East coast

After a few days of relaxing at this beautiful place we decided to move on to Kota Bharu, a city near the Thai border on the east coast of Malaysia. Buses were rare and overly expensive, so we decided to hitchhike the 300 km to Kota Bharu.

Hitchhiking started well and by the third ride it became really interesting. A car, with a local brand, the size of an old fiat 500 stopped. The driver, a sweaty and bit over weighted man, which made the car lean over a bit to one side, made a gesture to get in. Of course we didn't want to be picky and were thankful for his kindness to stop. We got in and together balanced the car out a bit more. From the moment he started the engine it was clear he felt like Michael Schumacher himself. He cut every corner and took them way faster than the car was ever intended to do. During our trip we have seen some crazy drivers already but never in combination with such a small and crappy car. When the hills got steeper his driving skills proofed to be to much for the car. Going full speed uphill without shifting back when we slowed down overheated the engine. He had to make a pit stop on the side of the road just before the highest point of a long hill. This was our chance. We said thanks to the driver and walked away, happy to be alive.

Not even 500 meters further we ended up with 5 young Thai guys in a pickup. Their English wasn't that good but we could communicate with hands and feet. In our lunch break they invited us for tea and a photo shoot. They were so proud to meet us, we had to make around 100 pics with them, changing sunglasses, hats and posing as cool gangsters.

We arrived in Kota Bharu and were looking for a place to stay. We found a little guesthouse in the city center where the rooms were really cheap and clean. Because it was so cheap we met there a lot of other travelers. 2 German guys who are already 9 months in Malaysia and trying to start up a diving shop on an island near by, an old man that just hangs around this place for already more than a month and some other people that are at this guesthouse because it has a television.

After all the city was not such a highlight, but it had a nice night market where really strange things happen. Every little food stand had a big television, all the chairs were in this direction and no one ever talks. Normally you choose the food stand were the most customers are because then it must be good. In this case the food stand with the most customers had the best show on TV.