C & C globetrotting around the world…

We took the bus back from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur for the last 2 days in Asia. We went to Bintang, the touristy area of KL with lots of shopping, restaurants, bars and a general backpacker scene. There is also a huge shopping mall on 12 stories (and there are another 5 malls just around the corner)! For dinner we went to a “food street”, a street filled with hawker stalls offering a myriad of dishes. Not only can you eat there one of the millions of Malaysian dishes, but there are also other Asian specialities on offer, such as Thai and Vietnamese dishes. It’s a foodie’s paradise, but also very dangerous for the waste line 😉 . Every mini-restaurant offers about 20 different dishes and there are around 40 mini-restaurants to choose from. To make things even more difficult, all dishes are very very tasty. On the last day, we had a full schedule again. We went to visit some sights before we closed off our Asia Trip. After Central Market, we went to Merdeka Square, the Independence Square. This is where the Union Flag was lowered and the Malayan flag hoisted for the first time on August 31^st, 1957. The square symbolized British sovereignty as it was a cricket ground for the colonial administrators. The 95-metre flagpole is one of the tallest in the world. Flanking the square is the grand and beautiful Sultan Abdul Samad Building, one of the most significant landmarks built by the British completed in 1897 and inspired by Indian Moghul architecture.

From there we walked to the National Mosque of Malaysia, Masjid Negara. It has a capacity of 15,000 people and is situated among 53,000 m² of beautiful gardens. The mosque,, built in 1965s a bold and modern approach in reinforced concrete, symbolic of the aspirations of a then newly-independent Malaysia. Its key features are a 73-metre-high minaret and an 16-pointed star concrete main roof of green and blue tiles. The umbrella, synonymous with the tropics, is featured conspicuously – the main roof is reminiscent of an open umbrella, the minaret’s cap a folded one. Across the street is the Railway Station, a pretty building showing a mixture of Eastern and Western designs. From there we wanted to go home or to Bintang, but to get there was extremely complicated. We (especially Cecilia) got really annoyed by the stupid organization in KL. We had to walk along a highway, jump over railings and walk 20 minutes to connect between metro stations. We knew that the 3 metro systems are not interconnected the way they are (and should be) in any major city, but this time it bothered us even more. For dinner we went to the food street again to indulge in some yummy dishes. We also saw some people eating durian with plastic gloves. Durian is widely known and revered in southeast Asia as the “king of fruits”. The durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk. The edible flesh emits a distinctive odour, strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Some people regard the durian as fragrant; others (like us) find the aroma overpowering and offensive. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as almonds, rotten onions, turpentine and gym socks. The odour has led to the fruit’s banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in southeast Asia. It is understandable, as it can be smelled from far away and the smell lingers (hence the plastic gloves for eating it).

From there we went back to the hostel to grab our backpacks and hooped on a bus to the airport. Our flight was leaving at 3am, so there was no point in paying for another night at the hostel. We had been 7 times at the airport in KL, but always only at LCCT and this time it was the first time at the big airport (KLIA – KL International Airport). It is big and new and we surfed the internet and ate some mango sticky rice (best Asian dessert ever!!!) we had bought before coming here.

After 254 days on this continent, it’s time to say Goodbye Asia!

Langkawi is an archipelago of 99 islands about 30km off the coast of Malaysia in the Andaman Sea. It is close to the border with Thailand and we went there to recharge our batteries. We will soon be flying back to Europe and there we have a full schedule visiting friends and family. Langkawi means reddish brown eagle and we saw many soaring above our heads during our stay. Only the main island is inhabited and has been targeted by the Malaysian government for tourism development. There are mountains, nature parks, waterfalls and a giant aquarium, as well as many options to go island-hopping. We decided to only go to the beach and take advantage of the sun and sea during our one week-long stay. We were very lucky with the weather too, as it was sunny during the day and it only rained in the evening, between 6pm and 4am. We spent our time going to the beach in the morning for an hour or two, then coming back before lunch and returning again to the beach in the afternoon for 2 to 3 hours. Not only is the sun dangerous around lunch, but it was also way to hot to stay out. We would take refuge in our room where the air-conditioning was set to 30 degrees and it felt nice and cool ;). Our guesthouse was only a 5-minute-walk from the beach and a fun place to meet fellow travellers. We also discovered some cheap restaurants close-by, as most places cater to higher-end tourists.

The tranquillity of the beach and the fine powdery sand made up for the lack of the perfect vivid turquoise waters we expected. We had a good time sunbathing, swimming, exercising, walking on the beach and watching the beautiful and romantic sunsets.

From Bali we flew to KL and then a few hours later we had a connection to Penang. It was actually cheaper to fly than take a bus, so we went with the time-saving option. Arrived in town, we were picked up by Rudy, our CS friend from Brunei. We stayed with him and his girlfriend in Penang, which was great. The island of Penang in the Strait of Melacca has a similar history to Melacca, influenced by trade and settlement of the British in the 18^th century. The historic city of Georgetown which was granted UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site status in 2008 has grown to encompass the entire island. The city has a rich collection of historic buildings in colonial, Chinese and Muslim styles to name a few, making for an interesting tour. They reflect the various ethnicities making up Penang, but also Malaysia: Chinese, Indians, Arabs, Malays as well as Indonesians, Siamese, Burmese and Europeans. It has grown from a swampy town to a bustling trading post and is now an important economic hub as well. Malaysians like to eat, but nowhere is it as evident as in Penang. There are many local specialities and the people take pride in being the food capital of Malaysia. It seems like all activities one does are just sprinkled between the tasting of various dishes.

On the first day we went to town to walk around a bit. For dinner we went to a Baba Nonya restaurant with Rudy and Amelleia. The place, in a traditional Baba Nonya house, was fancy and the food delicious. Rudy ordered a bunch of different dishes, complementing each other in taste and texture. Really good!

On the second day, we visited Fort Cornwallis, built by Francis Light immediately after his landing on the island and was used as an administrative centre. We then walked along the promenade past Town Hall, City Hall and Padang Kota Lama. This green space is where young girls were shown off and threw oranges into the ocean to find a suitable partner. With the backdrop of the nice colonial buildings, “Anna and the King” was shot around here as well. We also saw the Leaning Clock Tower, a 60-foot clocktower built by an opulent Penang millionaire to show off his wealth. It was completed in 1902 to commemorate the 60^th year of Queen Victoria’s reign. Because of a bomb that fell close-by during the war, the tower is now leaning. We also visited St George’s Church, an Anglican Church completed in 1818 and with a very simple interior, typical of Anglican churches. Along the same street is the Cathedral of the Assumption which is almost as old as Penang itself. We then went to the Christian Cemetery, the resting place of many pioneers of the island. We walked under the frangipani trees and found, amongst others, the tomb of Francis Light, founder of Penang.

From there we just made it in time for the 3pm tour of the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, dubbed “La Maison Bleue”. This is a flamboyant masterpiece built by one of the wealthiest businessmen of Penang at the turn of the 20^th century. He had arrived penniless from Guangdong in southern China at age 16 and slowly built an empire. He was seen as one of the most historic and colourful personalities of the era and inspired many to follow in his steps. The floorplan of the house is typical Chinese with a beautiful courtyard, but there is some Western influence, such as the Gothic louvered windows and Scottish cast iron works. There is very intricate Chinese cut-&-paste porcelain work decorating the roofs, the most beautiful we’ve seen so far. Unfortunately we couldn’t take pictures inside, but it was quite a sight. The Mansion is not open to the public outside the guided tours as it serves as a “historical hotel”. We then walked through the Eastern & Oriental Hotel, a fancy hotel opened by the Armenian Sarkis brothers in a series of other elegant hotels throughout Asia, such as the Strand in Yangon. We found out that Hermann Hesse and Karl May were here too. This time, we cooked for dinner. Rudy and Amelleia asked us to cook something European, so we decided to make Romanian “Sarmalute in foi de vita”, the summer version of cabbage rolls. They turned out pretty good and we were very happy that our hosts liked them.

Penang is really all about food. We even stayed a day longer in order to have more time to try the local delicacies. We did a few things in between, but it just felt like we ate all day. We started off with a snack of “char kuay teow” – stir-fried flat rice noodles. Afterwards we walked around a bit, passed the Kapitan Keling Mosque by the Indian Muslim community, then admired the typical Chinese shophouses of Penang. We visited Khoo Kong Si, a showcase of the prosperity of the Khoo clan. Built around 1900, it is one of the most ornate clan houses outside China and probably the most beautiful we have seen on our trip. Before going back to our hosts’, we had a few more snacks, of course.

After our short trip to Melacca and the experience of Thaipusam, we came back to KL to pick up our visa for Myanmar and do more sightseeing. One day we followed the “walking tour” from the Lonely Planet through Chinatown, which was interesting. It didn’t really feel like being in Chinatown, but when there are so many Chinese throughout the city, it’s hard to have a definite Chinatown. We passed the Old China Cafe which is an old guild hall before reaching the Chan See Shu Yuen Temple, an ornate and ancestral Chinese temple. We re-traced our steps and passed through Jalan Sang Guna, a small and stinky covered alley with fresh market produce. We then arrived at the 22-m high and very colourful gate tower of the Sri Mahamariamman Temple. This South-Indian Hindu shrine houses a famous chariot used for Thaipusam and was the origin of the pilgrimage to the Batu Caves a day earlier. The chariot was to be brought back that day, so all the streets where it will pass were lined with banana trees. Close-by was the Guan Di Temple, a Taoist temple for the God of War Guan Di. We then wondered the streets passing many Art-Deco buildings from the 1930’s before reaching the “Central Market”, previously the city’s fresh produce market. It is now a centre for handicrafts, antiques, art sales and cafes, where we stopped here for a coffee and cake break, which was very much needed. With renewed energy we admired the many shophouses in the area built at the turn of the century. Despite the modern city, many of the shophouses need a coat of paint, but the architecture is nice. We also passed Medan Pasar (“Market Square”), the city’s original market with a clock tower built in 1937 to commemorate the coronation of King George IV.

The next day we spent down-town around Surya KLCC and the Petronas Towers. On the way we passed the Convention Centre that was then hosting the World Press Photo 2011 Exhibition, so we dropped by to take a look. The photos are really amazing. Some are disturbing too, but very interesting. With the mid-day heat and humidity outside, we decided to stay indoors and went to the cinema to watch “Man on a Ledge”. It was a very good movie (and popcorn) and it’s fun to do things “like at home”, once in a while. While in KL, we also watched a few other movies at Vern’s place, amongst other “Lost in Translation”. Now that we’ve been to countries where the language barrier is enormous, it was really funny to watch. We also watched “The Beach”, since we haven’t been to Thailand’s beaches. Vern, our CS host was really interesting to talk to, so we spent the evening chatting about economics, politics and cultures. Very insightful!

We returned to Kuala Lumpur just in time for Thaipusam, an important and fascinating Hindu festival celebrated by the Tamil communities. The festival commemorates the occasion when Parvati (a Hindu Goddess) gave Murugan (the Tamil God of War) a vel “spear” so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadam. Every year Tamil Hindus from all over Asia flock to the Batu Caves (Rock Caves) near KL on a pilgrimage. This year over 1.5 million people attended and we were among them.

Kavadi Attam is a dance performed by the devotees during the ceremonial worship of Murugan to emphasize debt bondage. The Kavadi itself is a physical burden through which the devotees implore for help from the God Murugan. Generally, Hindus take a vow to offer a kavadi to idol for the purpose of tiding over or averting a great calamity. Devotees prepare for the celebration by cleansing themselves through prayer and fasting approx-48 days before Thaipusam. Kavadi-bearers have to perform elaborate ceremonies at the time of assuming the kavadi and at the time of offering it to Murugan.

On the day of the festival, devotees will shave their heads and undertake a pilgrimage along a set route while engaging in various acts of devotion, notably carrying various types of kavadi (burdens). At its simplest this may entail carrying a pot of milk, but mortification of the flesh by piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with vel skewers is also common. The simplest kavadi is a semicircular decorated canopy supported by a wooden rod that is carried on the shoulders, to the temple. In addition, some have a small spear through their tongue, or a spear through the cheeks. The spear pierced through his tongue or cheeks reminds him constantly of Lord Murugan. It also prevents him from speaking and gives great power of endurance. Other types of kavadi involve hooks stuck into the back and either pulled by another walking behind or with milk pots hanging from them. The greater the pain the more god-earned merit.

The families of the kavadi-bearers were accompanying them for support and there were many ordinary pilgrims on this special day. Being in the heat and with the masses of people, it is unimaginable for us how these devotees have the dedication and strength to carry the kavadi for so long and up the stairs to the caves. Many of them were in a trance to help them cope. Despite the overwhelming crowd and heat, it was a very interesting and unique experience.

The Chinese Festival of WangKang is an exceptional affair. The last three Wangkang festivals took place in 1919, 1933 and 2001, and there are no records on when the first was held in the country. No one knows when is the next procession because the procession is decided by the Divine in the heaven.

The event is aimed at ridding evil spirits in the state and country. Wangkang customs were brought to Malacca by Hokkien migrants (from Fujian province) who were fleeing persecution during the Qing or Manchu Dynasty (1644 to 1911) in China. The story of the Festival, as told by one of the temple officials in the newspaper:

A deity ‘instructs’ a Chinese temple’s devotees to build a boat and load evil spirits on it. Why? IF predictions for the year of the Black Water Dragon are to be believed, we may have to brace ourselves for calamaties such as earthquakes and tsunamis. In light of this, the grand Wangkang (Royal Barge) festival which will take place in Malacca could not be more timely. The name Wangkang itself is a unique Peranakan or Baba-Nyonya mix of Chinese and Malay words – wang (emperor or royal) and kang (short for tongkang or barge). This time-honoured Chinese festival will see a majestic wooden barge sweep on board all the bad luck and evil spirits from the city’s historic streets before the boat is dragged to the seafront and burnt off … into the great beyond.

“We were told by our temple’s deity, Tee Ong Yah, that we should hold it this year. Ong Yah told us not just the date for the festival but everything else too, like when to start work, how big the boat should be, and where to set up the shipyard.” The Royal Barge itself is 6m long with a 7.6m high mast. Made of merbau timber and five-layered plywood, it took three months to build at a cost of RM80,000.

The plans for the procession seem more like a majestic flotilla, as the Royal Barge will be accompanied by five smaller boats, as well as cultural troupes such as dragon and lion dancers, stilt walkers and over 100 musicians from various temples.

“The procession will start at 7.30am from Yong Chuan Tian temple in Bandar Hilir and go around town the whole day, stopping at 15 key junctions,” explains Lai. Teams of devotees will put their hands on a special 108-foot (32.9m) long rope and pull the boat (on a wheeled platform) all over the city. “We will perform ceremonies where all evil spirits and influences will be ordered to get on the boat, upon the command of the san junn hau lin or the spiritual warriors of heaven, earth and sea.”

The climax will see the boat – and its load of evils – being hauled to the sea at Pulau Melaka where it will be set alight and perish in a huge bonfire. Lai advises: “When the boat is burning, people are advised to go away and not look back. Whatever our beliefs may be, turning our backs on bad luck and evil must surely be the right thing to do in 2012.”

The whole festival ended with beautiful fireworks at the beach.

From KL we went to Melacca for a few days. This historic town is conveniently nestled against the Strait of Malacca, one of the most important shipping routes in the world. Historically it linked traders from Europe and India to those in China and was used as a trading post for the merchants from these countries. They would come with the monsoon, trade and wait until the wind turned to go back home. Today, the strait is still the main shipping channel between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Over 50,000 vessels pass through the strait per year, carrying about one-quarter of the world’s traded goods including oil, Chinese manufactures, and Indonesian coffee. The town of Melacca portrays well the multiculturalism of Malaysia and is also the cradle of the country. It was founded in the 14^th century by a Hindu prince from Sumatra, he became protected by the Chinese in 1405 before being dominated by the Portuguese in 1511 for 130 years. In 1641 the Dutch conquered it before finally ceding it to the British 1795, who kept it until Malaysia’s independence. This tumultuous history is very present in the city’s architecture and its people of mixed heritage.

We stayed at the “Apa Kaba Guesthouse”, which was recommended to us by Marg and Andy from Perth and where we got a very nice welcome. In the evening we went to the Night Market on Jonker Street in Chinatown. At the beginning of the street, there was a dragon to symbolize the start of the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese calendar. The night market was bigger than usual because the Chinese New Year week is still underway. At the end of the street there was a stage and we watched Chinese ladies do line dancing. It was like in China, except that the music was better. We walked around Chinatown for a while, admiring the beautiful red lanterns lining the streets. There was also a dragon dance and many colourful trishaws with music to take you around town.

On our second day, we set out on a walking tour with the owner of the guesthouse on his daily morning walk. He was very happy to show us the neighbourhood and let us discover its history. Our first stop was Hang Li Po’s Well, built in the 15^th century by the Sultan for his Chinese wife. It was also an important source of water for Melacca and the prime target for opposition forces wanting to take the city. We then climbed Bukit China (China Hill), the residence of Hang Li Po and her 500 maidens. Later it became the largest Chinese cemetery outside China. Chinese graveyards are often built on hills to maximize positive feng shui. From here we got a nice view of the city and came back down on the other side to St-Peter’s Church, an old Portuguese church.

We then walked to Kampong Morten, the Malay village in Melacca. We stopped at Villa Sentosa (“peaceful villa”), a live-in museum. We got a tour from the owner who was very dramatic and made us take pictures in every room of where the king and queen had sat. At the end, he asked for a donation. Christoph gave 10 ringgit ($3), but the old man said it was “10 ringit per person”. Talk about a donation!

In the afternoon we set out to the Portuguese settlement on our bikes. We knew we had arrived when we saw statues of Mary and Jesus in each house. These people are called “Kristang” (probably derived from “Christians”) and are descendants of the Portuguese that had settled here and mixed with the local women. It is believed that there are about 10,000 of them in Malaysia, 2,500 of whom live in Melacca. In the evening we watched the kids’ dancing show and Cecilia was even invited by one of the boys to join.

We also biked to Selat Melacca Mosque on Pulau Melacca (Melacca island, an artificial island). The Mosque is built on water and is very nice. To visit it, we had to dress up with clothes provided. That day was the birthday of Prophet Mohammed (Maulidor Rasul), but there were no special celebrations here.

On our third day, we did a “walking tour” from the Lonely Planet and again saw the different chapters in Melacca’s history influenced by the various conquerors. We started at the “Proclamation of Independence Memorial”, which is housed in a British villa and tells the history of Malaysia’s progression to independence. Right next to it is the Sultante Palace, wooden replica rebuilt from descriptions of the “Malay Annals” of the original 15^th-century palace. It was built entirely without nails and houses a very interesting cultural museum about the Sultanate and also displays the various groups of traders that marked Melacca’s history. Our next stop was Porta de Santiago, once the main gate and all that remains of the Portuguese fortress A’Famosa. It was originally built by Alfonso de Albuquerque in 1512, then was part of the fort used by the Dutch after their takeover in 1670. On the hill behind Porta de Santiago, is St-John’s Fort, used by the British to store gunpowder. The ruin of St-Paul’s church built in 1521 by the Portuguese is on the hill overlooking the famous Straits of Melaka.

We went down on the other side and reached the “Stadthuys”, the old city hall and governor’s residence built by the Dutch. We visited the museum inside, telling the history of Melaka from its beginning up to date. This massive red building is believed to be the oldest Dutch building in the East. We read that initially the building was painted white, but that with time the red laterite stones’ colour was coming through the whitewashed plastering and that red earth was being splashed up during the rainy season. The British decided to paint the building red and solve these maintenance problems. Right next to the Stadthuys is Christ Church, giving the town square a very red colour.

We then crossed the river and headed to the Baba Nonya Heritage Museum set in traditional Pernakan house, a typical 19th-century residence. “Pernakan” or “Baba Nonya” is the term used for the ethnic group of people who are descendants of the mix of Chinese and Malays back in the 16^th century. We also passed Hotel Puri and the Chee Mansion (a Chinese family shrine) facing it. The Eng Choon Association building, a guild hall with a small Taoist shrine, also had nice ornate doors. We walked by Hang Kasturi’s tomb, a hero in Melaka’s history, before reaching the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple. This is Chinatown’s most famous temple, dedicated to Goddess of Mercy Guanyin. It dates back to 1646 and is Malaysia’s oldest Chinese temple. It is a sacred site and all the building materials as well as the artisans were imported from China. Around it the streets are lined with shops selling red Chinese lanterns and paper money. We then arrived at Kampung Kling Mosque with its multi-tiered roof inspired from Hindu temples. Then we visited Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple, a Hindu temple from 1781 dedicated to Hindu god Vinayagar. To finish off the day, we went to the Chinese Festival of WangKang, a very special occasion.

We left Chiang Mai on our first AirAsia flight. We were happy when we checked in our big backpacks and they only weighed 10kg and 13kg respectively. Destination: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Malaysia is a multi-ethnic society of Malay, Chinese and Indians. This mosaic is mirrored in the religious sphere, with Malays being Muslim, Chinese being Buddhist-Taoist-Confucianist while the Indians are Hindu. It is very interesting to see how these three very different cultures coexist here. Most of the people speak their own language plus English and Malay. It’s nice to be in a country again where you can actually have conversations with a taxi driver. We haven’t had this since Cambodia and it adds so much more to the experience when you can discuss things and aren’t getting just a smile with a “yeees”.

Kuala Lumpur is a very young city. In 1857, Chinese prospectors looking for tin landed at the meeting point of the Klang and Gombak rivers. They called the place “muddy confluence”, Kuala Lumpur. The local sultan appointed a proxy (Kapitan China) to control the rowdy Chinese and he is regarded today as the founder of KL. The town of wooden houses burnt down in 1881, so the British made plans to rebuild it and demanded the houses be built of brick. Today that neighbourhood is known as “Brickfields”. Since then, the city has grown to a world city of 1.5 million people. KL, as it is commonly known, is not only the capital of Malaysia, but also the cultural and economic centre of the country.

The city has a modern look and the metro system is new and nice, but it’s also a bit strange. It’s the first time since China that a city has a metro system. Here in KL they have several systems that coexist, some run even parallel but are not connected to each other nor can you use your ticket from one metro company with the other. At least there is public transportation.

Our CS host, Vern, is a Malaysian Chinese who grew up in KL. He is very educated and smart, so talking to him was extremely interesting, as we gained lots of valuable insight into Malaysian society. He also introduced us to local food. One of the special dishes is “Banana leaf rice” served in Indian restaurants. You get a banana leaf on the table in front of you and a huge pile of rice. Then you get served various vegetables and salad and a curry sauce on your rice. With this you can choose some meat, be it chicken, mutton or fish. You eat with your right hand, which was a totally new experience for us. The food was delicious, and with practice it will be easier to eat.

Down-town, we went to the Petronas Towers and took some pictures at night, as they are nicely illuminated. The towers were the highest in the world until 2004, when Taipei 101 overtook them. Opened up in 1998, the towers rise 452 meters above ground and are the headquarters of the national oil and gas company Petronas. They are 88 stories high (a lucky Chinese number) and are built in the shape of a octagon, which is a Muslim symbol. The bridge connecting the 2 towers is on the 41^st floor and can be accessed by visitors. Apparently when the plans were designed, construction was supposed to take 5 years. However, the politicians wanted the structure to be ready in 4 years and outsourced the project. One tower was given to a Japanese company, the other to a South Korean one. The competition between the 2 countries and the 2 companies led to the towers being built within the 4-yr time frame.

Kuala Lumpur is our hub in the area, so we will return here 2 more times. We will then explore this metropolis in greater detail.