Wednesday August
17, 2011
We arrived in Malaysia yesterday afternoon after spending
a night in Hat Yai, Thailand. Having
backtracked so many times during my trip I question whether I will not yet set
foot in Thailand again, but for now I can proclaim that I am through with The
Land of Smiles. Our minibus journey
across the border was surprisingly seamless as we made the transition into an
Islamic country. Our first stop here is
Penang; an island off the far NW corner of the [West] mainland of
Malaysia. The island of Penang has a
small backpacker district in the city of Georgetown and it is here that David
and I have found our latest guesthouse.
After visiting the ATM to get a handful of Malaysian ringits we agreed
on a tidy shoebox of a room at the Banana Guest House and settled in.
After only one day I have already noticed differences
within Malaysia as compared to the other countries in SE Asia. First is the people; given the predominance
of the Islamic religion aesthetically there are noticeable differences in
clothing as well as more Chinese and Indian influences in facial
characteristics. To that effect this
carries over to the food as well and it is with great joy that we are being
exposed to a change in cuisine as Malaysia, and specifically Penang, honors us
with Chinese-Malay-Indian blends.
Considered some of the best food in the entire SE Asian region there is
good reason for such boasting. Already we
have been exposed to very good Indian food, finally allowing me to distance
myself from all the Pad Thai I had been consuming. Secondly, architecture is also noticeable as
there are more large square buildings built with thick rectangular concrete
columns. This is such a change from the
numerous dragon columns that proclaimed the entrance to countless temples
during the beginning of my journey.
There is a European feel to some of these buildings which is strangely
comforting to me as I have spent relatively little time in Europe to consider
its surroundings a haven. But perhaps
most impressive and appealing is that Penang knows how to label its
streets. Finally, signs actually appear
at intersections for the name of the road on which you are walking. A pleasant surprise after the frustrating
navigation I had endured in the previous weeks as Bangkok’s roads would melt
into one another without declaration or Nepal would simply abandon the notion
of supplying any signage whatsoever.
Speaking more about the food though, last night provided
us a unique opportunity to indulge on numerous items. I had the opportunity to call on previous
work associates that reside somewhere in Penang. Having only communicated with these women via
email for a the past few years it was an exciting chance to meet in the flesh
and also get a local’s help with navigating the wilds of the night food
markets. Angie and Hazel picked us up
and drove us out to Gurney night plaza, a spot where hawker food abounds. Insisting that we try nearly everything,
plates of different colors, smells and textures appeared before us. Before the night was through we had sampled
some boiled squid, steamed cockles, Loksa soup and a century egg. Every item brought a new taste that my tongue
had yet to imagine or my mind to believe to be edible. Century egg gets its name from the idea that
it is in fact 100 years old. Although
that is not true it is tough to bring oneself to eat an egg whose white is
green and yolk is purple. Suffice to say
if you stuff enough ginger in your mouth when you take a bite it really isn’t
so bad.
Thursday August 18,
2011
This morning we arose at some ghastly hour that preceded
7:00 am. I believe my body has made a
definitive transition from the hours of awakening in my previous days of
employment. And so this morning I found
myself silently ululating when picking myself up from my pillow in order to
catch a minibus ride out of Penang on to the Cameron Highlands of
Malaysia. Speaking briefly about
transitions, I had been curious when former normalcy of life and schedules would
transform while traveling. As is usually
the case there was no exact moment when such change took place but slowly I
have become accustomed to new patterns and schedules. Ultimately it is of little consequence as my
travels are sure to continue for the foreseeable months but to have prior knowledge
of set grooves that one follows and then look back after a sufficient amount of
time is of interest to me. Hours of
waking, sparks of hunger, the need for communication from those in the USA,
even the timing of bowel movements are things that held a certain curiosity for
me as I questioned how I would adjust while abroad. Perhaps the most significant revolution will
be when I feel fully removed from my life in America. This would be the moment when my thoughts and
words are generated first by the impressions of my current surroundings and not
those that molded my first 26 years of life.
Simply stated, there will be a point when I will have been gone for so
long that upon my return there remains nothing that is normal to me. I have yet to reach that point but I sense
its approach and it is with a certain intrigue that I wait. Something about
getting culture shock from your own country is undoubtedly a rare opportunity
to put some perspective on life.
And now that I have sufficiently wandered … we caught an
early minibus to the Cameron Highlands.
All I can say is I am beginning to enjoy Malaysia more and more. The Highlands are situated as expected at an higher
elevation allowing me the unique opportunity to indulge in some deep breaths of
cool air. We are spending our time in the town of Tanah
Rata, a quaint village of sorts that is surrounded with hiking trails and tea
plantations. There is an essence of
Swiss ambiance here as many hotels were built in the chalet architectural
style. After registering at our
guesthouse of choice we took a picture of a map and struck out for our own
journey.
Whether we were too cheap or stubborn to buy a map we
will never know, but we determined my blurry photo of a map would suffice. We struck out for Trail #10 as it led into
the forest not far from the edge of town.
Our destination was a hilltop of sorts, one of the high points in the
area that looked like any other hill to us.
Our steep ascent brought us to the pinnacle where there stood an enormous
power pole whose presence provided not only a clearing by which to view the
valley below but an unintentional tripod to capture our photo. From here we gauged our daylight sufficient
to meander to some random tea plantation on the other side via Trail #6. Signs are at a premium on these trails as
enterprising locals attempt to garner business by removing them, thereby luring
tourists with guided walks since the supposedly ignorant Western trekker would
otherwise get lost. And if it wasn’t for
our keen sense of direction and advanced cartographical skills we would have
too!! Slipping down the muddy slopes we
arrived at the back side of a tea plantation providing me with views I had yet
to know. The tea plants grow like
shrubs, rising two or three feet with thick lower branches and sprouting like
little leafy clumps. We were amazed at
the vertical slant on which these plants are cultivated as we wandered through
the fields, stopping to smell the fresh scents.
Finally we reached the “tea house,” a building off the main road that
any other tourist would have driven to but we decided to hike 5 miles through
the jungle to reach. Overpriced but
delicious we indulged on milk tea and stretched our legs as we took in our
serene vista of the rolling hills of tea plants. There was something so welcoming in the
simplicity of our situation; drinking tea on a patio hilltop in the middle of
the forests of Malaysia that I couldn’t help but sit back and just smile at my
present condition.
Now although I said that some locals here have removed
some signs I don’t want to lead you astray on my opinion thus far of
Malaysia. While I will mention that
although this place also offers somewhat unnecessary guides and overpriced
tours there is a different sentiment than my previous destinations. Whereas before I have noticed palpable
negative pressures when enquiring about information, here the people seem
satisfied if you decide to do things on your own. In fact they are genuinely happy to offer information
to you without anything in return. And
what is more, the information is actually real
and useful. Rarely in Thailand would
I ever get advice that wasn’t blanketed under the guise of a scam. In Malaysia more average citizens have
offered advice, taxi drivers tell you the truth and in general fewer people are
trying to take advantage of you. It
reminds me of Hong Kong where the vast majority of those that I encountered
took little notice of my existence as their lives clearly were of more importance
than the short lived encounter with a Western tourist. Here in Malaysia there is a similar vibe as
those we meet take concern with their present situation but are willing to help
if we seek it from them. It’s a welcome
change thus far here and I’m beginning to really like it.
