Malaysia - From South to North.....
07 December 2013
Colleen
Malaysia……..from Bottom to Top –
Hi Everybody –
We finished up the rally in Indonesia & hung out at a resort for a few days before heading over to amazing, fantastic Singapore. There, we stayed a Raffles Marina for a week doing boat projects, cleaning and enjoying Singapore.
We then crossed the channel into Malaysia and headed for Putarie Marina. Another week there, enjoying the area with a couple of tours.
We then headed up the Malaysian coast. For the most part, the coast is non-descript. It has a few hills but is mostly flat. The water is green and muddy the entire coast. Not good for snorkeling at all! I miss my water –
Garbage is in great abundance in all the rivers and ocean. It’s really sad & it breaks my heart to see the waste in our oceans. Plastic is everywhere. We stopped in Port Klang where a river also dumps into it. As we pulled up to the dock, the dock hands were pushing an incredible big pile of trash away from the dock. It seemed quite thick – I’ve never seen anything like it.
We’ve stayed mostly in marinas with a few anchorages sprinkled in there. Malaysia is pretty small so it took mostly a day or two to get from one place to another. The marinas are all very modern with lots of conveniences. In Penang we had a Starbucks and a Subway right in the mall at the marina……loved it!
Highlights up the coast were:
Melaka - an intriguing UNESCO Heritage city dating back to the 14th century. The Dutch & Portuguese had an influence here. At one time, Melaka was the most important trading center for South E Asia. China, India, Siam (now Thailand), and Indonesia all brought their wares to trade in Melaka. Today, those important days are of another era and Melaka caters to the tourism trade. It’s a charming city oozing with ambiance. Rick-a-shaw type bikes are elaborately decorated and by night, are brightly lite with LED lights. We went with our friends Roger & Sherry on Equanimity. They too, are from the U.S. – check out the pics!
Penang Island – Georgetown is another UNESCO Heritage city dating back to 1700’s. It’s a city that attracted adventures, dreamers, artist, intellectuals, scoundrels and pirates in its colorful history. The British arrived and built it’s buildings in the standard colonial architecture. Many have been restored to their former glory. The largest Chinese Temple (outside of China) is here. Built on a hill, its intricate carvings and colorful roofs gaze over the city. Georgetown is one of the few cities where Malaysian, Muslims, Hindu and Buddhists all live in respect and harmony with each other. Holidays are celebrated by all and traditions respected. We really enjoyed Penang and certainly have plans to return there next year. Even though it’s a big city, it’s delightful in many ways.
Last but not least, we have just arrived in Langkowi. After the blasé coast we were greeted with a Jurassic Park type islands. Our first night we watched a big black monkey with a white Mohawk, white around the eyes & white nose munch on leaves. His face was very expressive and the thickest, longest tail we’ve ever seen. We’d never seen this type of monkey before. Steep, straight cliffs and thick foliage surrounded the anchorage, almost enclosing us in. Eagles and hawks soared above us while iguanas slipped into the green water. Today, we are just hanging out waiting for weather but we’ll be in Langkowi soon enough. Dec. 15th Matt arrives for 3 ½ weeks & we’ll be headed to Thailand. We can’t wait & I am so looking forward to Thailand!
Enjoy the pictures!
Love
Colleen & Tom