Malaysia

A Splash of Color in Malacca

The view over the river from my hostel window

After leaving the comfortable confines of Singapore, my next destination was just a few hours up the coast, in that of Melaka, Malaysia.  Formerly a historically significant port in the region, Melaka now has the feel of a sleepy, rural town that – whether due to its relatively small size or the growing presence of nearby cities such as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur — time seems to have bypassed, leaving the colonial atmosphere that once existed still intact.  And much like the rest of the surrounding area, the city’s population is a representative mix of the various Asian and European cultural influences that have taken root here over the last few hundred years, with the Nonya being the most noticeable (a mixed heritage resulting from the blending of Malay and Chinese immigrants).
The shipping trade is still a big part of the city (as the Strait of Melaka is one of the world’s busiest waterways), and tourism has started to creep into the picture, but the most apparent aspects of Melaka that’ll you notice immediately upon arriving are the brilliant flashes of color splashed all over the face of the city.  Whether you’re taking a ride in one of the famous tricked-out rickshaws, checking out wares at the weekend night market, or simply strolling the mural-lined riverside of the Melaka River, the vivid hues of the beautiful city will stay with you long after you leave.

The back walls of the buildings along a stretch of the Melaka River the extends the better part of a mile are all adorned with vibrant murals, creating a beautiful atmosphere for a peaceful stroll

Further views of the murals

A few examples of the local taxis: rickshaws that have been decorated with anything ranging from flowers and umbrellas to dolls and stuffed animals

Looking over the gardens of the Sultanate Palace

The interior of the Sultanate Palace

The eclectic interior of a local restaurant in the Chinatown area

Houses along the riverside

Looking out towards the Strait of Melaka

Come nightfall, the vibrancy of the city not only doesn’t diminish, but actually appears to be heightened — a fact also enhanced by the many decorations that are currently in place for the Chinese New Year festivities.  Additionally, if you happen to find yourself here on a Friday or Saturday night, you’ll be treated to a bustling night market on Jonker Street (the main drag of the dense Chinatown area):

The Jonker Street Night Market

View back over the river at night

Although it is virtually impossible to top the culinary scene in Singapore, the eating in Melaka is still nothing to bat an eye at.  Besides the Malay cuisine, you’ll also find quite a few restaurants, stalls, and street vendors serving Chinese, Indian, and Nonyan delights — here are a few of the local specialties:

Laksa again, though the Malaysian version eschews much of the sweet coconut milk and in its place adds a LOT more chili, creating a sour-and-spicy dish that will have you instantly sweating through your shirt (as if the heat and humidity hadn’t already done so)

Popiah — a variant of the spring roll, but in this case, stuffed with almost everything the cook can get his hands on

Chicken Rice Balls, similar to that of Singapore aside from the fact that they roll the rice into small balls, intended to enable one to eat with their hands

Nonya Pineapple Tarts

The Indian-influenced banana leaf meal, where as soon as you sit down, waiters descend upon your table and start dishing out dollops of this or that. And the best part is that all nine dishes sampled here, along with rice and a mug of chai tea, all totalled up only a little over two dollars

Satay Celup — instead of grilling the small skewers of meat or veggies over an open grill, this version has the diner dunking the raw ingredients into a bubbling vat of boiling soup fondue-style

I’m trying to branch out from the routine of Tiger Beer

Cendol for dessert: a mix of coconut milk, palm sugar, red beans, and a whole host of grasses and jellies, all served over a bowl of shaved ice

After my time Melaka comes to an end, I’m going to continue my trek northwards, with the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur up next on the docket.  Until then, Sorakan from Melaka!

Tower-Hopping in Kuala Lumpur

After growing comfortable with the laid-back pace of life in Melaka, I was in for a bit of a shock when I arrived in Malaysia’s cutting-edge and chaotic capital of Kuala Lumpur.  Part futuristic metropolis, part decaying remnant of a former industrial town, and part melting pot of every culture imaginable, you’ll equally as likely to encounter a towering skyscraper, a mosque during prayer time, or a bustling wet market each time you round a new corner.  The pace of life has picked up, the sidewalks (where they exist) are overflowing into the streets with people, and taxis, motorbikes, and city busses are all jostling to squeeze through the masses — but somehow, Kuala Lumpur pulls through the chaos and manages to gets its business accomplished.
When nearing the city via bus or train, the first landmarks you’ll notice are the twin Petronas towers (formerly the world’s tallest buildings up until a few years ago), which stand out as beacons that you’ve arrived in Kuala Lumpur.  Beyond the towers, to get a feel for the city, you’ll have to take the obligatory stroll through Chinatown and Little India (yes, pretty much every major city in this part of the world has one of each), knock off some shopping in the posh Golden Triangle, take a quick stroll around Lake Titiwangsa for the views back over the city, and then cap it all off with a night out on Changkat Bukit Bintang (a stretch of bars, restaurants, clubs, and hawker stalls).  Enough of my introduction, however — on to the photos:

The Petronas Towers as seen from a distance

The general crowds and commotion of Chinatown

Fountains in the Merdeka Square

It’s not really my cup of tea, but if a day of shopping sounds like heaven to you, you can’t miss the Times Square Plaza – the world’s fifth largest building.  It houses over 1,000 shops, 1,200 service outlets, a hotel, movie theatre, 65 food outlets, and Asia’s largest indoor theme park. The escalators (shown here) in the shopping area of one of the two towers were intimidating enough for me

When you’re grow weary of the concrete, a leisurely stroll around Lake Titiwangsa may be in order

Further, given that I happened to be in town for the beginning of the Chinese New Year, I grabbed a few new friends and hit the town to check out the celebrations:

The smokey, hazy atmosphere of Chinatown at night

Fireworks as seen from Changkat Bukit Bintang (the nightlife-heavy street near center of town)

A great way to finish the night is with a few friends back at the rooftop bar of our hostel– you can see the Petronas towers and the Menara KL tower (more on that below) lit up against the rest of the skyline

Although the Petronas Towers get most of the recognition, if it is a view of the city from the sky they you’re looking for, than the Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower is the best bet (you can ascend the entire 276 meter height, as opposed to the Petronas Towers, where you can only go as high as the skybridge between the two towers at 170 meters):

Looking up at the Menara KL Tower…

…and the view back over the city (and check out all of that green space still left intact, by the way)

Looking towards the Petronas Towers

And last but not least, I’m still eating my way around Southeast Asia, trying as many new dishes as possible.  Though I didn’t find Kuala Lumpur as much of a culinary destination as Melaka and especially Singapore, there were still a few treats out there to be discovered:

Beef Ball Noodles

Kway Teow Soup, using the same noodles as the Fried Kway Teow I had back in Singapore, but this soup version is more common to the Ipoh area just North of Kuala Lumpur

Putu Bambu – a sweet cake cooked with flour, pandan leaf, coconut, and steamed in bamboo pipes (as seen here)

The final product – enjoy!

Post-Kuala Lumpur, I’m planning on continuing my Malaysia adventure by moving North to the popular island of Penang (the city most visit here is actually Georgetown).  Until then, cheers!

Malaysia

Pulau Pinang: The Pearl of the Orient

Near the very northwest corner of Malaysia lies the island of Penang, once dubbed “The Pearl of the Orient” due to its mish-mash of Asian and European cultures — a result of its geographic location at the mouth of the Strait of Melaka.  This heritage-heavy hot-spot is one of the earliest European colonial settlements in this part of the world, predating even Singapore and Melaka.  Whereas the previous two may have since lapped Penang in the world’s eye, there is still no better place to see the immediate blending of both Indian and Chinese cultures into the Malay way of life, all topped off with splash of British colonial architecture.
Today, Penang — much like many other historical cities that have popped up on the tourist trail — is beginning to show signs of over-development, where vast swaths of the jungle have been cleared in order to build condos and hotels and locals cling to the remaining vestiges of the Penang they once knew.  The good news is that the on-going developments haven’t taken over completely yet.  A quick stroll through the streets of Georgetown (the main city on the island) will still yield such images silent prayers being spoken through the joss-smoke-filled temples, street vendors cooking up noodles in a smoking woks, old men sipping tea at a 100-year old tea houses or “pulled tea” from street stalls, rickshaws narrowly squeezing their way through the back alleys, and smiling faces going about their daily tasks.  It is still a beautiful city — one that doesn’t want to let you leave.  Here are a few of my favorite images:

St George’s Church

The Queen Victoria Memorial Clocktower

Upper Penang Street populated with revelers enjoying the warm nights

Adding further splendor to the island of Penang is the Kek Lok Si temple — the “Temple of Supreme Bliss” — located just outside of town.  This is the spiritual heart of the local Chinese-Malay community and has since grown to be a symbol of the island itself.  The temple is more of a complex, really, with a variety of gardens, pools, pagodas, statues, and grand, golden-clad halls strewn throughout the grounds.  Once you’ve weaved your way through the tourist shops at its base, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a place that explodes with more color and intensity than the Kek Lok Si temple (especially during the Chinese New Year celebration, during which I was lucky enough to visit):

The Kek Lok Si Temple rising above the streets of Penang

Lanterns as seen through the joss (incense) smoke

The interior courtyard

Another great option to get out of the heart of the city and explore the rest of the thankfully undeveloped island is to hike up to the top of Bukit Bendera, better known as Penang Hill.  Though the summit rises only a moderate 821 meters above the rest of the island (and apparently only merits a “hill” connotation), the 3-hour hike straight uphill is anything but easy — mainly due to the heat and humidity.  After you’ve sweated through your shirt, your shorts, and even your backpack, you’re out of water, you can’t see the top, and you’re ready to quit, you’ll know that you’ve made it about half-way up.  I’m proud of myself for making it to the top, but if you’d prefer and easier method, there is a rickety train that will take you to the summit without the massive energy expenditure.

The path through the hillside (the start of the trail up to Penang Hill is located within the Botanical Gardens)

Don’t be surprised, either, when you realize that you’ve made a few “new friends.” I’m not sure if these guys latch on to every visitor, but they certainly seemed to follow me everywhere I went

When you finally reach the top, you’ll be treated to a great view back over the rest of the island:


Another reason to visit – and the real reason I decided to swing over — is that fact that Penang is the culinary heart of Malaysia, and has frequently been recognized on many travel guides’ “Must-Eat Places” lists.  In fact, many of the dishes I’ve been sampling on the Southeast Asian leg of my trip so far (Laksa, Char Kway Teow, Rojak, etc.) were first made famous on the streets of Penang.  Given the regional differences, I made sure to try each of these in their home environment, but don’t worry, I won’t make you sit through a slide show of repeats.  Before hitting the food vendors, however, we first need to take a lap through the markets:

The open-air stalls in the Campbell Street Market

A fruit vendor

Gourds for sale

In need of roasted duck? A fully roasted pig? They’ll take care of you…

Squid drying in the sun

When dining out, the best places to go are the busy food centers (similar to the hawker centers in Singapore) for variety or to the many street stalls and vendors for authenticity.  And continuing with the tradition set at my last few locations, the average dish will only set you back two to three dollars, at most.  Enjoy:

Curry Fish Head — my favorite dish while in Penang (though this one was a touch more expensive than the “few dollars” that I just mentioned)

Street vendors sell these Nasi Lemak pouches wrapped in a banana leaf for on-the-go eating

Fried Oyster Omlette (with a few prawns thrown in for good measure)

A variant on the common Chicken Rice dish you’ve seen me eat a few times is the local “Duck Rice,” which is exactly what it sounds like

Prawn Mee (a spicy noodle soup with shrimp)

Koay Teow Th’ng and Lorbak (…I think)

Given that Georgetown has a large Indian population, I had to at least sit down for one Thali plate

Ice Kachang (similar to Chendol) is a mish-mash of grasses, sugars, syrups, beans, and fruit, all tossed over a bed of shaved ice

Another famously Malay tradition is that of Teh Tarik, or Pulled Tea. The vendor will pour (or “pull”) the milky tea back and forth between two pots to create a foamy texture

And the result is as pretty as it is tasty

Penang marks the finale of my Malaysian adventure, as I’m heading north to take in some of the beautiful beaches along Thailand’s Andaman Coast.  If you haven’t heard from me in a month or two, just assume that I’ve found myself a nice little spot on the beach that I couldn’t drag myself away from.  And although Penang’s beaches won’t quite compare to those of Thailand, I’m still going leave you with a nice teaser from the Batu Ferringhi beach here on the island.  Enjoy: