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When
visiting Malaysia you absolutely must: So many different things to
see in Malaysia, but I’d say that if you could only visit one part,
then head to the east coast where you’ll find some of the finest
beaches in the world and interesting exotic Muslim market towns, a
potpourri of visual and gastronomic delights just waiting for your
camera and tongue.
Fondest memory of Malaysia: We’d experienced the mad rush of
Kuala Lumpur and had fled for the peace and solitude of the east coast.
Though it was strange at first, we’d gotten used to it and very much
enjoyed the beaches and exotic market towns. We’d made out way up the
coast and had to cross back over to get to Penang, and then make our way
up to Thailand; we reluctantly booked our bus for the journey. It was
scheduled to be a seven-hour trip and on boarding the crowded bus, we
were obviously the only foreigners on board. It was a dusty, bumpy ride
and passing through fairly high hill country, it was quite pretty too.
Elephant crossing signs were in abundance as were numerous fruit stands,
selling the local harvest. And it was harvest season, as we’d quickly
learn; the bus made a stop at seemingly every stand on the journey! And
at each stop, we’d all pile out of the bus and sample/purchase what
was on offer. Mangosteens were our favorite, an exotic purple fruit of
uncompromising tart flavor. But most were in search of the Durian, an
almost mythical fruit in the Asian culture, purported to have
aphrodisiac qualities. Famous among backpackers as nearly inedible due
to its pungent smell, I was nonetheless intrigued to try it. But they
were big and I didn’t want to buy a whole one just to later chuck it,
especially in front of people who would have thought me mad! This proved
to be no problem as the locals on the bus took great pride in this fruit
and couldn’t help but share it. I smartly held my breath and took my
first bite, only to find a fruit so velvety it could only be confused
with custard. Its smooth flesh was so effortless to chew; it’s taste a
mixture of custard and papaya. I found it so enticing, I could hardly
wait for the next offer. The third time, I was asked from behind, and on
turning, a piece was nearly put directly into my mouth, and I had no
time to hold my breath, and finally the odor whiffed into my nostrils, a
smell so repugnant that I nearly threw up, but I managed to take the now
seemingly toxic substance and swallow it, all the while smiling; not
wanting to let on that it bothered me. Now, they all patted me on the
back as if to say, I was one of them; all laughing at our good fortune
to be on this great bus journey during the durian harvest time. I
couldn’t help but smile. Could you?
Since
its modest beginnings in 1857, as a British tin-mining outpost at the
confluence of the Gombak and Klang rivers, the capital that takes its
name from the muddy swamp upon which it was built has grown into one of
Southeast Asia's most progressive cities. Located on the Western
Peninsula of Malaysia and home to 1.8 million people, Kuala Lumpur (or
KL, as the locals affectionately call it) is a truly cosmopolitan city.
At first glance Kuala Lumpur appears to be just
another soulless Asian metropolis brimming with concrete and gleaming
steel. However the city has retained much of its traditional fabric and
atmosphere, thanks to its composite Malay, Chinese, Indian and Eurasian
population. Visitors move seamlessly from the dazzling skyscrapers of
the Golden Triangle into the ethnic enclaves of China Town and Jalan
Masjid India (Little India), where life continues much as it has for
more than a hundred years. Little India bombards the senses with vibrant
colours, the blare of traditional music and the tantalising smells of
cooking spices. Just south of Little India, in China Town, traditional
Chinese shops operate alongside lively street markets, budget
restaurants and street hawkers. Kuala Lumpur's myriad ingredients come
to a buzzing climax as the night market (pasar malam) opens for
business. The rich cultural diversity on show at these nightly markets
is the essence of this city's charm. In contrast to its troubled
neighbour, Indonesia, Malaysia is a bastion of tolerance, where every
faith and its traditions are respected and protected. Kuala Lumpur, to
many Malaysians, is quite simply Ibukota, or the 'Mother City'.
Reminders of the old Kuala Lumpur are on display
in the form of colonial buildings dotted around the city centre. The
most poignant symbols of British rule and Malaysia's subsequent
independence are found in the area around Dartan Merdeka
(Independence Square), where the Malaysian Flag continually commemorates
the country's gaining self-rule (31 August 1957) and one of the city's
best examples of colonial architecture, the Royal Selangor Club, still
remains. The modern face of a city that has largely left the economic
crisis of 1997 behind is most strongly recognised in the area known as
the Golden Triangle, at the heart of the city centre. Here visitors will
find the towering landmark, the Petronas Twin Towers, as well as the
Menara Tower, the city's Symphony Hall, the high-tech Istana Budaya
theatre, the city's major hotels and air-conditioned shopping malls.
Kuala Lumpur's most recent development is the new Sentral Station, which
opened in April 2001 and looks set to revolutionise the fashionable
western suburb of Bangsar. The Express Rail Link (ERL) to the city's
international airport and the monorail, both slated to open in 2002,
will again alter the face of this constantly evolving city. Even more
ambitious plans for a Multimedia Super Corridor are set to place Kuala
Lumpur at the forefront of the technology industry by 2020.
Nevertheless, one constant in Kuala Lumpur is
the climate, with its consistently warm daytime temperatures, balmy
evenings, and afternoons that are often punctuated by thunderstorms,
usually passing quickly to leave the evenings cool and rain free.
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