Pacific 2004 - Day 68 - Malaysia to Thailand

• Lots of airport time today on way to Chiang Mai
• Chiang Mai has good vibe - clean + friendly + cheap!
• Checked into Yourhouse Guesthouse (220 Baht/night)
• Buffet dinner @ Utopia - nice salad fixins, grillable meat, spaghetti bol.
• Cheap internet - 30B/hr (75 cents)

Pacific 2004 - Day 67 - Malaysia

• Caught bus to Batu Caves
• Caves cool, but monkeys cooler! - Shannon nearly mugged by teenage hooligan monkey thugs - saw a few (one over + over?) newborns clinging to mom-monkeys
• Also: roving wild dogs + shy black-faced monkeys
• Finally (!) caught bus back to KL
• Internet + more software in Chinatown
• Back to Chili's for chips, salads + more monsoon viewing
• Bookstore :)
• Picked up sushi (7 nigire for RM8!) + fruit for dinner
• To room for dinner + TV

Pacific 2004 - Day 66 - Malaysia

• Walked to Golden Triangle - Monorail!
• Went to find Sunday Market - closed - nighttime only
• Shopped Central Market
• Back to hotel for a swim
• Early dinner @ Chili's in KLCC - nice view of daily late afternoon monsoon!
• Walked around mall - bookstore! - back to hotel for TV

Pacific 2004 - Day 65 - Malaysia

• Shopped Little India + Chinatown - software, clothes, tea
• Learned about tea @ Teh Is Tea near Penggong
• Saw The Grudge - creepy - at Suria KLCC
• Back to Little India for night market

Pacific 2004 - Day 64 - Malaysia

• Left Taman Negara by longboat - saw monitor, monkeys + boar - awesome trip downriver

• In Jerantut, booked hotel in KL (cheap for 4 stars!) + flight to Chiang Mai, Thailand
• Merry Miss Sunshine served fast lunch in Jerantut, barely in time to make shuttle to KL
• Checked into Corus Hotel in KL - nice :) - had buffet dinner (RM112)

Pacific 2004 - Day 63 - Malaysia

• Looks like our candidate didn't quite win - fellow traveler gave us news of close electoral college vote while we...
• Hiked the jungle up to a lookout - walked the canopy walk - saw a poisonous snake + huge ants

• Rested, showered, rested more
• Went to aboriginal village upriver - blew darts, made fire, had a young civet walk on us - cool! - good boat ride back

• Will leave Taman Negara a day early to head to KL

Pacific 2004 - Day 62 - Malaysia

• Shuttle to Tembeling Jetty
• Great boat ride to Taman Negara - very cool + comfy - saw 1 monkey + 1 monitor

• Checked into Ekoton Village - cranked the A/C!
• Relaxed today + tried to get election results - unresolved @ bedtime
• Met + talked (listened) to Dave - former military / San Antonio resident

Pacific 2004 - Day 61 - Malaysia

• B-fast @ Cherating Cottage (RM8)
• Bus to Kuantan (RM6) - lunch @ A&W! (RM12)
• Bus to Jerantut (RM21)
• Stayed @ Hotel Sri Emas (RM48)
• Booked trip to Taman Negara (RM575)
• Yummy roti dinner @ Muslim restaurant on Jl Besar (RM8) - is it insensitive to eat at a Muslim restaurant before sundown during Ramadan? Stupid tourist...

Pacific 2004 - Day 60 - Malaysia

• Breakfast on Jl Mahkota (RM6)
• Bus to Cherating
• Checked into Cherating Cottage (RM50) - friendly owners
• Rainy, blah beach
• Lunch + dinner @ Duyong Restaurant on beach - awesome watermelon/lime juice drink (RM26 lunch, RM 20 dinner)
• Decided against going north along eastern coast - will head to Taman Negara Nat'l Park

Pacific 2004 - Day 59 - Singapore to Malaysia

• Breakfast on Timah Bukit (S$11)
• Bus to Johor Bahru, Malaysia (S$4)
• Taxi to JB Airport (40 Malaysian Ringgit [RM])
• Flight to Kuantan via Kuala Lumpur (RM314 total)
• Stayed @ Tong Nam Ah Hotel (RM25) - great ceiling fan - pretty comfortable