Well, I realize that I owe everyone 8 additional December blog posts. They were written, I'll have you know, but never published. I have them saved somewhere on the laptop that used to belong to me but now belongs to my friend Dave. I sold off my belongings and left Japan. I'm tempted to start a photoblog or a myspace page so that everything I do will be centralized, but that would mean two blog spaces that I would neglect.
There's much to be said about January in Japan. There were more good-byes and good-bye parties and farewell photos taking place for a whole lifetime. And, in a way, leaving Japan was like leaving a very special life. My social footprints will fade eventually and it will be up to me to maintain the network of friends I've built up there. I'll not hesitate to say that I'll return to Japan at some point in the future. It was just too important to neglect.
But let's focus on the present, shall we? I left Japan on January 27th and flew into Singapore, where Jacob, Phil and I stayed for three nights before departing to Malaysia. Singapore is like a souped-up version of a Japanese city but with English, tropical weather and people from India, China and other major corners of the globe. The food is exceptionally good and relatively cheap. Singapore is the most expensive destination in Southeast Asia and was the gateway for our entire journey. Our hosts were fantastic. Yuliana and Voldi not only put us up for free but showed us around the city and took me to a clinic when I had a health issue. We enjoyed a night of eating and Tiger beer in Chinatown where we met some other travellers and made some friends. The next day we spent at the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari which was great because I got to witness the feeding of giraffes, which are pretty much my favourite animals.
After leaving Singapore we decided we would enjoy some island life on beautiful Tioman Island, but after crossing into Malaysia and arriving at Mersing (the port city gateway to Tioman) we learned that there were no ferry boats going that day because the sea was too rough. We spent the day in Mersing playing cards and drinking beer and unsuccessfully attempting to use the internet cafe through 3 separate blackouts. Fortunately Gin Rummy requires no electricity.
The Tioman Island trip deserves its own entry, so I'll post some photos now and leave it at that. I'll write a second post later tonight once we've toured around Melaka, which is where I sit now after a 3 day vacation on arguably one of the most beautiful islands in the world.
I'm happy and I have a tan. I could get used to this.
There's much to be said about January in Japan. There were more good-byes and good-bye parties and farewell photos taking place for a whole lifetime. And, in a way, leaving Japan was like leaving a very special life. My social footprints will fade eventually and it will be up to me to maintain the network of friends I've built up there. I'll not hesitate to say that I'll return to Japan at some point in the future. It was just too important to neglect.
But let's focus on the present, shall we? I left Japan on January 27th and flew into Singapore, where Jacob, Phil and I stayed for three nights before departing to Malaysia. Singapore is like a souped-up version of a Japanese city but with English, tropical weather and people from India, China and other major corners of the globe. The food is exceptionally good and relatively cheap. Singapore is the most expensive destination in Southeast Asia and was the gateway for our entire journey. Our hosts were fantastic. Yuliana and Voldi not only put us up for free but showed us around the city and took me to a clinic when I had a health issue. We enjoyed a night of eating and Tiger beer in Chinatown where we met some other travellers and made some friends. The next day we spent at the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari which was great because I got to witness the feeding of giraffes, which are pretty much my favourite animals.
After leaving Singapore we decided we would enjoy some island life on beautiful Tioman Island, but after crossing into Malaysia and arriving at Mersing (the port city gateway to Tioman) we learned that there were no ferry boats going that day because the sea was too rough. We spent the day in Mersing playing cards and drinking beer and unsuccessfully attempting to use the internet cafe through 3 separate blackouts. Fortunately Gin Rummy requires no electricity.
The Tioman Island trip deserves its own entry, so I'll post some photos now and leave it at that. I'll write a second post later tonight once we've toured around Melaka, which is where I sit now after a 3 day vacation on arguably one of the most beautiful islands in the world.
I'm happy and I have a tan. I could get used to this.
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