On to Malaysian Borneo

My week traveling through Peninsular Malaysia with my new Dutch friends is at an end. I'm back in KL doing laundry and taking care of other errands after a few days at Taman Negara national park. We did some good hiking but ended up seeing only a flying squirrel, bats, fireflies, and a big rat. The jungle here is more about ambience than actual wildlife sightings.

Tomorrow I fly to Kota Kinabalu to meet up with another new Penang friend to climb Mount Kinabalu. Then I'm hoping the beach at Pulau Sipadan doesn't get rained out!

Penang and Cameron Highlands

It took a few days of culture shock, but I am starting to really like Malaysia. It is a wild mixture of Chinese, Indian, and Malay with a dash of British colonialism thrown in for good measure. Everyone is gearing up for the "holiday season" -- a double whammy of Deepavali for the Hindus (11/1) and Hari Raya Aidilfitri (11/3-4) for the Muslims.

While KL seemed quite conservative, Penang and an area called Cameron Highlands are very relaxed. Penang is filled with backpackers on their way to and from the beaches of southern Thailand. I met some great people with whom I am traveling, and hope to meet up with later in the trip.

The food in Penang is great, the locals are more friendly than the big-city dwellers, and there are colorful walking tours of the colonial, Chinatown, and Little India neighborhoods. While my heart was set on the Perhentian Islands next, it turns out that the monsoon on the east coast has started early this year. Instead I headed up to the Cameron Highlands with Lucy (British), Bjorn and Marjolein (both Dutch). We are relaxing here where it is cool and rainy as three of us gear up for the trip to Taman Negara tomorrow. After that I plan to fly from KL over to Malaysian Borneo.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I've been acclimating to Malaysia at the gorgeous Shangri-La Hotel. It is taking a bit of getting used to -- things here are so different from China.

There seem to be fewer people around; it is much quieter than China. The people are less friendly even though they all speak English. The fact that Malaysia is a Muslim country is palpable -- many women fully covered, beautiful mosques, the newspaper content. The weather is sultry... tropical and humid, making KL very lush with lots of greenery and trees. You can also find an amazing selection of fruits.

My favorite thing so far is the Petronas Tower at night. I went there my first morning in KL to pick up a Malaysia guidebook (there's a huge shopping mall at its base) and for some reason I was under whelmed by the world's tallest building. But I went back on a whim after dinner and the lighting on the twin towers is magnificent!

Next I plan to head for Penang, Kota Bharu (beach), and Taman Negara (national park and hiking) on Peninsular Malaysia (the part just south of Thailand). Then I will fly over to Kota Kinabalu on Malaysian Borneo (a large island to the east shared with Indonesia) for some more serious hiking and beach-lounging.

Budgeting

For anyone interested in trip logistics... I had some time on the airplane to review my budget and I thought it might interest some of you (you aspiring travelers and accountants know who you are).

During my first month in China/Hong Kong, I spent $2,000. The largest expense was transportation -- not surprising considering how many cities I visited and how large China is. Four flights ($65-$100 each), two overnight trains ($37-$56), four ferries along the Three Gorges ($6-$14 each), countless shorter bus/subway/train/ferry/tram rides (12-50 cents each), plus a few splurges on taxis (I did live in New York after all). A total of $575 getting around, compared to $65 in entry fees to get into major sights.

Next was hotels ($560). They ranged from the $6.25 youth hostel (private room but shared bath) to the swanky Marriott Chongqing ($72). All were very clean and safe, some better located than others. I came to the realization that privacy and air-con are two things I cannot live without at this point in my life.

In third place are souvenirs ($275 + $100 to ship 11 parcels back to the US). Obviously I didn't see any furniture I wanted (nor did I have enough time to have any clothing tailored), but I did pick up some clothes, tea implements, paintings, and lots of small things for myself and others.

Food comes in at fourth place ($330). I could spend $300 on two dinners in NY -- but the food in China is so much better! The most pricey meals were in Hong Kong, where I spent $25-$45 on OK Western food. The best splurge was sushi in Beijing ($16). I had a few $10 "pay for the view" drinks at the Marriott in Chongqing, the Peninsula in Hong Kong, and the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai. Otherwise, meals ran the gamut from 40 cent back-alley street food with locals to $4-$9 sit-down places.

Finally, let me add that I spent another $50 on phone calls and internet access. Same as a month of Road Runner, but priceless to keep in touch with all of you!

Farewell China

I am back in Beijing to catch flight #2 of my round-the-world ticket: Malaysia. I am sad to leave China. It is a fascinating place with a diversity of sights and wonderful people. I was just starting to figure out some key words in Mandarin -- a really cool but difficult language.

Once I got past the rude welcome of having my camera stolen, Shanghai became one of my favorite cities. There's a sleazy side that I didn't encounter elsewhere: street beggars, people routinely checking garbage cans, "Hello [DVD/watch/bag] Hello." Shanghai is a cross between Beijing and Hong Kong -- more modern than Beijing but not as sophisticated as Hong Kong. The Jin Mao tower is breathtaking, I enjoyed the Yu Yuan gardens, and there's a great area called People's Square with parks, a theater, and museums (the Shanghai Museum is excellent).

Hangzhou is just two hours from Shanghai, and the main attraction there is West Lake (Xi Hu, pictured). The best word I can use to describe it is serene. Many Chinese couples vacation there to stroll around the lake, see the many temples and parks, and relax around town. I rented a bike and rode around (and across the two causeways splitting the lake into sections). Along with Yangshuo, Hangzhou is the most scenic town I visited.

I spent one month in China, yet totally missed vast regions that also sound amazing -- Yunnan, Xinjiang, Tibet, Sichuan -- maybe next trip? Beijing 2008!

Shanghai

OK, I must admit that I plagiarized the photos on this and the previous post. The night I arrived in Shanghai I was deftly pick pocketed and relieved of my camera. I am trying to decide how to best replace it... too bad I just left Hong Kong. That seems like the right place to buy a camera. I'm not sure electronics in China are real, fake, or what.

The bright side is that I am fine. I feel like an idiot -- did I let my guard down because I have felt safe up to this point? Was I not careful enough? I was on a crowded bridge and everyone stopped to let a man take a photo of his two kids. In those 10 seconds, someone behind me was able to unzip my bag and take the camera. Amazing.

I also got to see how the Chinese police operate... not bad... One of the Chinese policemen spoke impeccable English; he was very nice and told me "it's not your fault, these things happen." A translator appeared in short order and we efficiently filed a theft report. They said they would email me when they find the camera -- I'm not holding my breath!

Hong Kong

I did not realize that going from China to Hong Kong is really going to another country. I was not prepared to leave China! I had a bad attitude when I arrived... after an early morning flight from Guilin to Shenzhen China, 3 hours of border crossings, plus another hour on the subway to the Central District. Things are expensive, I was hot, annoyed, and felt overwhelmed and disoriented in the big city.

Thankfully things improved from there. I found a small hostel in Causeway Bay which ended up being a 10-minute walk from High Holiday services. I celebrated the Jewish New Year with the Reform Jewish community of Hong Kong -- most of whom are expatriates. People were very friendly, and I made contacts with people visiting from Singapore and Cape Town.

I went up to the Peak and rode the Star Ferry to enjoy the stunning architecture. I shopped in the Ladies Market (I did need two new shirts and a pair of shoes to wear to synagogue). I rode double-decker buses and the tram around the city as well as the southern part of Hong Kong Island (beautiful mountain scenery and great beaches). And I embraced Hong Kong's Western-ness with McDonald's, Starbucks, and Pizza Hut. Hong Kong is electrifying!

Next I head to Shanghai, then complete my China loop by returning to Beijing (where I will spend Yom Kippur). I guess I need to start getting used to border crossings!