Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur. The locals call it KL. So, it might not be all it's cracked up to be in terms of originality, it does get straight to the point. I arrived in KL quite early in the morning and found the hotel where Brian was staying at. After a few nights of bushwhacking it, I was happy to revive myself in fairly modern, comfortable hotel!

Naturally, I woke up well before Brian and decided to go out and grab a quick bite for breakfast. We were staying in Little India and the area was quite bustling for that early in the morning. I popped into a little shop and grabbed a traditional Indian breakfast full of sweet curries and pounded nan-like bread.

I returned back to the hotel and caught up with Brian. The two of us made our way down to China Town to explore and compare with Singapore's China Town. KL's China Town is a bit more "working class" and rough around the edges. Less tourism, less colorful paint and a lot more vendors.


Brian and I stopped into a local cafe that was straight out of the 1940s. The cafe came complete with saloon style swinging doors, dark wood tables topped off with polished marble, and ancient memorabilia hanging on the walls. We ordered some traditional Chinese snacks including some braised pork ribs, soups, and a unique dish called the top hat. Essentially, the top hat is a taco shell in the form of a deep bowl that is shaped like a top hat. The dish comes with fillings (similar to that of a taco) and you fill you top hat with cheese, beans, lettuce, sauce, and anything else you have on the table. The result was fun and delicious.


After our lunch, I decided I wanted to try a fish massage. This is when you stick your legs into a tank full of tiny minnows and they come up and eat the dead skin off your feet and legs. The feeling is very strange. It's as if you have tiny ants walking on your legs and they have suction cups attached to the bottom of the feet (sort of like those "human flies" that try to scale tall buildings in cartoons). I am not sure the health benefits of this, as I hear the water if very unsanitary (filled with dead skin and fish excrement) so I made sure a good long show was in order next time I was home!


After the fish spa, Brian and I went to the market to buy some souvenirs for friends and family. My purchase here was a traditional Song Kok, which is essentially a beautiful felt hat that traditional Malay men wear. It was a stunning piece of craftsmanship and a treasured artifact in my Asian collection!

After walking around all day, Brian and I sat down at a small restaurant for a beer and lunch and met a very nice Burmese waitress. She invited us to a party which we said we would join her for later that evening. But first, it was time to take a nap and get ready for the night!

The evening started out with, of all things, Wiener schnitzel and imported beer. A very strange way to begin, so let's just skip that. Onto better things- the Petronas Towers. We walked over to these two iconic towers made infamous by Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones in the film "Entrapment" to marvel at their evening beauty. Lit up, they towered over the rest of KL, radiating their prominence and asserting themselves as the very definition of Malaysia.


Leaving the towers, we made our way over to the party district and after walking down a road full of bars and nightclubs, I spotted one that looked like a lot of fun. There was an indoor dance area and an outside seating area. The club was called "Beach Club: or something like that (don't quite recall the name perfectly). Nevertheless, it looked jumping and just right to match our mellow or partying moods (whatever should come of it on the inside).

When we got inside, we discovered a very strange sight- there were a lot of single, foreign girls all standing around just waiting. It didn't take much powers of deduction to reason that these ladies were working girls looking to make a buck. After some dancing, Brian and I sat down at a table and a young Vietnamese girl took a strong interest in Brian (who has a girlfriend and is very faithful, I should mention). Brian had no idea how to react to this, an I just enjoyed watching the interaction between the two of them (particularly when she tried to take his hand)!

Brian resolved the situation by announcing he was going to go dance and leaving her alone with me. We awkwardly sat there for a few minutes, not saying a word (because, really, what was there to talk about?) before we both just walked away. After some more partying, I went upstairs to the bathroom for a short break. Coming out of the bathroom I went over to wash my hands. At this time, there was a very large African woman next to me that just turned to me and said, "Shoot me!"

I looked at her and said, "Excuse me?" to which she again responded, "Shoot me!"

It was then I realized that I had my camera on me and she wanted me to take a picture of her. I told her Okay and did. She said her name was Vivian and that I should go tell my friends I have met the famous Vivian and never to forget her. Well folks, here she is, and don't you forget it!


After the club, we met the waitress again for a few drinks at the party before retiring back home for some sleep! The next day, a bit hungover but not too bad, I took off in the scorching heat to photograph some of the old, colonial KL before Brian woke up and the two of us hitched a cab out the the airport and back home to sweet old Taipei.


From your friend of the Malaysians, Indians, Chinese, Vietnamese, British, American, Burmese, and Liberian all rolled up into one little city, Michael.

Heart of Darkness

To the north of Kuala Lumpur lies a dark, legendary jungle. It is a land that frightening and exotic creatures call home. A place where the bush is so dense, light can't penetrate through the leaves and only the brave, strong, and smart survive. But provided you don't go too deep into the rain forest, even a half wit like me can enjoy the splendors of Taman Negara, Malaysia's premier jungle terrain.

Arriving in the jungle you take a three hour long jungle river cruise. This is a rustic long boat with the tops right next to the water's edge. The river snakes it's course through lush tropics, revealing now and again, the wildlife she so preciously harbors.


During the course of the boat ride, we came across Monkeys, Otters, Birds and Deer.

After arriving at the docks, I checked into my hotel and made my way to the jungle itself. The interpretive trail is a a medium long trek and requires no demanding physical prerequisites. However, just coming off a climb from Mt. Kinabalu, even the short elevation changes were not welcome in the slightest. But at short clearings, I was offered some magnificent vistas far over the canopy and deep into this mysterious, sacred land.


Then I met Taman Negara's most spotted wildlife- the leech. Any visitor to this rain forest will tell you that any protection you can take against leeches really ought to be taken. As I sat down to catch a breath of water, I wiped the sweat trickling down my neck. Then I came across a big, slimy, squishy thing stuck to my body. I thought it was odd that it wasn't coming off and I had to wonder what it was. Once I pulled it off, there was this big sucker with about a tablespoon worth of my blood in it writhing around in my hand. I through it away and continued on my journey absolutely disgusted. Lesson learned- avoid low lying swamp areas if you want to sit and rest.


Along the hike, however, I came across some interesting specimens. One tree, in particular, caught my eye. The roots of the tree we very large and protruded out of the ground. They resembled massive walls and formed conical curves into the trunk of the tree. It was explained to me that if you hit one of these roots with a stick, the resulting echo is loud and carries on for quite a while. Aboriginal families on the hunt use these trees to communicate with one another to announce where they are.


Another fascinating flora was the giant bamboo. Here I am standing below it to give it scale.


After my hike, I returned back to my cabin. I showered, ate dinner and then joined up with a tour to go on a night safari. We all piled onto the back of this pick up truck (a bit primitive) and we were driven into a Palm Oil Tree Plantation. The clear night sky, the warm air rushing past me, the ominously illuminated palm trees that surrounded the secluded dirt road made me relaxed and at ease. But I was also on the seat of my pants ready to catch a glimpse of the possibly game we might see.


The safari ended with some pretty reasonable sighting. We saw leopard cats, barn owls, and pythons that, had we been anywhere outside of the truck, would have swallowed us whole. As an added bonus, I got to eat some of the palm tree nuts to taste the oil. It was very high in fiber and that is all I have to say about that.

The following day began with my raison d'etre for coming to this park: the canopy walk. A canopy walk is a massively long, massively high up suspension bridge large enough for one person to cross at a time that hangs from the tree tops giving it's viewers pristine looks on the tops of trees. The canopy walk is 400 meters long and rises 40 meters about the ground at its highest point. It's a thrilling alternative to hiking through, or should I say on top of, the jungle.


After the canopy walk, I had one of the most memorable encounters in all my time in Asia. I left the main touristy area of the jungle and took a long boat with a local guide. The guide pulled the boat up to the river bank and we made our way to the top of a small hill. Here, there lived a local aboriginal village that welcomed foreigners to view their way of life. This was about as primitive as one could get- they wore traditional clothing, lived in Tiki Huts with no electricity or running water, and hunted and gathered all their food. The people were nomadic and their village is designed to be dismantled at the drop of a hat and moved elsewhere along the river.


Upon entering the village, we were met by two young boys (the remainder of the males were off hunting). The two boys demonstrated how to make a fire with only wood and bamboo (that's right, even more primitive than flint and tinder). We were informed that the boys were not considered men until they were able to start a fire. After a few failed attempts, the two lads got it going.


Afterwards, we got blow dart lessons! The blow dart guns were made out of long bamboo reeds and were probably twice the size of me. I held out the gun, aimed it at my target, and shot my dart straight and true. It was stunning how fast the darts whizzed off and how accurate their trajectory in fact was!


After blow dart lessons, we got to fraternize with the locals a bit before heading off. Returning back, I took a bus ride home to the train station and hopped on an overnight express back to Kuala Lumpur.


From The Horror! The Horror!, Michael.

Singapore Sling

Known for being one of the cleanest cities in Asia, Singapore is a country that probably takes itself a little bit too seriously. But you can't fault them for that- as a former British colony they take after mom and pop. And after bushwhacking it for two days out in the middle of Borneo, it was nice to come back to Culture for a little bit.

I've always argued that when you've been to one city in Asia, you've been to them all. But in reality, each city has some quirks that identify it as a unique and incomparable concrete jungle. Singapore had that great ring to it that really set it apart as a hip, sophisticated place in Southeast Asia. For example, our hotel room had a great view of this half naked man on the hotel roof across the way from us.

One thing that I enjoy immensely in the city is the river life. To mozy along the Seine of Paris or cross the bridges of the Thames, or switch back between Buda and Pest along the Danube of Hungary, that is the true joy of a city. Taipei lacks this central congregation of a river life. Yes, there is a river that runs through the heart of it, but it is flanked by muddy shores and tall grass. Some excellent bike paths but essentially devoid of the European bistros that light up the evening air.


Singapore has a stellar river life. The river goes right into the financial heart of the city with dazzling outdoor cafes spotted alongside. The restaurants have hawkers trying to real you in to try their middle eastern cuisine or fresh seafood. My friend Brian and I decided on a nice little Sri Lankan restaurant set on the roof of a building. To one side was the river, to the other lit monuments set in the distance, and to the final side were Singapore's enormous skyscrapers that seemed close enough to reach out and grab. I ordered a tender skewered chicken that must had been marinating for weeks before they served it to me because it was the first time a piece of meat ever actually, and pardon the cliche, melted in my mouth.

After dinner, Brian and I went to this 1920's retro wine bar. Being a Tuesday night, it was dead and we had the place to ourselves. The live band was playing and we had a 40 foot tall wine rack all to ourselves. "40 feet!" I can hear you exclaim. "But Michael, what if you wanted a wine from the top?" I am so glad you asked that. A young bar maid would dress up as an angel and get hooked into a harness and pulley system. The harness would then whisk her away as if she was floating like a real angel to bring our wine back from the heavens. It was certainly an angelic moment.


The following day, after nursing our hangovers a bit (and still getting over our sore legs from climbing) we made our way down to Singapore's Chinatown. This area was a very important location to Brian and we spent the better part of the morning checking out the old streets. Today, the majority of the shops are pasteled over and sell tacky Chinese souvenirs. This didn't interest us much as we had all this stuff back in Taiwan.


The interesting part of Singapore's Chinatown was the Cultural Center which portrayed the daily life of the Chinese immigrant. It talked about why people left mainland China for a new life in Singapore, to the hardships endured by the newly arrived Chinese. The museum finished off with a restructured 19th century style home and shop that would be typical for working class family in Singapore. The conditions were like nothing I had ever seen.


I left Brian at this point and wandered over to Little India. This little quarter of Singapore contrasts starkly against the rest of the clean, ordered city. It was busy, noisy, messy, lively, exciting, thrilling, and dangerous all rolled into one.


I stopped and got an incredible lunch filled with delightful curries, nans, and creamed cheeses that were simply to die for. I've never been to India myself, but this is precisely how I imagine it.


After Little India, I got back to the hotel and met up with Brian. I just got in from the largest electronics market in Asia. I collected my things and bid farewell to him. He decided to stay an extra day while I chose to catch an overnight train up to the rain forest in Taman Negara. I caught a cab, went through customs caught a dinner for the ride, and fell asleep as Singapore rushed passed me and the Malaysian Peninsula arrived.

From your slingy, angel drinking, Sri Lankan Chicken or the city where you could eat off the streets, Michael.

Mt. Kinabalu- On Top of Borneo

Imagine this: you wake up at 1am in the morning to climb the last stretch of the tallest mountain in Southeast Asia. The sun rises revealing one of the oldest jungles in the world much like a curtain giving way to the first act of a play. The view rivals that of astronauts looking on from space. You're 13,435 feet in the air sitting on the 20th tallest mountain in the world in terms of prominence. You have to ask yourself- how did you get up here? Well, that story starts about four months prior to this one. So please indulge me as I impress upon you some less than interesting back story to set the mood.

Since coming to Asia, I have developed an unhealthy obsession with life threatening pursuits. One extreme component to that is hiking mountains over 4,000 meters tall. My first attempt was on Jade Mountain in central Taiwan. Our climb was dangerously interrupted when we found ourselves in a bit of a snow squall at the top and had to turn back. Inclement weather aside, I knew mountaineering would be a hobby of mine while residing in Asia.


A quick search showed that the tallest mountain in South East Asia is Mount Kinabalu in Borneo, Malaysia. At this height, it was a prize that had to be bagged. I sent out a message to my friends and told them that in four months time I was to fly out to Malaysia to tackle this beast and wanted to find out who would join me. Two friends heard the call and signed up along side. Two of us hit the gym every day preparing for the arduous climb that laid ahead.

We arrived in Kota Kinabalu, the undisputed capital of Borneo that boast nothing more than an interesting seaside market with waterside restaurants and lazy street strolls. The city, though small and relatively lifeless, reminded me of a Manila that was kept up slightly better. When a nasty storm rolled in, we took refuge in a small "rain forest" cafe for some light lunch. When the rain passed, the cool air and swirling cloud patterns made for a comfortable stroll along the beach front, down to through the market and finally a pleasant rest along the waterfront at a seaside bar. The night retired early as we had a big day ahead of us.


At 6am, we were up and getting ready. Our ride picked us up from our stay in Kota Kinabalu for a two hour long ride through winding mountain roads in the Kinabalu national park. The road climbed into clouds, into sun, into the jungle until the behemoth appeared. Soaring high above anything else around it, Mt. Kinabalu's unmistakable peak jutted out from the earth like an immovable giant devoted to his final resting spot. We braked at a small market for a breakfast of cakes and noodles while we mentally prepared ourselves for the climb ahead.


About 30 minutes later, we arrived at the park entrance to Mt. Kinabalu and registered like good responsible hikers. Starting at about 1,500 meters high, we still had over 2 vertical kilometers of hiking ahead of us so it came at bit of a surprise when our friend who hadn't been working out shot out like a bullet ahead of us. But for every action there is a reaction and about 10 minutes into the climb, he hit a wall (for his part, he did much better going down than me)!


The climb up was long and surprisingly steep. In comparison to Jade Mountain in Taiwan, which has a nice switchback trail system, Mt. Kinabalu was a straight up StairMaster buster of a trail with boulders to climb galore.

The trail was riddled with interesting flora and fauna, some unique only to Mt. Kinabalu. As one of the most biologically diversified ecosystems in the world, I was in a naturalist's playpen with many vibrant aviary species, flora and fauna, and my favorite, lichen (I know, I am so interesting). But the most interesting plant species we came across had to be the pitcher plant which acts quite like a Venus fly trap in that it catches it's prey in it's jaws and then releases an acidic acid to digest the insect within.


Around three PM on the first day, we reached base camp which is called Laban Rata. Surprisingly, this was an amazing accommodation with working bathrooms and showers, a three stay quality lodge with buffet dining and a magnificent lodge overlooking the land below. It reminded me of being in an old time lodge in a New England Ski resort- it was absolutely lovely. After dinner, the three of us sat on the porch viewing the sunset where we met a very good, new friend. His name was Matias from Argentina and he was out travelling in Asia on his own. We were above the clouds at this point, so we were looking out over a see of white, making out shapes in the cloud from the top looking down. There were dogs, star ship cruisers, and other delightful shapes in the stratosphere that night. It was again an early night because of the dreadfully tiring climb up to the top and because were were starting our climb the next day at 1am in the morning.


It's amazing how quickly 1am comes when you're climbing a mountain. But in the excitement of ascending to the top of the world, you aren't too groggy at that time. We woke up, had some porridge and grains to give us energy for a rather high climb ahead of us. As we donned our warmest winter clothes (preparing for near freezing temperatures so close to the equator), strapped our torches to our heads, we were on our way.

The first things you notice at this high in the middle of the jungle are the stars. Coming from a densely populated city in the Taiwan, you aren't privilege to see the stars often, so being able to watch Orion's belt circling above you brings you back to a time of childhood, when you grew up on the small suburban street far away from the bustle of the city and the stars were as common a neighbor as the family living next door.


The hike soon turned from lush tropical to what could only be described as the surface of the moon. It was a barren rock landscape that seemed to run on forever. The air was thin, the night was dark and the temperatures were cold- needless to say it was not an simple stroll. At one point, I will admit that I the thin air took it's toll. One more step felt like it was going to push me down the mountainside. I stopped, breathed slowly and drank some water. After about five minutes I regained my composure and pressed on up the mountain.


Rejoining my friends, we made the final scramble up the last few steps only to find that there was only one other person at the top of the world with us- Matias!


Over the far end of the horizon, the faintest tint of light barely separated the edge of the earth from the sky. The sun was still about an hour away from making an appearance, leaving the found of us on the tip top of the summit to take in the dazzling sky show and the sense of accomplishment that we climbed Southeast Asia's highest mountain.


Before long, the quiet light slowly intensified, like God was gently turning on the dimmer light over Borneo. Jagged clouds formed in the distance and smaller peaks were taking form along the ground. As the dark images eschewed themselves, our sense of height really made itself clear- we were looking down from space.


As we began our descent, the dark barren wasteland of the climb up revealed itself to be a rocky playground, a moonscape of indescribable formations that seemed out of this world. It was sharp and ragged at its finer details, but also flowing and smooth in a grander sense. The mountain revealed herself to be striking and staunch, everything we had hoped.


Before climbing this behemoth, we had a decision to make on how we wanted to get down. I suggested something called the Via Feratta, or Iron Road, to get down and my friends immediately jumped at the opportunity with me. The Via Feratta is a essentially an obstacle course that goes down a cliff side starting at 3,800 meters high (which, for those of you keeping score at home, officially makes it the worlds tallest Via Ferrata).


Imagine this, you're in a harness, hooked onto some wires (barely) and shimmying your way down a vertical cliff side above a tens of thousands foot free fall. The adrenaline is pumping as one wrong move would give you the fright of a lifetime. The obstacle course took us along ridges, over the world's highest suspension bridge (that's right, if you want to see the world's highest, you have a bit of a climb ahead of you), down straight edges, through jungles, over rocks, and everywhere in between. All the while, there is a massive free fall between you and the ground 3 vertical kilometers below you. At least you would have plenty of time during the fall to review your improper footing and determine just where you went wrong.


At the conclusion of the Via Ferrata, we regrouped for lunch at the "resort" and began our long trek down the mountain side to civilization. For those that think going down is easier than going up- you are dead wrong. I have never been in so much pain in my entire life as I was going down that mountain side- there must have been at least ten differently succinct pains running through my body. But persevere I did and in five short hours I made it back. We received our certificates of completion, slept for the two hour car ride back to Kota Kinabalu, got some delicious dinner at a local canteen and finished it off with a foot massage at a local shop to heal our aching feet/calves/thighs.


From your acrobatic swinger high above the clouds in the land of Borneo- Michael.