Do you speak Malay?

And so I left London, my job, my rented rooom (and an anxious mother; a young girl travelling on her own in Asia!!) to escape daily life, see what I would see and hoped the output would be worthwhile/rock my world/life changing??

I had a one-way ticket to Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia (wasn't sure where I would fly home from, when and even if I was coming back) because it was the cheapest I could get.
I had Thailand, Vietnam and Japan on my hit-list. Minimum time away: three months, maximum: until the money runs out.

Before going away, everyone encouraged me to keep a travel blog but I was old-fashioned and sent group emails to let people know I was perfectly alive and what I was getting up to. However towards the end the emails became an outlet for ideas and ideals and very much therapy for me. Upon returning (I have been home for one week exactly) I came to think some things should be said out loud and to many.

So what follows are those group emails as told in real travel time minus the spelling/keyboard blunders.

Start reading here:

Arrived in Kuala Lumpar on 8th June [2006] in the afternoon (flight was ok, food edible, and watched 'Failure to Launch' - awful film, do not see) and two Chinese films (one sad, other funny). Malaysia Airlines Economy not bad, empty flight so no one sat next to me, yeh!

KL - dirty and busy. Went to see the Twins Towers (the highest in the world until Taiwan built something higher). Spent one night there and I wanted to go find a beach, sand and sea (remember I am Londoner where white sand, scratch that, just sand and clean water is hard to come by).

I had been trying to kick a cold/flu/bug before leaving London. No avail; second day here it got worse. On the bus towards Lumut, a town not far from KL to catch the ferry to Pulau (meaning island) Pangkor. Was on the bus (4 hours) sitting next to a lovely woman who's a cop and felt shit; 12 and half hour flight, not a lot of sleep, 8 hour time difference, London flu equals a very sick S. The cop invited me to stay at her house (she lived near the ferry port) until I felt better and then ahoy, island. I felt so lucky because she could see I was slowly turning green with conviction. I met her daughters, ate great food, clean shower, played badminton on her front lawn and met the chickens she kept (purely as pets and not for meals). Malay people are so kind and incredibly friendly.

I went to the island and it wasn't all that; I've had better. It was raining and I went swimming and so got even sicker (a theme building huh?), so I didn't stay there that night but took the ferry back to the mainland to the cop's house.

Sunday morning, I went back to KL and tonight I'm going to take the 11pm bus to Thailand.

As you can see nothing to write home about. Just a sick monkey. I've had good food (no stomach bugs) and its so damn hot (30 degrees Celsius plus, no sweat).

I thought about hanging in Malay, but then why delay the real deal, just head for Thailand.

I missed the England game [World Cup 2006 first round game], upset about that, but at least they won without me.

Sorry this has been dry reading - will tell you stories of adventure and excitement soon (if I can just get rid of this cold).

See you in Thailand!