After Bangkok, the pace slowed a bit and we made 2 stops in Malaysia before entering the Indian Ocean. Malaysia is an interesting country, much more developed than you might think. As we drove to Malacca, the freeways were as modern as any in Southern California and the residential homes and condos visible from the road could have been anywhere USA. Malacca was full of Dutch influenced buildings, antique shops in a section known as Jonker Street, and a combination of Christian churches and Islamic mosques. Our other stop in Malaysia was the island of Penang where we did a spice tour. We walked through a garden of nutmeg, clove, ginger, palm trees, pineapple plants, and flowers later ending the tour with a cooking demonstration of a delicious Malay chicken curry dish. During the next
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