Malaysia's National Mosque, Masjid Negara, features a 239 ft. minaret and is a beautiful example of a modern mosque. They were very welcoming to non-muslim guests, although most people have to wear the purple robe. I did not get/have to because I was wearing long pants and my shoulders were already covered. ... read more

Soon after I arrived, I fell in love with Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. The first thing that struck me was the diversity, which stood in stark contrast to China. Malaysia's population consists of a mix of three major ethnic groups: muslim malays, chinese and indian. Kuala Lumpur, being a large city and an important economic hub for Southeast Asia, has people and influences from all over the world. This incredible diversity is seen in food, dress, architecture and customs. To me it seemed like a paradise: extreme differences with a "live and let live" aproach. Everybody seemed to get along fine. I saw a church, a mosque and a hindu temple all in the same block. I found this place incredibly exciting. KL was the best place I have ever been in regards to ... read more

Stephanie, Ritu, Nilam & I toured the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. The Forbidden City was built 600 years ago, requiring more than a million workers and has been the cultural and political focal point in China since. It is the largest surviving palace structure in the world. Tiananmen Square lies just south of the Forbidden City through the Gate of Heavenly Peace which displays the iconic portrait of Mao Zhedong. Tinanmen Square is the largest urban square in the world. The Mao Mausoleum is on the south end of the square. I arrived in China during the 20th anniversary of the infamous suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests. I would read China Daily and watch CCTV 9 (the government run english news channel) and saw no mention of Tiananmen Square in the Chinese media. I ... read more

Beijing is, in some ways, the center of the universe right now. Many believe the 21st century to belong to China and Beijing is like the control room. It is very different than the parts of China I have experienced so far, especially following the adjustments made for the 2008 Olympics held less than a year ago. I gave myself the challenge of getting from the airport (far outside of town) to a hostel without using a taxi. So it involved a shuttle bus, a couple different subway lines and a fair amount of walking, but I had no problems. I stayed at the Happy Dragon Hostel near Tiannamen Square and The Forbidden City. Michael Jackson died right before I got to Beijing and the hostel had an MJ DVD on a loop almost the entire ... read more

Through much research, I found an inexpensive series of flights that would take me to Chengdu (the capital of Sichuan province), Beijing, Kuala Lumpur (the capital of Malaysia) and finally back to Bangkok for a few days before heading home. I was nervous about booking flights and commiting to a particular itinerary considering traveling with little or no plan had served me well so far. It worked out really well and I wouldn't have changed a thing. My first stop was Chengdu with five days to explore this city and some surrounding areas. Chengdu is only fifty miles from the epicenter of the massive 2008 Sichuan earthquake, but apparently the city itself was not hit as hard as one would think. I really enjoyed Chengdu and had a good time getting lost on the local bus ... read more