Malaysia

Malaysia was a marvelous sensation with the infusion of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous tribes from Borneo (who we mostly saw at sea involved in the fishing trade). When the fishermen flew by us in their colorful dhows, their tiny, but very noisy Chinese engines blasted our ears, as the helmsman waved warmhearted hellos. Often they came close, curious of the 'newcomers' to their waters.

Governed by one country, Malaysia is actually two countries: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo (a shared border with Indonesia). Since we cruised the south coast of Borneo (Indonesia), we used our cruising time to explore the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia during the Northeast Monsoon period. After spartan Singapore, it was good to move into a more adventurous area, where giant banana leaves were used as plates and large families lived in longhouses. Malaysia is one of the safest, most stable and cruiser-friendly country in Southeast Asia. The determined effort of the authorities to turn the western coast the premier yachting center has attracted sailing regattas, particularly those coming out of Australia, but we opted to forego the group cruise. We prefer to get to the know the people on a more intimate level. Learning a bit of the language makes a big difference. When the Malays heard us stumble through their language, not only were they delighted, but tolerate too. It opened closed doors for us.

Coming down from the adventure of the Malaccca Straits was easy in Penang. The aromatic aromas drew us ashore to sample the local cuisine and watch the people. Chinese, Indian and Malay mixed freely, each in their own tradition.

The area possesses an Indian influence, so I lost myself inside the tunic and gold bracelet shops. You'll never, ever see an Indian girl without at least one bracelet on her arm. One shop sold over a thousand to choose from. Little India was like walking in India itself. Incense burned in front of shops to honor Hindu dieties and beautiful, young Indian girls who were guarded by their mothers, often were donned in jeans beneath their tunics.

A captain from the East India Company established this island - the oldest British settlement in Thailand. It grew into a popular mecca for dreamers, artists, and whatever colorful characters.

After leaving Scud in modern Port Dickson marina, we rented a car early one morning to drive along the narrow country roads to Melaka. Monsoon rains caught us having tea and sweets inside a leaky café midmorning. The sound of a wall of rain pounding the corrugated tin roof was deafening. As we sat perched in our stools, we watched in amazement, as soon small rivers of water gushed down the center of town, taking anything left in its path. More fun was to be had in the old, historic city of Melaka. Read our account at the link, above. The alluring aroma of ethnic cooking wafted between the old Dutch colonial buildings, now museums

Melaka City was once a wealthy trade center, rich with history created from vibrant images of dramatic sultans, Hindu princes and Malay fishermen. It became the preferred port for re-supplying the giant trading dhows during the hot, sticky monsoon season. Traders from India called here, bringing Islam, which soon became the state religion. Today, it is still a major cosmopolitan center with Portuguese colonial architecture a historical remnant of their brief past.

The Malacca Straits is a narrow band of water that separates Peninsular Malaysia, to the east, from Sumatra (Indonesia), to the west. Eventually, it connects with the Andaman Sea (an arm of the Indian Ocean), to the north, and with the South China Sea, to the south. The Straits are 500 miles long and varies in width from 300 miles, at its widest, to 40 miles, at its most narrow.

Because the Straits are one of the most important shipping lanes in the world (largest ports are Melaka City and Singapore), we had to keep a sharp lookout at all times. Even with AIS (Automatic ID System), which broadcasts ships in the area, it was dodgy work weaving around the maze of big ships and fishing boats beneath the ongoing blanket of thick smoke from the burning of fields in Indonesia. It was pretty exciting going, except at night, when unlit or unmarked fishing nets littered waters, which sent us into panic mode. Most often, at least one plastic soda bottle marked one end of a net that could extend for two to three miles ahead in the current. The adventure made for a nice celebration, when we arrived in Penang!

Aboriginal Malays moved south from China 10,000 years ago to plant roots in Malaysia, though a 40,000 yr old skull found in a cave nearby still have scientists scratching their heads. Rich resources of gold, tin and jungle woods attracted the Europeans and Melaka was taken over by the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch, then finally the British in 1795. Needing cheap labor for the minds, the British brought in the Chinese and Indians, creating the rich ethnic mix of today.

Independence came only as recent as 1957, experiencing a few bumps and hiccups of Communist uprisings and conflicts with neighboring Indonesia along the way, before settling into peace and stable prosperity. Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaya’s first prime minister, pitched his proposal for a federation of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, North Borneo (later called Sabah), and Brunei. All joined, except Singapore.

En route to the historical city of Melaka by rental car, we pulled over to ask directions at a clapboard farmhouse alongside the road. Surrounding the big house, was a dense forest that looked nice and cool for walking our little dog. We grew curious after studying the long gashes in the bark. Little buckets filled with a white, sticky goo, and hung from nails at the tip of each slash -- rubber trees. The property owner proudly gave us a short tour.

Almost all natural rubber comes from southeastern Asia - 99% , to be exact. The USA tried to cultivate its own rubber trees in Texas and California, but failed, due to leaf bight. Synthetic rubber can be produced instead.

A Malay man, at right, is working with a sheet of latex before passing it further down the production chain where chemicals are added to strengthen the overall product.

Langkawi is made up of a group of 99 islands, but only the main island of Lulau Langkawihas any real settlement. After being declared a duty-free zone, holiday visitors flocked here, as well as sailors bent on shipping in parts for repairs to their boats following their passage up the Malacca Straits. The port has become also become a premier yachting centre in Southeast Asia, due to excellent marinas and facilities to haul and store boats while owners journey inland.
Being a holiday port, shops dominated the main town of Kuah. Indian girls donned in traditional garb of tunics and slacks shopped next to young Muslim girls clad in protective headscarves.

Medical facilities in Malaysia are some of the best in the world. Americans flock here for inexpensive and state-of-the-art treatment, as the local doctors are educated in the United States. We took the opportunity to see the dentist, who used modern equipment and new methods to treat our teeth.
Cruisers often spend years sailing between Thailand and Malaysia, and I now see why. It’s a short hop to Thailand for the exquisite adventure, then a hop back to Langkawi for duty-free parts and medical care. Many sailors end up moving ashore and selling their boats due to the strong appeal of both countries.