Malaysia
Kota Baharu
Kota Baharu was the larger town where we spent the night. Like almost everywhere else, there was a night market with very cheap and good food. The taste was clearly different to Thailand - it was cooked more with peanut oil and didn't seem quite as spicy to me.
We also visited the Central Market. It was impressive how rich it was: countless types of vegetables and fruit. They had my beloved pineapple in particular. You didn't buy the whole fruit, but a quarter with a little salt - it tasted great and also helped with the heavy sweating. I had learned that in Asia.
Versatile cuisine in Malaysia
The cuisine in Malaysia is diverse due to the large ethnic mix (Malays, Chinese, Indians and many other nationalities). You will find very similar dishes, but they are prepared very differently depending on the influence.
Our journey continued in the direction of Kuala Terengganu to Dungun. We had previously heard that certain sea turtles lay their eggs in the sand there. Unfortunately, we only found empty nests - we simply weren't there at the right time.
Kemaman
We continued on to Kemaman, a beautiful fishing village. There was a museum about the turtles and an old house in the district. As usual, we visited the night market. We spent the night in a homestay.
Hitchhiking in Malaysia - mostly okay
In Malaysia, we were picked up several times by hitchhikers. We were almost always allowed a ride, and the people (whether truck or car drivers) usually didn't want any money. They just said "a little present would be ok". That usually meant 3-5 cigarettes (I smoked American cigarettes back then and never all at once) or a small tip.
We then drove via Kuantan to Segamat and later on towards Singapore.
Our unforgettable experience as a hitchhiker
Near Ayer Hitam, we stood at the side of the road again. I will never forget what happened next.
A car pulled up - a well-maintained model, similar to an Opel. In it sat a well-dressed couple, estimated to be 45-50 years old. We got in and were immediately asked where we were from and what we were doing. Then the woman (the man was driving) asked: "Where do you want to spend the night?"
We said: "In Johor Baharu."
She spoke briefly with her husband and then said: "You can both stay overnight with us."
What a surprise! We said we didn't want to disturb her, etc., but she waved us off: "No problem at all."
After a while we arrived at a very nice outlying quarter of Johor Baharu. The car turned into a garage driveway (space for four cars). It was a large, beautiful European-style house.
As soon as the car stopped, two servants came out. The woman told them to take our luggage into the house. She asked us to come in. In the spacious entrance, she showed Rolf his room and me another - we each had our own room with a toilet and shower. She told us to freshen up and then come into the drawing room for tea.
When I had finished showering, she knocked on my door and asked about the dirty laundry - she would have it washed. I said I didn't have any dirty laundry. She laughed and said: "You are very funny." I was quite embarrassed, but then gave her the laundry anyway. Rolf felt the same way.
We went into the drawing room for tea. The landlord was already sitting there and grinned: "We're all three having a 'tea' now." It was a bottle of Black Label Special Edition whisky - I'd never seen a bottle like that before.
Dinner out with the couple - unforgettable
Later we would go out to eat. A friend of the family who spoke German would come with us. We drove to a top-class Chinese restaurant. Three waiters looked after each guest. The German-speaking friend greeted us in German and told us that he had completed part of his Lutheran theology studies in Germany.
The meal was like a firework display: the napkin was laid for us and we were given a fork and knife. In the middle of the table was a two-tiered round plateau, which was constantly replenished with new dishes. With each dish, a waiter explained what it was and how it was prepared. The waiter recommended a good beer to go with it. The host wanted to offer us expensive Australian wine.
We talked about all sorts of things. The hostess told us that she had several children who would soon be finishing school. I assume that these nice people were financially well off.
We drove back to her house late in the evening. We spent a very good night.
English breakfast and a fond farewell
For breakfast we had a proper English breakfast: bacon, sausages, beans, toast with butter and jam, tea or coffee. Afterwards we exchanged addresses. I sent a card at Christmas for years until I unfortunately lost the address after moving house several times.
After breakfast, the staff loaded our backpacks back into the trunk. The woman told us that she would drive us to the border in Singapore. After we got out of the car, we said goodbye warmly. Her husband had already said goodbye to us at home.
Impressions
