The next morning, I was happy to see that the sea was calm as we walked to the jetty. This time, like numerous other times, I had no problems getting on and off the boat and pretty soon we found ourselves sat in the ferry waiting to depart back to Mersing. The journey back this time was closer to 3 hours and we reached the port for midday. Our plan was to find the next available coach then get some much needed lunch. Fate, it seems had other ideas. When we reached the coach station we were shocked to find that once again all the coaches were fully booked and annoyingly there were no cancellations this time. Not really knowing what to do, Gorka and I were aimlessly wondering around when we were approached by an Indian man and his wife who were having the same problem in trying to get back to KL. As he informed us, the counter lady had told them to get a bus to the next large city where coaches were departing to KL every hour. Unfortunately the journey by coach would take 2 hours and it did not leave for further 2 hours. It was then that we decided to split a taxi with this couple and head there straight away. Once we bartered the price down to 80 Ringgit (20 each), we set off in a rickety taxi that had no air conditioning.
After an hour and a half we arrived at the city of Kluang and ran to the coach station to find a seat on the next available bus. Finally our luck turned and there were four seats going at the 3pm coach. Since we had traveled roughly 2 hours already, the journey time remaining was little over 3 hours to get to KL. Content in the knowledge that we would be back with ample time remaining we finally went about having lunch.
The coach journey was fairly uneventful and we were making excellent time, until we hit a terrible traffic jam which I assumed was caused by the fact that it was the Sunday after a three day weekend. By the time we arrived in KL it had gone 7pm. Both Gorka and I were exhausted and there was little else to do but get a taxi back to our apartment block after bidding farewell to our fellow Indian travelers.
Turning the key and entering my room, I was in for one final surprise. In my haste to leave on Thursday night I had left the air conditioning on and it had been blasting out cool air for three days. The room was a freezer and it was also the first night since coming here that I yearned for something I never expected to – a blanket.
