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Malaysia - Part 2
Written by: Donald Miserandino
Photography by: Donald Miserandino
The opportunity of a lifetime proved to be the experience of a lifetime in our journey to the Far East and the multi-cultured land of Malaysia, where we uncovered the mysteries of friendly hospitality in another world and our introduction to squat toilets.
The Thursday morning sun somehow made it past the curtains and infected my room, so I had to meet the challenge and get up. The breakfast buffet had some "American" items, but it was mostly Malaysian, Indian and Chinese cuisine. They have this beef bacon that had a smoky taste. I have to get this back home! Now if you think I can keep up with describing all the varieties of food, I can't, so you won't be bored with that topic. Just remember Malaysia contains over 68 ethnic groups from all over Asia, as well as the native Malay, so these people can eat! I immediately sensed here was a culinary consumption challenge. Immediately, I realized I would have to sacrifice my body for the sake of good reporting. We shall see what develops.
Our first stop today was to the Batu Caves just outside the city center. These caves are designed and utilized as a Hindu Temple to Lord Subramaniam. Every so often, there are altars for the people to pray. It is about a 45-degree climb up what is reported to be 272 steps to get to the caves. Wild monkeys roamed around stealing bags and food when they could.
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Stairs to the Hindu Temple | |
Let me tell you that, as soon as I realized I would have to take the stairs, I prayed, put on a hat, and didn't say a word. I needed every breath to get to the top. Being a nice guy, I stopped several times along the way to let the group catch up with me. And I was glad when they did the same. By the time, we got to the top we had seen several altars and watched people praying. About 100 feet shy of the mountain is the top of the stairs. They open into a cathedral ceiling of sorts in which the main altar stands. The smell is very natural from the monkeys' point of view, and it appears the visitors did not offend the monkeys' noses. It is very impressive to both feel religion and see the statues.
My shirt and pants were soaked from sweat, but fortunately I had some water. I couldn't believe the amount of sweating I was doing, but I still felt fine. Getting down was almost as hard as getting up due to the care one had to take not to fall down the 272 steps. (Again, I didn't count them.) It is a very sharp angle. At the bottom, we bought some more water and took a short rest. After hearing about the lack of cleanliness at some roadside shops, it was hard to even drink bottled water without wiping the cap with an alcohol nap.
After a short rest, we went to the Royal Selangor Pewter Factory. A bell rings whenever they have a tour group, and factory guides dressed in business suits came out to greet us and give us a drink of orange juice. I took it because I figured it was processed, a liquid, and cold. We saw the production line of handmade pewter items. Some of the female workers appeared to be Muslim. They were dressed in street clothes with the head veil, which seemed to make it difficult to work, but they looked so intense. After a short tour, we were led to the show room. There, it was explained to us that in the process of mining for the pewter material, they uncover black onyx. Since this was the main factory, I tried to haggle and put on my best "tough guy" face--they laughed at me, but I was able to get 15% knocked off my purchase.
At a stop at Dong-A Batik Factory, we were shown an exhibit on the Batik process, and how the vibrant color and design is applied to the fabric. They claimed all the shirts, dresses, sarongs, etc., were made in this little shop; but here I got the impression that behind this little factory with so few workers was a huge mechanical monster who spit out enough product for the world to wear. The cloth is stretched out on a wooden stick frame, and the material is then painted. This shop seemed to be popular because the line was out the door.
On the way back to the hotel, we stopped for lunch at an Indian restaurant. I checked out the lavatory. While there wasn't the squat monster, there was some sort of halfway compromise that consisted of only a western toilet and a bucket of water, but no toilet paper. I did my stuff, left, and used a little baby wipe my wife had packed in my knapsack. "Take a couple of these, you never know when you might need to clean up." Even on my adventure, she was there. The meal, on the other hand, was great!
Although there are 13 states in Malaysia, there were only 9 that had actual rulers. So when the British left in 1971, it was agreed upon among the 9 rulers that they would alternate every 5 years, enabling one to be the king. While Kingship is a mostly honorary position, it can't be mistaken. The people love their king. The Prime Minister does the actual daily governmental work. He is in his last year of office and has already named a successor to run at the next election.
The next stop for the afternoon was the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park. It was started in 1991, and already has over 3,000 avian residents spread over 21 acres. Essentially, what you've got is a large park covered with a screen at a height high enough to allow birds to fly, but not too high to be destroyed by winds. The park is designed in a valley--you go down one side, and half up the other. In between, there are over 3,000 birds of various colors and attitudes. Some fly right overhead from tree to tree; others, like the hornbill, have to be let out one at a time, due to their territorial instincts--or the fact that they seem to poop better in the air. Another rule is born: "Never look up at the birds with your mouth open."
This day's adventure is far from over. Our next stop was the Menara Kuala Lumpur, the world's 4th tallest communication tower. It is over 900 feet of wide-angle view of the city. This building appears to be as tall as the more famous Petronas Towers, but they tell you it's only because of the height of the hill this tower sits on. The rumor has it that visitors are only allowed to go to the 40+ floor in the Petronas Towers, so this tower is really the highest view available. The best part of the view is how you can see the city develop over time. Older houses stand out, and street lines show the gradual expansion of the city to the mountains beyond. This location is reminiscent of the Empire State Building in NYC, since it is a magnet for international and local visitors.
Tonight, we went to the Malaysia Tourist Bureau's main office. Here, they have exhibits, flyers and brochures on what may be of interest to the tourist. They can help make reservations, or answer questions like "How do I go on a jungle adventure without being in extreme danger?"
The Malaysian national dance troupe, the Saloma Cultural Dancers, put on a most refreshing and colorful show. The costumes were representations of various indigenous people: Malay, Iban, Indian, and Chinese, to name a few. The theme of the show was "Malaysia truly Asia." The audience was reminded, in a very colorful and entertaining way, that Malaysia contains a little bit of all the countries of Asia. Just as the USA is a little bit of all the countries of the world. In fact, their Minister of Culture, Arts & Tourism made statements like "Come to Malaysia, we will take care of you." They have a "Tourist Police," whose only job is to help visitors find their way around town. The government licenses the Tour guides, so any complaints go right to the top. They want visitors!!!
Let me tell you, with the food they serve here, you would have to be a professional eater like me to taste it all. Multiply that by the four to one US dollar exchange rate, and compound it by the government-sponsored sale days, where up to 50% additional is taken off prices. "Fuhgedaboutit!" Now you will really "shop until you drop." The best part is the government sale days occur three times a year!
A very aggressive government who wants to take this country into a First World status supports this entire "Visit Malaysia" effort. Modern roads (most of them), a monorail system, successful manufacturing of computer parts, palm oil, and other industries are examples of the government's desire for progress.
The main government offices are in the capital city of Putrajaya. The Prime Minister's office is located here, so this city has been designed to show off the local industry and crafts. It is a microcosm of Malaysian Culture.
The afternoon is spent in transit to the Kuala Lumpur Airport for the trip to the city of Kuching on the Eastern peninsula of Malaysia. It is a short 2-hour airplane trip to the Kuching Airport, where Kimmy Nalo of Jolly Travel Service met us at the terminal doors. She is a charming person with a huge smile and infectious happy attitude. She made the arrangements for our tours in and about Kuching. She told us our tours would be of the "soft" variety, as opposed to the "hard" overnight, extended trek jungle tours some folks take. All of the tours she had arranged were to give us an overview of Sarawak.
Read part 1 | Read part 3 | Read part 4 | Read part 5
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