Bukit Larut, Perak, Malaysia

My friend Alvin invited me to a place named Bukit Larut or Maxwell Hill as it was called during the British colonial days. He was very enthusiastic about the place and for sure he still had the memories of the times as it was still under the British Empire. The British officials used to have their holiday mansions and bungalows in this area, very similar to Penang Hills.

Bukit Larut is about 1100 above sea level, a beautiful lush green mountainous area. Most of the houses nowadays belong to the Malaysian government officials. So if you are lucky to know and be invited by these "Datuks(special award from the government), you will spend an unforgettable time in this rather cool and calm hills.

But how if you are a local or even international traveler? This place has not been marketed to international tourists yet and even those adventurous backpackers haven't found their way to this hidden gem. For sure this may be one of the reasons as to why I was curious to visit this place.

Most commercial guest houses belonged to the government and they charge a relatively high rate for a building that is totally run down. The food is not great and needs to be brought up by a 4WD which increases the price. The road up to the hill is a very narrow winding road but the street well-maintained.

In my opinion a good car or small 4WD will easily make it to the top. But for private cars you need to obtain a permit from the government which may take months. Too much hassle for a commercial tour company. So those who would like to go up, mostly quite well-to-do Malaysian citizens, will choose to use the vehicles run by the government.

The first vehicle started at 8 am. A smelly vehicle which history may have gone back to the middle ages. It had a hole next to the dashboard, where the exhaust coming from this ill-maintained car could get into the passengers area.

Oh my God....the catastrophe was still to come. Suddenly the car was stuck in the middle of the extremely steep winding road. The driver told us just in a very liad-back manner that he forgot to fill the tank with petrol.

Shall I get angry? Well, it was no use to complain and claim our money back. It would have taken another couple of months to fill in those various forms within the bureaucracy mill.

So we waited for the next 4DW which belonged to one of the hotels. They were so friendly to give us a lift and the car was by far better maintained than the one before.

We enjoyed the beautiful view from up high which goes far beyond Taiping to the ocean. The diverse flora and fauna were just waiting there to invite us to join into this peaceful untouched nature. Obviously the vehicle service was embarrassed and for our ride back they took us in a brandnew Nissan.

Asian women don't do this, Asian men do that etc etc

Me eating vegetarian food using my hands at an Indian temple



It surprises me that some long-term travelers obviously haven't learnt anything from their journey. I don't want to mention any names in order not to name and shame anybody. For sure I will not bother to give negative references to those people although they bore me to death. There was that person A with prejudiced nearly racist opinions about the Thais. This sounded strange to me because this person was a professional and he should have more sense for logic and reasoning. We may not have differed too much in opinion because I have some discomfort in the hierarchy of the Thai culture too. Without my Thai host and her internationally orientated friends I would have been lost in this culture.

"I will never marry a Thai woman, the Thais think they are better than the others, I don't surf with a Thai, the Thais are only friendly when they can receive some bahts, the Thais are always right, foreigners are always wrong......etc......etc" said Mr. A. For my taste this is simply too much generalisation and heavy prejudice for an intellectual person like A. The Thai culture feels like inaccessible and impossible to put my arms around but there is always an acception to the rule.

I found that in most cases it was easier for me to connect with Malaysians than Thais but language barriers can make things hard in cross cultural communication. The very rigid structure of the Thai society makes it way more difficult for me to immerse in their culture. Anyway, as I asked where his opinion or prejudice came from he said that he read many articles on "The Thais". I need first-hand experience where I do take writings or opinions into consideration.

And there was that person B who had lived in Asia for long enough to gain more knowledge of the local people. She lived in Thailand for nearly one year. And yet her view on these cultures was still the view of the superficial spectator or visitor. She got a culture shock after coming to Perth but did not understand a tiny little bit of the Asian culture. Apparently she was disrooted in her own culture and not able yet to immerse into the new culture.

And my favourite sentence of her was:" Asian(!!!) girls don't hike." just because she couldn't find hiking shoes for women. Running off the beaten track with some Chinese Malaysian girls taught me better about the hiking Asian girls. I was impressed by their strength and stamina. Ah well....this woman was so stubborn that she wouldn't even understand what was being talked about."

And these people are supposed to be Couchsurfers or travelers. Well, maybe I need to learn that in a facility like Couchsurfing people are as diverse as anywhere in the world.

I am thinking

Yes, when you are on travels you start thinking more about who you are, why you are traveling and sometimes the journey becomes a journey to your inside rather than the outside.

I have to see that I fulfill my research assignments. Daily phone calls, downloading my work on USB and spending my time offline also gives me a better purpose in life, Inbetween I have enough opportunity to meet interesting and not so interesting people.

So why am I on Couchsurfing then? The reasons are very simple: When you scroll down and read about my hosts David and Woranuch( I'll write an article about her on the next page), my guests Vitalii, Anthony or Molote, you will understand that CS gave me the opportunity to meet people that I wouldn't meet otherwise.

When I come to a less familiar place, it helps a lot to meet wonderful people like Ang Huah and Kim Gan who help you to understand the culture better. Cultures already differ within Europe or even within one and the same country. Here I'm exposed to city and rural life in Malaysia and crossing the border to Thailand everything will change into a totally new world.

Yes, Couchsurfing makes it a lot easier to meet and talk to people from the country you visit. Inspiring as I learn new aspects of life. There are also less interesting people that didn't particularly annoy me but I wouldn't have missed anything if I didn't meet them. Oh yes, they can be educational in the sense of not to be but I can meet them anywhere and there is no need of hosting them.

In the next articles I would like to find out the motivation of the people I met online and offline on couchsurfing. Can I still be the ambassador of some people I don't have the slightest things in common with? Let's discuss this in a new article

Laketown Bukit Merah, the hidden gem near Taiping

We started off our day with a beautiful Dim Sum breakfast. I expected already a good meal while the place was full of Chinese. Beside the green tea we enjoyed several dumplings, steam rolls and other sumptuous small dishes for just 16 RM(3 EUR) for 2 persons.Today Dave expected a lovely cyclist couple from Australia, Rowan and Kate. As fellow Aussies we had much to talk about and they came on an impressive tandem. Rowan loves spicy food and seems to immerse very quickly in the Malaysian culture. Kate has been to numerous countries in Europe and SE Asia; she is even raised in Hong KOng.

Beer games a la Malaysia
Dave's friend invited us to join them for a beer competition. His nickname was the "Mafia boss" and naughty David bragged to him that I would drink him under the table:-). The Malaysian beer is very similar to American or Australian canned beer, low alcohol level but contains large bubbles. I can drink German or Irish beer very well despite of their higher alcohol percentage but the gas bubbles are really fine. So after just drinking half of the pint my stomach was so bloated that I couldn't finish most of the drinks.

The locals must have considered me crazy because it is still considered not normal for a lady to drink in this culture. So I was standing in front of the restaurant offering free beer to every male who passed by:-))). They were so generous, invited us to braised pork leg and ocra vegies. I tried nearly forcefully to put money into their pocket but apparently they were not drunk enough to put it back on the table.
Being still a bit bloated and dead-tired we visited Dave's friend who owns a bike shop and he showed us his huge collection of classical old bikes.


Visiting Dave's family in beautiful Laketown in the Taiping area
This was probably the highlight of the day and Dave invited us three to his family to join the Thaiponggol celebrations. We felt a little bit like intruders because we didn't find time to bring anything nice for them as a token of appreciation. Dave was very good at making us more comfortable and told us they would look forward to meeting international travelers. Indeed we hoped that the best present we could bring would be our presence and stories.

We drove into the more mountainous area of Bukit Merah into a small town called Laketown. It is a beautiful place by the Lake, quite expensive and the recreation area for local Malay people. I think it wouldn't take too long until tourist managers will market this place to a more international target audience. Dave's family rented a beautiful townhouse directly by the lake.

What a lovely family and so welcoming! Dave's brother is very well-read and therefore a fountain of information about what happened in the Malaysian history. He told us interesting facts about how the Indians came to Malaysia in the early 19th century. We shifted to the more current affairs in Malaysia but at the same time he was very curious about what happened in other countries.

Of course they prepared delicious food for us and just name it: homemade nasi lemak with pandan leaves, chicken curry, egg curry which was basically just the entree. While they were preparing chicken for the BBQ, Dave took us to Laketown which would not be half as interesting if I came with a tour group. Coming home the BBQ chicken was ready and they served a hot Tom Yam soup. Yummy and thank you for your hospitality and lovely company. The memories are unforgettable!!!

Exploring the fishing villages

The fishers gave us one fish as a present. The restaurant cooked it for us for RM 8,-(EUR 1,60).
Fish broker who just bought fish from the fisher coming back from the ocean
PUlling the net with freshly caught fishes

The next day David took me in his car to go to the fishing village. On the way I saw different kinds of flora and fauna, whereas the fauna usually consisted of some unknown big insects or the more usual cows and goats. We passed a chocolate and kapuk(used to fill matresses and pillows) tree, numerous palm oil and pineapple plantations. It was also very interesting to watch a Malay woman who makes atap(roof made of palm leaves), something which is currently replaced by tin roofs. Nowadays we don't see as many ataps as we saw before in Indonesia or Malaysia.

We stopped by a man-made lake to watch the fishers throwing out their net. There were not many fishes but it really made me cry inside how to watch the fishes jumping, struggling and gasping for their last breath. Anyhow they do die naturally unlike the lobsters who die in pain by being boiled alive which takes about half an hour. We chose one red carp which we could bring to the restaurant to cook. So we had a fresh fish dinner for around RM 10,- for 2 including drinks. For the first time I tried the kopi cham which is a mixture of coffee, tea and chocolate.

I was amazed and taken aback at the same time. In a rural fishing village, life is not too different from the tough corporate life in the city. The mostly Malay fishers came from the ocean while the Chinese brokers were already waiting for them. They bargain and buy the fish from the fishers at a fairly cheap price. These brokers do all the marketing and sales work and sell the fish to the restaurant at a comparably high price.

We went home for a rest, then took a walk along the sea. On our way back we had drinks and watched the sunset while listening to the dangdut. It made me smile internally because a Muslim girl with covered hair sang a pretty sexy song. She just didn't move her body in a sexy way like most Dangdut singers but the text was pretty cheeky.

Our day finished off at the night market where they sold heaps of clothes, shoes and food. Busy but we finally got to eat our food in a cozy dark place where I didn't realise that I was being eaten by our partners the mosquitoes

David, my host in Penang state

I was dwelling around Georgetown for some time, food hunting as always and exploring Penang hills. David sent me a message to invite me to visit him in the more rural area in Penang. he was a cyclist and given my poor cycling skills I thought:" Would he ever except me?" But I'm so interested in rural life and not an all that bad hiker.

I decided to take the plunge and David rang me on my mobile phone. It was noisy in the Penang Hill funiculaire and I could hardly hear his voice. The next day I took the ferry to Butterworth and the bus to Parit Buntar. It was a small town and at first not very spectacular compared with touristy areas. But my reason to travel was not the end but the journey into another lifestyle and culture.

Arrived at the bus station I nearly followed a taxi driver because he looked like him. Finally a jovial man who looked exactly like on the picture and approached me with "Soraya" came towards my direction. I felt comfortable with him straight away and we drove to his cozy house in the village.

David is the type of host you can only find in my old traveling days or in rural areas. He went out of his way and gave me the most comfortable room with own bathroom. And guess what:" He is a hasher." Of course a member of the Hash House Harriers is like a family to me and he was not less surprised as I introduced myself with my Hash name Miss Carriage.
http://www.hashhouseharriers.com


Hash House Harriers off the beaten track in the Malaysian bush
David drove me around the village a bit and we went to visit an Indian temple. It was the Thai Ponggol festival and people were doing the rice cooking ceremony everywhere. It was cooking sweet rice in a huge clay pot on charcoal fire. While the women were stirring, the drums were playing faster and faster. The children rang the bell and it also went faster. The kids were not shy and as I came with my camera they already put themselves in a pose.

I never expect to find Hashers in such a rural area. The on on(Hash party venue) and trail was at the foot of the mountain amidst beautiful palm oil and coconut trees. This club didn't have the usual cheeky ritual that I knew from any HHH(Hash House Harrier) club but we started the run straight away. The run was quite off-track, bashing through thorny muddy bushland.

From bush walking I know about wading in the water and jumping over little creeks. It was just that I was not prepared for this kind of off the beaten track running or walking. In fact it wasn't even possible to run because in order to climb up and down we had to hold on to certain tree stems. I was happy that I didn't bring my camera but it was too much a pity that I was not able to shoot a picture of this memorable experience.

After the run I had totally dirty shoes and was not used to the humid weather either. We had coconut wine which the Malaysian government didn't allow to be traded in the shops and restaurants because it was hard to control tax-wise. So only certain plantation owners received a license and had to pay the tax. It was interesting but it did have a taste which I really must admit that my palate needed to get used to it.

The final on on was in a Chinese restaurant where we had heaps of beer and great food, as always.

Molote, Anthony and Vitalii

The year 2009 is about to say good bye.....A melancholic feeling comes up, preparing cookies and presents for Christmas, the tension we know all too well when we open up the next door on our Advent Calender.

My last surfers have been such good guests and I felt they were rather like friends or relatives than ordinary couchsurfers.

Vitalii
My mum just went home and I decided to host the next surfer. Vitalii from Canada with Russian roots was a new member but his profile was so impressive that I decided to host him on a fairly short term. He was interested in sports and martial arts like me, so it would be interesting to meet him. His messages sounded nice and warm and he definitely had read my profile in detail. A knock on the door and I saw a smiling, exuberant and warmhearted young man. He brought me my favourite Lindt chocolates...yummy....

Vitalii was different from most couchsurfers who came to Mainz. He didn't come for a short transit just inbetween 2 flights but to spend time in this area and meet the local people. We had a great and funny time Vitalii, chasing through Mainz and driving through the German wine country to Straßbourg France. I miss you and hope to see you one day whereever in the world....Toronto?

Anthony
Mainz is an unknown destination for international travelers and when they decide to stay, it is usually because they are on a stopover. Anthony Schmitt from the U.S. was not less interesting. I was the first Couchsurfing host that he found through Couchsearch. He had some hosting and surfing experience with other volunteers who were also on Couchsurfing. I have always been very intrigued by Peace Corps Volunteers, especially when they live in a rural area in Africa or Asia. What an interesting life, it reminded me of my time in Tanzania. He needed to travel a long way from rural Morocco to the next airport Fes and arrived shortly after midnight.

A nice and gentle guy who looked a bit older than his 25 years. We had a glass of wine, exchanged some information and went to bed. The next day we went on a long hike in the Rhine Valley, explored castles and made some photos. The day was nice and still long, so we went to Bacharach to look at the ancient half-timbered houses before we left for Mainz to have onion tart and new wine.

It was a strenuous day and I locked out his passport and the housedoor key in my trunk. Anthony remained calm and helped me a lot not to lose my nerves. Angela lived near my parking and fortunately she was at home and lent me her key. I could go home, fetch the spare keys and problem solved. Anthony was helpful and mature, had a lot to share about his life in Morocco and passion for travelling, he even offered a lot of assistance in the household. After he left I found a postcard from the place where he lived....Thank you Anthony, I will try to visit you.

In memoriam Molote Massilo
Probably my last guest this year was Molote from Johannesburg, South Africa. He was an outstanding and unique guest, a linguistic acrobat with versatile interests. Once you get used to constant business calls and mails, having him as a guest is highly recommendable. As I wasn't well because I was stressed out with work and the change of the weather didn't do any good to me, he proved to be an excellent companion. I was kind of fatigued and suffered a headache. Molote cooked a wonderful Spaghetti Bolognaise, did the dishes and we had interesting conversations about CS, South Africa and differences between cultures within and out of South Africa.

We got to know each other quite well given the very short space of time. Molote came back for the second time to stay with me and I nearly forgot him. Otherwise I would have organised something like a party with other CSers or friends. Nevertheless, the conversations with Molote were really eye-opening. Where should we start? Lifestyle, outlook on the world, international politics, economy, people inside and outside CS, the new South Africa after Apartheid, women, men........

Like with most of my surfers, we cooked together a lot because he was a homey person exactly like me. This time we had roast duck with potato dumplings(Knödel) and red cabbage or Rotkraut because Molote initially wanted to try out Sauerkraut. Like most South Africans Molote prefers a rich breakfast like steak but we agreed on a rich German breakfast with fresh rolls, cold meat balls and fresh bacon.

After that we went out to see Mainz, had a second good breakfast before heading to see Frankfurt and enjoy a sumptuous Mongolian Buffet. This Mongolian buffet at Shangrila actually deserved an article on its own. Thomas Hervouet from France, my surfer who came earlier this year, also had the pleasure to enjoy this marvelous restaurant. Name it, they have Chinese dumplings, duck, curries, vegetables, fruits, sushi etc along with ice cream, cakes and Asian pudding. But the best of all is a large selection of fish, giant green prawns, kangaroo, beef, pork, mutton cooked in front of you with fresh vegetables.

UPDATE May 2011:
This summer(South African winter) in 2011, Molote sadly passed away due to bacterial meningitis. He was attending a CS meet on Saturday, suddenly developed high fevers which the doctors didn't take seriously in the beginning and as it was diagnosed it was too late......He passed away on Thursday.

I have shut down my couch due to health and work reasons before hitting the road again
Unfortunately I have caught a horrible cold bug and had pseudo-asthma attacks for 2 weeks. Bad enough to irritate but not threatening enough to fear for my life. Sylwia from Warsaw would have been the next guest but I was so sick that I couldn't host her and needed to cancel on a short term. She was already the second guest this year that I needed to cancel due to unforeseen health challenges. Those things happen and it again reminded me that we always need a back-up host or hostel