Day 2.

The fruit of Day 1 was a whitewater rafting trip north of KL out of a town called Gopeng, near Ipoh.

Of course Day 2 had to start with a little excitement. I got up at 6 to get my bus. At 6:40 I get to the bus station and start looking for my 7 am bus, which I couldn't find because there wasn't one - I had bought a ticket for 7 pm the previous day, which I only realized after trying to get help from the people in charge at the station. Typical? Maybe. So I'm nervous because I have to be in Gopeng by 9 I assume (tour guide had been adament I be on a bus by 7:30) and I'm not sure I can get one. Find a guy who sells me a bus ticket and writes 7:18 departure on the ticket. Can't find this bus either, but I get "rescued" and led out to a bus parked on the street outside. Turns out the bus is a local bus and in addition until not leaving until it was full (8 am) it stops at every little village between KL and my destination, as well as anywhere anyone else wants to get off or on.

Monkeys at one of the bus stations in between. Locals laugh at me for taking pictures of what to them are pretty much the equivalent of squirrels

Arthi, my travel agent, calls me around 8:30 asking where I am, and informs me that I'll miss my trip, but fortunately there was another group going out in the afternoon! I relax a bit given my good luck and am happy I found that sim card. Will have to get a new one in Thailand etc. but think it makes things much much easier.

Now I have to give props to this whitewater rafting company, Riverbug. Fara picked me up at the bus station, brought me to a hotel so I could drop off my stuff and change, brought me to a place where I could check email and have lunch (lunch included in trip) and then brought me to the site. They also drive you back to your hotel after. If anyone is traveling in Malaysia and wants to do a trip, I highly recommend them. The staff are young and fun and clearly love their job (hard not to), they are professional, and the trip is a blast.

Two views of a pipe near where my rafting trip started that was built by the British 105 years ago for tin mining. It's now being taken down bit by bit, but still very cool.

OK so this water is not exactly "white" but I just floated down this part on my back. Rock!

Shmo alert!

My guides

After rafting I went back to my hotel in Ipoh and explored the area. Lots of colonial architecture still remains in varying degrees. Some has been restored and painted, some hasn't. Makes for nice pictures:

(Dinner)

Tomorrow: On to Pangkor Island!