Malaysian Landscapes

turtles, sharks, barracuda, coconuts and tall, slender palms, talcum-white beaches, lush, wild jungle, crystal-clear waters of deep blue....arem...oases...paradises...this is Malaysia. A wonderful, still unspoilt ecosystem where the beauty of the beaches is still that of 200 years ago..since the few buildings needed for tourists have not distorted the reality of these fantastic places...before leaving I was a bit sceptical and worried...Malaysia is not Thailand..in what sense, you'll say..well! it's little known, neglected by mass tourism, officially Islamic...so a bit of tension was normal..but arriving in Kuala Lumpur with a Cathay Airlines flight (excellent), the worries increased...errr...yes..because although it has some beautiful towers, the famous Petronas, the city left something to be desired..aesthetically it was pretty but the neglect and lack of cleanliness were noticeable..al

l in all, hearing the call to Allah in front of a mosque made me shiver and dream at the same time..the hymn to their god pierced the silence and was certainly the only moment of (brief) admiration towards Islam..but deep down Malaysian Islam is not the Middle Eastern one: revised and modernised away from fundamentalist and extremist principles, it is professed moderately by Malaysians, in short there will also be exceptional cases (but those exist for Christians too).

Malaysians are delightful people towards tourists, respectful of themselves, loving with their children..I say this because I saw it with my own eyes...when I was in difficulty I always received advice and a thousand pieces of information to solve the problems..just think that from the capital to Taman Negara, jungle and nature reserve in the heart of the state, we travelled by public transport..that is, by coach, if it hadn't been for the inhabitants of the lost villages, swallowed up by the jungle (perhaps they don't even exist on the map) who kindly directed us towards the right means of transport...alas..perhaps I'd still be there!....arriving at Taman Negara..the only colour you can admire with all its infinite shades is green..: rot green, bottle green, hope green..

in short..! green green green..the jungle is fabulous, dense and mysterious, but strange little animals aren't to be seen, yet it's worth it all the same. Immerse yourself in this wild cradle, at least for a walk on the longest bridges in the world, though for those who suffer from vertigo I strongly advise against it also because there are many to cross..moreover. Besides, the visit to a local tribe enlivened the stay..the 'asli' orangutans, kept apart from the world, sadly marginalised in their huts, live (in my view) in pitiful conditions..those children made me feel pity..mosquitoes devoured their tender skin..and their little feet were filthy and calloused..in short, rather than a tribe they seemed to me truly naive..another attraction was the safari zoo.

Let me say first that we're not in Tanzania or Angola..so don't expect to see zebras and giraffes..if you're an animal lover it's still a nice experience, otherwise you can do without it..here at Taman Negara the activities are really cheap, trekking in the jungle costs about 4 euros each, eating is very cheap, much more so than Thailand: a full lunch costs 1 or at most 2 euros (these rates refer to simple, popular restaurants) and the food is healthy and genuine (if you know how to choose); be careful because the cuisine is particularly spicy and hot so I advise you to specify to the waiter whether or not you want chilli, otherwise...goodbye tongue!I advise you to eat the roti canai, a dish of Indian origins, a sort of flatbread to be dipped in Indian curry..eaten piping hot and not too cooked it's a real delicacy..unfortunately I discovered it almost at the end of the trip, sob! From th

e Taman Negara nature reserve we went to the Perhentians..the journey was very long..just think we crossed half of Malaysia on a train journey lasting a full 12 hours (2nd class ticket price 3 euros) and travelling through the whole jungle we had the chance to see village after village all lit up, teeming with veiled women with their children, busy like career women getting on and off the trains..whiny children cuddled by their fathers..Hindus and Muslims sitting next to each other..girls my age laughing and perhaps gossiping (surely about me), maybe in their eyes I was strange..who knows..finally the journey ends at Kuala Terengganu, we arrive here at half past eleven at night..and now? what do we do??we leave the station..immediately we find a taxi driver...he takes us to the centre of the city and drops us at a hostel to spend a night and then leave for the islands the next day..the co

st of the taxi and the accommodation was 4 euros 50..but the taxi driver's kindness was priceless.the next day we met 2 lads from Monza with whom we shared the rest of the holiday..we reached the port and boarded for the little Perhentian (little because there's also a big one) where we would spend 6 unforgettable days..for sleeping and eating, believe me, here too the prices are very low..and for drinking too..so much for the Muslims: but am I wrong or is alcohol forbidden in Islamic countries?? in reality they don't even discourage tourists from drinking it..indeed a bottle of rum and 3 Coca-Colas cost 3 euros..amazing oooo..

and how they discourage you!!! the Perhentians are a natural paradise, I have no words to describe the beauty of these beaches..a thousand times more beautiful than the Thai ones..(I'm talking about beaches not girls..hi hi hi)..just think that to cross the island there are no roads or beaten paths but simply trails in the jungle..moreover there are nice people..in the evening people dance and hang out on the beach making a racket..moreover alcohol helps you make interesting acquaintances (that wasn't my case) but I could notice how the tourists 'enjoyed themselves' until dawn...I strongly recommend it to singles..if only! sadly we leave the Perhentians to return to the capital; the return journey in first class, lasting from 6 in the afternoon until 11 the next day, cost 6 euros each!! why so much?? it was first class..of course!! my trip ends in Kuala Lumpur..where the last evening we w

ent to a gigantic shopping centre, the 'Suria', under the Petronas..on the top floor of the centre there are restaurants for all tastes..I advise you to eat there one evening..see you soon Manuela