Singapore to Butterworth

I forget now where I read it, Lonely Planet? The Man in Seat 61? but bless whoever gave the advice about getting food for the train. This first leg was 13 hours and that is a long time to go without a snack.

As I was sitting on the train watching rows and rows of well-ordered trees going past, I started wondering why someone would try and do this. I came up with the following possibilities:

a) mad

b) crazy

c) a little deranged

d) showing off

e) it seemed like a good idea a the time.

I am thinking, in my case, it is e) with a bit of d) and some c).

That said, sitting in air-conditioned comfort at the front of the train, watching Malaysia go past was nearly as easy as watching it on telly. And I like the view from trains, you always get to see the back of things. From the road you mostly only see the front. I saw a goanna (or something that looked like one) climbing out of a river near one of the railway stations.

Leaving Keppel Road railway station in Singapore filled my romantic little heart with joy. It was easy to imagine that you were in a novel where people drank gin and tonics and wore beige. They are closing it down, soon. Relocating to a new, modern station that connects with their public transport system and will be much more efficient.

Once we were north of Kuala Lumpur, the view out the window stopped reminding me of country Victoria (with more palm trees) and started looking appropriately travel-documentary exotic.

I kind of wish Singapore (strangely like Melbourne, comfortingly familiar) could have come in the middle of the trip.