|
Journal
Contact Us
Poems
Site Map
Search
| |
Our first country since leaving
Singapore, we cruised the western-most coast of this ex-British colony via
the famed 'Malacca Straits'
Malaysia, settled 50,000 years ago by migration
from the north, has been influenced by Arab traders and later by Portugal,
Holland, and Britain as they vied for control of the trade routes in the Far
East. Recently a part of the British Empire, it was given independence in the
1950's. It consists of 2 major
landmasses separated by the South China Sea and many small islands. Its population
of 20 million consists of
native Malays, Chinese and several ethnic groups that share their heritage with
Indonesia and the Philippines. Although multi-ethnic, it is a predominantly
Muslim country that generally tolerates other religions, although at least one
of the states is moving towards an Islam-based government.
Except for the Sumatras that cross the Malacca
Straits, winds and seas tend to be quite light along the west coast of
Malaysia. We took several weeks to make the trip
from Singapore to Langkawi, and the stops of interest included:
-
Port Dickson -  This
luxurious marina was a delight, slips were plentiful, the pool was
refreshing and they had nightly movies in a comfortable conference
room. The town itself was rather plain, but friendly and a source of
common provisions. It is also within easy reach of Melaka, a
wonderful historic city with beautiful buildings and an interesting
museum. Having a strategic location along the Straits, it attracted
the attention of Portugal, England, and Holland - and memories survive from
all of them.
-
Penang - A Chinese enclave inside a
Muslim country, it was one of the most photogenic destinations we visited in
Malaysia. As we walked the streets we passed traditional medicine
stores, blacksmiths, and temples interspersed with dive shops and internet
cafes.
-
Port Klang/Kuala Lumpur - Port Klang
is home of the Royal Selangor Yacht Club, and the main port for Kuala Lumpur,
the capital. It really has very little to recommend it, in our
opinion, although we here were introduced to Penang Curry, one of the
best culinary dishes we have enjoyed in SE Asia. KL, as the capital
is known, is a very modern city with very organized traffic, skyscrapers,
and all of the conveniences one would expect in a world-class city.
Among the tall buildings, most notably - the Petronas Towers, nestle
many mosques, including the National Mosque shown below, that require
all women to dress appropriately as well as museums and restored houses from
times past.
-
Langkawi - This is
a small resort island visited by tourists from around the world. On
nearby Rebak island is the Rebak Marina Resort with a laid-back
atmosphere and prices that make cruisers return year after year. Many
cruisers staying in Thailand ship expensive equipment into duty-free
Langkawi, and reluctantly make  the
24-hour run to void the 80-100% duty plus graft imposed by Thai
Customs officials. Development has been start-and-stop for the island as
many projects are built and then abandoned or neglected. The Muslim
hotel to the right is beautiful from the water, but up close it shows its
neglect and has no customers. The waters surrounding the island are
nice for cruising and are protected, but murky and little can be seen while
swimming. See Destination - Langkawi for cruising
information.
During the hot tropical days, thunderheads build
up over the island of Sumatra to the west of the Malacca Straits. During the SW
Monsoon (April-November) this hot air drifts east across the straits, unleashing
20-50 knot winds, lightning, and downpours. These 'Sumatras' as
they are called are the bane of cruising the coast as they wake us at 2-6 AM,
threaten to pull out our anchor and make an otherwise peaceful night a frantic
fire drill! Several cruisers suffered lightning strikes during these
violent, but short, squalls.
Malaysia is a modern country and although
technically it is a secular state, Islam is an important component. At
least one of the states has implemented Muslim law for the state, and is
lobbying to apply it across the nation. The current president, Mahathir,
is resisting but he is a lame duck, and the future is somewhat uncertain.
People have been quite friendly to us, but are not really outgoing and the
nation is somewhat dull due to the prohibition of many pleasures that Westerners
enjoy. Workers are competent but generally do not appear to be 'driven' to
excel. Religion is a big part of their lives, and during Ramadan the
fasting makes for a short day as workers finish at 3PM to attend afternoon
prayers. After leaving Langkawi, we headed
north to the Kingdom of Thailand. |
