Why Malaysia?
Several reasons:
- It's a place I've never been;
- It's closer to New Zealand than to the USA, so can be added on a trip back home;
- We went to Vietnam and it is "in the neighborhood".
- One work colleague, Dr. Camille Hemlock, visited a couple of years back and raved about Malaysia, the food, and the orangutans; and
- Another colleague, Dr. Zakaria, is Malaysian and very proud of her country. She arranged Dr. Hemlock's visit and escorted her and also advised me.
This map shows that southern Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City are not far from Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur, and that Malaysia has two distinct parts: one on the Malay Peninsula and the other on Borneo which it shares with Indonesia and the Sultanate of Brunei. Our travels took us from the capital to nearby Melaka, up to George Town in Penang, then east over the sea to Kuching in the state of Sarawak on Borneo.
I will make some general comments here and below on Malaysia with the admission that what I write will be superficial and perhaps wrong. I am no expert in the history or politics of the country and do not read or speak the language, so these are some impressions and personal observations. Coming as we did from Vietnam, despite to geographical proximity, visiting Malaysia is a very different experience. The infrastructure is more developed as is the tourism industry. It is more culturally and ethnically diverse, with 69% identifying as Malay/indigenous, 23% Chinese, and 7% Indian. Vietnam is 86% Viet with the rest one of 53 minority groups. 62% of Malaysians follow Islam, the official state religion, and the rest are Buddhist (20%), Christian (9%), and Hindu (7%).
The current country is an invention of the post-colonial post-WWII period in the region along with Singapore and Indonesia. Despite the sense of safety and stability I got as a visitor, the 1950's-70's was a time of strife between the countries, communist insurgents, and ethnic and religious groups. Much like traditional nationalism in Europe, there are deep historical resentments, especially from Malays against the ethnic Chinese, many of whom have lived there for centuries.Things got so bad and violent that in
1965 Malaysia expelled Singapore (predominantly ethnic Chinese) from their country. So clearly this is all too complicated and difficult for me to understand let alone explain to you with any great authority.
Kuala Lumpur (KL)
We started with two nights Kuala Lumpur, a major metropolitan world capital. With about 7,000,000 people, it is modern and very congested. Since 1998 the Petronas Towers have been the city's iconic landmark. Initially the tallest buildings in the world, they are still hold that honor for twin towers.
Day or night they are impressive, with design elements inspired by Islamic motifs. The base of the towers houses a large modern shopping mall.
We did not expect to find Nathan's Hotdogs in the food court.
A rainy day and strategic miscalculation limited our opportunity to fully experience the best of KL Frequent travelers will be familiar with Hop-On Hop-Off bus tours. You go on a set circuit with multiple stops at attractions where you can get off and re-board later. It can be an efficient way to get an overview and visit the most popular spots, but beware! Not all HOHO companies are the same. Ideally the route will include all the most important sites and run frequently, with informative commentary. The bus in KL wasn't ideal. It ran maybe hourly, the map of the route was "not to scale", the taped patter unintelligible, and because of the heavy traffic it would have been faster to walk despite the constant rain. We were able to go by the
KL Tower,
as well as the
Petaling Street Market in Chinatown.
Melaka
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| Early Painting of Malacca Town and River |
It is a pleasant two-hour bus drive from KL to get a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The first dilemma is deciding how to spell the place: Melaka, Malacca, Malaka, Malakka? I have seen all of these and more. I will go with the most common local spelling, Melaka. UNESCO has honored the old town centers of both Melaka and George Town in Penang (up next) as Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca. The Straits have been one of the world's great trading routes for over 1,000 years. This is the busiest shipping lane between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, initially facilitating trade between India and China and eventually Africa and Europe too. Ports along this narrow strip of water have been established by the Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, and British at various times, and traces of all remain. This first major port was founded by the local Sultan of Malacca in the 15th Century, subsequently taken over by Portuguese in 1511, Dutch in 1641, and the UK in 1824. The heart of the old town contains reminders of all these eras along the winding riverbank.
From the Portuguese there are ruins of St. Paul's Church (1521), the old fortifications, and the Portuguese/Malay blended Kristang language, culture, and community.
The Dutch legacy remains most clearly in the Town Square dominated by the
Stadthuys (1615) built as a replica of the Town Hall in Hoorn, Holland, and the adjacent
Christ Church (1753). As with the Portuguese, there remains a Dutch-Malay community in the region.
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Dutch Square and Tan Beng Swee Clock Tower (1886).
They were all painted from white to red by the British in the 19th century for obscure reasons |
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| Christ Church- Initially Dutch-Reformed converted to Anglican |
The British contribution is
Queen Victoria's Fountain, erected in 1904 to honor her Diamond Jubilee marking her 60 years on the throne.
We stayed in the
Majestic Hotel, a restored 1920's mansion of a wealthy Chinese businessman. It was a lovely classic hostelry and as a benefit we had a guided walking tour through the old town.
We were taken alleyways we might have otherwise missed to see traditional craftspeople at work, like the tinsmith,
the Chinese traditional sign maker,
the basket maker
and the fabulous
Melakan beaded shoemakers.
We even stopped by oldest bar in town
Sin Hiap Hin, a reminder of the days of rough sailors and opium dens.
We also learned more about modern Malaysia from our guide. Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, so I was curious to learn how things worked with such diversity, and the stories she told were at odds with the superficial impression the casual tourist gets visiting Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist temples (see examples below of all of these from
Harmony St. in Melaka), as well as the ubiquitous Christmas decorations and music. She said it was forbidden to try to convert someone to a religion other than Islam, and that if you were not a Sunni (i.e.: a Shiite) you would be in trouble. From her personal history, she found her husband was not listed on her son's birth certificate because he was not officially listed as a Muslim. When he formally registered, he then lost his business license to run a small nightclub with alcohol, so lost his investment to his non-Muslim partner.
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| Interior of temple |
Our guide also emphasized something we heard in Vietnam: how vicious and cruel times were under the Japanese occupation in WWII. She then sincerely thanked the USA for dropping the atomic bombs that abruptly ended those dark times. "You're welcome" seemed the most appropriate response.
Back to the touring, it was a pleasure to stroll through the crowded streets or cruise at night along the river and be transported back in time.
Many of the preserved buildings are embellished with large murals and street art.
On weekends in the heart of Chinatown visiting the
Jonker Street Night Market is a must. There you will find an array of local street foods as well as clothes, trinkets, and souvenirs. A pride of local cuisine is
Peranakan food. Synonymous with Baba-Nyonya, these terms refer to people living alnog the Straits of mixed Chinese/Malay descent, usually a Chinese man (Baba) and a local woman (Nyonya). Some families date to the 15th century, and the food is a unique mix of Chinese, Indian, and Malay dishes and spices.
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| Junker Street |
I was able to resist riding in a trishaw (a rickshaw for three) despite the garish decorations (illuminated at night) and the infectious beckoning ear-worm music. Hello Kitty! is a popular motif and tunes like Baby Shark blast out to lure riders.
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| Daytime |
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| At night |
I could
not resist comparing my physique with
Datuk Wira Dr. Gan Boon Leong, a former Mr. Universe, "The Father of Bodybuilders in Malaysia", and local politician and celebrity.
I made time to visit the
Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum, a restored 1861 house still owned and managed by the family, for a glimpse into the life and culture of a wealthy 19th century Peranakan merchant.
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| House of Baba Chan Cheng Siew |
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| Interior room in the Chan house |
The red Dutch City Hall (
Stadthuys) is now the History and Ethnography Museum, and although I hurried through, I learned about a great explorer previously unknown to me,
Cheng Ho, (aka, Zheng He). His is an astounding story and he deserves to be considered one of the world's great adventurers and commanders, on a par with Vasco de Gama, Columbus, and Magellan but predating all of them. His seven voyages (1405-1433) took him all the way from China to Africa.
Born a Muslim, his province was conquered by the Chinese Ming Emperor and Cheng was captured and castrated. Despite this, he rose to be a favorite in the court and commander of a large
Treasure Fleet. Some details of his life and times are very likely exaggerated as they were first recorded 300+ years afterwards. The lack of concurrent documentation may have been because as a Muslim and a eunuch he was not considered worthy of official recognition by the Chinese. It is claimed that fleet on the first voyage was comprised of 317 ships holding 28,000 crewmen. Featuring gigantic wooden ships with nine masts and four decks, at 417 ft. (127 m.) they would have been more than twice as long as the largest documented wooden ship. Most naval experts consider that very unlikely if not impossible.
There were many other fascinating objects on display like this replica of a ceremonial boat used in ancient times to parade the Sultan.
As we were not scheduled to depart until mid-afternoon on Day 3, we had time to walk around and explore the area near the Majestic Hotel.
A very short distance away was the tallest building in town the Swiss Garden Hotel featuring the Sky Tower on the 42nd and 43rd floors, with a commanding view across the city and Straits.
From these heights you can also look down upon the red roofs of Kampung Morten, a traditional Malay village established in the 1920's while under British rule. The showpiece house is the Villa Sentosa, once the home of the head of the village and now a private home graciously opened to visitors as a Malay Living Museum. Unfortunately they were not receiving guest when we went by.
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| Villa Sentosa |
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| Kampung Morten from above |
George Town, Penang
Next it was off to the Melaka's UNESCO World Heritage Site sister city as
Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca. George Town is the capital of the state and island of Penang. The major distinction between the two was that George Town was established by the British East India Company in 1786 to have a trading presence in the Straits. Within decades, it overtook Melaka as the principle port for commerce. The was no significant Portuguese or Dutch influence, but the community has the typical mixture of Indians, Muslims, and Chinese communities.
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| The view from our balcony at the E&O Hotel. |
Our first quest was somewhat idiosyncratic. As I have written, I was
more than curious about how this Muslim country dealt with such a
diverse population. Before traveling I do try to do research and consult
some standard resources like the classic Frommer's site, and I was
startled to find this paragraph:
Jewish travelers, take note: Travelers with Israeli
passports are not permitted to enter Malaysia. If you are of Jewish
heritage and carry a passport from a country other than Israel, I
recommend you downplay your heritage. Malaysian politicians have been
known to make anti-Semitic comments in public, sentiments that,
unfortunately, carry over into some sections of the general population.
Fayne
is of Jewish heritage and our daughter and family have converted to
Judaism and I read that there was a Jewish cemetery in George Town. I located it on Google Maps, although as sometimes happens it was not
quite
accurate. We were within a few blocks but no one in the area admitted
to being aware it existed. With dogged determination we did finally find
it.
As most Jews left Malaysia during and after WWII, the
Penang Jewish Cemetery is maintained by a small board of directors in Australia, The gate is guarded by an elderly local man.
One brilliant example of the Chinese-Malay Peranakan influence is the
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, aka, the Blue Mansion. A rich and powerful businessman and politician,
Cheong built one of his many abodes in George Town for some of his many wives (he had at least eight). Completed around 1900,the mansion has 38 rooms, 5 granite-paved courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 windows. His heirs did not have his drive or good fortune and their fortune dissipated and the house fell into disrepair when a group of concerned locals bought and restored the property. It reopened in 1995 as a hotel, restaurant and museum of sorts with guided tours.
The main inner courtyard was brought back to life, and used in the movie Crazy Rich Asians for the key mahjong scene (apparently the E&O Hotel was also featured). The old city center is packed with many well-preserved 19th century structures like these.
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| Pinang Perakanan Mansion |
Like Melaka, there is a variety of places of worship.
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| Kapitan Keling Mosque |
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| Sri Mahmamariamman Temple (front) |
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| Sri Mahmamariamman Temple (Rear) |
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| Yap Temple |
The Clan Jetties are unique remnants of past times. Over 100 years old, there were originally seven of these piers each associated with a distinct Chinese Clan. Over time they developed from fishing and trading docks to become communities of stilt houses, shops, and temples built over the water. The Chew Jetty is the best preserved and most tourist-friendly.
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| Chew Jetty Shrine |
The British left several notable structures including the Town Hall and the adjacent City Hall.
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| Town Hall (1880) |
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| City Hall (1903) |
There are also the remains of the late 18th C.
Fort Cornwallis named after the defeated British general from the American War of Independence. He somehow retained his reputation and was later appointed as Governor-General of India in 1786, and the fort was named in his honor but he never visited it.
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| Ruins of Fort Cornwallis |
And of course there is the obligatory tribute to Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. When you don't know what to give, a Memorial Clock Tower is the go-to gift, this one 60 feet high, one for each year of her reign at that point. It is also slightly atilt due to WWII bombing.
I made some comments in the Kuala Lumpur section about Hop-on Hop-off Bus tours. The one in KL did not work out well but the one we took on our last full day here did. We stopped by several worthwhile spots we would not have otherwise seeen like the
Reclining Buddha Temple (Wat Chayamangkalaram). Built by Siamese (Thai) Buddhists in 1845, the gold-plated Buddha was installed in 1958 and at 33 m. (108') it is one of the longest in the world.
Directly across the street is the competing Burmese (Myanmar) Buddhist Temple (Dhammikarama Wat)
The farthest point on the loop drops you off at the base of
Penang Hill where you can catch a funicular up 833 m (2,733 ft) above sea level to the summit for various tourist attractions and a commanding view of Penang Island and over to the mainland.
In case any readers might find themselves at the base of the hill, I strongly suggest you pay extra for the privilege of using much shorter lines up and down. This is a
very popular spot for locals and families and we luckily stumbled onto this option which saved one to two hours standing in lines.
Kuching
The last stop on our Malaysian tour was in
Kuching. If you consult the map at the top you will see it is not on the Malay Peninsula but on the northern shore on the island Borneo in the state of Sarawak. I added this to our itinerary because Drs. Hemlock and Zakaria both spoke so glowingly of their visit, and also because it held the possibility of encountering orangutans in their natural habitat.
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| The view of the State assembly Building across the Sarawak River |
The city spans the Sarawak River and you can peacefully stroll along to enjoy the views and the food stalls.
As with the other cities we visited, there is a large Chinese population here with a vibrant Chinatown.
For our only full day in Kuching we were fortunate to hire a guide/driver Mr. Rafi. He was very friendly, spoke English well, and seemed to know everybody in the region. I promised him I would "publicize" his services for any blog readers that might have a similar need. (His phone number is 0198469100.)
He led us on a 90-minute drive from our hotel to the Sarawak Cultural Village, a project with a similar goal as the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi: one-stop shopping for an introduction to the life and culture of many different local ethnic groups. There is no doubt it is designed for the tourists but there is an air of authenticity, granted that you can have no more than a superficial look into their ways.
The location of the Village is ideal: on the shores of the South China Sea backed by jungle covered peaks.
As this map shows, typical houses of several Sarwakian communities were constructed around a small pond. Inside each dwelling are members of that community demonstrating typical cooking or crafts. Home stays are also available.
In the Chinese farm house, they demonstrated how birds nests are processed for birds nest soup as well as how to harvest black pepper. Pepper is a condiment native to southern India we have known all our lives but may have never wondered how it is grown and processed.
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| Farm house |
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| Tiny green peppercorns grape-like on the vine |
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| A curious monkey checking things out |
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| Brightly decorated Orang Ulu shields |
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| Making Rose Cookies in the Iban Longhouse, sort of like a funnel cake. According to Wikipedia, the Iban people "were renowned for practicing headhunting". |
The Cultural Village is very proud to present examples of native dances in the nicely air-conditioned theater.
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| Some sort of mating ritual |
If you regularly follow this blog you may have noticed I am not shy about seeking out the corny "tourist-in-action" photo......
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| In a Penan Hut, a somewhat awkward demonstration of a native blow gun |
... or to get an obliging guide to participate.
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| Mr. Rafi crossing a replica bamboo bridge |
Unfortunately time restraints did not allow us to try to see orangutans in the wild. The nearest Nationl Park was too far away, and we were told it was "fruit season", meaning there was plenty to eat in the jungle so the great apes would not be hanging around their homo sapien cousins. We did have just enough time to sneak into the
Matang Wildlife Centre thanks to Mr. Rafi's connections. The Centre is not a zoo or an animal park but more a hospital and rehabilitation center for native animals. There were many species of hornbills there.
Many of the orangutans have been rescued from people illegally keeping them as pets and others are recovering from injuries. There also are some family units. I am not sure how many will be eventually released into the wild.
Mr. Rafi wanted to be sure we stopped at a nearby village to see a modern example of an Iban longhouse. This traditional dwelling is similar to what we would call a "
shotgun house" in the US except expanded indefinately as the family unit grew.
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| Longhouse exterior |
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| Longhouse inner corridor |
It would have been nice to have more time in Kuching. I didn't even mention the
cat fetish the town has. Apparently phonetically the name of the town and the word for "cat"sound alike and so you will see numerous feline artworks and even a cat museum in town. But after three weeks on the road and Christmas on the way, it was time to go home. Plus there was a torrential downpour the morning we left, a sign of the onset of the rainy season.
We spent most of our last day in the Changi Airport in Singapore awaiting a late non-stop flight to San Francisco. I had time for one more Malaysian culinary adventure when I tried ais kugang, much to Fayne's horror. In this hot and humid land, a pile of colorful shaved ice looked very tempting to me. The name literally means "bean ice", it is also know as ABC (Air Batu Campur, or mixed ice), and is described in Wikipedia thusly:
In Malaysia, almost all variants now contain a large serving of attap chee (palm seed), red beans, sweet corn, grass jelly, roasted peanuts and cubes of agar agar as common ingredients. Other less-common ingredients include aloe vera, cendol, nata de coco, or ice cream. A final topping of evaporated milk, condensed milk, or coconut milk is drizzled over the mountain of ice along with red rose syrup and sarsi syrup.[6] Some stalls have even introduced novelty toppings such as durian,[7] and chocolate syrup.
I went with the durian, a favorite fruit in Southeast Asia, but Westerners are steered away from it as many find its smell strong and offensive. I think it must be akin to the genetic ability to detect
asparagus in urine, and while I can do that I did not detect anything malodorous in this case. In short, I liked it.
Post-script
After a very long 36 hours in transit we arrived safely back on US soil in time to join my family and friends for traditional Christmas at the Cabin
®
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| These three photos courtesy of D. Nishikawa |
There was plenty of food and good times, however I'm not so sure the karaoke microphone for Emily was a great idea.
One last promotional note: David N. gave Fayne a hoodie which was merch to promote the sixth and latest Terminator film, Dark Fate. (He has some inside source.) The one catch was he required photos of said hoodie to appear in my blog. Here they are,
sans Fayne.
The Best of 2020 to all!
