Malacca, Melaka...? My mouth hurts!

Malacca, Malaysia

18/10/19 - Kuala Lumpur

The world is a strange and glorious place, which continuously surprises me. Somehow, by chance, luck or convenience, I managed to bump into an old friend from secondary school here in Kuala Lumpur. What are the odds? It is so comforting to know that you can be on the other side of the globe and meet someone that reminds you of home; pure nostalgia. We were both within the same friendship group, however, naivety never allowed us to become close. We revelled about our past selves, shared stories, mistakes made and everything in-between. Now adults, with an abundance of understanding and genuine empathy, we can communicate in a way that would never have been explored when we knew each other before.

Lesson number two: You are never truly alone, when you least expect it, someone will be there for you.

19/10/19

Anxiety is pulsing through my body and mind as I am trying to lull myself into sleep. Reminiscing can open old wounds and remind yourself of who you used to be, how you were influenced and how much you've grown. I know I am a better person now and a lot more understanding, however, it makes you evaluate your past self and WHY you did and said what you did. I was always so influenced and bound by what others did and thought, never believing that my own opinion or morals mattered. Why would they? Yet now, I can make sense of this and take what I need from it in order to grow.

I still get pangs of anxiety about the past, especially from school... I loved school, but I didn't necessarily love myself when I was at school because I genuinely did not know who I wanted to be. Plus, it's that typical thing that if you were confident and chatty, no-one thought there was necessarily a problem, you were fine, right? Well, it's important to remember that sometimes those people are actually dealing with something too and might need that little boost by saying simply, "I'm here for you" or "fancy a coffee?" It's really nice to be nice.

Tea Plantation in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

20/09 - 22/09 - Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

If you had asked me two weeks ago what my plans were, it would never have been what I am currently experiencing. The next stop on my list is called 'Cameron Highlands', which is towards the north of Malaysia. I'm actually freezing. Although I tend to despise the English weather, I am glad that we do not depend on air-conditioning. It's such an artificial feeling that constantly changes your body temperature, and I swear I am never fully comfortable in it. There are still another 4 or so hours left on this 34 ringgit coach trip ($8...£7 or so), yet I'm already in awe of the scenery as it passes by. A sea of green and copious amounts of palm trees. The move from the big city was definitely needed. I ended up following in the footsteps of a fellow solo-traveller and lo and behold, we have a mutual friend...!

Looking back, KL was actually great because the hostel (https://backhome.com.my/) attracted loads of different people. Myself, and a few others, went 3 hours or so out of the city to a quaint little town called Malacca, or Melaka? Who knows... Anyway, great moments were spent enjoying Laksa, beautiful architecture, street art, guys with cats on their heads and a few historical landmarks from when the Dutch and Portuguese controlled that region.

The Orangutan House, Melaka, Malaysia

https://www.facebook.com/theorangutanhouse

The weather was pretty scatty and it rained, despite my optimistic statements of “Nah, it won’t rain! I'm sure it’ll pass… I’m sure of it, really, it won't...!” Well, let's just say that I was usually proved wrong. Nothing was dulling our spirits though, and after a few beers and a ridiculously spicy “sweet” chilli veggie burger from Maccy's later, we ventured back to the city...

Lesson number three: sweet chilli sauce is not mild in Malaysia... in fact, it's ridiculously spicy!

A few more photographs from that day...