Exiting Malaysia and Entering Singapore

I started out from Johor Bahru after a good breakfast for Singapore at about 9.30am with a plan to get to RAM Racing Engineering for crating the bike by about 1pm. I literally only had to travel less than 40 kms, with an estimated drive time of around 45 minutes, but this failed to take into account any potential stops due to the carnet and the Australian motorcycle. I knew it would not take 45 minutes, but I didn't expect it to take as long as it did.

Buddhist temple

I chose to head across the Johor Bahru - Woodlands checkpoint and the Causeway, which is the primary surface transport transit point between Singapore and Malaysia. The previous day, I had undertaken a bus trip across and back to sort my insurance and driving permit with the Automobile Association of Singapore, which took me about three hours, including using the MRT and busses to get myself around.

Finding the correct lanes at the checkpoint out of Malaysia ended up being relatively easy with the icons for trucks, cars and motorcycles. The difference of lane size was also a giveaway. Approaching the causeway, I took the closest window to stamp my passport and asked where the customs place was to get the carnet stamped. Although this took about an hour, the chap in charge simply accepted I knew what I was doing and agreed to follow my instructions, even though he claimed he had never seen anything like it. He even offered me a chocolate while I waited.

Once stopped, I found it difficult to get myself back out into the motorcycle traffic passing through the checkpoint and I would be wary of wider bikes or bikes that were lower to the ground. I scraped the base of my BMW GS650 on the large speed bumps on my way out. At about 11.30am, I joined the other motorcyclists in a steady stream across the bridge.

The trip across the causeway only took about five minutes, crossing the Johor Strait. It is certainly nowhere near as pretty as the Tuas-Johor checkpoint crossing, which is a graceful bridge and took quite some time to cross. At first there were motorcycle only lanes on the far left of the road, but about half way these lanes merge into the common traffic. Or I should say, the common traffic lanes merge into the motorcycle lane. A short distance later, the motorcycle lane starts again on entry into the Woodlands Checkpoint.

Singapore's bay

Here, I found complete madness when I expected Singapore authorities to be far more organised and less officious. How wrong I was!

It started with my autopass card failing at the immigration point, which caused no end of grief. Then I found out I needed to fill out a card on entry because I was not Malaysian. I should have remembered this because exactly the same thing happened to me the previous day when I entered on foot.

Meanwhile, a steadily growing irate line of Malaysian and Singaporean motorcyclists were patiently waiting for me to move on as I had effectively blocked the first bay. As the line grew, I started to block all the bays and no one could move. That is when they started to yell at me from behind and I cannot blame them. I would probably have yelled at the stupid foreigner who had caused such trouble.

Once all my cards had been completed and I had it explained to me where I needed to go to find an official to correct my autopass card failure, the chap who was talking to me was replaced by another guy who needed a brief on what I was doing. This took another fifteen minutes as handover took place and computer logins were re-established. The line behind me grew angry.

Finally, I had a green light to go and I put my helmet back on. I turned to the guys behind me to apologise for the delay, but they yelled at me, "Just go!". I checked my watch - nearly 1pm.

Then I had to stop at customs to declare the bike and sort out the Carnet. After all this time and effort, the sweat dripping off me and sure I had lost a few kilos in the heat of the transit across the causeway, a Singaporean customs officer escorted me into a very well air conditioned office where a rough gentleman knew exactly what a carnet was and finalised it within a few minutes. The other fellows who were being detained were nowhere near as friendly and it dawned on me that some of these guys might have legitimate reasons to have been detained by Singapore Customs.

Singapore's bay

I spent half an hour sorting my autopass card out with various phone calls to relevant authorities to confirm my identity and I was glad I had done everything legitimately. Finally, I was cautioned about driving on the expressway without an In-Vehicle Unit (IVU) because I would be charged significantly if I passed a charge boom.

Waved out of the customs bay my bike had been parked in, the road to RAM Racing Engineering stood only 100 meters beyond a green light and a dozen cars. Approached by one Singaporean police officer, he asked me if I had been seen by Singaporean Customs, which I answered in the positive. I felt relieved that English was common here.

The 100 meters became 50 meters and suddenly, surrounding me, were a dozen Singaporean police, waving me into a car sized garage at the right of the exit road. They asked me to disembark and turn the bike off, which I obeyed. A garage door closed behind me with a clang. They quizzed me on where I had come from and my destination.  Then we walked around the bike as interrogated me about what each section held. After writing all my responses down, they demanded I open all my panniers, and bags, undo my tarpaulin covered backpack and pull all my gear out onto the floor of the garage, filthy clothes and all.

Satisfied I had no contraband, they lightened up and started making jokes as I packed it all back up. I didn't feel particularly friendly after being violated in such a manner, but at least I didn't get a rubber glove and I was under no illusion they could have requested a cavity search if they had a reason. The elderly gentleman in charge, interested in the bike, asked me what speed I had got it up to in Malaysia. My response, "I did not exceed the speed limit" raised some eyebrows and even got some laughs. They wished me all the best on my trip and opened the garage door, stopping the traffic to give me clear passage out to the green light and the freedom of Singapore.

My GPS gave me directions along the freeway and although I had been warned of the cost I might incur if I were to travel down the freeway without appropriate vehicle mounted systems, I chose to take the risk. I was fairly sure, given it was now after 2pm, that I would not be going under any of the operational gangways. It took about another thirty minutes to make the haven of RAM Racing Engineering, where I was welcomed and given food and drink and wonderful company.

I had finally made it to Singapore. The 45 minute trip had taken me about five hours and I felt wrecked.

Driving videos - Singapore (Part One)

Introduction

I took with me a small Contour Roam that mounted to my motorcycle helmet. It came with two mounts, but I only even attached one to my helmet. I assumed that at some point I would probably have to replace my helmet and then I would use the second mount, but it never came to that. As a result, all of the shots are in portrait when they would probably have been much better in landscape.

Regardless, this footage is really valuable for people wanting to drive through some of the areas I have driven through. The GPS is good, don't get me wrong, but there is no Google Street View in many of these areas (although Singapore had a lot), which I use extensively in Australia when I am navigating to a new location to get an idea of what the roads are like and what sort of landmarks or road markings I should be looking out for.

I also didn't realise the size of these clips initially, both in terms of time and bytes (or should I say Gigabytes). There were times driving where twenty minutes could pass without me turning the camera off and there were certainly times when I forgot to turn it off. Finally, they are raw footage, and if you don't like them, bad luck, as they are great memories for me.

First recorded drive in Singapore

My first drive in Singapore from RAM Racing Engineering to my hotel undertaken in the dark did not have any video associated, and lucky, because not only did I go to the wrong location, I also got myself lost and drove around in a circle. Glad I had my wits about me, I noticed I had been there before, and pulled over to check the maps that RAM had printed off for me. I am so glad they did. I found the point where I turned left instead of right and just stepped through them again.

This video is the first time I drove in Singapore with the Contour Roam on and it is about 25 minutes of footage. I have left the audio as recorded. Although I am not a great speaker and I sometimes stop when I need to concentrate, it is my first footage of what it is like to drive in Singapore during the day. Some of my commentary helps to show my own thought process and might assist in both placing it geographically and pointing things out. It might also be funny to hear my brain disengage from my mouth at times, if you have never heard that (some of my friends might say this is a regular occurrence, but I beg to ding a ding dang my dang a long ling long).

This video sees me drive past the Automobile Association of Singapore headquarters on River Valley Drive (and the lovely Rosie Chan who has really helped me out with all the paperwork in getting the insurance and carnet sorted out to drive in Singapore). It also shows the relatively tame Singapore traffic, but watch out for those taxis, and the Chinese New Year set up, like the big red dragon along New Bridge Road/Eu Tong Sen Street. I find out talking in the wind does not work on this first trial.

I especially like the attempts to turn right and then left into a one-way street. This happens a few times in the early days of driving in Singapore because I have been walking down the streets and failed to really notice the traffic is only one-way. After a lot of round town hunting, I finally get to my hostel and if you watch up at minute 23 or 24, I actually forget how large the panniers are and get stuck on two concrete poles just before parking. Worth it for the laugh.

Chinese New Year

It didn't take me very long to get the itch to ride around Singapore, which is not that big. Even then, I did not stray too far as I was still getting my feet (or wheels) around both the new bike and the new country. I have a process for learning my way around places and it works on foot as well as with the bike. I go around the block a few times and get my bearings, then I extend the block to two blocks, then three. If I have a map, I head off in a direction for twice the time I have taken to explore around three blocks, then try to find my way back, using landmarks and skyline to navigate.

This is what I did on the first day of Chinese New Year, but several streets had been blocked off for the celebrations and I didn't really count on how many one-way streets or how few u-turns were available. This meant that if I tried to duck down a side street to turn around, I found it was one-way (for better or worse).

I had been parking my motorcycle in a paid parking location directly opposite my hostel (Beary Best) on Upper Cross Street. I had my camera on the helmet, just in case, but once I rode down the street and saw the spectacle unfold in front of me, I had to turn the camera on. This shows me initially on Upper Cross Street and approaching the corner of Upper Cross and New Bridge Road/Eu Tong Sen Street. From what I could gather (and I could be wrong) New Bridge is one side of the street, and Eu Tong Sen is the other side. This stumped for some time and I am still unsure if it is correct. It seems that the locals consider this two separate carriage-ways, but for me it seemed that one side had a different name to the other side.

This clip shows South Bridge Road down to Neil Road during the high point right before the first night of Chinese New Year celebrations, past the Sri Mariamman Temple and the Buddha Tooth Relic and Museum. It also shows you how packed it can get before the celebrations and how many people are roaming around.

Gardens by the Bay

The Gardens by the Bay at Marina South were very hot and humid during the day, but once I got the bike, I could roam a bit more on my own and so, on Chinese New Year Eve, I decided to get away from the traffic around Chinatown and head across to the Gardens by the Bay to take a look at them at night.

This clip shows me heading out to Marina South Park, starting on Central Boulevard and turning into Marina Station Road, then Marina Street, Marina Place, Marina Boulevard, and finally into Marina Park and the Gardens by the Bay. The second clip, below, shows parking at the park.

Not going to Sentosa

No one told me that motorcycles aren't allowed on Sentosa. I had heard about how glorious the place is and the magnificent beaches. It also has the resorts and Universal Studios theme parks, but I was not overly interested in seeing them. I decided on the morning after the first night of Chinese New Year celebrations to head over to see for myself.

This footage shows what happens when you take the left fork in the road once you are across the bridge to Sentosa. I realised I could not skip lanes, so thought I would ride it out, not stopping and just doing a loop around to find that you have to go back across the bridge to turn around and try again. I wondered why the security were waving me through - because unauthorised motorcycles are not allowed on Sentosa Island.

This clip shows what happens if you take the right fork in the road once you are passed the bridge, but it doesn't show you much else as I was turned around quick smart. No unauthorised motorcycles are allowed on Sentosa, which is a shame because I decided from that point that I would not bother seeing the island if I couldn't do it on motorcycle. I am a responsible rider and don't see why I should be penalised because of the scooter punks. Maybe they should just ban scooters.

Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery

After being turned back from Sentosa, I travelled to the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery on the day after Chinese New Year celebrations started, not knowing this is a traditional time for Buddhists to visit the monastery. Initially, I thought there must have been an accident on the road ahead, but as I approached at a snails pace, I realised the monastery was the cause of the traffic.

Next clip, showing my ignorance, is where I realise it is a Buddhist Monastery. For some reason, I never bothered to find out before I turned up and then I seemed to be surprised that it was Buddhist.

The parking was incredible and on repeated occasions I was directed to ride on the footpath or around cars, but I was still new in Asia and not quite used to the disdain for traffic rules that all other motorcycles and scooters show. The following clip shows my travel through various parts of the monastery as directed by security.

Entering Malaysia and Mersing

I began my trip across the border at about midday, thinking this would give me enough time to get everything sorted and get into Mersing by nightfall. The guys at RAM Racing Engineering installed a power adaptor for the GPS unit so I could use it through the more troublesome areas with current drawn from the battery. I also stopped past to see some people to say goodbye, including the team at Big Loud Rides (Singapore), before I disappeared north. However, the weather immediately turned nasty with torrential downpour causing flash flooding over several of the roads and caused my helmet to leak (running water down my back before I had even left the country).

At some point, my GPS dropped out (dead) and due to the massive amount of water falling from the sky, I could not consult a map without destroying the map or being unable to read it. I had made some snapshots from Google Maps on my laptop, but for similar reasons, I could not just pull out the laptop to check my route. I decided that as long as I continued north, I should find the Woodlands checkpoint and all would be good.

For a while, I followed a route specified as headed to Tuas and Woodlands, but then Woodlands seemed to drop off the signs (I must have missed a turn-off) and I assumed, incorrectly, that there would be another sign to Woodlands. Getting lost twice, I decided that I could either head back to Singapore City and try to pick up the trail from there to Woodlands, stay another night in Singapore (even though I had told Singapore officials I would be departing on the 14th), or continue to the Tuas checkpoint.

There were pros and cons for both the checkpoints, so I decided to take what was on offer, and headed for Tuas. At first, I went to the dangerous good declaration lane, as I had been told to do, but they waved me away after quizzing me on what I had in my backpack and panniers (clothes aren't dangerous, nor is a fully fuelled motorcycle from Australia).

On entering the motorcycle entrance to Tuas, I noticed a flock of motorcycles and no lane markings until you hit the boom gates. My bike, larger than anyone else's, demanded respect, especially after two locals nudged the panniers and almost fell off. I felt the nudge, but had much more mass on my side (for the first time in my life). Between the boom gates was a massive concrete rampart that I had concerns I would get through. With just enough space between the two panniers on either side and grazing the top of the concrete rampart, I managed to stamp my passport for deportation from Singapore. Although at the time, I thought this would be the hard part, I failed in my assessment.

Without any customs points after, I pulled over to find someone to finalise my carnet for the motorcycle. No one knew what I was talking about, but finally, I found someone who did. Although she kept muttering that there was a mistake on the carnet to her colleagues, she told me it was all fine and there were no issues. It took some time to stamp it as required and complete the sheets and she said she would call across to the Malaysian customs so they were ready to meet me. Finally, I was free to head across the bridge to Malaysia.

The bridge itself was glorious, especially as the rain blurred the distance. Behind me the sleek, grey of Singapore receded as the dark green of Malaysia approached. In between, the dark Singapore Strait seemed cold and foreboding, and once closer to the Malaysia side, I could see floating platforms that were mining or dredging, or something completely different. The checkpoint for Malaysia had more horizontal space for motorcycles, but less vertical space and I scraped (gently) the bike on two massive concrete speed bumps as I entered.

My passport stamped for my stay, I proceeded to the Customs checkpoint and again moved into the dangerous goods lane. This time, a military man stopped me and, very gruffly, told me I had come the wrong way and to go back to the motorcycle lanes. I explained my reasons for being there, but he told me I didn't understand instructions and directed me again to the motorcycle lanes. Not planning on arguing with the Malaysian military, I did as instructed and I found no customs officers to greet me.

Before I proceeded too far, I turned myself around and parked outside the customs building to find someone who could help. Knocking on the front door, and realising the time had passed 1800, the man who came to see me didn't say a word to me, but waved me around the other side of the building. On a full circuit, I found the entrance I had originally gone to was the main entrance. I did find three guys sitting at a table out the back smoking kretek and playing cards, who approached me as soon as they saw me. I explained the situation and showed them my documentation.

The only guy who spoke any English said I did not need any of that in Malaysia and the carnet would not be stamped. Some countries do not recognise the carnet, and although my previous research had suggested Malaysia would be a country that did, I thought I must have been mistaken. I asked if there was someone in charge I could talk to and the guy told me he was in charge - that there was no one else to talk to. Without any ability to voice a contrary opinion, he waved me through. I even asked about insurance, but he just shrugged.

I continued on my way and had to stop at a checkpoint to pay a toll for entry. Not noticing the motorcycle lane (which seems to always be on the left of Malaysian tollways), I ended up in the car and truck lane where a pleasant young lady who spoke no English directed me back up a one way freeway to get to the motorcycle lane about 800 metres away. As darkness descended, I turned the bike around and drove up into oncoming trucks and cars, who were just as worried as I was about me heading for them. I tried to cut across the heavy traffic to get to the motorcycle lane and managed to do it with no casualties other than my wits.

Once in the motorcycle lane, the nice lady directed me to a far lane and asked me to produce my touch-and-go card, which I did not have. She made it clear I needed one and could not pass. I asked her if I could purchase one there, and although she initially shook her head, in consultation with another lady manning the boom gate, they agreed I could purchase one. The price, in Ringgit, seemed like it had just been negotiated with the boom gate operator and then I realised I had no Ringgit anyway. I asked if I could pay in US dollars - more discussion resulted in an agreement for USD$34 for the card. With little option to check, I felt I was being ripped off, but I could not argue nor check, nor was I in any position to negotiate. I sucked it up, touched my new card against the pad and the boom gate rose, allowing me into Malaysia.

I decided I should try to get some local currency and fuel immediately, so stopped at the first depot I could find. They did not change money, but directed me to someone who could. Using the last of my US$ in cash, I got a handful of ringgit (Malaysian dollars) and then purchased fuel. A bottle of water for the guy in front of me was MYR$1 but MYR$4 for me. Again, I sucked it up (literally and metaphorically) - I just wanted to be on my way to my accommodation already booked in Mersing and I had some trip ahead of me since I had crossed the border onto the West coast and headed for the East coast, through Johor Bahru which would have been my first city in Malaysia if I had crossed at Woodlands.

Taking a toilet break, I noticed the massive amounts of chewing gum stuck to everything. I realised I had taken the lack of chewing gum in Singapore and the smoking laws (even though they were often ignored) for granted. Here, everyone smokes (sometimes inside helmets while riding motorcycles and scooters) and there are racks and racks of different chewing gums available over the counter. By this time, about 2000, I knew I would need to call my accommodation again to let them know of my late check in time, but found my phone would not work (as expected), however no one sold a new SIM card. The hotel had said they would be open until 11pm for check in, and my trip should take about 2.5 hours. I should have realised that since things were going so smoothly getting across the border, they would go just as smoothly to get to Mersing.

Rain still pelting down, I stopped at a 7-Eleven in Johor Bahru to get a SIM and directions. They did not sell any maps, my GPS was still unresponsive, and the guy at the counter could not explain to me how the SIMs worked, so I held off. In retrospect, I should have just bought one and called my hotel to let them know I would be late. The guy offered to sell me his SIM (apparently, he had two) but I refrained from that idea. There was no telling what trouble I could get myself into for that. I cowered, drenched, under an overhang at the 7-Eleven and risked destroying my laptop to check my snapshots of Google Maps. I committed the sequence of towns along my route into memory, identified the route number, and got the chap in the 7-Eleven to point in the general direction of Kota Tinggi.

Following route 3 toward Kota Tinggi and Mersing, I proceeded in the dark through pelting and stinging rain for 3 hours. There was little lighting on the roads and when there was it was insufficient to be useful. There is a left lane (a shoulder of the road) that many of the smaller motorcycles use. The buses and trucks and many of the larger cars push the motorcycles from their paths, almost physically, and many drivers do not check their blind spot.

There were people and animals walking up and down (and across) the road with no warning until you were on them already. In the rain, I almost hit two cows and a bunch of half a dozen people walking almost in the middle of the road. Additionally, in Australia, it is illegal (if not plain discourteous) to flash someone oncoming with your high beams, but in Malaysia this was normal and when someone did the courteous thing and turned their beams down, this did not carry over to motorcycles. Once they passed the car in front of me, they flashed them on again before I was past them. I ended up staying behind another vehicle so it could show me the road and I could use it to shield me from the oncoming high beams, which were completely dazzling in the heavy rain (all I could see were the red lights of the car in front and without a car in front, I had to slam on the brakes and try to find the often non-existent line on the left of the road).

I had already passed several signs warning of potential cattle on the road, which I had seen for myself. It was about this point in time that there were two signs warning me of potential elephants on the road. I slowed down for a bit, and lost my lead car which carried on ahead at 110 kph. I decided it was safer to be sitting at 80 kph or lower and then had to deal with cars and trucks flying up onto my arse and overtaking me, spraying me with water. Without seeing any elephants (that I noticed, as my view extended only to the edges of the road and about 100 metres ahead in high beam) I decided to get behind an elephant buster and stick to it like glue. If they hit an elephant, the damage to me would be significantly less than if I hit it ... I assumed.

Checking the time, I made it into Mersing at about 2250 and tried to find a place to purchase a SIM card for the phone. My directions were not good to get to the hotel and I was convinced I could not make it in 10 minutes. I couldn't even get a SIM in 10 minutes, but managed to find a U-Mobile SIM for MYR$8. I stepped outside to slot the SIM into my phone, but it failed to work. On entering the 7-Eleven again to see what the problem was, the guy behind the counter THEN chose to tell me that he had to activate it for me and stepped through various instructions he had behind the counter.

Finally, I tried to call the place I had a booking, but at 2315 they failed to answer. I had some directions, but would need to head back the direction I had come and calculations suggested it would take me another half an hour to get there. I was pretty sure they had cancelled my booking and even if I turned up they were not at the office to check me in. I would have to travel half an hour to get there, find out I could not check in, and then at least half an hour back to Mersing to find another accommodation. I asked the guy at the 7-Eleven if he knew anywhere I could stay at that time of night and he directed me to a place his mother worked at, a small hotel just down the road called Sweet Hotel.

As I had not eaten anything all day, I stopped into KFC for something to fill me up that could be identified and although the burger did that, the other thing I had could not be identified. I think it must have been potato wedges coated in egg and cheese sauce. It was tasty, but did not agree with my stomach, although that could just have been the KFC.

Pulling into Sweet Hotel, the lady behind the counter held the door open for me and gave me a good rate on the room. I mopped up after myself as I left puddles of water in the reception, up a flight of stairs and in footprints all the way to my room. She offered to keep an eye on the motorcycle by putting it right in front of the door to the hotel, which I appreciated. This is the first time I used the motorcycle disc brake lock.

My room in Mersing (the only photo I took of the town).

The warm shower and double bed was welcome after I posted to let people know I was still alive... just. I checked on the carnet requirements and found that the Malaysian customs officials had not got it right and if I tried to get the motorcycle out of Malaysia without the carnet stamped it would cost me significantly. Immediately unable to do anything, I decided I would need to head back to the customs office in Johor Bahru or further to the one I had originally arrived at before I proceeded on my planned route. I faded into sleep listening to dozens of cats all over the place talking, arguing and having sex right outside my window, but by this time I was too smashed to care or really to notice much after a few minutes.

Arab Street

I found it really interesting that the bulk of Street Art seems to be centred around Arab Street (the region can also be called Kampong Glam)in Singapore. I had heard from friends that this was the place to check it out and they were absolutely correct. Only in one place in Singapore had I previously found a few stickers on a box near a bus station, but they were poor quality and only three together on the flat surface, but here there are entire walls of really good graffiti and dozens of poles with stickers up and down.

First part of a wall near Haji Lane

Second part of a wall near Haji Lane

The lanes were so close I could not get full photographs of the expanse of some of the art, including an entire wall of dozens of spear-wielding warriors and sprawling landscapes near Haji Lane. The locals, sitting on cushions smoking outside most of the buildings, looked at me like I was made as I moved the bins away from the walls to get the full shots of them.

There were a good dozen of these chaps along the walls

Additionally, against the Mexican restaurant there are some amazing Aztec-like graffiti that span two stories and were extremely difficult to photograph. I had been informed that the Mexican restaurant would be the spot to find some good street art and they were right. It is some of the most detailed I have seen and all of the same style across the walls around the restaurant.

Two stories of Aztec-inspired art on the side of the Mexican restaurant

Stylised Aztec art - some very futuristic

I'd highly recommend heading into this location in Singapore just to view the art. The pristine, almost sterile Singaporean environment is corrected in this little section of Kampong Glam. I even found a Barek Art sticker on the corner of Haji Lane and Baghdad Street.

Barek Art on Haji Lane, Kampong Glam

Little India

I needed three doses of Little India to really get a good handle on it. The first time, I got myself hopelessly lost among the little alleyways and ended up getting caught in a heavy machinery work zone with no resemblance to India at all (as far as I am aware). Even checking the map I had with me was no help, because the street signs were nowhere to be seen and the angles of the roads didn't match my map. I had to use the skyline to get my bearing and the angles of the shadows to determine compass directions. Given Little India is only a dozen blocks or so, I felt a little silly and vowed that I needed to reconsider a GPS for the rest of my trip.

The second and third time, a lovely local Indian-Malay woman offered to show me the sights with dinner. Rain had started to fall in the afternoon, so we met at the Chinatown Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station and caught the train to Little India station. On exiting, I found myself very near where I had lost myself last time. Plunging through the rain and people, we moved through a food court smelling of Indian spices and where I had a brilliant mango lassi previously, while searching through the map.Through the bustle, we made our way to a vegetarian restaurant across the road.

Komala Vilas Vegetarian Restaurant

It took a bit of effort to eat with my hands, but my South Indian meal, rice on a leaf (which sounds more exotic in Tamil), was glorious. It was composed of a bowl of rice and small serves of different dishes and cups of various curries and tastes arranged on what looked like a banana leaf. Using my fingers to mix different amounts of the food with rice, I made a mess (encouraged by my host), but the food was wonderful - the best Indian I have ever had. At the end of the meal was a bitter yet tasty broth that I could taste in the back of my nose more than my mouth and then rounded it off with a sweet white yoghurt, cashew nut and raisin drink that tasted faintly of ginger but without any ginger (my host asked, to my chagrin).

South Indian meal (Rice on a Leaf) ... sans leaf

From there, moving through crowded streets smelling of flower wreathes being made, I was shown exotic textile and jewellery shops with incredible fabrics and detailed necklaces. I bought a pale Jippa with some gold and silver floral embroidery and cotton pants. I was struck by the similarities of the sari, a single strip of fabric that is woven around the body to form a dress, and the Scottish kilt. We stopped to look at the Mustafa market that had everything and, to my joy, an extensive toy and electronics section.

Roadside florist stalls for all occasions

Taking our shoes off at the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, we washed our feet before entering the Hindu temple to see incredible statues of various deities and heroes. The place was in full swing with families praying while walking around statues, red and white blessings being placed on foreheads, and men in robes rocking while reciting prayers at dozens of spots. There was even a long line for a blessed meal. The feeling of peace and comfort ran through the place constantly under the watchful eyes of the deities. I paid respect and donated to the costs of cleaning and maintaining the temple, but could not bring myself to pull out my camera and start taking photographs inside - it just seemed too insensitive.

Sri Veeramakaliamman Hindu Temple

I drove through the location in an attempt to get better photos of some of these landmarks, but I had to watch out for the traffic and people that I couldn't take any good shots with the helmet-mounted camera. I loved the environment, though, and although I got some strange looks, I thought the bustle perfect for me to train in for some of the future locations I will be driving through.

Chinatown

Chinatown during the Chinese New Year celebrations is an amazing place to be. The bustle of people is constant and the sounds and smells are unique. It is also very different from the rest of Singapore, and all you need to do is walk a few blocks any direction to find this out.

In Singapore, Chinatown is not just a single street that has been blocked to traffic, like it is in Brisbane. It's a region of five or six streets, some of which are permanently blocked to traffic. However, just because they are blocked to traffic doesn't stop some really intent people trying with cars and, more often, precariously packed motorcycles or scooters, inching through the throngs of people who give no purchase to the vehicles. I have seen a car get caught in a sea of people unable to move forward or backward. They just sat there looking out like fish in a fishbowl, unable even to open the doors.

Pagoda Street, Chinatown, Singapore

The stalls start to get set up at about 8am and remain active until late into the evening. I was heading to bed around 11pm and they were still going strong. These stalls are only a few meters across, but some are extensions of shops that provide a real depth to them. Others are just a few square meters of packed wares, including tailors, clothes, tourist bits (like shirts, hangings, gems, and trinkets), food, drink, delicacies (like pork, mushrooms, peanuts, jellies, and fruit), stone stamps, tattoos, and many other strange things. I was expecting to see a little wooden box with a mogwai in it, but no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find one... yet. I get some strange looks when I ask, but how could you not?

When I first got here, I was shuffling along with the other lines of westerners, taking photos and stopping at each offering of free wares, trying the delicacies cut open and shoved into your hands. After a few days, even I started to get pissed off with these damned tourists who just stopped in the middle of the street to eat something or take a photo of something utterly ridiculous. Now, I am able to slice through the crowds like a local, angling my shoulders to indicate my next sudden direction change, dodging the slow tourists and receiving grunts of acknowledgement from the locals because I am tall enough to see the traffic snarls ahead. I don't even respond when live animals are shoved in my face with serving suggestions, terrified eyes clearly understanding their fate. Initially, I actually said "No, thank you". In the interim, I waved them away, but now, seasoned as I am, I ignore them unless I am looking for something specific to eat.

Year of the Snake, Chinatown, Singapore

A friend took me out to try some of the local delicacies, which I really recommend, including the char kway teo and chili crab. This was the best meal I have had in Chinatown. The two of us went to five or six different places bargaining for 2 crabs for SGD $28 total plus a long neck beer for SGD $5. He disappeared off to find a hawker stall to grab a chicken and mushroom char kway teow version that had noodles and sprouts, being careful to order the mild spice for my benefit. It could have been hotter, but the black bean crab was even hotter than the chili crab. The crab, initially protesting with its eye stalks at that Buddhist part of me, was cooked to perfection and by the end of the feast, I was covered in crab and juices. The 660ml beer washed it all down nicely. Who said auditors are boring?

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum

As a side note, I had a fellow backpacker who was a vegetarian and he found very little in Chinatown for him to eat outside the fruit vendors. Be warned, if you are a vegetarian, you will have more luck in Little India than in Chinatown.

When it comes to the clothes, I was very impressed. I am planning on picking a few pieces up and replacing some of my silly heavy Western clothes, especially the pants. I was warned not to wear jeans, but I brought some to use on the motorcycle and at high altitudes, but they are sweat collectors in Singapore. There are some amazing wares on sale, although I found a beautiful red and black silk tai chi shirt that I really wanted. It stopped me in my tracks while I was walking and the elderly Chinese man ushered me into the store, but would not sell it to me. He showed me another three or four that were not as good, some not even silk, and the one he really recommended was a black and pink number. I gave him a look that he read very well and he tossed it back into the shop, but would still not relent on the gorgeous creation out the front. I have tried him daily for the last week, but he remains unconvinced I am the right person for it.

The Tai Chi jacket that got away

And it would not be Chinese New Year without a dragon dance.

Route Planning - Malaysia

I head across the border into Malaysia on Thursday, February 14. I plan to leave at about 10am in the morning and am expecting about 2 hours to get through customs and continue on my merry way. This means I need to start planning where I am going and what I am doing, especially so I can book accommodation or plan where I will be camping.

Here is the plan as it sits before I have even entered the country:

1. Day One - Cross the border. If I have time, visit the Muzium Diraja Sultan Abu Bakar, otherwise I may have to do it when (if) I come back (although according to Google Maps, it will take me 37 minutes to get to the museum). I plan to spend the night of the 14th in Mersing at the Fishing Bay Resort (booked) on the East Coast of West Malaysia (directions).
2. Day Two (and Three) - Start out at 10am from the Fishing Bay Resort in Mersing. Stop for lunch in Kluang, then continue to Muar where I follow the coast along the Malacca Strait into Melaka and stay at the Mari Mari Guesthouse (booked) for two nights (directions).
3. Day Four - Start out at 10am from the Mari Mari Guesthouse and cross inland over the Segamat District, across Rompin and Pekan and into Kuantan for the evening of the 17th (directions).
4. Day Five (and Six) - Start out at 10am from Kuantan and head to Kuala Tahan (directions) to camp in Taman Negara for the 18th and 19th. This will involve getting myself to some of the wilderness hides and seeing if I can spot any local wildlife while not getting eaten alive by leeches.
5. Day Seven - Start out at 10am from Kuala Tahan and head to Kuala Lumpur for the evening of the 20th (directions). I am hoping to find a good spot to stay so I can scrub off the grime from my camping at Taman Negara.
6. Day Eight (and Nine) - Start out at 10am from Kuala Lumpur and head to Tanah Rata Pahang for the evening of the 21st and 22nd (directions) to climb trails and drive the Cameron Highlands for two days. I had hoped to climb some of the local mountains, but we shall see - if I twist an ankle it will really screw my plans up.
7. Day Ten - Start out at 10am from Tanah Rata Pahang and travel to Kota Bharu for the evening of the 23rd (directions).
8. Day Eleven (and Twelve) - Start out at 10am from Kota Bharu and travel to George Town (Penang) for the evening of the 24th and 25th (directions).
9. Day Thirteen - Start out at 8am on the 26th from George Town and travel to the Malaysian/Thailand border, into Sandao and staying at Hat Yai (directions). This then links to my route planning for Southern Thailand which will be determined, soon.

This is the plan so far, but we all know how brilliant plans can go to shit very quickly once they actually meet the road and since I am meeting the road intimately (although hopefully not hard) and the weather could also really screw up my plans, or at least delay me, then I suspect these plans will turn out very differently.

Largest Buddhist monastery in Singapore

I'll admit, the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery was not my first plan for today. I tried to get into Sentosa, but found that Sentosa Island (previously called Island of Death) for a variety of horrible reasons - storing bodies in World War 2 after Japanese occupation, early piracy, and outbreaks of disease and malaria - is restricted to authorised motorcycles only.

I drove initially through the loop once to be waved through the car parks for Universal Studios, and then a second time to see the rest of the island, but was yelled at (in the courteous Singaporean way) that I had failed to see the single "No motorcycle" sign on the bridge. I did see it the second time, but there was no way to turn around once you reached the sign unless you drove like a Singaporean taxi.

As the rain started to get heavier, I decided not to do an East-West journey across the entire island, although I do still intend to do that. Instead, I looked at some of the things I had on my list for what I wanted to see and found this at the top of it. Consulting the GPS, I found the monastery only a few kilometres away. It would have been rough to walk to it in this weather, but I donned my new bright banana yellow wet weather jacket, installed the GPS in a reasonably dry location and set off.

I came around the corner onto Sin Ming Avenue to hit a massive block of traffic. I have never seen this sort of traffic in Singapore, even with the Chinese New Year celebrations last night, and I thought initially there must have been an accident. I had tried to keep out of  the rain and away from the areas of high traffic, just to stay away from the damned taxis, but here I was in the thick of it, both traffic and rain.

After parking, I found it a little strange that people were everywhere and that the place allowed you to walk pretty much everywhere. There were some signs around saying "No Admittance" but in general, you could investigate every building and walk up and down any stairs. Initially, I was careful not to walk on the grass until I saw a group of kids playing tag around a field of Buddha statues in various poses.

Part of a field of Buddha statues

As I moved through the monastery, I had people come up to me and welcome me. I was the only Westerner who was there alone. I saw maybe six (6) other "white fellas" there, all elderly couples, and met a man from France with his male friend. The motorcycle had been noticed and people approached me asking if I had come from Australia, to which I had to explain that it had been flown here to start my expedition. Everyone was very nice, patient, and courteous, which is why I am myself a Buddhist.

Stopping to admire the place (photo by Yu Hong)

Many of the maps and signs were in Mandarin with no English translations. I often had to watch and learn by others examples. I met a nice old lady who explained that it was customary to make an offering to the temple while I was praying, so I made a donation to the temple to bring a large bouquet of flowers to the monks.

Map of the monastery complex

I found one specific temple that had such an effect on me that I wept (twice - I went back later to see if it did it again and it did), and even now when I think about it, tears well up in my eyes and my heart expands. It is not pain or sorrow that causes this but a great feeling of joy and happiness, and just how lucky I am to have experienced it, my family and my life.

Wept in this temple (twice)

Learning by example again, I prayed with joss sticks and knelt at each of the temples, respectfully bowing on entry and exit and taking my shoes off before entering. I sat with the monks and spoke to several of them who were interested in my journey, including one of the head monks (or THE head monk) who found time from his very busy schedule to bless me. Some of the other monks who blessed me gave me a handful of lychee lollies and sprayed water on me with lotus blossoms (I think they were lotus blossoms).

I rang the bell three times. I had intended to do it once, but a mother with a small boy in front of my berated him for doing it only once, telling him, "No, you must do it three times." Then she showed him how to do it. I used this as my own example and noticed hundreds of video camera on me while I did it.

Massive bell people were lining up to ring three times

Finally, I managed to sit on the damp ground under a Bodhi Tree that had been grown from a cutting of the Bodhi Tree the Buddha himself gained enlightenment under. It was a real experience and did not think it would move me as much as it did. I was so glad to have done this on this day, accidentally sharing the experience with my Buddhist brothers and sisters.

Bodhi Tree - an offshoot of the Buddha's enlightenment tree in Sri Lanka

On the way home, the heavens opened up on me and I was drenched, which is apparently a good thing to wash away the bad spirits and cleanse my spirit. I did feel quite peaceful and even though the guys snored like a freight train beneath my bunk, I had a reasonably good nights sleep and feel refreshed this morning. I'd heartily recommend seeing this temple if you get a chance while in Singapore.

Driving in Singapore

So you have your motorcycle in Singapore, but you don't want to push it across the border and into West Malaysia? This is how you are able to drive it around in Singapore and across the border into Malaysia without too much sweat.

If you have a carnet, you need to go to the Automobile Association of Singapore to get an International Circulation Permit (ICP) costing about SGD $60. Then you head to the LTA for an access pass costing under SGD $20. This all sounds pretty easy, but it just sounds that way. Here are the details:

1. Organise an International Circulation Permit (ICP) through the Automobile Association of Singapore (AAS) for temporary use of a motorcycle in Singapore for less than SGD $60. I recommend you get the required insurance from the AAS because it was almost impossible for me to find it anywhere else (It cost me $230 for three months but it is based on age of the driver). You must show the following:
1. Carnet de Passage en Douane (CPD) for the motorcycle.
2. Motorcycle registration certificate or card (in English or with a translation).
3. Passport of the CPD holder.
2. Head to the Land Transport Authority (Vehicle and Transit Licensing) of Singapore and purchase an Autopass Card for less than SGD $15. You must show the following:
1. AIT Carnet de Passage en Douane. (This is the tourist version of the CPD. The ATA CPD is for trade shows.)
2. Passport of the CPD holder.
3. Motorcycle insurance certificate (must be from a Singapore-based insurance company).
4. Bill of lading (surface transport) or Airway bill (for air transport).
5. Motorcycle registration certificate or card (in English or with a translation).
3. On your way out of Singapore into Malaysia, return the Autopass Card to the Immigration Booth at the Singapore-Malaysian border.

The Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) is a fee structure based on the type of vehicle, the method of entry into Singapore and the date and time that you enter and how long you stay in the country. It is designed to apply to vehicles entering via the checkpoints of Tuas and Woodlands from Malaysia, but are also applied to other foreign-registered vehicles. Although there are 10 days free, VEP charges clearly prefer the use of motorcycles (SGD $4) over cars (SGD $20). So, you want to try to minimise the time you spend in Singapore if you are a foreign-registered car, but it is not so bad if you are a foreign-registered motorcycle. This fee is also applied for crossing the checkpoints between Singapore and Malaysia and the Tuas Checkpoint is MUCH more expensive than the Woodlands Checkpoint. If you are a motorcycle, you want to enter and exit via Woodlands, because there is no charge.

The Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system is a pain in the arse, but given the size and population of Singapore, I can certainly see the requirement. It is not so much the concept, as even Brisbane has similar toll roads, but it is the method of management, relying on a government built non-RFID system that is bulky and easy to both spoof and steal (not that I did that - I am trying to ensure no problems anywhere I go). However, this system could be a lot smaller and easier to use.

Now what they didn't tell me about was the gantries that charge around SGD $5 per crossing when you cross during high peak periods. This sounds quite reasonable, however, the penalty if you don't do it right is SGD $70 per crossing. Normally, if you do not drive across the gantries within peak periods (like inbound between 6 and 9am; outbound from 5-8pm) this will not affect you, but I was driving across Chinese New Year gantries and my hostel was within the gantry entry and exit areas, so for me it was vital to consider them. The gantries around the CBD and Chinatown during Chinese New Year (and other gantries of the CBD during other public holidays and special events) are charged from about 5pm to 1am the following morning. The potential to get caught in traffic or miscalculate the times was too great for me.

You can wear it as a car - accept the SGD $5 up front or pay the SGD $5.50 (or so) per crossing - but as a motorcycle, these options are moot for a foreign registered motorcycle, meaning they cannot be applied at all. Cars can be charged this amount per crossing, but motorcycles are fined SGD $70 each crossing because they are not recognised by the system. To get around his, I sorted a temporary In-vehicle Unit (IU) for SGD $124.65 with the balance after several days being refunded at the border checkpoint. Normally you cannot get these units unless you pick them up from one of the two Singapore-Malaysian checkpoints (Tuas or Woodlands).

I was very lucky on the day I needed to get one (as the clock moved past 4.30pm, the closing time for the LTA) because a chap there had a temporary IU available for me to rent. Otherwise, I would have needed to get myself out to one of the checkpoints before I tried to cross a gantry. Since I needed to cross several gantries to get to my hotel, I decided it was best to accept the unit being offered. The IU requires a CashCard that can be purchased from participating service stations or 7-Eleven stores, which must be topped up with value before crossing the gantries or the fine is imposed. I was very lucky to read several pages into the forms I was given at the LTA to find this out, as they did not tell me anything about this when I sorted the Autopass Card.

The guys at RAM Racing Engineering warned me before I set out about the taxis. They were adamant that they were the prime threat to motorcycles on Singapore roads. I didn't really believe them, even though several of them pointed this out. I thought it was more to warn the silly overseas driver that all taxis are bad and to be wary, however in Australia at least our taxi's recognise right of way and accept minimal impact to traffic flow during operation.

This is NOT the case with Singapore taxis - be warned! Within minutes of driving on the road in Singapore, I was dodging taxi left, right and centre - I kid you not! They merge on top of you without warning and sometimes without indicators. They pull out in front of you, forcing you to brake to stop from running into them. They swerve to pick up a fare across multiple lanes of traffic and they assume that they have some sort of divine right to the road over a motorcycle. I chose not to engage with them and started to identify the mad drivers as taxi drivers.

Getting a motorcycle into Singapore

Here are the steps required to get a motorcycle from Australia into Singapore under a Carnet de Passage (all prices in Australian dollars unless otherwise specified):

1. Make sure your bike is registered in Australia and you have a valid motorcycle license to ride it.
2. Contact your local Automobile Association to arrange an international carnet (motor-vehicle passport) and International Driver's Permit (IDP). For me this is RACQ after a discussion with the Australian Automobile Association. The IDP costs about $50 while the Carnet depends on where the vehicle is being taken. In my case, the Carnet cost $950.
3. Organise a provider to fly the vehicle into Singapore International Airport. My provider is QANTAS and they have been very helpful. The current quote for the service is approximately $1600, but final dimensions and weight will resolve this price. (Final mass is 244kg; Final dimensions are 228cm x 71 cm x 130cm; Final price is $1700 based on volumetric mass).
4. Organise for the motorcycle to be "safed" before transport as a dangerous good. This involved removing the battery terminals and taping over them, and removing much of the fuel and oil from the bike. The guys at TeamMoto Enoggera were extrememly helpful in doing this for me. Getting a flush certificate, which tells the transporter what you have done to the motorcycle to make it safe, might also help although in my case it was not mandatory.
5. Arrange for the motorcycle to be crated and delivered to the airport dangerous goods service provider, usually several days before departure. Again, the TeamMoto guys helped with this with a combined cost of $350. Direct Couriers were the dangerous goods and carnet management team.
6. Organise (or have as part of your transit agreement) transit insurance for the motorcycle while it is travelling. HWA Insurance were able to help me with this for $450, but make sure it is for the mode of transport that you are using, either air or sea freight.
7. Organise for a customs clearance and transport agent in Singapore to assist in clearance of the motorcycle through Singapore Customs and delivery to someone who will un-crate the bike. I used Jupiter Air (Singapore) with a quote of about SGD $400 for the complete service. 
8. Contact a Singaporean motorcycle shop to uncrate and re-assemble the bike at the other end. Performance Motors Limited (PML) BMW Motorrad shop can do this with an estimated cost of SGD $250-300. Alternatives for PML BMW include Ram Racing, which I used because they were much more responsive and they were recommended to me. Note that PML BMW Motorrad does not crate bikes up, so if you need to get it back, you will need to organise a different supplier to crate the bike for return to Australia.

Once all this is done, you have a motorcycle ready for riding in Singapore, and ready to take across the border north. There is still more to do to ensure you are legal to ride on the road, but this is the first step, getting a motorcycle into Singapore from Australia.

Some warnings that might help you out. Be wary that departure times and arrival times for the motorcycle might change with outgoing and incoming customs, changes to flights, and additional timing delays for pick up and transport to and from the airport itself. My bike has been delayed at least a week due to outbound customs holding the vehicle up.

Reality Bites - Stage One Planned Route

Stage one has been redefined in light of reality and because I would really like to take some time in the countries to learn more about it and find all the good stories. The first stage is 120 nights between a Singapore arrival on January 28 and a Singapore departure on May 27. If things in my personal situation change, then I will reconsider.

The primary reason to stay in Singapore is to sort out the motorcycle and I may need to return to get the bike fixed or for any required servicing. If we assume the bike will be a sturdy companion, then I intend to follow this itinerary:

• 1 week in Singapore
• 2 weeks in West Malaysia
• 2 weeks in South Thailand
• 2 weeks in Cambodia
• 2 weeks in Vietnam
• 2 weeks in Laos
• 1 week in Thailand
• 2 weeks in Myanmar
• 1 week in Thailand
• 1 week in Malaysia
• 1 week in Singapore

If I am able to secure a source of income, I will extend the tour west, but I would need to extend or modify a variety of my implemented plans, including insurance, motorcycle carnet, and visas. My ultimate goal of getting to Glasgow is still there, but as I sit here cooling my heels, reality seems to settle like a fog.

Given that I have been waiting in Singapore now for the motorcycle to arrive for almost a week, I am pretty sure these timings will change. However, I am really hoping that I will be able to get across the border before Chinese New Year celebrations start on February 9.

QANTAS have given me an arrival date for the motorcycle of Tuesday afternoon and I am hoping to get myself sorted for a departure on Thursday across the border.