Well, I had this chance of choosing different modes of transport to be in Hatyai for 1 night. Well I chose to take the train, off to KL Sentral to purchase my tickets and bought myself a sleeping berth.

I have not been on the train for a good number of years, so it's exciting again to go on a journey like this.... the moment I stepped on board ... wow... the same setting I remembered when I was a kid. My parents use to take me to Singapore via train when I was a kid. 20 years later I see the same outlook except it has air-condition coach. KTM must have done a really good job in maintaining these coaches.

Never mind, I just put my bags on my upper sleeping berth and climbed on.... Guess what, either the bed had shrunk or I had grown in size.... as I remembered not too long ago when travelling with my parent I use to have so much space to sleep on the upper berth.... errr, , wait, wait... reality hit me.... hey it's 20 years later... duh!

Oh well, make do with the amount of space I have.... There were backpackers foreign tourist and local in the same coach. A foreign tourist asked me where does she store her backpack, err,,... good question.. well I just said up on our beds I guess.....

Next were senior citizens that occupy the bed below me and opposite me as well, as they got on the first thing they said to each other is take care of your belongings. The stories they've heard .. waking up and all your belongings are taken away..... wow.. I could not believe this statement. and guess what... big stickers everywhere saying be careful of your belongings... haiz.... we live in the year of 2007 now, Malaysia has pushed so much in ICT and a safe country for us to live in .. but KTM cannot invest in a CCTV camera to view coaches for security reasons.... oooo I forgot , they must preserve the whole outlook of the train....

Onward with my journey, 2045 hrs it says on the ticket, we pushed off at about 2050.... about 15mins later I saw a station coming up and I viewed thru the window.... aiks dejavu... I'm seeing Sentral Station.... errr... okok it's only 2145hrs, I'm not dreaming yet, can't be..... ohhh we traveled the opposite way and came back ... I wondered why????

I slept ok, waking up at almost every stop the train made. Morning came and it was sunrise, picked up my camera and took a few shots of the sunrise, waiting and waiting to arrive at my destination. I went to the bathroom... aiyeeeee..... I don't think you wanna go if it's really necessary..... but I had to go ....

After various announcement , yes there is announcement but you really have to pay attention because the announcer shouts into the mic , and it's kind of hard to make out what he says at times....

We have arrives in Padang Besar, the border between Thailand and Malaysia. this is interesting.... No proper announcement of what to do, just some mumbling over the speakers, the foreign tourist was talking amongst themselves of "are we taking our bags down, changing trains" most were just clueless including me.

Oh well I just took my camera bag and walked out the train. Oh it's the checkpoint here, we have to stamp our passports here in this station. So much for information and visit Malaysia Year... absolutely no proper information to tourist and locals alike..... When does the tourism ministry and KTM wake up to know that to attract more tourist some small details needs to be looked at....

Proceed to get my passport stamped, had everything cleared and about to board back to the train.... we have to wait 30mins before we can get back on board, reason: they need to refuel change coaches... but but but.. my backpack is still in there and so it the other passengers..... the train then chucks along in reverse... and I'm just hoping to see my backpack again.

The train arrives back at the station except now it looks a lot shorter, the engine, 2 coaches and a generator coach I think. Passengers go back into the coach, and everyone just see if their belongings are still there... phew it is....

Waiting anxiously as when again the train is going to move out again to get to my final destination. At last by the time it arrived into Hatyai station it was 15 1/2 hours from Kuala Lumpur to Hatyai..... phew

If I remember vaguely , I travel form Frankfurt to Amsterdam by rail took me about 6 hours.... wow I survived a 15 plus hours train ride.
Definitely a Malaysia boleh concept for rail travel for me that is... I'll definitely vote KTM an award for slow scenery travel ......

TAXI's in KL...

After my amusement in KLIA, I know it's bad for me to criticise the issues but frequent travellers will totally agree with me of the scenes that goes on..... sigh.

My reason for writing is to enlighten and not to create any uproar since we have Visit Malaysia 2007/08

Now comes my ride on the Express Rail Link (ERL) 28 minutes into the city. Well it's kind of near my house though but not walking distance, mind you if I had 1 suitcase with wheels, I could be home much faster than my bags are needed to tour around the airport.

As I get to the Sentral station, I would queue up to get a Taxi coupon as we are not encouraging touts but there are 2 lines available, a budget & a premium taxi's. Hmmm, obvious reasons for me 5 minutes ride less than 5km of journey to my home in Bangsar.

I nearly dropped to the ground, not my slip disc this time. The counter attendant had the cheek to charge me RM18.00 from KL Sentral to my house in Bangsar (near the McDonald's area).

I just ask what about the price listed on the back of the board that spells out the fares.
My reply "We have changed mangement, the fare does not apply". wow I thot ok recent changeover of mangement, but hey this incident happened 2 years ago and I keep amusing my self every time I walk past the taxi counters, the fare listing is still there.

What a joke! 'Malaysia Boleh' attitude I guess. And the best part is there is a complaint number listed, as with all numbers printed anywhere in Malaysia for complaints, 80% no one ever picks up the phone. Sigh..... oh well, I just had to call my home minister to pick me up at the Arrival area.

Another issue is KL Taxi's are famous even in our neighbouring country Singapore. Most time I get on a taxi in Singapore, usual chatter where from, etc etc. I always get told this by a few cabbies in Singapore, "KL Taxi's very famous for not using meters and overcharging" Well obvious reasons I would deny the statement and guess what it's not hear say from these cabbies. This statement is actually related to them by actual travellers who visits Malaysia and ongoing journey to Singapore.

They actually open the taxi door in Singapore and negotiate the price before going into the taxi. Well I won't blame them, I would do the same in any foreign country if I was short changed. I hope there are enough enforcement officers in KL to deter all this bad experiences to the tourist, I guess not. Hey we created a distinct product that tourist will remember our country by..... ( I wonder can this be patent or not?)

Ahhh well, hope for the best......... Malaysia Boleh..........

KLIA Amusement

August 22, 2006

I just can't fail to amused myself every trip I land in Kuala Lumpur International Airport KLIA. We have one of the best built airport in the region but the workings of it seemed to have a flaw. I travel at least once a month via KLIA to various destinations. It seems every trip that I'm back if ever I have a checked-in baggage, I would seemed to need to wait 40mins at the carousel, that is not included the time I took to shift my bum from my window seat of the aircraft, seeing other passengers rushing to get out of the aircraft like it's the end of the world or there is gold to be picked up when we get to the terminal building. ( I never found any!)

Generally it'll be in the satellite terminal, waiting for the aerotrain, getting to the main building, going down an escalator clearing customs. On a leisurely stroll it would have taken from 20mins to 30mins before reaching the carousel. Not to mention putting our little thub print on the passport scanner.

Hmmm, I often wonder if there was any slight chance the MAB (Malaysia Airports Berhad) did a annual competition of fitness run with an average baggage with wheels, from the satellite building to the main building, it would have been less than 60 minutes!!!

It's funny when you see the staff manning the baggage reclaim area excuses's they have no doubt most recycled throughout the 365 days, the conveyor belt broke down.

Hang on, no wonder it breaks, we have increased visitors from various parts of the world. That's what I lie to myself in order not to test my own patience. But wait again, in the newspaper some week back that another airline is pulling out this sector.
I'm confused now, never mind I'm still standing patiently waiting for my bag that's still touring the world class KLIA airport. Seeing so many passengers zooming pass me with 2 or 3 bags in their hand carried from the aircraft cabin.

The moment I walk out to the arrival hall, it always reminded me of my childhood days when my parents brought me to the food court. Owners or helpers from the stalls would swarm to the table like bees shouting to you what they have, 'wan ton mee', Rojaks, chow kuey teow.....

Sigh.... even with a high security area, they cannot get rid of the touts. During the exits it makes it look like a fish market in Japan where they are auctioning off the best fish for a price, here in KLIA thay are shouting for passengers who arrive which hotel to stay, car rentals and taxi services.............
Will we ever change from this scene......just wishful thinking.

Anything Can Happen...

This happened to me in september 2005.

Hi All,

For the last one week I had been confined to a hospital bed with limited movements due to a mishap of Slip Disc. It's funny how it happen, I was having a shower, lifted up my left leg to apply soap and I heard a rubber band snapping sound plus a jolt of electric shock on my back. Immediately my back gave way and I was on the floor crouching. I thought I had pulled a muscle, after 20 mins or rest I could not move my back, I suspected it was a slip disc.

Was was I to do, water still spraying onto my back, getting a bit cold. My wife was away in Australia. I had a lady house-mate staying with us at that time. How we communicated was another story. I took the towel and bit it, ran from the bathroom to my bed, upon getting to my bed I saw my handpone or the up-market word 'mobile phone'... I thought I can reach it from the bed. I got to the bed, slept on it, what a relief but #$%&* I could not reach to my mobile phone. I tried to move but I could not move by this time.

30mins later, I had to get my mobile phone, biting on the towel again but cursing this round took it. I called my house-mate downstairs informed her about my problem, asked her to come to my room to help me. Putting down the phone only to realize that I'm still naked.
Biting on my towel again, I can't believed I managed to wear my clothes while having a slip disc.

Ambulance arrived ..........
Anyways, transported to hospital by ambulance, Malaysian drivers culture not really giving way to ambulances. With the siren blaring, the ambulance driver still needs to use his horn.

Arriving at the hospital, the pain was getting worst. The doctor gave me a pain killer jab. That was really comfortable. I was whelled up to the ward.
My parents were there as well. I told mum I wanted to eat chicken porridge. She bought it, having to be staying in a private ward, it had this electronic bed, where you can adjust the tilt of the bed.

Guess what? Very macho I press on the button to tilt the bed so that I can enjoy my chicken porridge. Did I enjoy...... NOOOOOOOO... the tilt actually aggrevated the pain. I was hugging the bars on the side of the bed. Pressing on the panic button to call the nurse into the ward.
Nurses rushed in asking what's the problem... I just said pain killer, pain killer... dumb founded the nurse just stood ther looking at me asking me 'are you in pain?' I could have just answered 'No I just press the button to see if it is working' What was she thinking?

In the end I got my jab and managed to enjoy my chicken porridge with pain but still a week at the hospital.

This would serve as a warning to all who are over-eaters, big bellies, etc... take care of your back else it wont take care of you....

My first official Blog ...

Issit it funny that I have been using the computer since dunno when , and the web since I can barely remember, days whereby e-mails hoaxes were so real.....

Washed my toilets with coke, forward e-mails with each e-mail earning me money .... thinking of that I should have been a millionaire by now but still with no sign of my $$$$$..... Haiz.....
Also numerous chain-mails that says will change my luck if I forward more e-mails and I'm still waiting for my luck to change.... the only changes I got was my hair thinning.

Anyways I will start from here........ never too late to start .....

I'm known as Pan8a by most. I love to eat and sleep.... hehe... my passion is taking photographs and also scuba-diving.