Malaysia: Back to the Future
This is a first for us: we have arrived in a place knowing basically nothing about it. We had a general idea of what it would be like in, say, France or Vietnam. Or we’d read up and plan beforehand (I’m looking at you, Laos). But Malaysia was so far into our RTW itinerary, basically plugged in to fill a three-week hole before we hit the Thai beaches, that we hadn’t done our typical homework. And we’ve never been so glad to have been lazy.
Instead, we’ve gotten a first-person immersion in Malaysia’s multicultural mishmash of a society. We’ve learned that this is a place where you can eat dim sum for breakfast, Malay curry laksa for lunch, and Indian tandoori for dinner, then meander past old Chinese shophouses as a Muslim call to prayer plays soulfully across the city.
We might have read that this is a place obsessed with food, like few we’ve yet seen. We’ve had complete strangers ask us if we’ve eaten yet, encouraged us to eat soon, and quizzed us on where we’d eaten previously. This is an actual conversation we had in a random Shell gas station when we popped in to escape a downpour:
Attendant: “Have you tried the local food yet?”
Us: “Yes! We tried cendol (a shaved ice/sugar/jelly dessert) just today!”
Attendant: “Yes, but where did you have it?”
Us: “At a stall off Jalan Penang, near the Joo Hooi Cafe.”
Attendant: “Ah yes! But which stall, the one on the left or the right?”
Us: “The one on the right.”
“Oh good,” he said with genuine relief, “the other place is an imitator!”
If we’d done our normal research, we might have been informed of Malaysia’s nearly first rate infrastructure. Instead, we went from this…
to this…
We got to Kuala Lumpur, and had to transition from dodging motorbikes to dodging Mercedes. “I feel like we’ve gone back to the future,” Jordan said as we rode a swift train into the city. There is every Western convenience available, yet Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim country, meaning many women cover their heads and dress modestly. The coffeeshops serve roti and thosai and have Arabic script covering the walls.
We spent a few days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s modern and sweltering capital before escaping to the cool, misty hills of the Cameron Highlands. Scones and tea? Allowing me to live out Anglophile fantasies on a budget? Yes, please. Then to Georgetown, a place we’re quickly falling in love with. (Much more to come on Georgetown in later posts.)
Only three weeks in Malaysia? We’re already planning our second trip. Maybe we won’t even buy a guidebook.
