Change of Travel Plans

The rain was so bad yesterday and today, the sky so unfriendly, that I decided not to stick around in the Kota Bharu area. I'd hoped to nip over on a small boat to the Perhentian Islands for a bit of scuba diving. It's usually cheap and highly recommended. Anyhow, the rumours were that the Perhentians might 'closed' due to the monsoon rains having arrived. The diving would have been poor at best: cold and with reduced visibility.
Staying at 'Destiny Hotel' tonight. I guess it was fate.
At least the trains seem to be running. New plan: head for Malacca in the south for a bit of warmth and dryness.
I walked to the bus station, rucksack n all, and there was told there were 'no more buses today'. It carried on raining, then it poured down really hard, then it just rained for a bit. But mostly it was a torrential downpour all day.
So I got in a taxi to the train station with my fingers crossed. Happily, the staff there were very helpful and fixed me up with a two-train ticket to Malacca.
Horrible, cold train journey.
Worst of all, I asked a train guard 'Is this Gesam?' (my station to change at), and he replied 'This Gesam stesion' (sic). So I got off in a rush to find it was actually the station before. Picture me running to dash onto an open carriage door. To add salt to the wound, I found there were sleeping bunks in some of the front carriages :(
Anyway.... Malacca looks interesting. A look around and some photos to come.もっと詳しく