Malaysia

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Some regard George Town as a "dump". Laura and I see it more as the adorable ugly duckling that will forever hold a soft spot in our hearts; tucked just beneath the left ventricle. It is a colonial port town resting on an island and has a mix of different cultures. Most of the people that we came across spoke English and everyone was extremely nice. My favorite part of George town was the night shows we stumbled across down random city alleys. You can watch singers/actors dressed up under the lights giving it their all. If it wasn't for the graffiti and dumpsters you might for a minute think you were on Broadway. The sleeping accommodations were minimal and the walls were paper thin. Unfortunately for us we didn't get much sleep due to the fact that James Earl Jones and Rosie Perez just happened to be sharing the room next door.

The next day we got on a bus and headed for the Cameron Highlands, known for their Tea Plantations. It was very relaxing and we ended up staying at a great GH. They had a huge living room with a dozen couches where people played games, used the internet and watched nightly movies. It was the closest thing to "home" that we had come across. Well, that and the time we ducked into the local Starbucks, but only to get out of the rain (and have a cup of coffee). The Highlands are a gardener's dream. We toured vegetable and strawberry farms, rose gardens, butterfly and bee farms and of course tea plantations. All located in the rolling green hills of the Cameron Highlands.

From there we headed to Kuala Lumpur. There were malls! Never had I felt so out of place on this trip than walking through those brightly lit beautiful boutiques (pretty ironic). They were exactly like the ones back home, but when you're wearing one of the two outfits you brought with you and the store clerk keeps watching you out of the corner of their eye as you nervously slide a dirty hand through your greasy hair; you can't help but feel a little self conscious. On the bus ride to KL I noticed a number of subdivisions with big stucco white houses scattered throughout golf courses. I thought to myself, "how great would that be to grab a snack out of their fridge or watch a movie on their comfy sofa". Wait a minute, I grew up in a house with a stocked fridge and spent my time shopping in malls; as did most of my friends. I knew that when I got back from my trip I would appreciate the things I have more...then after a few weeks back in my "normal" life I would forget how lucky I am and begin taking things for granted again. Actually experiencing what it is like to live for an extended period of time without "things" or a sense of security has already had a much deeper affect on me than I thought it would. I hope I can use this experience to permanently change the way I look at what I have and realize how lucky I truly am.

Travel Info
GH Georgetown: Stayed at The Tourist Guesthouse just down the street from Banana's GH. It was clean because it was new, internet was cheap, and it cost $7. His brother gave us a ride to the long distance bus station and we bought our tickets for Cameron Highlands through them.
KL:Trekkers Lodge-down an alley, kinda cool place, cheapest we could find.
Eating: we ate at the Indian vegetarian rest. in the Lonely Planet, it was really good, cheap, but pretty awkward (not sure if that many people try it). I think it was worth it.

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Photos

Meat Stick
Each stick is color coded, you tally up your total and pay at the end.

Tea Plantation
Cutting the leaves by hand.

Petros Towers
As seen in the movie Entrapment

Comments

[Sachi]

The Best of Times
Honey, It's not so much that you realize how lucky you are (that's a given) but that you are connecting more deeply with WHO you are. I'm lovin the blog, your words and being a part of one of the greatest times of your life.