Hi, all – I’m not sending emails this trip, instead I’m reviving my long-neglected web site. Enjoy.
Flew JAL from San Diego to Tokyo to Singapore, and interestingly had no seat-mates either time; neither plane was full. I’m hoping that’s not an economic indicator. JAL has 2-4-2 seating on their 787s, compared to everyone else’s 3-3-3, so props to them.
I was originally going to spend a few days in Singapore but then I remembered that I don’t like big cities. So I arranged to fly straight-away to Kuala Lumpur which is, yes, a big city. But better one than two. After a 3-hour early morning nap on the floor of Changi airport, I went through the transfer screening line and was rejected because my ticket wasn’t in the system. So I ended up “visiting” Singapore anyway, if only to get to the ticket counter. I spent more time in immigration in and out than I did “visiting”.
I finally got to the gate 30 minutes late, but luckily for me, the plane was 40 minutes late. Thanks, Air Asia.
Kuala Lumpur (KL) is about the size of Chicago, but seemingly much newer, and definitely safer.
The Petronas towers in the background, until 2004 the tallest buildings in the world.
Down below, it’s a mix of new and old. And that’s ox, not beef; eating it is definitely not recommended. In Asia, stick with the chicken, pork, and buffalo.
I went to the pharmacy to get some bug and leech repellent, and was told that deet was not approved by the government. There were two other options, a Tiger Balm product that thankfully doesn’t smell like Tiger Balm, and a eucalyptus extract. I asked her if there was a lot of malaria in the jungles, and she said no, but Dengue was a big problem. I got both sprays.
Street art is a thing in Malaysia
I have no idea. But well done!
A little bit about Malaysia: The three main ethnic groups are Malays (69%), Chinese (23%) and Indian (8%). About 63% of the population are Muslim, followed by Buddhists, Christians, and Hindus. Between that mix, and the remnants of Dutch and British colonialism, the country has a very international feel. Almost all people speak at least basic English, and most speak it quite well, so it’s easy to get around. As a visitor, it’s a little hard to identify the Malay culture as independent of the various influences.
[Pinches self] Where am I?
OK, that’s better. Don’t know whether he’s forcing a smile or showing off the skill of the dentist next door.
I rented a car and drove 4 hours to Taman Negara to get out of the city. Taman Negara, which translates to “national park”, has been a rainforest for the past 130 million years. None of that ice age stuff going on here.
Side note: the car is a Proton Persona, built in Malaysia. It’s neither electric nor nuclear, and it has no character (nor power, nor handling) at all, so the name is a bit of a stretch. If you ever have a chance to buy or rent one, don’t.
The accommodations are in a tiny town across the river from the park, and you get there by a 1 ringget (27 cent) boat ride.
Obviously they mean business, so I ponied up the $2 for me and my phone camera. When I went back the next day and attempted to pay again, I was told my original ticket was still good. That’s one cheap park.
The reason you don’t see many photos of jungles is because there are too many trees in the way. Awesome to be there, not easy to capture the look, feel, and smell. When it starts raining, the petrichor is amazing, earthy and spicy.
The lower trails are boardwalks and stairs, quite a few kilometers of them, but heading up a hill they change to well-tended paths. At this point it feels more like forest than jungle.
View from the top.
Back down near the river, this walkway is about 10 sections and a half kilometer long, and up to 40 meters above the ground. Thankfully I was late in the day and so had it to myself.
Different stuff up high. Like this treehugger.
Wow, since you put it that way . . .
My bungalow back across the river. That plant was taller than me.
Next stop – Ipoh. I could have taken the very modern tollway back to Kuala Lumpur and then north to Ipoh, but nah . . . this looked like more fun.
The road went through the Cameron Highlands, a British hill station and tea-growing region. It’s also where the ex-spy, art collector, and Thai silk magnate Jim Thompson disappeared and was presumably either kidnapped or eaten by a tiger. It’s still a source of intrigue in the region, so I thought I owed it to myself to check it out.