I have a photo album up of the trip to Singapore and Malaysia here. You can also link to it from the slideshow on the right.
-Robert
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
How to save money in Kuala Lumpur
When you go to the KL Bird Park, before you buy your ticket, go directly to the restaurant, which is in the treetops of the aviary, and have lunch on the veranda. By the end of it, you'll probably have had enough of the birds and feel like you don't need to pay the entrance fee to see some more.
Despite all the signs saying not to feed the birds, they've obviously been tamed. I had some kind of black bird with a bright orange and yellow markings hop on my table and pluck the chicken out of my curry before I could react. This was on the placemat directly in front of me -- less than an arm's length away. If I was looking at a caged bird I couldn't have been closer.
The waiter brought me another serving, and I moved to a table further from the rail, but I was still menaced throughout the rest of the meal by a hornbill and a half dozen storks. And to think of all the hiking in leech-infested forests and bicycling through rice paddies that I've done to see their kind from a hundred yards away.
-Robert
Despite all the signs saying not to feed the birds, they've obviously been tamed. I had some kind of black bird with a bright orange and yellow markings hop on my table and pluck the chicken out of my curry before I could react. This was on the placemat directly in front of me -- less than an arm's length away. If I was looking at a caged bird I couldn't have been closer.
The waiter brought me another serving, and I moved to a table further from the rail, but I was still menaced throughout the rest of the meal by a hornbill and a half dozen storks. And to think of all the hiking in leech-infested forests and bicycling through rice paddies that I've done to see their kind from a hundred yards away.
-Robert
Monday, May 3, 2010
Malaisia
Some trips just don't go well. I'm going to cut this one short and head "home" to Saigon in a few days instead of attempting to continue on a comprehensive tour of peninsular Malaysia.
It's hard to put my finger on the problem, especially since I was so gung ho for this a couple weeks ago, but it's fair to say I'm not feeling like the benefit is worth the costs. The loneliness and inconveniences and discomforts are no worse than my other extended trip, but I'm having trouble getting below the surface and feeling like I'm learning or experiencing anything. So much walking around looking at things without understanding and not connecting holds less attraction -- this week anyway.
There is one discomfort that is greater here: I'm further south than I've ever been except Singapore last week (when we took cabs everywhere), and the sun is really oppressive. From about 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. it takes all my will to step out of a shadow.
What I've seen of Malaysia so far I really do like, though. The few people I've talked to have been sincere and friendly. I'm in Melaka (a.k.a. Malacca), which is an interesting place historically. It was a Portuguese colony almost as far back as Columbus went west. Arab and Chinese traders were leaving their mark before that. The Dutch kicked out the Portuguese, and the English kicked them out, and Indian and Sri Lankan immigrants have been arriving all along. You can see the marks of all this history in the oldest parts of town. There are European buildings here older than any structure in North America, including a church where St. Francis Xavier was interred for awhile. It was strange to stumble across that and find Malay Muslims posing for pictures in front of it.
I'm disappointed in myself for not forcing myself further down the trail to see if the spirit returns in another location. But I feel like I've had enough. I'm moving on to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow for three nights and have a flight booked for Friday.
-Robert
It's hard to put my finger on the problem, especially since I was so gung ho for this a couple weeks ago, but it's fair to say I'm not feeling like the benefit is worth the costs. The loneliness and inconveniences and discomforts are no worse than my other extended trip, but I'm having trouble getting below the surface and feeling like I'm learning or experiencing anything. So much walking around looking at things without understanding and not connecting holds less attraction -- this week anyway.
There is one discomfort that is greater here: I'm further south than I've ever been except Singapore last week (when we took cabs everywhere), and the sun is really oppressive. From about 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. it takes all my will to step out of a shadow.
What I've seen of Malaysia so far I really do like, though. The few people I've talked to have been sincere and friendly. I'm in Melaka (a.k.a. Malacca), which is an interesting place historically. It was a Portuguese colony almost as far back as Columbus went west. Arab and Chinese traders were leaving their mark before that. The Dutch kicked out the Portuguese, and the English kicked them out, and Indian and Sri Lankan immigrants have been arriving all along. You can see the marks of all this history in the oldest parts of town. There are European buildings here older than any structure in North America, including a church where St. Francis Xavier was interred for awhile. It was strange to stumble across that and find Malay Muslims posing for pictures in front of it.
I'm disappointed in myself for not forcing myself further down the trail to see if the spirit returns in another location. But I feel like I've had enough. I'm moving on to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow for three nights and have a flight booked for Friday.
-Robert
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