Hitchhiking in Malaysia: George Town (FAIL) – Kuala Kangsar
7th of January, 2025.
The tourist info of George Town is a brand new building, looking fancy and all. But it sucks! I was told that I could not leave my backpack there for security reasons. Which security reasons? It’s Malaysia for Loki sake’s! Bullshit! So I already am really pissed about it, and then walking a little bit around the Fort Cortwallis, I notice (as somebody had told me before already) that there’s nothing more about history in this town apart form the fort. There’s nothing special about the waterfront behind the fort; and walking through the old buildings nearby little India is not enjoyable enough to worth it coming here. So I leave. The only thing that worth it in this whole George Town thing, was meeting Ameera and Sufian.
Walking outside the town, looking for a hitchhiking spot is not successful either. It sucks again! I just can’t come up with a suitable hitchhiking spot, so I keep on walking. While I am just to get out of one bridge, I am saved by the brothers Syriam and Steven. They spot me from far away, in the road down there, and stopped. They are not going far, only a few kilometres from the town, but after the bridge which connects the island with mainland, so that’s great already! They own and work in a barber shop, and supplies for it, and their roots are Indian. Of course!
We stop to have lunch in a Burger King. As I tell them about my travels, they say I am brave. Am I? We are at a service station, a very busy one, so after some consideration, I decide to keep hitchhiking from here.
After a few minutes, lovely Ayee stops for me. He is super cool! He is originally from a small town, on the Northest Malaysian State, but he has been living in Kuala Lumpur for a while. He has a degree in Medicine, and made residence in Ireland, but now he works as a project manager for clinic trials. Ayee has traveled to Pakistan and Iran, which is awesome! And he is an awesome person himself. Together with his partner, he adopted a baby who was abandoned in the steps of a mosque. Ayee’s partner actually was the one who found the baby, and as Ayee’s sister works in the government sector which deals with child abuse, she advised him to step forward and adopt the baby, as this would be the easiest way to do so, before the state getting involved. He has to do it as a single parent though, for obvious reasons, as Malaysia is an Islamic country.
Even though Ayee is driving to KL, he drops me off right at the centre of Kuala Kangsar, as he will also visit his sister who lives here.
The tourist information closes at 17.30 hours. As I plan to walk around until 19.00 hours, that doesn’t suits me. It’s now a bit after four in the afternoon.
The people from a pharmacy are adorable and allow me to leave my backpack there. They close at 20.30 hours. The people from the tourist info are also very nice, and I fill up my water bottle there. Yay!
After visiting the oldest rubber tree of Malaysia, I walk towards the other four attractions I am planing to visit: 1) Royal Mosque; 2) Gallery; 3) Istana Iskandariah (the current Royal Residence); and 4) Istana Kenangan (which is the precious Royal Residence but now is Perak Royal Museum). Both the Museum and Istanas close at 16.30, which is fine because I wouldn’t pay for the museum, and apparently you cannot go inside to visit the Istana. Why there’s a closing time then? Anyway, the museum in very beautiful from outside as well, in a very traditional Malay architecture. The Royal Residence I couldn’t see much. The Royal Mosque is also very beautiful from outside. And the same for the Gallery.
For me, what worth it the most was the walk to all this places. Kuala Kangsar, being a Royal Town, the way to these tourist sites is gorgeous, full of aligned coconut trees. Also, you walk alongside the river for a while, and the views are gorgeous! And there’s a park right at the beginning of Jalan Istana Road, which has an astonishing and majestic tree. This Recreation Kuala Kangsar Park itself is very enjoyable and a nice place to chill. Although it needs more benches and places to sit. I rest here for a while before going back to fetch my backpack.
As I walk towards the place where I am planning to camp for tonight, I pass in front of a bakery, so I decide to ask for leftovers here. The two girls working here are lovely, and after listening to my request, they say I can come back at 21.30 hours, when the bakery closes, and they can give me the leftovers. Deal!
For the camping, I have a few ideas in my mind. There are two homestay places I might ask, and also the Fire Station. I still remember the awesome experience I had by camping at the Fire Station in Namibia, so I am wondering how it would be trying it again. But I am also worried about skipping the homestays and then getting turned down at the Fire Station.
As I walk in the small road where one of the homestay is, I don’t see any people around. It’s dark already, and this is a remote area. Still, quite a few cars pass from time to time. One of them, with a couple inside, slightly stops, so I make a sign for them. I explain my story to Sity and her husband, so they try to help me. After a few phone calls, they tell me I can come to a small prayer place only a hundred metres from here, so I can camp there. Sity’s home is also nearby here but I don’t understand why they didn’t tell me to camp there.
By the prayer place, as there are a few man gathering around, a small commotion starts as I arrive. But they are all trying to help. They give me drinking water and some food. I already have my tent up when Nor and her husband tell one of the man to come and ask me to stay in their home, which is right behind the prayer building. Yay!
Nor used to be a kindergarten teacher, and her husband works in the forestry department. He is in a wheelchair, and I don’t know why, but he speaks a great English so I tell him everything about my travels and life. They say I don’t need to camp, as they have many rooms in their house. Yay! As Nor show me the room where I will stay, she tells me that she is very happy to have me here. How sweet!
I walk back to the bakery and they give me a bag full of pastries. Hu-ray! I eat two chocolate buns on my way back, and the rest I keep for tomorrow breakfast / lunch.
I take a bath when I come back, and we also have some tea with biscuits. And again I have a comfortable bed to sleep.
Next morning, I wake up for a lovely breakfast with tea, fresh fried banana, bread with kaya, and some of my pastries. Yummy!
I have to leave soon, as I am hoping to arrive with enough time to enjoy the tea plantations in Cameroon Highlands, so I say goodbye to this so kind and generous couple, and walk out towards the highway again.
10 Years Around the World 