The Malay City

The East Coast is very different from the west coast of Malaysia.  The country is a melting pot of cultures.  The Malay influence is most strongly felt in the east, and especially so in Kota Bharu.  We arrived here by an 8 or 9 hour bus journey across from Chinese dominated Penang, and were greeted by what seemed to be a different country.

Laughing Drummer

Most Malays are Muslims, and so there is very little drinking, if any in Kota Bharu.  It is against the law for a Muslim to drink, or hold a licence to sell alcohol.  We stayed at a great hostel, and when we showed up our host, who was nothing but smiles, asked us where we were headed next.  "To the jungle" we replied.  Then he proceeded to sell us on a trip to Perhentian Islands.

Perhentian Cecil

We hadn't been swimming in ages, and it is hot here, so the idea of sitting on the beach for 2 days was just to appealing to pass up.  We decided yes, booked the transport, and headed out into the city.  A small town really, more so than a city, that entirely shuts down for the evening prayer.  We walked a bit, and then headed to the night food market for dinner.  Roti, Murtabak, Satay, and Chicken cooked in a coconut cream curry sauce with yellow rice and some cinnamon sauce and pickles.  The food was so different here from elsewhere in the country, and we had a time of it.  Our bellies full, we headed back home to sleep.

The new resort

The morning was a van ride, and then a boat ride out to Perhentian Cecil, where we stayed on "Long Beach".  Granted, it is the longest beach on the island.  We got a room, got into our bathing suits, grabbed our snorkels and headed across the island to the beach.  A lot of dead coral, though still some decent snorkeling.  Huge Giant Clams, and some rock fish.  Lots of anenomes and clown fish as well.  I love the soft corals just swaying around in the surf.  But the visibility was crap, so most of the day we lay on the beach between intervals of swimming.  Late in the day we headed back across and lay about on Long Beach for a while.  The sun set, and we headed out for a few beers, which is technically not allowed to be served, and a fantastic BBQ fish dinner.  We were promised some fire dancing, and so being completely satiated, we waited.  I could wait no more eventually, and had to rush off to the bathroom, and in that interval, the two minutes of fire dancing was over, and never to return.  Typical, I suppose.  We headed for a good sleep.  Morning was more of the same before we had to head back. 

Our bedroom vista

On our way back we shared a taxi with a French couple, and chatted about trying to get a visa in Europe, travelling Europe, as well as the rest of the world.  We ended up taking them out to lunch at the Central Market, possibly a bit adventurous for them.  But I always feel it is good for people to get forced out of their normal boundaries.  I normally thank people who do it to me, in the end at least.  That afternoon we headed to the cultural center for a look at traditional Malay culture, and were again greeted by a smiling man.  I played an ancient form of hackey sack with the men, while Amanda played macala with the women.  We were then treated to top fighting, batik painting, some form of tai chi crossed with kung fu, and a drumming session.  We were constantly all but forced to perform as well, but it was part of the fun of it.  Our host, we found out later, speaks five languages, and gives cooking classes.  I suppose we will have to go back.

The sunken ship

That evening we headed back to the delicious night market for another feast.  We were laying in bed getting ready for sleep to catch our early train into the jungle, when Amanda picked up our already injured alarm clock, tried to set it and completely demolished it.  Seeing as we had to wake up around 5 AM, we set out, largely against my will, to find a new one.  It was nearly midnight, but the night market was just closing up shop.  We couldnt find one, and just as we were getting very tense with each other, we found a 24 JAM, as they are called here, and luckily they had the same one we had just broken.  $13 AUD, in Rainbow Beach, 5 ringgit in Kota Bharu.  We had run into the same problem in Mackay in Australia, and couldn't find one at midday on a Sunday.  "This is a sleepy little town" everyone kept telling us.  Well, apparantly SE Asia is a far more hip place then "sleepy Australia".   Anyways, back off to bed we were, to wake early for the jungle.

Tea Time

Tai Chi, or kung fu

The Drums

Batik

Top Fighting