The next day we got up early to eat breakfast and then go hiking or “trekking” as all the Europeans called it. Speaking of Europeans, that’s all we have seen so far in Malaysia and in our hiking group there were two Dutch girls, a Welsh couple and an Italian couple. After breakfast we all loaded up into the canoe and headed to the other side of the river which was the entrance to the park.

Our first adventure of the day was the canopy walk – the longest in the world (the highest canopy walk is in Costa Rica). The canopy walk was 500m of suspended ropes, wires and wooden planks high above the ground. There were strict rules about how far you had to walk in front of and behind people and how many people could be on the walk at a time. The walk was really fun though my heart was definitely pumping while swaying and walking as high as the trees. I felt like I was back in junior adventure camp where we did ‘team building’ on ropes courses but this time there wasn’t a net or safety harness. It looks so easy but once you get up there it feels totally different and vulnerable. Finishing the walk was definitely a rush of adrenaline but my knuckles were a little white from gripping the ropes so hard. ($8 breakfast, $20 jungle trek, $13 room)

The rest of the morning we spent hiking up and down slippery and muddy slopes, learning about different plants and insects and taking in the jungle sounds. Our guide was helpful and friendly and liked to joke which was sometimes hard to catch given his accented and broken English. He highly encouraged hands-on learning so we were constantly smelling plants, feeling trees or holding insects – it was really fun.

We arrived back at shore hungry, muddy, tired, sweaty and thirsty and enjoyed lunch before heading back to shower and nap. Sean and I enjoyed a relaxing afternoon of napping, reading, writing and playing cards. We signed up for a night jungle hike and booked a bus ticket to another area of Malaysia called the Cameron Highlands for the following morning. I’m crossing my fingers that tonight I can continue my leech-free streak! ($60 ticket to Cameron Highlands, $7 lunch, $13 night hike, $7 dinner)

The night hike was a bit spookier than I anticipated. We spent about two hours walking through pitch black jungle while our guide used his flashlight to point out different birds, insects and small animals. We saw huge owls, spiders, scorpions and lots and lots of bugs. We always had to be careful to keep moving so the giant superhighways of termites and ants wouldn't crawl over and up us. My absolute favorite part of the hike was when we got to see the parks famed naturally phosphorescent mushrooms. It was so cool! Everywhere you looked there were little green glowing orbs peeking out from under fallen trees and leaves. I came away from the hike with several mysterious bug bites but no leeches (did you know that you keep bleeding for an hour even after you remove one? It's because of some anticoagulant chemical that they leave on your skin). Our adventures in the jungle were just about over and we packed up and got ready to leave early in the morning. Total = $128 (price for two people)

Monday morning we had to get up bright and early to take our first bus to a city called Jerantut. From there, another bus would take us to the outskirts of the park where we would have to board a boat and travel by longboat canoe for three hours until we reached the town of Kuala Tahan, the jumping off point to actually enter Taman Negara National Park. The trip would take all day and Sean and I were prepared with snacks and plenty of things to do. For much of the trip I looked out the window or napped but I have never been more glad to have a Nook which also entertained me for a lot of the journey.

Lonely Planet describes Taman Negara as “a buzzing leech-infested mass of primary forest over 130 million years old.” It also advised avoiding the wet season and after heavy rains. Unfortunately, we were there in the peak of wet season and stepped off the boat when it was raining heavily. Taman Negara is huge and contains a lot of big animals like tigers (about 200) and elephants (about 600). However, they are very hard to see and most groups just end up seeing footprints. But there are lots of other smaller animals, plants and insects that are common to see so we hoped for the best.

When we arrived at the jetty before boarding the boat, we had to purchase a park pass (30 cents each) and pay for a license for each camera we were going to use ($2/camera). They also advised always wearing long pants and sleeves, bringing very strong insect repellent, packing rain gear and bringing your own headlamps and flashlights. Then we boarded the boat and enjoyed a leisurely ride up river in a long, covered, motorized canoe. During the trip we saw monkeys, water buffalo and plenty of hornbills and kingfishers.

Two advantages of touring during the wet season are the lack of people and the lower prices. Rooms were cut almost in half and the prices of all of the tours and activities were lower as well. We found a really nice place for only about $13/night and we were the only people there. After checking in, we headed back down to the river. Along the shore there were many floating restaurants and tour agencies if you wanted to sign up for a guide. We had some dinner, watched an informational video about the park and signed up for a night safari in the back of a four-wheeled-drive jeep.

The night safari was a lot of fun. Six of us sat in the back of a truck while one guide drove and another sat on the top of the car with a huge spotlight which he used to spot animals. We drove around in the jungle for two hours and saw a small leopard cat, some snakes and plenty of insects. Being in the jungle at night was awesome though kind of spooky and images of Jurassic Park and Anaconda kept coming to mind. The huge palm trees which framed each side of the two-track road were some of the largest I have ever seen and the stars were amazingly bright. After climbing out of the truck, it had been a long day and I was happy to climb into my mosquito net at night. ($7 brunch en route, $3 park fees, $13 room, $8 dinner, $20 night safari) Total = $51 (all prices include 2 people)

Sunday began with a rocky start when Daniel, who never rises early if he can help it, knocked on my door at 7am with disappointing news: he had found bedbugs. The guidebook had warned of this and we had intentionally steered clear of the cheaper rooms in China Town where they were supposed to be at their worst. It seems like there are little creatures wherever we go: mosquitoes in China, ringworm in Thailand, bedbugs in Malaysia and there will be new ones in other places I am sure.

I have had a long and unhappy relationship with bedbugs. When I lived in Ohio, also in a very cheap place, our building was constantly sprayed for bedbugs. When that happened, I had to leave my place for 48 hours and stay at a friend’s house. The bugs themselves are harmless enough – they just suck your blood like mosquitoes do and they don’t really spread disease. But once you have them they are really hard to get rid of. Consequently, every hostel here has signs that say, “Don’t put your bags and clothes on the beds” in an effort to avoid spreading the little beasts. A new plan was formed: Sean and I would stay at the hostel and we would help Daniel find a new place nearby. After Slurpee #2, we found Daniel a hotel next door which was considerably nicer and only $36/night. ($20 room, $1 Slurpee)

We decided to spend Sunday afternoon doing the Little India walking tour and meandered around bazaars, mosques, historical art deco style buildings and old mansions. We had lunch at a vegetarian Indian place which was pretty good and then headed back to our neighborhood where Daniel was able to check in. We also stopped for root beer floats again – you can never have enough, in my opinion. ($4 lunch, $4 A&W)

Another must-see in Kuala Lumpur is Batu Caves, which are about 45 minutes outside of the city. The caves are reached by climbing hundreds of steps which have the additional entertainment value of being crawling with monkeys. The caves are a religious sight and each January many Malaysians make a pilgrimage there. They will be starting their journey to the caves when we are leaving Malaysia, unfortunately, so we won’t be able to see it. On the way back from the caves, Sean and I stopped in Chinatown again to book a ticket to Taman Negara, the big jungle that is a national park in the center of the country. ($free Batu Caves, $7 metro/bus total from today, $50 2 buses and 1 boat to jungle for 2 people)

We had dinner at a western place which was really expensive but incredibly filling and delicious. We ate huge battered pieces of fish with homemade fries and cold glasses of beer. Then we made plans to meet up with Daniel 5 days later (Daniel is not huge into nature and the warnings from the book of leeches in the national park made him decide to stay in the city. I’m excited to get out of the city and into the jungle tomorrow – though I’m not sure whether I prefer bedbugs or leeches given the option! ($29 dinner, $5 snacks/waters/internet) Total = $121 (all prices include the cost for 2 people)

We got an early morning start on Friday in hopes of not missing our train like we did on the morning we went to Korea. On the fifteen minute walk to the school gate we about froze because of the lack of clothes we were wearing - it's hard to pack light for ninety degree weather and spend a day in transit in 30 degree temps. In the taxi, the driver chatted with us a bit and was particularly interested in why we were spending seven weeks traveling outside of China instead of exploring such "a big and beautiful country." I explained that while we like traveling in China, we didn't want to be there during the crazy, crowded and expensive New Year Spring Festival Holiday. He seemed ok with that. We made it to the station in plenty of time and enjoyed a smooth and calm two-hour train ride to Hangzhou. During the ride my seat partners changed several times and all were very friendly and chatty. I repeated close to the same conversation with all of them since my Chinese is limited at best. Sean's highlight was when his seat partner (male) shyly asked for a photo together at the end of the ride and promptly pulled out his phone and snapped one of the two of them together. ($5 taxi, $46 train tickets, $5 coffee and rolls)

Once we reached Hangzhou we had to take another taxi to the airport since we were short on time and really didn't want to miss our flight to Malaysia. Our airline, Air Asia, is one of those cheap ones where you have to pay for everything - bags, food . . . I'm surprised you didn't have to pay to use the restroom. We met Daniel in line and after checking in headed to Mcdonalds for lunch. It was a ton of fun to see him again and we enjoyed catching up and sharing stories. The flight went great and after 6 hours we were deposited on the runway and had to walk to the terminal. The weather was heavenly; after freezing in Changzhou, never taking my jacket off and huddling next to my heater, I was totally psyched to exit the plane into a hot, balmy and breezy evening. Vacation has begun. ($14 taxi and $10 Mcdonalds)

After we stood in line and were granted our free 90-day visas we were funneled out into a really nice and modern open-air airport. We walked around the chaos a bit and then figured out that the best way to get into the city (about an hour ride) was to take a budget taxi. Malaysia's system was unique; you approach the counter, tell them where you want to go, they ask the number of people and bags and then give you a fixed price. Then you have to find the taxi company and give them the receipt and they take you where you want to go. I appreciated this system because it seemed to avoid some of the scams/traps we have fallen into before. Who knew? In Malaysia, they drive on the left.

Fortunately, Daniel had used some of his frequent flier miles that were about to expire to reserve us a triple deluxe hotel room that we all enjoyed immensely (thanks Daniel!). After about an hour in the taxi and a day of traveling, we all crashed pretty hard. People always ask me how much it costs to travel around SE Asia so I'll try to include some prices of the things that we do and the places that we stay. The goal of me and Sean is $100/day and if it's one thing I've learned is that money goes FAST when traveling. ($16 taxi to city, $90- how much the hotel would have cost w/o the miles) Budget Day 1: $96

It's now 4am the morning before Sean and I leave for our next big trip. No matter how hard I try to get organized and prepared before leaving, I always manage to find some reason to have to stay up the night before. I apologize for the lack of blog posts lately - it's been a crazy couple of weeks. But I hope to keep writing while traveling. Look for updates on Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines coming soon. I am so excited for vacation - pray that we have safe travels!