Museums abound, some more interesting than others. I suggest you skip the Museum of Education and head instead to the Museum of Enduring Beauty (intriguing collection about body enhancements through times and place) or take a boat ride down the river to Kampung Morten where you can see original Malay homes on stilts. Melaka also boasts a very picturesque China Town and great food abounds. Really, truly great. My culinary adventures were aided in no small way by meeting Edwin, a Dutch traveler staying at the same hostel. He had met a genuinely friendly, amazing local by the name of Carol on his bus journey to the city from KL. She took him out to many delicious eateries, generally unknown to tourists. I tagged along. The discoveries were delectable...the one rule was to try everything, My utter favourite was the soursop cendol: shaved ice covered in soursop (custard apple), some lychees, and cubes of gorgeous pink (rose) and green (apple I think) jelly. Utterly, absolutely amazing.
Is it wrong to have memories of a place so linked to food? To meeting great people, drinking later into the night and playing...a board game you never won and don't know the name of? Moving on from Melaka, three of us realised we were headed in the same direction – the Cameron Highlands – and the bus trek out started. At about 1500m, the Highlands are a cool respite from the hear of the low-lying cities. A colonial favourite, the area is replete with incongruous bungalows and mock Tudor apartment complexes, looking like a strange combination of Swiss-Austrian ski resort and silly architecture.
However, the towns are not what people usually go there for. There are rain forest jungle treks nearby, not to mention tea plantations, strawberry gardens and butterfly farms. A bit apprehensive about a jungle trek, I actually really enjoyed it, despite the rubber shoes I was given being too big, allowing mud and water to seep in. Assured there were no leaches there, I was apparently 'lucky' to find one on my finger...not sure if it came from the jungle or swimming in a very cold, refreshing waterfall pool. The trek took about 3-4 hours in total and I got to see the biggest flower in the world! It was quite fantastic...a bright orangey pinky red, its petals seemed like plastic or something unnatural with an anenome-like centre probing up to the sky. I had heard that the plant stinks (to attract insects for pollination) but the only thing I got an iffy whiff off was me!
And now I am on the the islands. Perhentian Kecil (the small island) to be exact. Edwin & I are still traveling together as our routes, for the time being, are very similar. It is odd to have someone to talk to and share experiences after traveling alone, and of course nice to not feel so isolated and be able to go and have a drink more easily and feel more secure in some places. The first day on Perhentian Kecil involved a 10 minute walk through slippery mud from one side of the island to the other to get to Long Beach – a stretch of white sand before warm turquoise water. Well, it would have been...but about 30 minutes after arriving the rain started, and didn't stop for more than an hour or so for over 24 hours. Taking shelter inside a bar that first night, Edwin & I met the bar (and local dive shop owner) in addition to 4 other guys drinking there, all Malaysian. Being plyed with free beers and a large plastic container of 'Island Baileys': whiskey with coffee and something that tasted vaguely chocolately, words flowed freely (if rather disjointedly).
After the rain yesterday, upon waking today it was clear and sunny – a last day gift it seemed! I decided to go diving but due to the recent rains visibility was not too great. However, there were lots of coral, fish, and even blue-spotted mantas to see! My second dive was rather marred by having a headache, my mask fogging up and weights being maladjusted, though I did manage to spot an unusual, bright blue creature down in the deeps. Yes... a plastic bag.
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