Merbok and Matang

Merbok and Matang are two places that boast a mangrove reserve, and so we visited them for our biology field trip this weekend. Mangroves are important for a variety of reasons, two being the immense biodiversity they host, and the filtering effects they have on the salt water along with the protection of the coast. We stayed in a Kampung (small local village) for the night, which had very primitive set up. Nonetheless, the food was good, and we survived the horribly horribly hot humid weather.

First we took a boat ride to just explore the river. We saw all the fishing nets and crab traps set up by locals. This river is literally the source of their income. Crazy. Later on we had to actually venture into the mangroves to get out data. We searched for crabs and snails, and noticed the different species of mangroves growing in the same area. Then, we went to another site and helped plant 60 new saplings. Leaving our mark on Malaysia :) That night, the village put on a demonstration of a traditional marital arts form. It was neat to watch, looked like dancing, but is apparently designed for the small statue of Asians. Utilized the opponents force against themselves.

We slept in tents on hard platform. Needless to say, not my best nights sleep. The next morning we helped out at the school in the Kampung. We were greeted like royalty and presented with a beautiful painting from an old local man. We did not deserve such pomp and circumstance but it was very touching. Before we left, we even got to take a quick ride on the kayaks they have. For lunch, we were invited to the celebration part of a traditional Malay wedding. We got free food and pics with the bride and groom. So hospitable and friendly. After, we traveled to look at a coal plant (wasn't interested at all) and then headed to Matang for the night.

Matang is an even larger mangrove forests, and they have synchronous fireflies at night. We came the weekend of the full moon so it was very dark for our boat ride into the cove. The synchronous fireflies were amazing. No other way to describe it. They blink together on a trees and light them up like Christmas. Nature is incredible.

Kuala Lumpor- Capital City!

Let me preface this by saying I’m not a city person. I don’t like the crammed, dirty streets, the lack of greenery, and the constant car noise. Despite this, I really enjoyed my time in the big city of Malaysia. Our first night we just had free time and so a few of us wandered down the local market near our hotel to find food and then successfully navigated the elevated train system to make it to a more downtown area. I call it the times square of KL. We soaked in the atmosphere just wandering around, and enjoyed having no agenda.

The next morning started out with a visit to the famous Petronas towers. We got a lot of great pictures outside them near the fountains, and then we headed to the equally famous KL tower. Usually, the city is very hazy. We were lucky and happened to visit on a beautiful, clear day. To take advantage of this, we zoomed up 276 meters to the observation deck on the 7^th tallest communication tower in the world. It offered spectacular views and gave us an idea of just how massive Kuala Lumpor really is.

From here, we took taxis to the Central Market- a tourist haven. There were so many shops selling so many trinkets and clothes and knick-knacks. I wasn’t really feeling it. I like to buy unique local things, preferably made by the person selling it. This was a clear tourist trap, with slightly inflated prices. So while I enjoyed browsing, I only bought some postcards to send. One girl and I decided to walk back to our hotel from there, and passed by Merdeka Square, another tourist attraction. There wasn’t much there, but we did get a nice pic by the I <3 KL sign. Again, it was just nice to wander the city a bit.

Group dinner that night was at a delicious northern Indian food restaurant and then we were free again. The day had exhausted me, so a few of us went to a nearby restaurant for some lemonade type drinks and chatter before retiring to the hotel.

            Monday morning we visited Batu Caves- huge tourist attraction and Hindu temple built around and in a huge cave in Kuala Lumpor.  It was really cool, and there was a ginormous statue outside of it. However, the monkeys around this place were extremely aggressive and therefore quite frightening. I was okay leaving, but I’m sad we have to return to non air conditioned rooms and cold showers.

Oh and I have to mention the breakfast we got at our hotel! Buffett style, with the best western food I’ve had since coming here. Pancakes (but no syrup), omelets, muffins, pastries, hash browns, fruit, cereal, toast… wow. Paradise. I stuffed myself both mornings because who knows when I’ll get that next.

It was a great weekend and I’m ready to take on the week. I believe that Captain America comes out to theaters on Thursday so it would be fun to go with my international friends. Instill some good old ‘Murica love in them. We will see!

Melaka!

This weekend’s trip started out with a long bus ride to Melaka, a very historic city heavily influenced by it’s colonial past. It was a very important port to the British and is known a “World Heritage City.”

            After checking into our hotel (Air conditioning and hot water!!) we walked around a little to get our bearings. Upon reaching Junker Street, famous for its night market, we split up.

            The next few hours were a pleasurable mix of meandering through the market and browsing the various food stands and shops. I ended up eating a typical Chinese dish, translated as a Radish Cake, but was more like a stir-fried noodle-ish type meal. Very good! I also had to succumb to the temptation of our favorite dessert here, Apom Baik. It’s like a crispy crepe filled with whatever you want plus some sweet nuts. In Melaka, I had peanut butter and chocolate filling. Definitely hit the spot! Shopping was fun too, but always frustrating when I can’t buy shirts. My body dimensions just do not work with Asian clothes. Nonetheless, I found some earrings and scarves that I’m very excited about. 

            One of the highlights of the market was a karaoke stage towards the end of the street. An old woman, probably 70 was singing, while two other old people danced enthusiastically behind her. I positively died when the old man started doing a similar move to the sprinkler. Too funny!

            The night ended with a relaxing cruise down the river, where we got to sit and take in the night scenery. The water was quite stinky, but otherwise it was a very good touristic thing to do. (PS touristic is my new favorite word, because all my international friends use it all the time. That and “shadow” instead of shade)

            Saturday morning we got a free hotel breakfast before heading out to see some of the historic sites. We saw A Famosa, St. Paul Church, Francis Xavier Church, and an old Sultan Palace with relics within. All old, all nice. Apparently Francis Xavier wasn’t granted sainthood until after he died, and it only happened when people realized that his body wasn’t decomposing. So they cut off his hand, and brought it to the pope who granted the title. I guess his body goes on display every few years in Europe, but I’ve never heard about it till now.

            Anyway, after a lunch we all met back at the hotel and left to Kuala Lumpor- capital city!

A Buddhist Day

Our Buddhism professor took us to 3 very different Buddhist temples today, all located in Penang. The first was a Sri Lankan Buddhist temple called the Mahindarama Buddhist Temple. It was small, and clearly a place that local buddhists go to meditate, pay respects, and pray. There was a large reclining buddha, various murals depicting the lives of the different Buddhas, and a special place for the residing monks. The best was that there was a Bohi tree, and this one is fabled to have come from a seed from the original tree that the Buddha reached enlightenment under. A unique and beautiful tree with far reaching roots, it was cool to see how much care is taken around it.

The second temple was the Kek Lok Si, biggest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia. It had huge ornamental displays of Buddha, his disciples, and everything else related to Buddhism that you could imagine. It was very decorated on the inside, and the outside gardens were well maintained and quite lovely. We were able to climb up to the pagoda, and catch a nice glimpse of the city as well as a refreshing breeze. We also got to take the cable car up to where the HUGE buddha statue resides, and I found my zodiac sign carved from stone. This temple didn't feel very buddhist to me, as everything we've learned about Buddhism says simplicity, and practicality are the most important things. With the elaborate statues and designs, plus gift shops everywhere, this felt more like a tourist destination. I'm still glad we got to see it though.

The final place we went to was called Bodhi Heart, and it's where my professor works. It set a bit back in the countryside, surrounded by chinese cemeteries and is a more modern feel. It's purposely not related to any specific buddhist tradition, and therefore has a very simple, peaceful feeling. The gardens are incredibly well kept, and there is ample space for yoga, tai chi, or meditation. People can come and go as they please. This was my favorite "temple" of the day. I could have spent a very relaxing day there, surrounded by nature. Below is a picture with me and my professor. Most adorable chinese man ever!

Kuala Kangsar

The Gusties were up bright and early this morning with a 7 am departure time from the USM campus to head towards Kuala Kangsar. In case you were wondering, no. It is not any less hot that early, just dark. It was a busy but enjoyable day, with 3 main stops.

We started the day at a traditional shop selling pottery made from clay from a local kampung. We were able to learn about the process of making the various pieces, and I  even got to try my hand at making them! I'm wasn't go good at the decorating… but I loved the wheel! After about an hour of browsing, most of us left with a few souvenirs and an appreciation for the artisanship showcased. I know my parents love cool pottery, so there's a high chance that I picked up at least one thing to bring home!

The next stop was at the old palace of the sultan of the state, now converted into a museum. The architecture was gorgeous, and the displays inside were even more stunning. The wealth of the sultan and his family was clear, as glittering outfits and jewelry along pieces from around the globe were showcased in multiple rooms. I learned that the Sultan's in Malaysia really only have power in the Islam community, but due to their immense wealth, they have quite a bit of influence in the political sphere as well.

Departing from there, we were fed a large buffet style lunch before heading to the house of Anthony Burgess and then the MCKK school where he taught for a few years. Classic me and free meals.. I ate probably 4 meals in one. The best part was that there was bread pudding for dessert! This is the closest thing I've had to an American dessert so you bet I went ham on that. After a short tour of his house, we went to the college where we were greeted by students dressed in traditional outfits, and attended a presentation where we learned about the school's history. A former student of Anthony Burgess was in attendance, and this was an interesting opportunity to hear his perspective on the composer and author that we have learned about in class. Most fun for the us girls  was the chance to take pictures with the young male students in uniform. I like to imagine it was fun for them to receive all the attention, since they go to an all male school!

Look for another post soon on our trips to buddhist temples tomorrow! We're busy but I love it.

Camping: Bats, Amphibians, Caves, and 6 meals a day

This past weekend, we traveled to the northernmost part of peninsular Malaysia to Perlis State Park to spend 3 days camping and doing biology field work. We also experienced for the first time what is apparently traditional Malaysian culture, 6 meals a day. Apparently it goes like this: breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea time, dinner, and supper. Whoa. I've never been so full for so long and eaten so consistently. I felt like a hobbit!

The biology of the weekend in the tropical rainforest can be broken down into a few main parts. We set up nets to catch bats, explored at night time to find amphibians near the creek (called "herping"), and went spelunking (cave exploring). My favorite part was catching bats. We didn't catch and fruit bats, which they think is because it's been so dry here, so that was unfortunate. We did catch 5 insectivorous bats, and a grey cheeked bulbul bird. I got to hold both! I've always been strangely fascinated by bats, and this was an odd dream come true! We learned how to measure them, and about their facial structures (optimized for echolocation) before letting them go. A very neat experience overall.

Going spelunking was also cool. I've been in multiple caves before, but none like this. Bats were hanging from the ceiling, and bat poop was everywhere. Our local guide took us off the pathways and we had to squeeze through a small opening and pull ourselves up to enter a large cavern area with some fabulous rock formations. Later one, we had to crawl through a long tunnel before grappling down a rope attached to the wall. Once down, we waded through water for about 30 minutes before we found a different exit to the cave. I felt like a real explorer with my hard hat and head light!

Overall, a fun weekend at Perlis State Park. It was nice to get out of the city, because the temperature actually cools down at night in the forest!

Hindu Temple, Orangutans, and a Sticky Hike

This weekend was a busy one, which made me very happy! Friday morning a few of us went into Georgetown in an attempt to cross off some of our “Shirley and Steve Bucket List for Penang.” We walked down the historic Armenian street, which had a ton of murals, and found a batik shop, which is a cool art form. To cool down, we ate at what is my favorite restaurant thus far, despite the higher prices: China House. I got toasted banana bread and sliced bananas with cinnamon. Heaven. To cap off the morning, we walked out along the Chew Jetty. This was where typical Chinese houses on stilts are. It was neat to be out near the water. For being on an island, we don’t see it too much!

Later that evening we were given a tour of a Hindu Temple. This one was dedicated to the deity Muruga and is one of the largest outside of India. After paying initial respects in the temple at ground level, we hiked up 513 steps to the main temple, were we got to observe the prayer ceremony. Afterwards, we were given a free meal. Our leaders didn’t know about the free meal though, so we had reservations after the temple to eat at a typical Indian restaurant where you eat with your hands and the food is served on a banana leaf. Locals swear that the food tastes better when you eat with your hands... but I’m not convinced.

Saturday we went to Orang Utan Island, as our first outing for our biology class. This is an island that is dedicated to the rehabilitation and conservation of the pongo borneo species of orangutans. It was set up so that the visitor’s walk in cages, and the apes have free range of the island. Neat inverse of a typical zoo! We were lucky enough that some orangutans came quite close to our cage and we got to watch them play. They are smaller than I imagined, but way more adorable!

            Sunday our professor’s brother-in-law brought some of us up to the national park on the north side of the island, Taman Negara, or known locally as “the end of the world.” We accomplished a treacherous, winding, hot hour and a half hike to Monkey Beach, were we ate lunch and cooled off in the water before making our way back. And yes, there were monkeys there. This is the first time I’ve personally seen monkeys in Malaysia and they are a little frightening. Do not feed them, or they will attack! It was a long, tiring day. I enjoy hiking though, so it was time well spent.