The return boat ride was very smooth since it was still quite early, and before I knew it we were back on the Mainland again. I had survived another island trip!
Making our way back south, we took our time since we had the whole day to travel, and headed towards KT for some sightseeing. The first place was Mermaid Island, which was nice, but nothing special – a series of smaller resorts and a marina was the highlight of the area. The second place, The Crystal Mosque, was fabulous. Made from what looked like highly reflective metal sheets, it gave the appearance of resembling a gem. We also had a chance to check out the Central Market in KT, which was very similar to the one in KL. An overload to the senses – bustling with colour, scents and activity. I managed to grab a few items for further christmas presents and we were ready to leave.
It was at this point that my friend called me over to a small stall and asked me to remove my hat. Then she handed me my late birthday present, a traditional handmade Songkok – an Islamic Hat worn during special events. It was a beautifully crafted item that I was very grateful to receive.
As we continued the drive, we stopped off once again at the street vendor and bought some keropok lekor – fried fish puree. I had tried it before in KL but this was supposedly the best place to try – unfortunately I still didn’t like it, and instead we tried to find a place to have lunch.
After lunch, it was getting close to 4pm and we decided to dispense with the pitstops and head straight back. The plan was to get to Kuantan for roughly 7pm, have dinner and then head west to KL, hopefully getting there by 10pm.
Nearby Kuantan we passed a Petronas refinery, which reminded me of the opening scene from Blade Runner. In amongst the tall silos (which in the setting sun could be mistaken for skyscrapers) were large pylons with flames alit at the top. It was both beautiful in an engineering sense, and devastating in an ecological way.
We hit the holiday traffic an hour away from Kuantan and lurched forwards very slowly. By the time we reached Kuantan it was getting close to 9pm so we decided to grab some fast food and get back on the road as soon as possible.
Having eaten we were back on the road and making excellent progress. Since the two of us that were not driving had work in the morning, we decided to try and get some sleep. It worked for about an hour or so, but at around midnight I woke up and noticed that we were in gridlock traffic. My friend told me that we were technically only 45mins away from KL, but at this rate it would take at least two hours. I was fed up and tried once again to sleep.
Four hours later, the car finally pulled up to my apartment and I got out, faced with the prospect of work in a few hours. Saying my goodbyes, I meandered back to my room and collapsed, trying to wake up for work. Needless to say, I couldn’t.
