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Published: December 6th 2006
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That's just a bit of my malay that I picked up. Says I'm doing real great...which I am. Malaysia is pretty fantastic. We left Singapore a couple days ago and took a four hour bus trip to Kuala Lumpur. Crossing the border from Singapore to Malaysia is like going from San Diego into Tiajuana (Singapore:Malaysia as San Diego:Tiajuana)...suddenly it's dirty, loud, and a bit more exciting. Malaysia is a mostly Muslim country so everywhere you look women's heads are covered and I began to feel a bit immodest in my tank top and pants. We arrived in KL and were shocked by the city...it is nuts. We were supposed to be dropped off at KL sentral, but we were instead dropped off in the middle of the city...practically kicked out of the tour bus by the pipe-smoking Singaporean Scrooge of a bus driver. Immediately we were a target to every Malaysian who wants to sell something to dumb backpackers. People were yelling at as the minute we stepped off the comfortably air-conditioned bus and into the scorching hot world of downtown Kuala Lumpur. We just looked straight ahead and made it to the train station. We were picked up in Shah
Blue Mosque
The Mosque near the Basheer's house Alam by Natasha Basheer--our gracious couchsurfing host-and Sha-the American loving boyfriend.
Once again we were amazed at how couchsurfing has pulled through for us. The Basheer's house was incredible. Personal security guard, pool, coy pond...the works. Her family is so fantastic. They are a muslim family and Dallas and I learned so much from Basheer, Natasha's father. He is a ravenous reader and a fountain of Islamic knowledge. He told us a lot about his beliefs, and we were able to tell him a lot about ours. Dallas made a trade with Basheer...his copy of Mere Christianity for some copy of a muslim's view on Jesus. He is so sad to give his book away because he really wants to read it, but it's great that it's now in Basheer's hands and I trust that he will read it because he's very interested in religion. Please pray that Dallas will find another copy of Mere Christianity somewhere.
First thing we did when we left the Basheer's home yesterday morning was to visit one of the largest mosques in SEA...the Blue Mosque. It was quite a sight. We had to put on purple robes and I had to cover
Mosque
I had to wear a purple head covering and robe to visit this place my head with a purple scarf to go in and see it. We were not allowed to see much of the place, but we got a quick look inside the prayer hall. I can't say that I enjoyed myself. The Basheer's really gave me a new perspective on Islam, but I still can't appreciate a place like that.
We spent only a day exploring KL. We went to Batu Caves which is just outside the city. It's made up of three caves that have been converted to a Hindu temple. It was sad to see people worshipping these idols but, just as in the Japanese Buddhist temples, they are certainly beautiful places. My favorite part was definitely the monkeys. About 30 monkeys running wild in the caves. Dallas was putting the camera inches from their little monkey fangs and they did not like it. They were hissing at him and jumping. I was reminded of how a mom will panic then have to just look away when her kids are getting too close to the edge. So at first I was like, "Dallas!" then I had to talk myself into just looking away. I feel like there's going to
be a lot of that in the next couple months.
After the caves we took a cab to the city center and saw the famous Petronas Towers. We wanted to wait and see them at night, so we passed the day away in the mall near by. I know what you're thinking, "Why waste your time in the mall when you're in Malaysia?" But understand that we have been in traveling limbo for 16 days now and it was so wonderful to sit in a mall and drink starbucks. We played cards for a really long time. Playing cards has become our new past time, but the problem is that in Japan Dallas sucked at the card game and now he's getting really good. I told Dallas that I'm his card sensei and he did not like that very much. But the thing is that I taught him how to play and I point out his weaknesses so that he can grow as a card player. It's what a sensei does. He told me that my weakness is that I'm "proud." I wish that I hadn't trained my student to be such a quick card player. The quick wit
and sass...well, he was already like that.
This morning we left KL for the Cameron Highlands. It was fantastic to get out of the city! Now we are high up in the jungle mountains where the air is cool and the flowers are abundant. The whole area is covered in tea farms...along with strawberries and other fruits and veggies. There is a nearby village where the Orang Asli (literally "original people") live and tomorrow we are going to take a jeep tour of the farms, the jungle and the village where the Orang Asli live. I'm really excited about it. We are staying in a hostel (our first one so far) called Father's Garden Guest house...or something like that. We were one of the first people here, but now it's crawling with backpackers just like ourselves. Really great people too! We have met a lot of Canadians, not so many Americans. We're staying in one of the dorm rooms with an aussie and a couple of scots. Here's the thing about the dorm...very cheap (less than 3 american dollars a night) and actually quite nice, but the bed is not something I want to sleep on. Jen Turner once
told me that over just a few short months the weight of your pillow will change dramatically because of the number of dead bed bug carcasses floating around inside. Well, let's just say that my floral printed dirty pillow is extremely heavy. I think I'll use my backpack as a pillow tonight.
On a similiar note, I decided that I will start to document (via my blog) all the times that I think I got a parasite. Number 1: Last night I woke up because my legs were super itchy from all my massive mosquito bites. As I was itching my legs I simply touched my forehead and felt a very big, tender bump directly in the middle of my forehead. I had a flashback of the day before when I found some little black thing on my head, then that night when it looked like there was a little bite there and then I just assumed that something had landed on my forehead, layed it's slimy eggs there and they have burrowed in and now they will burst out of my face when I leas expect it. Last night at 2am this almost brought me to tears. Dallas
has been staying with Sha at his house so I couldn't wake him up and cry about it, so I just jumped up and examined my head. I had thoughts of going to a hospital in KL, calling my dad crying because they had to cut a worm out of my face, and then going home early. I seriously held back tears. I fell asleep praying that if there was a parasite in my face that God would miraculously and painlessly make it disappear. When I woke up this morning it was not as bad as last night, but it is still making it's presence known. Dallas hardly believes that I actually think that way and he can't even see the bump on my head. I thought that I would tell him and he would pat me on the shoulder and tell me that it's okay and that I'm going to be fine, but instead he started telling me horror stories about parasites. Thanks a lot Dal. Stay tuned for more news from my forehead and any other parasite tails that I might (but hopefully won't) have to tell.
We're going to get some dinner in town now, but
I will write again soon because Eric had asked about how things are spiritually while I'm traveling and I think that deserves it's own entry. But right now I'm starving and I want to go eat so I can't focus for much longer.
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Tim Gray
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Great Adventures
Hello Becky! first of all i miss ya! it makes me happy that you are having a good time on your travels. the photos are really wonderful as well. have fun and be safe...