Thumbs up for Popiah, Thumbs down for durian.

7 July 2010 – 8 July 2010 Author: Nick and Rachel

As I write this post the train car jerks its way into northeast Malaysia, screetchhhhhhhhhhhhh! Yes, there it is another tropical tree branch scraping the side of our sleeping compartment on what is so-called the “Jungle Train.” We boarded the train late last night and are headed for Kota Bharu on the east coast just south of the Thai border; this region is the heart of Malyasia’s conservative Islam and the gateway to the Perhentian Islands.

If I had to choose 3 words to describe yesterday they would be: food, cave, and monkey (no, we did not eat monkey in a cave). In the morning we hopped on a bus to the Batu Caves, located just outside of KL. The Batu Caves are a massive opening in jungle-clad hills, officially discovered by a British explorer more than 120 years ago. Since then the big hole in the limestone mountain has been colonized by Hindu shrines, a more than 100-foot golden statue of the god Muruga, and hundreds (yes, hundreds!) of monkeys. The whole place is pretty spectacular, with 272 steps leading to the highest portion of the cave. The climb takes you past dozens of shrines and cathedral like cave ceilings, well over 100 feet above. The real stars of the show, however, are the monkeys. They greet you immediately as you start walking up the steps and are pretty shady creatures (what would you expect from fellow primates?). They beg for food, scratch themselves, pose for pictures (really!), and clap their hands. In the meantime, they climb the caves vertiginous slopes, fight (I swear if they had weapons they would use them), make baby monkeys, and bear their teeth to tourists that get too close for comfort -stay back.

Back to KL, it was time for lunch. Oh glorious popiah how do we love thee? Popiah are a traditional Malaysian cross between a crepe and an eggroll, and they are delicious. Picture a thin, crepe-like wrap in the form of a sushi roll filled with hot sauce, cucumber, carrot, sautéed onions, peanuts, deep-fried egg whites (popiah are kinda crunchy), garlic, and delicious sauces. How the popiah (and Malaysian food in general) is not popular abroad is a mystery to me. Feeling full, adventurous, and in need of dessert we decided to try durian for the first time. Durian is a large, spiny, tropical fruit, common in SE Asia, and famous for its exquisite flavor and horrid smell. We decided to try our durian in the form of a cream filling inside a pastry. I bought two, we finished ¾ of one. Durian comes as advertised. The taste is quite good as long as you can get past the smell. I think they smell like either dirty diapers, or that wonderful odor that emanates from a full garbage truck on a hot day. Enough said.

And, so it is on to NE Malaysia. After spending the day in Kota Bharu we head out for a 7 night stay on the paradise-like Perhentian Islands, where it is nothing but sand, sun, snorkeling, and, for us, scuba diving certification.

Oh, and yes for you weather freaks out there, we are now the proud owners of 2 brand new umbrellas (about $3 each). Starting at about 1 pm yesterday it started raining cats and dogs and it hadn’t stopped when we left town. Also, I will eat a little crow. KL, you are as hot as the sun.

Jungle Train View – Rachel

Waking up before sunrise after a good night’s rest on the “jungle train” we awaited the scenery that we could hear through the night as it scraped the sides of the train. As the sun rose my heart swelled with joy as we peered out over miles and miles of seemingly pristine rainforest and the meandering Kelantan River below! From our first class berth on the train, we watched as dozens of species of trees carpeted with vines whizzed passed our eyes. We took in hot pink orchids, bright green ferns, pendulum birds’ nests, and monkeys jumping from tree to tree. We discussed the possibility of seeing a glimpse of the rhinos, elephants, leopards, and tigers that reportedly inhabit these forests and imagined them peering out at us as we longingly looked for them. We were shocked as large limestone outcrops, so high that the tips were shrouded in the mist, appeared in front of us. Alas, we soon learned that our 9:30am arrival time was merely a suggestion as we pulled into the station at around 12:30pm.