Finally, a train

I hope all who celebrate had a merry Christmas: I didn’t quite have the Christmas I expected but more on that later.

So, a bit of a quandary. I’m at the top of Malaysia’s East Coast - what’s next? Several ideas compete for attention, but then a berth becomes available that makes the choice for me. I had been looking for a few days, but nothing had been available until, suddenly, it was. I book a 2 p.m. bus from Kuala Terengganu to Kota Bharu. I’d say Kota Bharu is just 25 kilometres to Thailand, but that would be misleading: I’m not going to Thailand. Not yet, anyway.

It’s a bit rainy so after checking out of the hotel, I head to a nearby coffee shop then hang about in the bus station - it has a big foodcourt, so that’s lunch sorted. After a quick smoke outside, I’m approached by a young fellow in jeans and t shirt: he’s some sort of undercover city enforcement officer, and wants 50 ringgit ($21) because I chucked a butt in the gutter. Of course I think it’s a scam, and I’m not convinced by the card he shows me, but he takes me round the corner where there’s a city office and a team of his colleagues. He writes me out an official summons, then his boss gives me a machine-printed receipt. If it’s a scam, it’s an awfully thorough one.

Thankfully, this bus is on time, although it takes an age to get to Kota Bharu - dropping me at the bus terminal between the Kelantan River and Aeon Mall. There I find a rather tasty cumin lamb on hand-pulled noodles dish. There’s a motorway across the river: Googs tells me I’ve missed the last bus to get across (it’s very wrong on this) and that I have a long walk of nearly two hours ahead of me. I’ve had experience of Googs and Kota Bharu, so don’t believe it - when I see an onramp on to the motorway, I use it, made more willing to do so by the guy on the wonky bicycle doing the same. This cuts my walking time by almost an hour. It’s even safe - the local road runs between the motorway lanes and has a footpath - I just have to cross three lanes of speeding traffic to get to it. Spoiler: I made it.

This is the Wakaf Bharu Railway Station - I get there with rather more than an hour to spare: at 8:47 my train pulls in - it started at the tiny coastal village of Tumpat, 15 minutes away and I could, if I wanted, have it take me all the way to Johor Bharu, down the so-called Jungle Line. There are day time trains running the line, but they only do short parts - it would be two trains to Gemas then an overnight there: done that. I could, of course, have booked a seat on the overnight train, but the cheap ones are not very comfortable and the expensive ones are, weirdly, twice the price of a bed. The beds are always sold out but somehow, I’ve scored one at the last minute. 51 ringgit for bed and transport.

One disadvantage of doing the southbound overnight is that, by the time it’s daylight, all the best bits are behind us. Going north last time, it was dawn as we reached Gua Musang. The bed is pretty comfortable - just a thin mattress over the folded down seats - and I sleep pretty well. The train arrives in Kluang right on 10 in the morning.

I head in for some famous Kluang Rail coffee (it tastes much the same as any other kopi O to me) and find that my hostel has cancelled on me. The next cheapest place ($36) is not quite in the city centre, but still just a short walk away. Almost all my hotels have cost in the $3035 range: the Aniki Inn is a step above most by the size of the room and the fact it has windows. I like it, particularly as they let me check in at noon. There’s a shop next door selling beer, so I’m set.

I nap and wander a bit, dodging the rain. For dinner, I go to what feels very much like a family restaurant - most groups are families, then there are other groups of young people who look like they have graduated from coming here with their parents to coming with their friends.

Wednesday (18th) I go in search of a coffee shop I visited last time. I’m quite hungry so stop for food at the first place I come across and make a poor choice: Thai chicken rice sounds nice (I’ve eaten a lot of chicken rice in Thailand) but this is not what I expected. There’s a nearby coffee shop showing up on the map, Kafe Kaki Lima, so I try it out - great coffee, very small space!

The alley between the two main streets here is being used as an art space, quite successfully. I encounter several school groups which have come to see it.

I miss the coffee shop I’m here for but see another on the map. Walking there, I have so much buyer’s remorse about my chicken rice, because I see several places that are doing a much better job. What I don’t see is The KōHii - would you expect to find a nice café in this lineup? It’s through a narrow doorway behind the rubbish bin and up a stairway - the menu is mainly Japanese but they have cake.

I’ve had two coffees, that doesn’t stop me going in to the place I’m looking for when I find it, Kluang Days. When I was here two years ago, the owner sat with me and very enthusiastically told me about his plans for upstairs - an art space and bookshop - then took me up to show me. I get the feeling that didn’t work out, there’s no sign to indicate anything happens upstairs.

Lots of wandering and enjoying Kluang for the rest of the day, then I grab dinner at the mall around the corner from my hotel. I do regret this choice as well - the lanzhou noodles are delicious, but as the waitress approaches me, she trips, and there’s a look of abject horror on her face as she realises I might be wearing them. She does recover, but not before some of the broth gets me. It’s hot!

Cheers!