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Friday 31 October 2014

From Senai to JB


If you fly with AirAsia into Senai International airport, Johor Bahru (JB) you can get a free bus ride into JB. Go to the bus kiosk just inside the main terminal exit and enter your flight booking number into the PC on the counter. You will be issued tickets for the short bus ride to JB Sentral station. From here you can catch buses or trains to Singapore, or trains heading north in Malaysia. If you want to catch a bus for another destination in Malaysia, take a local bus from JB Sentral to Larkin bus station where buses leave regularly to many destinations.

While waiting for our free bus, we noted the clothing choice of the locals who were also waiting. Although most of the women were wearing traditional Muslim garb covering their bodies from head to foot - only showing their hands and faces - most had an extra layer, a jacket, coat, or some such. To a man the gents were clad in long sleeves - some with a second layer of a jumper or jacket - trousers or jeans, and even though they were wearing the ubiquitous thongs or sandals, some were also wearing socks.

Standing and waiting for our bus into town we commented on how accustomed to the heat and humidity the locals were, juxtaposed with our comfort level and clothing choice. We were wearing the minimum required for modesty in a nominally secular, but in reality, Muslim country - short sleeved shirt, shorts, and thongs.
Only a few degrees north of the equator the temperature rarely dips below 25C and when the humidity tops out at 100% the air bleeds rain.

Standing in this Southeast Asian sauna the sweat begins to run down your back. It collects and fills the small. Once full, it then cascades happily down the valley of bum to join the other rivulets pouring south. By the time the bus arrived we were how you say - moist!

The relief encountered by the initial blast of frigid air from the bus air-conditioning was quickly tempered as all the previously mentioned body moisture began to rapidly evaporate in the near-arctic 18C ... 18C! Who sets the a/c to 18C in the tropics?

Our bodies attempted to adapt from 35C & 100% humidity to 18C & 20% humidity, but were found lacking. Luckily my travelling companion had a light jumper with a hood or I fear she may have been overcome with hypothermia and gone into shock. It was about now that we realised why the locals were dressed as they were.




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