Marvelous Malaysia

We didn’t really know what to expect when we decided to travel to Malaysia.  I have a friend, Faith who is from there and a colleague of Mark’s has also lived there.  Other than that and the recommendation of June and Deasy, two women we met during our Ha Long Bay cruise, we decided to add Melaka (Malacca) and then Penang to our itinerary.

The Spice Route

Su and Ila in Melaka

We arrived in Melaka late in the evening having traveled from Bangkok to Singapore and then hopped on a bus to Melaka.  The following day we found our way to the Selvim, an Indian restaurant for lunch.   We shared a table with a group of hospital employees who graciously treated us to lunch.  Served on banana leaves, I had the Friday vegetarian special:  globs of this and that with rice and chi tea.  Yummy!  I soon found out that Malaysia has a marvelous mix of cultures:  Chinese, Indian and Malay.  The three groups live in relative harmony.  The dominant religions are Islam, Christianity and Buddhism.  In fact, you can find a church, mosque and temple all on the same street!



There is so much to see and do in Melaka, but at the beginning of month six of our travels I have definitely slowed down.  One day, we spent lounging at the Marriott Renaissance hotel pool, reading our books, and of course, playing on the Internet and making reservations for upcoming destinations.

Sunset at the Portuguese Settlement

Despite our laziness, I think we made a good effort at getting around Melaka.  One day, after taking in some of the sites, we ended our night in the Portuguese settlement for dinner. We had walked the entire day, so we had meandering from our hotel to the settlement, a distance of about 10K.  We opted for a taxi to return. Walking in Melaka is a bit tricky; the concept of pedestrian rights has not made it to Malaysia.  In fact it is fascinating how few people we saw walking.  Beware of the scooters that rule the roads!   We visited the Sultan’s palace (yes, Melaka had Sultans), the Dutch square, St. Paul’s Hill, the Dutch, British and Chinese cemeteries, and the famous Jonker Street.  Jonker Street is known for its antique stores by day and weekend Night Market.   We went to church at the first Anglican church of Melaka.  One evening we cruised down the river that meanders through the city.

Aside from the friends we made at the Selvim, we also had the pleasure of meeting Su and her niece Ila who run a small soda fountain on Jonker Street.  The two women were delightful.  Su made multiple dining recommendations.  Indeed we loved the Northern Indian tandoori restaurant she recommended!

Mark and Lee

As you can tell, food is a passion in Malaysia.  This is also true in the other Malaysian place we visited—Penang.  Once again, we were blessed by meeting someone who would make our trip extra special.  We met Lee on the bus from the airport.
Lee, a native of Penang, has been retired for 10 years.  I mentioned that I was delighted to be in Penang having read a book about the city.  As it turns out, Lee had met the author of the book, The Gift of Rain, a week earlier at a Literary Conference in Penang.  Our friendship was sealed.

Georgetown waterfront in Penang

Once again, armed with Deasy and June’s recommendations, we toured Penang’s sites.  It was easy to see why The Kek Loc Si Temple is a must see.  The temple is enormous and ornate.  The shrine has been lovingly restored.  Penang Hill, mentioned in The Gift of Rain, was a hill station during Britain’s colonial period.  The temperature on the hill was 15 degrees cooler than in the city!  The Hill also houses a small aviary and a collection of tropical plants.  We also visited the home of a Cheong Fatt Tze, a man who became as wealthy as Rockefeller.  Tragically, in 1916, Cheong died of pneumonia on his way to meet with Rockefeller to set up an Asian bank.

Tropical Spice Plantation

Tropical Spice Plantation

One of my favorite sites in Penang was the Tropical Spice Garden.  The Garden is located about an hour bus ride out of Georgetown on the Northern Coast of the island.  What a beautiful site.  Nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, and cloves coveted by the Europeans grew easily in Malaysia.  Malaysia was renowned for its role in the spice trade being both a geographic crossroad and being so fertile.

Thanks to the warmth of the lovely people we befriended and the beauty of this country, we had a wonderful time in Malaysia.