Unfortunately the heat and humidity are not more forgiving in Malaysia than they are in Singapore. Upon arrival by aircon'd train in Kuala Lumpur however, we were kindly welcomed by Uncle Nathan and Auntie Maureen and their family. They took mercy on our souls and hosted us for a while, showing us around and letting us cool down in their pool. We were pleasantly surprised when Uncle Nathan took us to a Belgian beer bar where he showed us that also Malaysians know how to appreciate a great beer. In the meantime Auntie Maureen dared us to add diverse spices to some of the delicious meals. While Dimitri made some worthy and respectable attempts, Auntie was not ready to declare us full Malaysians just yet.
We visited some of the impressive mosques and Hindu temples and wandered through the busy market streets. One of the highlights were the amazing views from the top of the Petronas towers, the highest twin towers in the world. We had a great time, but eventually it was time to move on and we said our goodbyes to Uncle and Auntie, thanking them for the wonderful stay we had.
We made our way to Melaka, a Unesco heritage site - it soon became clear why. It boasts a rich history of colonialism and has one of the most peaceful riverbanks we have seen.
Some might consider it foolish to attempt a trek through a jungle in this strangling heat and humidity but that's exactly what we did at our next stop, the Taman Negara, or National Park of Malaysia. It's filled with deadly animals such as green vipers, panthers, tigers and... Germans. We met Michael and Linuz, two hilarious and adventurous fellows who soon became travel companions. Somewhat disorganized, they made our bus and boat wait while they overslept and realized they still needed an ATM...
Nobody keeps track of time in the jungle however and we were soon hiking through the treacherous environment, carrying along a massive amount of water. We came out of the jungle exhausted, with our clothes soaking in sweat. Despite the horrible stench, the hostel let us back in and we celebrated our trip with some well earned Tiger beers.
The Germans joined us east to the tropical Perhentian Islands, one of the most chilled out places we have been so far. Gorgeous backdrops with palm trees next to mesmerizing beaches. Dimitri dived around a shipwreck while the rest was out snorkeling and soon we had forgotten all about the harsh jungle conditions. We enjoyed milk shakes during all times of the day and invented questionable dance moves at night. Removed from all the problems of the world, but still connected to the results of the Olympics, life was mercifully easy...
1 comment:
What a great reportage and awesome pictures ! I am delighted to get to know Malaysia a bit better through your experiences. Happy to see that the two of you found a warm ( c'est le cas de le dire) and cosy nest at the home of your Auntie and Uncle. They look like special host and fantastic people and you are so lucky to have been introduced by them to local culture, including the beer from home.
Isn't it surprising that wherever you go, you know where to find what you need and probably miss most.
The German guys might have overslept but probably honored their reputation of reliability, thoroughness, commitment and orderliness once on the way... valuable asset during a risky jungle trek.
What appeals most of all to me though is a week or if possible even more of R and R at the Perhentian islands
Keep up the good work, can't wait to see where you're headed next !
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