Malaysia, Truely Asia

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Our first stop in Malaysia after crossing the border from Thailand was the northern island of Penang. Penang is a busy port town and was the British Empire's first step to controlling the entire Malay peninsular. When they first arrived, British Explorers fired silver coins into the thick jungle that covered the entire island. They did this to incentivise their crew to hack away and clear the thick growth to begin building a port. Penang is a strategic town in that it lies on the important trading route from China to India which was vital for the British opium trade.

Penang is now a busy place with a traditional old town heart surrounded by new shopping malls and office blocks. The town is connected to the mainland by South East Asia's longest bridge. Our mini-bus crossed the bridge and dropped us off in the middle of the old town area of Georgetown, which is where most of the budget lodgings are located. We found something suitable in Chinatown. The surrounding streets in this area are lined with bright red lanterns, peeling paint, shuttered windows and temples. Vines crawl and twist across buildings and road signs look like they were the originals from last century. Everything feels very old, and very quiet, as if perhaps the houses hadn't been lived in since the original inhabitants.

The old town is made up of other areas as well which we wandered around. Near the riverfront are the impressive large British colonial buildings, which have mostly been very well preserved. They are all pristine white or pale yellow buildings with intricate masonry. Other buildings around this area included an original fort, outside which randy horses graze on the grass and a lighthouse which had again been well restored. The capital of Penang - Georgetown - had recently been awarded World Heritage status, which is the probably reason for all the recent restoration.

Penang is also home to an Indian community who all congregate in an area called Little India. Wandering around here brought back memories of our time in India. The smell of sandalwood, sari shops and curry houses galore are all present in intoxicating abundance. We eat our first dinner here in Malaysia and were really disappointed. Something had clearly been lost in translation - the Chicken Peshwar was more like a pile of bones covered in goo than what we expected.

We soon found out that it was Ramadan in Malaysia and so the Muslim populace were all fasting for this period which was why it was all so quiet. This also started to make us realise quite how multi-cultural Malaysia is. In just a couple of days we had mixed with the Hindu's in Little India, smelt the incense wafting over Buddha's in Chinatown and wandered past a busy mosque with the call to prayer chant chiming over loudspeakers. It was really interesting to observe quite how these communities live together. There did not seem to be one dominant religion or culture yet they all lived, shopped and dined within a small area. In a day of heightened religious tensions throughout the globe it was refreshing to see such harmony.

We did make one trip outside Georgetown to visit a large Buddhist temple called Kek Lok Si Temple. This impressive temple is set into a hill and centres around an ancient site onto which various buildings and monuments have been slowly added over time. The result is a unique blend of oriental architecture and mystic atmosphere. Access to the temple requires a climb through markets selling the usual souvenir tat and touts trying to convince you that you really need a zippo lighter.

Half way up the temple is a curious sight. A circular clearing forms with a platform in the middle surrounded by slimey green water. The area is home to hundreds of turtles of varying sizes crammed into this small area. Whether this is comfortable I am not sure but it was certainly interesting to watch the turtles clamber over each other for the ultimate sunbathing spot.

The rest of the temple was incredible with lavish green, well manicured gardens set against a backdrop of mighty hills. The newer parts of the complex are more obvious but blend together well. The smell of incense and impressive Buddhist statues all create a mystical experience. The whole area is a big of a maze but we eventually found the lift that took us to the summit. Here an enormous idol is being erected which gazes out over the island affording some great views.

One of the highlights of Penang and Georgetown was the food. A hawker centre is setup each evening in the centre of Chinatown which serves up delicious food. The hawker centre puts no emphasis on decoration. Here you will find no expensive crockery. The emphasis is what's goes into your mouth, and not what it is served on. A wander past the hawker stalls revealed a wealth of choice from sizzling satay to curried laksa (spicy noodle soup) and fish head soup. The mix of cultures mentioned before has transcended the culinary boundaries of Malaysia to create some amazing dishes, we just had to be brave enough to order something we could not pronounce. With ample pointing and nodding we soon were tucking into laksa, noodles and seafood washed down with freshly squeezed juices - all for under a fiver.

After a few days introduction to Malaysia in Penang we caught a bus for the 4 hour journey to the capital - Kuala Lumpar. The main focal point of any trip here is the iconic Petronas Towers. The two towers always look incredible in pictures and they did not disappoint. They are huge. For our first proper look we made our way to the gardens at the rear of the shopping complex built at the base of the towers. The towers are designed in the shape of the star of Islam and bound head to toe in stainless steel ribbon.

The farthest up the towers we could go was to walk across the skybridge, which was about half way up. There are only a limited number of tickets that are distributed each day, free of charge. We turned up bright and early to obtain one and returned at lunchtime to make our ascent. Before we did this, at the base of the tower there is an interesting exhibition showcasing some of the technology used in building the towers which included an exhibit to show how much the towers sway in windy weather. The result can best be described as: alarmingly! After watching a 5 minute advertisement for Petronas and, thankfully, on a windless afternoon, we made up the express elevator to the 43rd floor.

The view across KL was a good one, even though it was a relatively cloudy day. Below us people and traffic milled around the feet of the towers. Inside, the bridge felt like a steel tube and was very clean and airy. It was much more spacious inside than it looks on the ground. We read in the exhibition below how the bridge symbolises harmony, a connection between these two identical towers which has further spiritual meaning because of the shape and design of the towers. I actually saw a documentary last year which said they had to put the bridge in because one of the towers were found to be leaning over whilst they were building it! Still, it does look very nice and makes it unique.

The towers are a great sight during the day but they are truly mesmerising at night. They are incredibly well lit and clearly visible - reminiscent of an angelic beacon from most vantage points in the city. Standing at the base of the towers at night was quite inspiring. Hundreds of moths kamikaze into huge halogen lights which throw their intense glare onto each tower. The result is a sparkling majestic experience which makes the surrounding city feel incredibly dull in contrast.

One vantage point in KL that does offer a better view than the Petronas Towers is the KL Tower. It is also probably the best way to see the Petronas towers. The KL tower is the 4th largest communications tower in the world and stands about 100m taller than the skybridge. We ensured we got to this early in the morning to avoid the clammy heat and the thick cloud which usually rolls in blocking the clear blue sky at around mid-morning. We avoided the cloud, but the clammy heat ensured we were delightfully (embracing perspiration is something we have come to accept) sweaty by the time we walked there. The KL Tower is an immense concrete pylon with offices and an observation deck contained in what looks like the large portion of a spinning top at the summit. The view is spectacular and is a good place to appreciate how KL is thriving as new structures and building works seem to be springing up all over the place. The whole city limits are visible from up here including the distant hills holding back the inevitable mid-morning cloud.

As with Penang, KL is a very multi-cultural city with its own Chinatown and Little India. We wandered round these areas passing many Hindu temples, mosques and Buddhist shrines. Each area is distinctly different each merge into each other and blend to create a unique atmosphere.

All of these areas are connected by the oddest transport system we have seen a city adopt. After being to Vietnam, that is quite a feat. As a modern city KL boasts a modern monorail system, elevated train and subway. So far so good. What is strange is that none of the above are in any way connected. Each line has been built and is thus operated by a different company. These companies do not make anything easy for travellers and as such changing from one mode of transport to the other entails a long walk to the surface, crossing multiple roads and getting lost just to change lines.

Adding to this, KL is not a very pedestrianised city. We like to wander round certain city areas, which really give you a good feel of any city, just being able to watch and observe buildings, people, markets etc. KL's pavements are non-existent in some areas apart from very central ones and lots of tourist spots are poorly sign-posted. On one occasion we found ourselves walking down what was essentially a kerb on a dual carriage way looking for the Islamic Arts Museum, which we eventually gave up on.

However, once we got our heads around the transport system, and we learnt to balance on kerb stones sufficiently we discovered the incredible rich blend of culture, architecture and cuisine that KL has to offer ensuring our time there was very enjoyable. Sights such as Masjid Jamek and Merdeka Square give KL rich, historical diversity.

Masjid Jamek is a traditional looking mosque with onion domes sprouting between palm trees. On the other side of this Merdeka Square is a large lush green patch of grass where Malaysia celebrated its independence in the 60's. It was here the flag was ceremoniously hoisted. The square is flanked by attractive arab-esque buildings made of stone and an elaborate fountain which cascades into a large pool.

We spent a lot of our time in KL staying in hostels in an area called the Golden Triangle, which is a busy area of restaurants, shops and weird fish feet treatment places. We had some great eating options on our doorstep here which included a great street-side restaurant that served up an amazing Mongolian curry. We caught a flight from here to visit Borneo and Brunei and then, 10 days later made our way south to Melaka, a southern port city on the Malay Peninsular.

Melaka was a very agreeable place to spend a few days. We arrived at the bus station outside the city centre and got chatting to a nice Chinese man who owned a hotel. He convinced us, with his charms, to have a look at his establishment and gave us a great tour of the city on our way in. He showed us the way around and a few of the best eateries to sample the local cuisines. Melaka is a small port town that used to be a major dock on the trading route from China to India. It was a huge and thriving place run by the Dutch. The streets and buildings around give a colonial feel to the area and its once prosperous past. Our guide took us through these old streets full of red-brick buildings and on to where our hotel was located in Chinatown.

Our first plan was to have a good wander around the old Dutch area of town, which has been very well restored after recently receiving World Heritage status. Considering they are a few hundred years old, the buildings have been very well preserved, although quite why the Dutch painted all of their buildings red is somewhat of a mystery. Melaka has passed through many colonial powers in its time, eventually falling to the British along with the rest of the Malay Peninsular thus ensuring they controlled the major trade route through Singapore to Penang and then onto India.

The most famous building in the area is a church called Christ Church which forms part of the main town square. It is a very pretty area with fountains and flowers landscaped in the centre. Even the rickshaw drivers decorate their vehicles with lots of colourful garlands making them look more like mobile florists. From here we made our way up to the museum which chronicles Melakas rich history and its effect on the local surroundings. It was interesting to see how things changed from the areas initial Portuguese traders to independence and integration. The museum itself is encased in a historic building with high vaulted ceilings and creaky wooden floors.

From here we made our way up to a view point on the summit of a hill over Melaka. The ruins of a church are located here and was regularly visited by Saint Francis Xavier whose tomb we visited when we were in Goa (don't tell me you've forgotten?!) The church provided panoramic views of the new and old town where we could follow the river out to sea which eventually leads to Indonesia. Surrounding the hill are various crumbling ruins of significance that I cannot quite remember but all combine to create a feeling that this area has a rich historical past. Visible from up here was also a mock Dutch trading ship on show next to the Maritime Museum which has been fantastically re-created.

Chinatown is another area we explored in Melaka and was the most delightful one we have come across. It consisted of three parallel streets of many contrasting buildings from different eras. Traditional dwellings would be squeezed in next to colourful ancient temples with large stone edifices outside. Many antiques are sold in this area along with some excellent cafes and restaurants. Again, the food here was delicious and gave us an opportunity to try some traditional Baba Gnoya cuisine, (chicken ball rice) roti canai (unleavened flat bread) and Indian that was so good we kept going back for more. We also tried some special pineapple pastry's which were absolutely divine.

We rounded up our final moments in Malaysia by taking a bus tour of the entire town of Melaka, which afforded views of unseen monuments and mosques as well as giving us an idea of what daily life is like.

From here we bid Malaysia adieu before making our way by bus for Singapore, our final stop in Asia.

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Photos

Tons of Turtles
At Kek Lok Si Temple, Penang.

Kek Lok Si Temple
Mike and the dog chair.

Petronas by Day
Kuala Lumpar

Victoria on Skybridge
Between Petronas Towers

KL Tower
DIY job.

Mike on Skybridge
Between Petronas Towers

Church on Hill
The one that Saint Francis Xavier visited often.

Dutch Boat
Recreated in Melaka

Tasty food in Melaka
Pineapple pastries, mmmmmmmmm!

Comments

[Mum Dad and boys]

Wonderful views and photos
Penang, Explorers, Chinatown,Temples, KL, Hawker Centre, oddly run transport systems, Melaka, - so much information and all so interesting and well researched. Well Done. The Petronas Towers did not disappoint and that was only by looking at your photographs. They must be far more amazing in real life! Wonderful views too by the sounds of it. And yes I did remember Saint Francis Xaviers name but just could not remember fully why!!! Sorry my other comments were late on the past two blogs but am making up for it this time. Have read others but will read againat weekend to digest as they are so well researched. Wonderful. You have both done so much but at the same time taken it in so well and made each blog sound so refreshing. Anyway, all our love and kisses. Missing you both. Take care and keep enjoying. XXXXXXXXXXXX