Malaysia

KUALA LAMPUR: January 20, 2000 - January 21, 2000
PENANG: January 22, 2000 - January 27, 2000

KUALA LAMPUR: CHAOTIC AND DIRTY, YET DIVERSE AND COLORFUL.

Thursday, January 20, 2000

We took our first Asia bus today from Singapore to Malaysia. I am very pleased with our first bus experience here. The bus was clean and rather empty. The ride itself was beautiful. We entered Malaysia almost immediately into the trip, as Singapore is a very small country. The road that we drove through Southern Malaysia was lined with a dense forest of green palm trees for as far as the eyes could see. When we stopped for lunch, Rich and I were very pleased to find that the prices had dropped dramatically. Of course, I noted, that when the prices decrease, so do the living conditions. I learned this observation to very true very quickly when I went into the bathroom. I felt as if I had returned to South America. Most of the stalls had only squatters. Additionally, there was no toilet paper to be found. Instead, there was a bucket of water next to the toilet with a scooper to use for cleaning after you have done your business. Luckily, I had my own toilet paper. As we entered the large city of Kuala Lumpur, our destination, my observation was again proven to be true. Kuala Lumpur is a far cry from Tokyo, when it comes to progress, cleanliness and orderliness. As we walked down the crowded, sweltering streets through Chinatown, I felt myself longing for the comforts of home. However, after finding a room, Rich and I walked through the streets of Chinatown and into the Colonial area of the city. We walked among a wide variety of people, including Malay women who were walking proudly with their colorful dresses and their heads covered, and Indian women with their colorful clothing, jewelry and facial markings, and also the busy Chinese women setting up their stalls for the market. I soon began to realize that this place is actually like no other that I have ever been, or dreamed of being. This is why I did not like it at the beginning and why I really appreciate it now.

BATU CAVES: THE HINDU RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL OF THAIPUSAM

Friday, January 21, 2000

WOW! Words cannot adequately describe what I witnessed today. However, I will try to share with you the amazing experience of Thaipusam, an annual Hindu religious festival that is celebrated all over the world. The Batu Caves is one of the best places to be for Thaipusam, as these caves are considered very sacred to the Hindu faith. Thaipusam is a time to give thanks and pay penance to the gods. This is demonstrated in many different ways by devout hindus who make a 2 - 3 kilometer journey through the sweltering heat up the 272 steps to the Batu caves where they appear before a shrine. Some carry silver milk jugs on their heads, others carry colorful 100 pound "kavadis", which are decorated like parade floats, on their shoulders. Those who are very grateful, very sorry, or very crazy shave their heads, pierce their cheeks and tongues with spears, pierce their backs with fish hooks, and attach ropes to these hooks. They are then assisted by supporting friends and family members through the procession. One lucky person gets to hold onto the ropes and constantly pull on the fish hooks to make the sacrifice even that much greater. Those who choose this painful method of worship are said to be in a trance throughout this ordeal. I certainly would hope so, because I was in pain just watching! Rich and I were very impressed by the devotion and commitment demonstrated by the devotees and their families. Indeed, Thaipusam is one of the most fascinating events that I have ever experienced in my entire life.

Click here to see the amazing Thaipusam photos.

PANANG, MALAYSIA: IT'S A CITY...IT'S AN ISLAND.

Thursday, January 27, 2000

It is 8:02 a.m., and I just watched the sun rise with my new friend, Ruth. We are staying in a large, charming, old bungalow up on top of Penang Hill which overlooks the island city of Georgetown and the harbor. It was nice watching the sun rise out of the mountains in the distance, through some clouds and then appear in the sky, bringing a new day to the island and to 2 Go Global.

Rich and I arrived into Penang last Saturday. We are waiting for our Vietnam Visas and we figured that we would rather wait on an island which was given good reviews in the guide book, than the large, crowded and noisy city of Kuala Lumpur. Don't get me wrong, I had a wonderful time in KL, but it was time to move on. So, now we have taken up semi-permanent residency on Penang Island, off the northern coast of Malaysia. Aside from Cusco and the Galapagos Islands, this will be the longest stop of our journey so far.

While on Penang, we have been staying in the city of Georgetown. While in Georgetown, you do not feel like you are on an island. The cars speeding past, the hustle and bustle of the people on the street, the streets lined with hotels, shops and restaurants, all make you feel like you are in the city. However, we have enjoyed this break to catch up on journal entries, draft our first newspaper article, send items home and simply relax.

We have been working pretty hard while here on Penang. So Tuesday, we decided to get out and do some sightseeing on the island. After breakfast, we hopped on bus 101 and rode it to the Penang Hill area. We visited the decorative and colorful Buddhist Kek Lok Si Temple. Construction of this beautiful temple began in 1890. Twenty years later this large temple was finally complete. The largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia, Kek Lok Si is a must-see while in Penang. Next, we took a funicular up to the top of Penang Hill. While on the funicular, we met Winnie from Singapore. We actually had spoken with her a few days before, and we happened to see her again on the funicular. She explained to us that she was traveling with her sister, Ruth, and her son, Collin. They were on their way to see the bungalow that they had rented on the top of the hill, and she invited us to come along. Winnie was such a delightful person, that we could not refuse her invitation. The bungalow was very charming. It was a freshly painted white colonial looking house with high ceilings and hard wood floors inside. It was obvious that the house was in the process of renovation, and their were many imperfections. However, at 60 RM per night (roughly $18 per night), this large house 4 bedroom bungalow was a bargain at five times the price. I could tell that Winnie was a little disappointed. However, Collin, who is 21 or 22 years of age, was very excited about his find. I too was impressed by his ability to find this little gem with the most spectacular view on the island.

Winnie, Collin and Ruth were very nice to us. They invited us to stay with them, however, we declined as we were not prepared for such an excursion, and we also knew that we had to try to get more work done down in town. We did, however, spend the afternoon with them. We had a wonderful time exchanging travel stories and just getting to know them. As the day grew late, we said our goodbyes, with the promise that we would try to come back the following day if we could. On our way down the funicular, Rich and I decided that we would try to return on Wednesday if we could, because we had a great time with our new friends on the beautiful and quiet Penang Hill.

Wednesday morning, Rich and I woke up and ran around trying to get all of our errands completed so that we could get up to the hill. One of our largest errands was to get to the post office and send a package home containing some goodies that we purchased as well as books and other items that we did not need anymore. For those with a weak stomach, you may want to skip on ahead to the next paragraph. While packing our items at the post office, I spotted something rolled up in newspaper and tied up with a rubber band. Being the curious person that I am, I had to take a look. After all, this could be something valuable that someone accidentally left behind. So I picked up the small bundle, and found it to be....mushy brown waste material with tiny bugs flying all around it. I was so disgusted! Rich thought this was funny, as I had asked for it. He was right.

After finally completing our work, Rich and I jumped back on the 101 which let us off a few blocks away from the funicular. While making our way there, we stopped at a store and purchased a few items to bring up the hill with us. We also stopped by a road side stand to pick up a durian, which is very popular and known in Malaysia as the "King of the Fruits". It is also known by many as the "stinky fruit". Many say that it smells like a sewer. I tend to agree with them. So did everyone else on the funicular. The smell was so strong, that I felt like I was carrying a large bag of McDonald's french fries. I tried to act like I too was disgusted by this smelly object that someone had the nerve to bring aboard. However, it was no use, I was the only person carrying a plastic bag with the distinguishing prickly thorns of a durian poking through. Aside from the pungent odor, the funicular ride was great fun. We saw a lot of monkeys playing on the rocks, and the skies were clear, making for great views.

When we made it to the top of the hill, we walked over to the bungalow, only to find that no one was home. We had tried to phone before coming up, but nobody answered the phone. Therefore, we were not overly surprised to find the house empty. We found the caretaker and she let us in. We felt a little funny just walking into the house, but the caretaker said it was alright, and Ruth and Winnie had told us the day before that if we returned and they were not home, we should ask the caretaker to let us in. So we enjoyed the wonderful view of the city and the harbor as it grew dark. Soon, our friends returned home, and we were very excited to see them. We had a great time talking, eating the stinky fruit and watching the world news on television. Rich and I were very happy with our decision to return to Penang Hill.

So now it is Thursday morning. I am in our large bedroom finally writing in my journal, and Rich is sleeping after having woken up to watch the sun rise with Ruth and myself. I can hear someone in the kitchen. I think that I will go out and say, "good morning".

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