Malaysia Wrap-up

Some Pics to leave Malaysia With:

Melaka

Melaka

Charles Cham, Melaka

Pangkor

Pangkor

Singapore


KL


KL

KL

KL

C. Highlands

C. Highlands

Woof... I am exhausted! The last couple of weeks (and I still can't believe it has only been such a short amount of time) have been incredible. Malaysia was far more than I ever could have hoped for. If my time in Thailand is anything like what I have experienced here I will be super happy! So I figured for a wrap-up to Malaysia I would give my impression of each city I have visited. This is ecspecially important because when I post everyday I am really just giving snap judgements of what I am feeling.

KL- Like any good capital in SE Asia, Kuala Lumpur is gritty and rough and wonderful. The sights and sounds and smells fill your body to the maximum the second you step off whatever transport you took to get there. The PETRONAS towers are incredible. Even upon my return to KL today I was amazed at how prominantly they survey the world below them. What sets KL apart? Diversity. Each time you change neighborhoods it feels like you are in a different world, or at least a different country. From scatterbrained Chinatown, to dirty and sketchy Little India, to the sleek Golden Triangle District, KL has something for everyone to enjoy.

C. Highlands- Picture a little town high in the Appalachian Mountains. All the natives know eachother, there is no McDonalds or Burger King (just local establishments), and the indiginous handicrafts really are one of a kind. Now take that town, stick it in the jungle, and call it Tanah Rata. Oh, and don't forget the incredibly lovely calls to prayer five times daily. Treking through the jungle, strolling through a plantation, sitting by the only stoplight in town eating Indian samosas.... If you ever, EVER, go to Malaysia do not forget to make this a part of your itinerary.

Pulau Pangkor- Go native. Why not? Skip the touristy beaches of Lankawi and Panang. In my time on Pangkor I slept, read, ate, and lounged. Of course I could do this at any island destination. What set Pangkor apart though was its remoteness. Indstead of spending my hard earned dollar on drinks and wildnes with westerners, I sat and drank beers with the local bookie at my hostel while we watched soccer. Sure the time to party will come (in like 24 hours),but for the three days I was on Pangkor I just revelled in relaxation. The beaches are beautiful, as they all are in this part of the world, but what I will remember most is the town of Teluk Nippa. With just a handfull of places to stay and even fewer restaraunts... ah, I can't say enough.

Singapore- Out of order, but I want to end on a high note. Singapore is lovely, there is no denying that. For the right consumer it is definately the place to be. This is definately the place I would want to go if my parents were footing the bill. The ACM museum was fantastic, as was the Bunker Box historical site. This place is Asia's version of Disney Land (although there is actually a Universal Studies theme park on an outlying island) for those who can afford it. Not for the backpacker crowd, but hey, not every where is that accepting of foreign homeless people.

Melaka- My favorate city thus far? MELAKA! This artsy little town on the SW coast is deprived of a beautiful beach or crazy nightlife but it more than makes up for what it lacks with a laid back, easy going atmosphere. What did I do there? Visit top rate museums, buy a handprinted t-shirt from famous local artist Charles Cham, went swimming in a Speedo, ate boba nonya food while listening to some of the best live acoustic my ears have ever had the pleasure of hearing, and of course I talked. Melaka is a backpackers haven and the people I met there were awesome (including a former Lonely Planet writer... ya I was geeked out).

AHEAD- I envision myself being in Asia for long enough that I will not have to squeeze every it of SE Asia into this one trip. Thusly I plan to focus my time in Thailand around the famed Andaman Coast. Namely, Phuket, Krabi, Surat Thani, Chomphon, and Hua Hin (the last few not technically being on the Andaman Coast) as well as inland locations such as Phang Nga. There will also hopefully be a short trip up the coast towards Burma to visit some friends that I made in KL. After that I will head North towards Bangkok. An addition note is that I will intermitantly be meeting up with people I know from China while I travel through this region. My flight is at 7 AM, meaning I have to get up at 5 at the latest, so this will (knock on wood that nothing bad happens) be my last post from Malaysia. For the most part the internet has been great here. I dunno what the situation will be in Thailand but I will do my best to keep you updated!

C. Johnson