most interesting area in the city in terms of buildings.)

(Once again in Merdeka Square, with the KL Tower in the back left of the picture.)

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The Underwater World of Pulau Perhentian

The Perhentian Islands, as with many other islands off the East coast of Malaysia, are said to have some of the best marine life in the world, so I figured I should give it a shot. Along with the three French girls, two Danish girls and an Austrian couple, we began a day tour snorkelling all around the island. Each of these tours guarantee that you will see turtles and probably sharks, so I was excited at the prospect, not really having much experience snorkelling other than a pathetic little trip while in Jamaica as a teenager. Our first stop took us out to a buoy, and I was immediately blown away by what I saw in the clear water. Hills and gardens of coral of every imaginable type anchored the sea floor below us, yielding the array of shapes and colors that I had only seen in documentaries before. Greens, yellows, oranges, reds and blues intermingled, all surrounded by small schools of fish, some colorful, some almost hidden from view. We couldn't believe the diversity and sheer quantity of everything below, swimming around in cirlces for about half an hour until it was time to move to our next spot.

Cruising around to the South side of Pulau Perhentian Besar (the bigger of the group of two islands), we passed a few beaches and rock outcrops until we arrived at 'Shark Point.' We were instructed to keep quiet and follow the instructor who, with any luck, would point out a few sharks that we'd be able to follow around for a while. Within minutes, he pointed ahead, and we saw our first shark. A black tipped reef shark, it was probably about 6 or 7 feet long, though they are very shy and almost always turn the other way when they see humans. The group clammored forward to get a view of the elusive fish, but it was soon back in the depths of the water, away from our view. Trying to keep up, my mask filled with water a few times (possibly user error, but I think it actually was not the greatest mask), so I ended up near the back of the group, just cruising around, trying to see what I could see. A few minutes later, looking through the coral below, a group of two sharks appeared just below me, oblivious to me floating above. Both of these were probably slightly larger than me, and I had to remind myself that these are not at all aggressive and pose almost no threat to me, though there's always that half second of fear instilled in us by horror movies. I kept up with the sharks for a while, watching them swim effortlessly around the sea floor just 20 feet below me before seeing them disappear into the distance. We saw one more shark, and that was it for our Shark Point adventure.

Next was Turtle Point. Here, we rode out to a deeper point between the two islands and just waited. Our guide insisted that a tiny dark spot barely visible on the ocean floor was a turtle and told us to wait. As we waited skeptically, the spot grew larger and larger and soon we dove in to examine. It was in face a huge sea turtle, coming up from the ocean floor for air. Minutes later, there were a few more in the vicinity, and I even had one to myself to chase around for a while before he grew tired of me and sped away. The massive turtles are amazing up close, paddling so freely through the water, looking from side to side for their next meal. As before, this was truly like a show on the Discovery channel, only I was actually able to get this close and see the natural beauty firsthand. Later, we had a quick stop for lunch and another stop at some other incredible coral gardens. Not thinking I'd ever be that impressed by snorkelling, I was blown away by this tour and was certainly glad that I paid the $12 to do it.

I hurried and caught the ferry back that night, enthralled by the day underwater and also wanting to escape the other tourists. Arriving back in Kuala Besut, I got my ticket for the overnight bus to Kuala Lumpur and waited, giving me four hours to sit around town, have dinner and pretty much do nothing. I found a friendly group of travel agents who had a powerful fan in their office, so I talked with them for a while in between watching them guide tourists to their hotels on the islands, and I eventually left and found a small cafe with tables overlooking the ocean, though there was no beach there, just a concrete walkway and tiny park. After a while, one of the guys from the travel agency appeared and sat down to have a drink while I finished my dinner. The conversation began simple enough, though it sooned turned awkward. He said he wanted to ask something but wanted to be sure that I wouldn't tell anyone about it. Not knowing what to expect, I told him that was fine, and he stammered and stuttered before eventually coming out with a quiet little statement. I'll spare the exact wording, but he, in broken and whispered English though in no uncertain terms, offered me an indecent proposal. Not really knowing how to react, though feling a bit bad for the guy as it took a lot of courage for him to ask, especially given the strict Muslim society here, I politely declined, and then another predictably awkward silence followed. He soon finished up his drink and went back home, and then I got on the bus for my trip to the capital.

(The rocky shore and amazing water around "Shark Point." I actually did see about four black tipped reef sharks here in the water, so I guess the guy that named it knew what he was talking about.)

(Getting ready to dive in. Try not to be blinded by the beaming white light coming from my chest - that's actually just my untanned skin. Better than nice thick leathery skin, I guess.)

(The beach right around our lunch stop at the Southern end of Pulau Perhentian Besar/The Big Island.)

(About to get back on the boat. I may or may not be wearing the same shirt as in the pictures from the previous day. The good news is that I was snorkelling, so I didn't need a shirt most of the day.)

(One of the signs on the wall of a local restaurant in town, forbidding to pungent smelling fruit.)

(My dinner in Kuala Besut - a nice spicy rice dish followed by a very awkward conversation with one of the locals...)

(Another great meal - kway teoh, basically just fried noodles, meat and veggies. You can't go wrong. I'm salivating a little bit as I type this.)

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