Week 17: Melaka

This weekend I had the pleasure of a custom tour around the historic city of Melaka, brought to me by some coworkers who were determined to be exceptionally hospitable. (Everyone I work with is nice and welcoming, but unlike some other countries, they insist on going above and beyond to take me places of interest on the weekends. It’s really fun, if unexpected.) The goal of the weekend: eat lots of local food. Mission accomplished.

Our first stop was at a sea turtle research facility, where they observe these creatures and educate visitors about them. We got to enjoy these creatures swimming about lazily in front of a gorgeous ocean view. Continuing our trip, we witnessed the newest phenomenon in hotels: old busses were converted into themed hotel rooms, complete with indoor plumbing! While they wouldn’t allow us into any of the rooms (busses?) you can read all about this new craze online. The coconut shakes at the nearby lot of busses turned stationary food trucks did not disappoint however.

Our next stop was the downtown and historic area of Melaka, a port city previously colonized by Western forces including the Portuguese and the British. We were able to board a model ship and learn about trade in the area before we headed on to Jonker street (pronounced like a New Yorker “Yonker”) for lunch. This street is full of the Chinese Malays and their shops, restaurants, and mannerisms were very reminiscent of being in China itself. We stepped into a popular food store that was like a Chinese Harry and David’s for some treats (unfortunately no Moose Munch!) before heading on our way to see more of the old town. I admired a lot of the tri-shaws along the way; these are bicycle driven carts that compete with each-other for the most flamboyant designs and themes. Everything from FROZEN to Hello Kitty to SuperMan to Pokemon could be found, and to put the cherry on top many had speakers that would blare pop music as the car rolled away.

We wrapped up a fun day with a trip to the top of the hill in the center city, where we were treated to a beautiful view amid ruins of an old church from the days of colonization. Following this, we headed to a beach for an impromptu photoshoot (to provide pictures for the company newsletter, of course!) and to enjoy some local food before heading home for the night. It was a lot of fun and I feel so lucky to have coworkers who would go out of their way to take me on adventures within their home country. 

Week 16: Cameron Highlands

Since I had another day off (thank you for having a million holidays Malaysia!) and Emily was still in Malaysia, we decided to take a trip to the Cameron Highlands for the weekend. This is a smaller town up in the mountains that used to be a stronghold for one of the colonizing countries in Malaysia, but has since become a bustling tourist trap for people who want to get away from the heat of the city, breathe some fresh air, and drink a nice cup of tea. The temperature at the top of the winding roads was blissfully cooler than what we had been experiencing in Thailand and Kuala Lumpur, an added bonus for our trip.

Upon arriving, we promptly went to lunch to enjoy the local delicacy, a Steamboat. This is essentially a hotpot with a special lid which has a funnel at the top, thus emitting steam like a smokestack as your food cooks. While it wasn’t especially spectacular, it’s always a treat to sample local cuisine. Following this, I decided to walk to one of the local strawberry farms. Unfortunately it was not the right season for picking my own berries, but I was treated to some of the freshest, juiciest berries I’ve had in a long time and I returned to our hostel with delightfully pink lips. Unlike in the US where you need to bend down in fields to pick strawberries, the farmers in the Cameron Highlands have made these beds more convenient for tourists by stacking plants along tiered shelves within their greenhouses. Clearly not as authentic, but there’s something to be said for not having a sore back at the end of the day!

The next day we ventured to Boh tea plantation, one of the most famous in Malaysia. The way they grow tea plants on the rolling hills is breathtaking, as you can see in some of these photos. We were educated on the tea making process and even enjoyed some fresh beverages while overlooking the view. My highlight was strawberry cheesecake that actually contained some of the plantation’s tea within it-it was quite delicious. After our educational and filling excursion, we ventured on one of the many walking paths that the Cameron Highlands are famous for, and managed to spot a waterfall and some other tourists who were also enjoying a beautiful day in the sunshine.

Week 15: Thailand Vacation Week!

This entire week I had the pleasure of taking a vacation in Thailand with my good friend Emily (see pictures below). Because it was a whole, glorious, week of exciting adventures, I’m going to mention the highlights below, on a day by day basis.

Tuesday: Chang Mai

After our quick morning flight from Kuala Lumpur to Chang Mai, Emily and I decided to go a bit off the beaten path and visit the little-known “Sticky Waterfall”. What makes this waterfall sticky has to do with the limestone-it is present in such a way that the surface does not get slippery when wet: rather, it provides a rough surface that has traction and actually tingles under your feet a little bit. Because of this property, you are able to walk up and down the waterfall (in the water) without slipping or being pushed around by the water. It’s a really remarkable feeling to be able to confidently step down the smooth rocks that compose a waterfall and not have your feet slip at every step but grab the rock as if it were dry dirt.

Wednesday: Chang Mai

Because Thai food is so delicious, we dedicated our Wednesday to learning the art of Thai cooking. Our guide for the day, Yummy, took us to a local market to teach the differences between coconut cream and coconut milk, purchasing curry paste, and selecting fresh ingredients for cooking. After this stop, we made our way to the school’s organic farm, where all their herbs and produce are grown. Yummy demonstrated the major flavors present throughout Thai cooking and let us smell, touch, and taste each one in turn. Following this instruction, we were led to the outdoor cooking area to make our own curry paste, fresh! We proceeded to cook (and of course, eat!) the following dishes:

• ·         Tom Yum soup
• ·         Curry (red, green, yellow depending on your choice)
• ·         Chicken and basil stir-fry
• ·         Pad Thai
• ·         Mango Sticky Rice

It was a delicious day and we left feeling stuffed!

This was followed by a late-night adventure to the temple on top of a nearby hill, to view the sunset from high. Unfortunately, we saw a bunch of rain rather than a glorious sunset, but it was still a fun time spent with our new friends from the Netherlands.

Thursday: Chang Mai

Thursday was Emily’s favorite day-Elephant day! We were treated to a day of observing and interacting with elephants at a nature reserve. These were creatures rescued from human abuse who came to live on the reserve for the rest of their days, surrounded by patient and loving people, with absolutely no use of forceful control. Instead, the mahouts (elephant trainers) would use food and words to convince the elephants to move around or to interact with the visitors in a very natural looking place. We got to feed the elephants and give them a bit of a bath, as well as enjoy some traditional Thai food ourselves. While those who know me well are probably astonished I paid to spend a day interacting with elephants, I enjoyed the experience and appreciate how much respect the creatures on this reserve are given.

 Saturday: Phuket

On Saturday, we got a private kayaking tour of the Phang Nga Bay, including a ride through the waves on a Longtail boat. During this adventure, we were brought through semi-caves created by dried shells, into private pools to view the fruit bats in flight, and gorgeous lagoons to swim in the warm water. Unlike a lot of the tourist companies we could have booked with, this one allowed us to actually do the paddling, and subsequently to see parts of the myriad of islands that other groups are not privy to. It was wonderfully relaxing to be out on the water paddling through the waves and experiencing the natural beauty. In addition to this bliss, the guide had packed us a picnic lunch on the beach, complete with vegan Thai food and fresh mango for dessert.

Equally as exciting (and arguably as relaxing) we arrived at our beach hotel resort that night to the news that we were upgraded to a panorama suite! Both Emily and I were practically running giddily through this suite, as neither of us had experience as to proper etiquette in a place as fancy as it. We even had a Jacuzzi with an ocean view! Needless to say, this was one of the hidden highlights of our trip.

Sunday: Phuket

Sunday I made a monster out of Emily by introducing her to motorbikes. I had tried them once before myself (see Langkawi) but am a nervous driver overall. Emily, on the other hand, hopped on and within 2 seconds was driving like a pro and loving every minute of it. With her at the wheel and me being the ideal ride-on passenger/navigator, we made our way to Phuket Town, the older part of the island with some boutique restaurants and cute shops. It also is the home to two HUGE weekend markets, which we had a good time perusing, especially for the food selections. We also decided to splurge and take advantage of the low labor costs to get some professional pedicures, a delightful ending to a fun and crazy day.

Week 14: Putrajaya and Gunung Nuang

This week was a bit more relaxing, but I did my best to make the most out of seeing something new. That being said, I spent Malaysian Independence Day hiking the mountain Gunung Nuang. This is a trek about an hour outside of Kuala Lumpur, and more of a mental struggle than anything else. Totaling approximately 20 kilometers and over 1000 meters of elevation, it is a hike up what seems to be a dried riverbed of red clay. In some places it was so steep that you were forced to grab a rope and pull yourself up a slant. Despite the challenge I had a nice time, as it was with a Meetup group of like-minded and adventurous individuals. That is, until I found out that in jungles, leeches live in the trees and will drop down  when they sense blood-that revelation put a bit of a damper on my day, but I seem to have come out unscathed.

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of being invited to Putrajaya by my coworker, to explore the city with him and his wife and son. They made excellent tour guides, bringing me to such sights as the Iron Mosque and Prime Minister’s house. They even took me to lunch where all the foreign dignitaries eat! Putrajaya is a cool city because it is within 40 minutes of Kuala Lumpur, but they have moved all the government officials there to reduce traffic congestion. It is a very well planned city, with a lot of green space and well-manicured lawns. It was a nice, relaxing way to spend a day and learn more about Malaysian culture and the Islamic religion, both of which my hosts were so gracious to share.

Since this is a short post, I’m going to back up a week to comment on my client visit here in Malaysia, because there are a few peculiarities worth noting. (It’s always interesting to see how business is conducted in foreign countries.) This particular client had a schedule of stopping work around 10am for a company-wide breakfast (or, for us foreigners, second breakfast.) Because they were so well fed, when lunch time rolled around they would abstain from eating and instead, all of the office lights would be turned off and you could see people leaning back in their chairs and taking naps, watching videos, reading books, etc. Even the factory floor seemed to die out during this time. I tried to convince my boss that this is the way business should be conducted in the US as well, but unfortunately she did not agree with that sentiment!