Padang Besar (03.05.22 - 06.05.22)
Wednesday 4th May 2022
Yesterday was a travel experience from hell. Everywhere I read on the internet indicated that the Padang Besar land crossing would be open from Monday, so I booked 3 nights at the Padang Besar Green Inn and applied to cross that boarder on my Malaysian travel pass, which come through without a hitch. When I got to the Hat Yai bus station some people did try telling it was closed and I should go to Sadao, but like an idiot I ignored them. The bus ride was only an hour and I got dropped off at customs, only to be told by a customs officer that it was closed and I need to go to Sadao – FFS. So I had to lug my rucksack and day bag in the sweltering heat 20 minutes to Padang bus station, only to be told there was no bus between Padang and Sadao and a taxi would cost me 750 baht! So I waited an hour and got the bus back to Hat Yai and not long after boarded the bus to Sadao. It was 5pm by the time I got there, I had left my room at 11am! Drained and exhausted, I proceeded to follow the signs and was so nervous about the prospect of not getting through and overstaying my Thai visa that when I handed the Thai customs officer my passport he asked why I was shaking, he was happy once I explained the ordeal I had just been through and finally I left Thailand and walked the short distance to the Malaysian customs, which at the time did not feel that short. I was fully quizzed about my intensions in Malaysia, which areas I was intending to visit and where in each I intended to stay, not a clue mate, I’m making it up as I go along – I didn’t quite say it like that, but he accepted my intensions and gave me a 3 month visa. Then came the bag check people and the lady I had went through every single pocket in both my rucksack and day bag, she even opened each of my travel cubes but refrained from looking in the little black bag when I told her it contained my dirty knickers. She even quizzed the fact that I had a beer in my bag luckily let me through with it. The final walk from customs and into Malaysia took forever, but finally at 6pm I was truly on Malaysian soil and free to continue my journey.
Unlike Padang Besar, there’s no town the Malaysian side of Sadao. In fact there is absolutely nothing except a police station and army barracks – I was distraught – no Malaysian money, no mobile data and not a clue
where to go – and to top it all I was confronted with a crossroads! I first headed in one direction, i.e. straight ahead of me, but then noticed the cars and lorries leaving customs were going in a different direction, so I changed my plan and went the same direction that they were going. It was now beginning to get dark and I was beginning to get worried and thought I might have to do the unthinkable and hitch a lift. However, this guy stopped and asked if I was ok, so I asked him where the nearest ATM was and he told me it was the petrol station which only happened to be in the direction I originally began walking in, he also told me it was far but said he would take me – it turned out to be about 8km down the road! OK, so I know you shouldn’t get into cars with strangers but I really had no choice, so I jumped in the back and we got chatting and he said he would take me to the bus station after the ATM. At the petrol station I unloaded both my bags as I had a fear that he might just drive of with my ruck sack if I left it in his car. But he waited for me and on the way to the bus station he asked where I was heading, so I explained that I had a hotel booked in Padang Besar. As you can image the conversation was not that easy, his English was poor and I have no Malaysian, most of the time he used Google translate, one hand on the steering wheel and one had on his phone. He then checked out Google maps and did a u-turn, my heart started pounding, all I kept thinking is that you should not get into cars with strangers. I asked him about the bus station and on translate he wrote: ‘you come a long way to my beautiful Malaysia, I want to send you to you hostel’ and he drove me the full hour from Sadao to Padang Besar. I really could not believe my luck, I really do not know what I would have done without his help and the most awesome thing is he didn’t want any money, but he did want a few selfies and we became Facebook friends – I’m still in shock at how bloody lovely he was – I wish him the best life ever – a true angel in disguise.
So, as you can imagine I woke this morning with a smile on my face and let’s face it, I came out here for adventure and I’m certainly getting it. I went on two walks today, the first one was due to hunger. Unlike Thailand there are no street food stalls conveniently dotted around, in fact, the only shops of any relevance that I could find were a 7-Eleven and a KFC, so I popped into both and was highly disappointed to find that there was no alcohol in the 7-Eleven. On return I investigated on the net and the only place to buy alcohol in Padang Besar is at customs, which is shut, and you have to go into Thailand and back again to do that. I then found an alcohol delivery online store, but it’s a 3-5 days delivery time. So, as I had kind of expected, being a predominantly Muslim country, I am only going to be able have a drink in the larger cities. I have two nights here and then I move on, the next place I am going is a little bigger, but it may not be big enough. But as I explained to Glenn, my liver could do with a break.
My second walk was in the opposite direction to the first and I found a mini mart than sold everything, even the pans used for flushing the toilets – lol – but no alcohol. Unlike the Thai people Malaysians have no issues with staring at you, they are even worse than the Cambodians, but they seem a lot more friendly than the Cambodians and once I smiled and said hello they all smiled and said hello back. The young guys seem to like me a bit too much, I’ve had several calling me from across the street or trying to get my attention as I walked past, I don’t mind, but I can see it become really annoying, I hope it is not like that everywhere in this country.
Ha ha – I made a pot noodle tonight for dinner and it was the very best I’ve ever had, I even drank the juice at the end. Only turns out I made it with half water and half cream soda! I will have another for breakfast and will do exactly the same – yum yum.
Thursday 5th May 2022
Happy birthday sister!
Today started with beautiful blue skies and then at about midday it was all change and it hasn’t stopped raining since with several bouts of amazingly loud thunder and lightning thrown in just for fun – yes it is the rainy season and it certainly knows how to rain here. I was going to go to the Ostrich farm followed by the market but for once my slow ‘getting-it-together’ paid off and so I have stayed in the sheltered area just outside of my room for most of the day. At one point this evening the rain died down a little so I borrowed an umbrella and headed to KFC, that’s two days in a row I’ve eaten that shit, I don’t care to eat it again for the rest of my life. The cats were happy though as I bought an extra piece just for them as I knew they would hassle me for food. I fed one last night but tonight I had 4 and now whenever I open my bedroom door they all look at me eagerly, I swear blind the one I fed last night told the others! I hope tomorrow stays clear like yesterday as I am leaving for the island Langkawi, and I did my
research, I can by alcohol on that island, in fact I should even be able to have a drink on the ferry 😊
