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.

Panas & Pedas

When you come across these words in Indonesia or Malaysia, it is worth the effort to understand their difference & meaning.

Both mean hot but with quite distinct and important differences. One means high temperature, the other spicy.

The Indonesian & Malay word for water is air, so if you see a sign for Air Panas you can be sure there is a hot spring nearby.

It could be embarrassing to ask for directions to the spicy spring.

If you are looking at a food item in a store, or reading a menu and see Pedas, rest assured the product or dish will be spicy.

The Indonesians & Malays are known for their use Chilli, so it would behove you to know the difference.

Image: C. D. Solum

Knowledge of the words is useful, but remembering which is which can be difficult. One way to remember is to break down the word into its component parts, or meanings.

Pedas: ped - from the Latin for foot. as - the Greek for bum.

So remember, hot spicy food will give you a kick up the bum later.

Panas: pan - is from the French meaning a cooking implement. as - the Greek for bum.

So remember, if whacked on the bum with a pan the affected area will become hot.

I hope this has been of some use.

MY14 Pre-trip warm up

It is just under a week until Tight Arse Travel is off again, this time for a two-week sojourn in Malaysia. We have stayed a few nights in Kuala Lumpur over the past 3 years; poor flight connections with cheap airlines, and the opportunity for a quick look whetted our appetite. We liked what we saw, and on the recommendation of other travellers decided that the time was ripe for a proper investigation of another of our South-East Asian neighbours. That and an extraordinarily cheap return ticket!

 Image: Man Vs World - http://www.manversusworld.com/for-the-best-view-of-the-petronas-towers/

This time we are upping the ante – Tight Arse goes Light Arse; we are attempting our first trip without checked baggage.

Since the big Bali mountain biking extravaganza of 2013, we have been reading about one-bag travel and think we are ready to attempt a one-bag trip. That said, we two tight arses have paid for one checked bag between us just in case we go crazy buying wooden dolphins or there is run-out sale of Tiger Balm. We will be taking one bag each on the outward leg, but if we need extra capacity, we will buy a cheap bag for the dolphins and Tiger Balm and check it in for the homeward leg.

The aim is to not only keep costs down, but decrease the time and hassle spent checking in and picking up bags from the carousel. Travelling in the tropics makes this proposal easier as there is no need to pack bulky or warm clothes; it may be a tougher gig trying it in a colder clime.

On previous trips we have tried to keep the stuff we pack to a minimum; especially clothes, but invariably we always take things we do not use, prompting us to cut down even more this time. Hopefully we have not forgotten anything, but if we have, we will have fun trying to find it in Malaysia. It feels quite liberating knowing that the only bag you have to worry about, is the one on your back.

We have both purchased Kathmandu Shuttle cargo 40l bags. They are designed to be the maximum size airlines allow as carry-on, and after a test pack, we have both come in around the 5kg mark, well under the 7kg airline limit for carry-on - look out for a bag review later.

Image: Kathmandu - http://www.kathmandu.com.au/packs-and-bags/hybrids/shuttle-cargo-v4-black-1.html

        

The plan so far is to spend the first few days in KL exploring the delights of the capital, then fly to Johor Bahru (JB) and check out the house and street I lived in when my Father was posted to Singapore in the British Navy. We were going to take the Jungle Railway to Tumpat in the far northeast near the Thai border and spend some time beach bumming. KTM, the Malay railways put paid to that idea as they have shut down day-time trips for two years while they work on the line during the day; that journey will have to wait for another trip.

So now the plan is to bus it from JB to Melaka and check out the heritage listed trading port for a few days, then head further north to Pulau Pangkor, a small island about halfway between KL and Penang on the west coast for some coastal relaxing. Pangkor does not have the pulling power of the more well known Penang or Langkawi, but it also lacks the crowds of drunk westerners looking for a good time. We are looking forward to some beach time and hopefully some snorkelling, maybe a jungle trek, and a cycle or scooter around the island.

Then it is back to KL for the last two days for a significant birthday dinner before heading home.

We are looking forward to some warmth after a particularly bitter Southern Australian winter, some tasty food, and maybe a few cold beverages! But most of all we are looking forward to being in a foreign country, interacting with the locals, and enjoying whatever comes our way.