Sunday, January 11, 2004

Today we’re heading to jana’s hometown (where she grew up) in perlis, where we will stay with the cousin with whom she was closest growing up. originally, i was hoping for a hotel, but this will be fine, now that i understand the family relationship.

The trip to perlis. We took the ferry from Penang Island to the mainland then headed north on the main highway for one or two hours to Alor Setar, the capital of the (Malaysian) state of Kedah. Here the mix of people is noticeably different (than that of Penang Island)–predominantly native Malay, with all the women wearing head scarves. I took special note in what the women were wearing, as this was my first experience in a predominately Muslim state (though Kedah is not one of Malaysia’s most intensely Muslim states/areas, which are mostly along the other (eastern) side of the Malay Peninsula). Some of the women were wearing traditional-looking, full-length flowing dress or wraps. Others wore pants and a 2/3s length flowing top or wrap, coming down over the pants. A group of 3 adolescent girls wore jeans & t-shirts. All wore head scarves. [Some women, maybe 20-percent, were bare-headed, but I assumed (possibly incorrectly?) that these represented a non-Muslim part of the population.]

While waiting in the square, one of the local men (who was with his 3-year old son) stopped, asking if I was waiting for someone (yes) and striking up a conversation, asking where I was from. He seemed to take special interest when I said I was from the United States and Washington, DC, asking what I’d seen of Malaysia and how I’d liked it (quite well). He was very friendly and welcoming . . . it happened he was from the same state (Perlis, a very small state on Kedah’s northern border) to which we were headed. After our hour’s stop in Alor Setar, we continued on for another hour to Kangar, the capitol of Perlis & the town in which Jana grew up.

On the way, Jana pointed out to me along the road the flags & office of PAS, a conservative Muslim opposition party that is locally popular with some of the people. [Note: The political party UMNO (United Malays National Organization), which represents the predominant, native-Malay population, has been the predominant force in Malaysian politics for years. UMNO generally has formed a government in coalition with the main Chinese & Indian political parties. There are, however, a number of opposition parties, including PAS. PAS, which would impose a more conservative, Islamic-based law on the Muslim population, has won some local state elections in a couple of the more heavily Muslim majority states on the eastern peninsular coast in the past. However, in recent elections in March, 2004, it suffered serious reversals.]

Meeting Jana’s Relatives in Perlis:

Jana’s relatives in Perlis include, primarily, her mother’s two brothers (uncles), their wives & their children (cousins). One of Jana’s uncles (Big Uncle) was a politician . . . he owned the shopfront house, where the family business was housed (ground floor, front). Jana, with her mother, brother and sister, lived there (ground floor rear), rent free, after Jana’s father died (when she was 6 years old?). Big Uncle, his wife, and 7 children, all lived on the 2nd floor, above. Jana grew up with these 7 cousins–6 girls and a boy. Jana was also close with Second Uncle’s 4 children, who lived nearby.

Trip to Cameron Highlands–January 17, 2004

     I’m on the bus, Penang to Ipoh (& from there, on to Tanah Rata in Cameron Highlands, where I hope to be staying at the Hillview Inn tonight).  I am taking this side-trip on my own, while Jana stays in Air Itam with her relatives.  My primary objective is to get away from the tropical heat and humidity of the lowlands for a few days of quiet contemplation.

     I’d thought I’d been sold a ticket on a bus that went straight through to Tanah Rata, but apparently that is not the case, as I learned from the driver on boarding the bus.  He reassures me, however, that the transfer will go very smoothly.

later same day:

     The journey from Penang to Ipoh on the main highway became more scenic after an hour or so, when we began climbing from the lowlands, coming into hilly terrain.  Some rocky, knobby hills were half cut away, exposing raw stone (and, in one case, what may formerly have been half of a tall cavern).  Likely this was the work of man, as there was what appeared to be a cement plant nearby [Malaysia has extensive deposits of limestone, which are the basis of the cement industry].  Mostly, though, the hills were covered with dense, tropical vegetation, trees mainly.  Some of the land, where arable, was cultivated–I saw rows & rows of oil palms and rubber trees (and other things I didn’t recognize).

     The bus to Ipoh was not the most capable on steep grades . . . in fact, it was one of the slower vehicles on the road, joining the big rigs in the slow lane.  Upon arriving in Ipoh I faced a period of uncertainty.  After we disembarked, I wanted not to lose track of the driver, who had promised to show me when & where to get the bus that would proceed to Tanah Rata.  He told me to wait near the entrance/exit of a (very hot) open air eatery.  I wanted to use a toilet, if I could find one, yet didn’t want to leave the designated spot for fear of missing out (then, too, there’d be the question how to manage my big, soft-sided bag if I went to the restroom . . . I could easily manage the two smaller, shoulder-strap bags while using the facility but was uncertain about the large one, as I knew from experience the restroom would probably be wet and dirty (certainly there’d be no place on the floor where I’d want to set a bag).

     I decided to wait . . . once I found the bus to Tanah Rata, maybe there’d be time to use a restroom [note: the buses here, even the intercity, air-conditioned buses, generally have no toilet facilities].  If need be, I could use one of my old, empty, water bottles to piss into.  As I waited, I imagined being stranded and needing to find a place to stay in Ipoh (not a pleasant thought, especially as I’d already paid for my ‘ticket’ and felt honor-bound to pay for the lodging in Tanah Rata, as I’d given my word I’d not “no show” if they held the room for my late arrival).

     After a bit, though, my first-leg bus driver came back and showed me the way to my connecting bus, which I happily boarded, past several children hawking refreshments.  Once assured (as well as I could be) that the bus would not be leaving for another 10 minutes, I left my big bag on one of the seats and found a restroom with time to spare.

11:40pm

     I’m in Tanah Rata at the Hillview Inn and it looks like everything is going to be cool.  Not only is the town of considerable size (3000) but it has at least 2 24-hour restaurants. The elevation here is about 5000 feet, though I’d have guessed higher based on the amount of time the bus spent climbing the narrow, hairpin-curved road to get here.  The driver was very good, and the bus was quite capable, as well, having no difficulties with the steep grade.  We saw the aftermath of an accident on the way up, with the wrecked car being towed off and a medium-sized truck pointed into the side of the mountain on one side of the road . . . presumably the two vehicles had met head-on on one of the curves–the front of the car was crumpled-in a couple feet.

     My room, I see, is not a non-smoking room, though the smoke smell is relatively light.  I don’t know if they have non-smoking rooms, but know they are full for tonight, so am content with what I’ve got.  It was great to find someone from the inn waiting at the bus station to pick me up when I arrived.  We are, I think, maybe half a mile from the more central part of town.  It seems this inn/guesthouse may have a lot of common areas.  Not only did I see a couple of people sitting/visiting over a table on the patio on the way in to the office, but, on the way up to my second floor room, I saw what appeared to be a good-sized and comfortable lounge.  The room is clean and spartan, with just a bed, table and chair.  There is a balcony.  The bathroom has a shower (with hot water) in the Malaysian style (there is no shower stall . . . the water goes down a drain on the bathroom floor . . . take care to remove the toilet paper from the back of the toilet, which is near the shower, if you want to keep the paper dry).

     As a (former?) tropical hill station, Cameron Highlands is, in one sense, unlike any place I’ve ever been before–its climate is what I might call “perpetual Springtime.” I’m used temperatures changing with the seasons or staying warm year-round.  In Cameron Highlands, however, the temperature rarely gets above 75 degrees Fahrenheit in the day or below 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night.  Being as Spring is my favorite season, this suits me fine.  This also a place rich in vegetation, ranging from temperate ‘jungle’, to tea plantations, vegetable farming & flower raising.