I am still undecided about how much I like Malaysia. For sure, Borneo (Sarawak) makes quite a different impression then the peninsula.
Places I have liked thus far:
- Bako NP. Just came back from a two night stay. Beautiful landscape, including some nicely erode sandstone rocks. Lazy snakes, sleeping multi-coloured tropical Kingfisher. Hot, sweaty walks through thick jungle and easy rides bach over the dead-quiet Chines Sea.
- Perenthian Island. Although sizzling hot in the daytime and huge thunderstorms in the evening I really enjoyed tje lay-back-ness of these emerald surrounded swaps of sand and tropical hinterland. Small community if Dutch dive instructors to hang out with a B-first (not Beavers) Bar were very welcoming to this weathered and weiry old traveller.
- Melakka. Where one is cheered upon for grabbing the guitar and playing some live music. My female partner in crime instantly broke some Malay/Chinese hearts and I some wine -glasses... The "river" cruise and monitor lizzards, the shops on Heerenstraat and the restaurants on the river are totally charming too!
- TamanNegara. For the warm shower that soaked ourselves and nearly sank our boat, boatrides in general. Not so much for the (absence of) wildlife or the half closed canope walk...
- KLCC. Most beautiful modern architecture I have ever seen are the Petronas Twin Towers. KL nightlife is no reason to come to Malaysia though.
- 3G. Coverage all over the country and one month mobile internet for only €25!
- the un-Asian way of people just letting you be without harrassing you when you walk around. Malays are sooo relaxed in that way!
What I dislike?
- The lazyness of some guides, hired doubly to do their own work and still under-perform...
- The commercial attitude of some Malaysians, esspecially in my touristy line of work, expecting to be paid for every jawn and demanding commission over work that other guides are doing in their stead.
- The bones in the chopped up sweet and sour chicken.
- The ramadan and how we needed to eat Chinese food all the (day)time.
- The feeling that this is not really Asia. It's just a modern variant and it looks like the future of Asia, where pretty things are slowly disappearing. Some mosques are domewhat pretty but nothing compared to the ones I saw in the Arab world. The temples are small and a surrogate version of the ones I saw in Burma and Thailand. Same goes for the Indian temples and the reak thing some hundreds of kilometres to tje East from here... Hmmm.
Still, my conclusions remains that culturally Malaysia is not the place to be for any somewhat weathered traveller. Naturewise I have yet to decide. Just arrived in Borneo and visited one NP.
To Be Continued.
(wow, all that on a mobile phone!)
