Malaysia Complete

Hey folks,

Tommorow im heading into Singapore so I thought I would recap my experience in Malaysia.

I arrived in Malaysia on the far North-Western Island of Langkawi, or Palau Langkawi. The Lankawi area is actually 104 small islands off the coast of Kuala Perlis. The largest of the bunch is where I stayed. The island is very similiar to Hawaii in look and temperature.

I was lucky enough to stay during a national holiday and most of the resident Malay's were out here for the weekend. The room I stayed in was pretty small and I was sorta worried about the giant bugs. Thankfully none were around, other than the odd frog and cockroach.

During the first day I decided to head out to Langkawi Bird Paradise. This attraction holds all the major parrots and other interesting birds like Toucans, hornbills, and flamingoes. I had some massive cuddle time with my favorite bird, the Moluccan Cockatoo . I was brought to tears with sadness over missing Malaya. I miss her dearly.

After the bird paradise I decided to find a gym. My trip has turned into a way for me to get into shape. The first thing I do when I arrive in a new place is find a gym. I dont have hobbies I have obsessions.

I found an army base that seemed deserted. Walking around and looking for something alive I stumbled upon a gym that was used in the 60's. Dusty, hot, old......perfect. I felt like a caveman lifting boulders.

The following day was used to take a trip up Langkawi Cable Car. This was the highlight so far. Up the top of the mountain range you are given the gift of the coastline and shore. Beautiful.

After the cable car I headed down to the seven pools waterfall attraction. Took a dip, fell....hard, then left.

That night I decided to walk the beach and see the sunset. Boy was I in for a treat. Although I was completely sick of the beach it was really amazing to see all the muslim travellers. They seemed to really enjoy the water and beach activities, even in there full burkas. My best shots come from this evening.

I joined up and played some volleyball with the local Langkawi team. They were really good but couldnt handle the western height, I dominated. *grin*

By the way, I rented a car. It was a right hand drive manual Proton (Malaysian car). You drive on the left side of the road here so you can imagine my hesitation. Driving around on the highways was pretty easy until I got lost. I pulled over to an exit lane and had a look at the map. As I was pulling away from the guard rail I heard a scrape-crunch-bang. Ahhh crap.....or for those of you that know me, "Friiiiick!!" You see I am used to sitting on the left side of the car, so the car was positioned 4 feet to the left. There was easily about $2000 bucks worth of damage to the car. The rental insurance deductable called for about $1500 ringits, which is about $470 canadian dollars. The next morning I dropped the car off and somehow the owner wasnt around and his wife didnt bother to check the car. Yikes!!!

After Langkawi I headed south into Georgetown, Penang. This little city boasts history, food, and culture. I spent two days in Georgetown doing the lonely planet walking tours and sampling some food. Of course I found the best gym I could find and spent hours there. Ive gained 14 pounds so far.

Time for the Cameron Highlands. The highlands topped Langkawi for sheer beauty. It actually reminded me of Canada. The green, lush, cool hill station has everything you need to relax. The best part of the three night stay was the tea plantation. The tea plantation was part of a 7 destination tour. You take a bus up to the top of a mountain and go through tours, tea sampling, and general relaxing. I really found some peace just throwing on a hoody, drinking some hot cocao, and reading a good book.

I figured I hit the big KL after Cameron Highlands. Kuala Lumpur hosts the worlds tallest twin towers, the Petronas Towers. At 1.5 million people KL is just like any city really. To me it felt like the most air polluted city on the planet. My skin took its toll and I broke out after hours. You cant exactly stroll through the city during the day, its just too polluted. At night the city is amazing. You can walk around for hours enjoying the sights and sounds. There are some amazing buildings here.

Mark and I met up again in KL. Our first stop was the gym and mall. We did some shopping wandered the streets. The night brought us to the base of the Petronas Towers, which are mesmerizing. During the day these towers seem almost bland, but during the night they are absolutely gorgeous. I so prefer modern day buildings than older buildings.

I just finished up Melaka today which is 3 hours south of KL. Melaka boasts all the usual, architechure, museums, history, and local cuisine. Oh did I mention I found the gym? *grin*

Culture:
Malaysia is so different from Thailand. The people seem to respect themselves enough to be aware of there surroundings. Malaysians are aware of being environmentally friendly, efforts are made to recycle, keep roads clean, and to keep transportation fast and efficient. Despite KL's dirty air it is relatively clean by asian standards.

Tourism:
The tourism economy here isnt nearly as strong as in Thailand. I think that might have something to do with how well I am treated. A big complaint I had with Thailand was how apathetic people are. The food service is absurd, the trash is dumped into the ocean, and nobody seems to care. In Malaysia people smile and seem to have genuine interest in you. They dont seem to be after your wallet. It feels like a very real country.

Religion:
Im past being shocked about new cultures but Malaysia does have on thing that surprised me. Harmonious religious diversity. Islam, Hindu, Buddist, and Christian religions live in peace. Malaysia is the safest country in South East Asia. Every night you can hear the Muslim prayers before sunset and not feel at all, "out of place". Malaysians seem to get the concept of free will.

Food:
I dont like Malasian food. Its just too......diverse. Each plate seems to be filled with odd flavours. I like a dish that has a common theme. Meh, ive been getting my protein from greens and fruit shakes anyways.

Weather:
It hotter than hell here. The mornings are scorching hot and the afternoon rain is a nice relief.

Im really looking forward to being lost in the crowds again. Ive been to Japan, Thailand and Malaysia over the last couple months and being the tall white guy is losing its appeal. In Japan I was stared at with a reverent awe, in Thailand I was hunted like meat, in Malaysia im stared at with impolite dead fish-eyes.

It all sounds very arrogant of me but you can get really tired of being stared at. I suppose this is what celebrities go through everyday. I can see why they snap and punch out photographers. Perhaps Loas and Cambodia will bring a different kind of stare.

Overall ive enjoyed Malaysia much more than Thailand. I think the main reason stems from respect. Respect for religion, environment, culture, and women? What is worse being a prostitute or covered in a blanket all day? Good question.

Lots of text here,
Good to talk,

D.