After a successful night in Mersing including delicious street food and a new pair of crocs for Susie’s feet, we caught a long distance bus to the local capital of Kuantan. The kids had lots of admirers at the bus station. Susie even got given a pineapple! Its becoming increasingly apparent that quite apart from being tourists ourselves, to the locals we are a walking tourist attraction. Everyone wants to say hi and talk to the kids, we practically cause an accident just walking down the street as everyone slows down to look at us and beep their horn so we wave at them. Susie is finding it hardest, and being smallest and blondest she gets the most attention. We’re teaching her to smile and wave once and then ignore it!
Three and a half hours on the bus felt like a very long time with the levels of bumping up and down and the erratic speed changes. This wasn’t helped by having been allocated the back five seats on the bus – i wonder if this was because we weren’t savvy enough to ask for anything else as we weren’t the last to buy tickets. Fortunately the kids were able to sleep for some of it.
We didn’t want to stay in Kuantan so we got a taxi (at rip off tourist rates i fear) north a little further to Balok Beach. We tried first the only Lonely Planet recommended hotel which turns out to be very swish and rather above our budget. By negotiating hard and managing with only three beds we are staying two nights. The pool is lovely and the air-conditioned room with nice bathroom is welcome. Some included wi-fi too! All much grander than we planned 🙂 Our next stop will need to be a little more down market.
We’ve ventured out to local places for food – all good so far and we’re working out what we like and don’t like. It appears that as a famous seafood area everything comes with mixed seafood ( prawns, squid etc) regardless of whether the dish is described as chicken or beef or vegetarian!
Breakfast at the posh hotel is quite spectacular – the kids are very taken with chocolate cake smothered in condensed milk for breakfast!
Budget blown we’re just taking full advantage of the pool. The cooking class scheduled for this afternoon was cancelled. But we’re also planning our next stop in Cherating where hopefully we can do some firefly watching and batik painting.
