Singapore to Kuala Lumpur
a couple of old school chums and i have recently returned from travelling round asia...

there were many low points, and many highs, but this one combined the two.

having stayed in the "catholic hostel" (biggest roach infested crap hole ever. proof there is no god, me thinks... or if there is, he hates catholics)we had to leave Singapore on a train bound for KL at about 6 in the morning.

cut to three malnourished english chaps desperatly trying to hail a taxi at 5:45am so we can catch THE ONLY train north. sadly,looking like utter reprobates, no cabbie would stop for us, until a very nice man in a white van pulled over.

"jump in boys" he cried in broken engrish. cue us looking at each other, and thinking... fuck it, and jumping straight in.

he proceeded to regail us with tales about his job running a massage parlour, and would we like some "boom boom?". no mate, we've gotta catch a train now, so hurry up if you want your 50-bloody-pence.

finally, our unlicenced cabbie drops us off at the station, and we bail and leg it it catch the train.

one problem. i'd managed to leave my mini backpak in the back of this guy's van, containing my passport, train tickets, wallet, digital camera, and just about everything of any importance.

cue me running like a madman out for the station trying to catch up with his van which speeds off into the distance.

as you can imagine, i was not best pleased, as there was no way of tracking him down, and i would probably deported, and/or arrested for being a fool.

so the rest of the day was spent at the police station being questioned, (no, i didnt know this man; no he wasnt a proper taxi driver; no, i dont know where his massage parlour/brothel is located; no i didnt have any "boom boom"... etc)the immigration services, and finally the british embassy, where i was expecting to be put inside a box and shipped straight back to blitey (my travelling companions shooting progessively more hateful glances my way as each hour went by).

then, the phone rang. it was a miracle.

our friendly neigbourhood pimp/cabbie had found my bag in the back of his van, and returned it to the railway station! my passport, camera, and all my money was stil there - sadly, the man himself wasnt, so i never got to thank him. what a legend.

with my faith in humanity restored, the next day we continued on our way. and that was that!

"boom boom!"
(bodders i'm a mighty pirate, Fri 8 Sep 2006, 11:06, Reply)