Malaysia During Ramadan
Malaysia | Country 21 | 4 day |
Having grown up watching so much Youtube by Malaysian Youtubers, it’s surreal to be in the country and finally connect the dots on so many cultural references, both good and bad.
Some aspects of the Malaysia trip that I find really unique:
- Ethnically Malay and Muslim government and country with around 25% Chinese people as well
- Strait of Malacca that controls access to South China Sea
- Night markets, durian and nasi lemak
Exploring Kuala Lumpur
I arrived in KL in the afternoon. I took the train from the airport and made my way to Jalan Petaling (China Town) where I was staying.
Jalan Petaling is full of Chinese food, and is known for its markets selling counterfeit LV bags.
The city is metropolitan and full of amazing landmarks.
I watched sunset at the Patronas Tower
My hotel was very close to the Merdeka Tower (Freedom Tower), the construction of which was completed in November 2023. When I was there, I saw many many workers work all day and night on the mega project.
I took a walking tour and really enjoyed learning the history of Malaysia, the Sultan system and the racial relationship between Chinese and Malay here.
My tour guide here is wearing a Batik, a Malay-twist on this clothing, mostly known by Indonesians
Food
Of course, I visited the McDonald’s. I really enjoyed their national dish, Nasi Lemak, even in McDonalds. Here in SE Asia, McDonalds have rice-based dishes.
McDonalds was running a Rahmah meal deal of only 5 ringgit - including the Chicken Burger, Bubur Ayam McD, or McEgg
At night, I went to the lively street of Bukit Bintang, which is like the equivalent of Orchard Road in SG (very high end shopping and night life). Around the malls, there are the street food around Jalan Alor.
Durian can be stinky but it tastes so good!
Smoked meat
Batu Cave
I took the train to see Batu Cave, a giant Buddha statue. All around the site, vendors were selling food to feed the monkeys and pidgeons.
The stairs took a good 10 minutes of climbing. And there is a big cave at the top, with dripping water.
The spider monkeys can be quite playful, and aggressive if they lose patience 🙉.
Malacca Trip
Amongst the many places in Malaysia, like Borneo, the southern island or Ipoh, the food heaven, I visited Malacca.
I took the public transit and made my way to the port city. I took Grab taxi for the first time.
The Malacca and Malaysian history goes something like: port city -> conquered by Arabs -> conquered by Portuguese -> conquered by Dutch -> conquered by British -> gained independence following WW2. Because of the differences in technology, Malacca fell to a mere 1000 Portuguese soldiers.
Malacca was a very important port because of its strategic advantage in trade.
I also read a bit about the government of Malaysia and what could be next for the country.
Interesting Chat in Laundromat
Because my hotel did not have laundry, I found a close by laundromat. I got to talking with a visitor from Southern California who had encountered bedbugs, and a Taiwanese lady who lives in Malaysia.
The lady and I enjoyed some “teh c”. I accidentally offended her by calling ethnically Chinese people Chinese, which was a learning moment for me about cultural sensitivity.
Saying Goodbye to KL
I visited the national mosque, where I had to take off my shoes and wear the purple overall. It was beautiful.
Kampungs have quite that countryside “feel” | What a cool way to drink then eat the coconut
I had my last meal of Asam Laksa, and made my way to Japan.
I really want to be back and visit Penang and Borneo.
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