Passing through oppulent Singapore.....

           Sitting just outside the departures /check-in area, Changhi Airport, Singapore. The airport that

Colonial style bungalow, Singapore....

was claimed 20 years ago when I used to pass through here with some regularity, to be so beautiful that couples chose it as the place to be photographed in full wedding attire as part of the celebration. Changhi has expanded tremendously since circa 1996 and currently comprises four  passenger terminals. Perhaps people are a little more sophisticated now, but the place, although impressive for its efficiency and cleanliness, does not strike me as at all romantic in late 2016--- (but I am not 26!)
            I arrived in Singapore at midday after a night in a somewhat spartan room at an Air B&B in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, (the border town on the the north side of the straits that separate Malaysia from Singapore). I met the owner --a 40-ish Chinese Malay man who insisted in driving me

Tropical footpath--central Singapore.

to the border crossing point, but only if he could buy me lunch. Interesting chat with him and he explained how he operates 5 properties (houses) in partnership with his sister who is property cleaner & who  arrived for her duties in an impressive Mercedes 500. Good luck to them!
          With about 10 hours to kill before my 1.30am departure for Seoul, en route to Toronto, I wandered the main streets of this city state. Wow--impressive---would be two adjectives. I always remembered the place as clean, smart, efficient, well run----but now add beautiful to the list of superlatives. Especially as the city---and the island of Singapore is total non-stop city. I criss-crossed the place by rapid transport and did not spot a single acre that was not claimed and developed.
           Like Malaysia, Singapore has aggressively adopted the Christmas festival as an excuse to decks the streets with massive street lighting displays. The money in this city oozes----80+ floor towers by the dozen crowd whole areas of the metropolis, much bill-boarded with names of various international banks and financial management operations shouting out brashly to all the world that

Clean city.......

Singapore is the leading money centre in the Far East.
               It struck me rather forcefully as I promenaded through the central area, that Singapore has been eminently successful in combining architectural style & beauty with massive growth, in this hard charging capitalist mini-state. To me, this begs the question, as to why so many large cities in the western world have been so spectacularly less successful.  With a few hours to fritter until my flight, I have been enjoying some passive people watching---I am refraining from street photography in this very security conscious airport. It underlines to me that the "good times" have arrived for so many in this part of the world--reflected very noticeably in the extended/inflated waist lines of so many people. Especially regretful, as in North America, is that whole families gorging at McD. seem to be afflicted by obesity that could be in the region 30+ BMI. 

Malacca and some reflections.....

          The journey winds down. I am just a single 4 hour bus ride from the city of Johor Bahru,

Early night-fall over Malacca.....

located on the Malaysian side of the Straits that mark the territorial border with the State of Singapore. If Malacca had been anywhere other than my last real stop on the journey, I would not have accorded it 4 full days---2, maybe 2 1/2. Interesting, and if judged by the frenetic tourist night

market activity along a couple of its major streets, is benefiting from its 2008 UNESCO World Heritage designation. The hotel sector is obviously important and growing along with all the ancillary services devoured by tourists---- taxis, food stands and electronic gadget entrepreneurs etc. At one point yesterday morning I was "trapped" on a traffic island while a non-stop procession of perhaps 70-100 large and luxurious coaches were give priority and exited from a large bus park reserved for the vehicles assigned to transport the guests from a cluster of large hotels. Noticeably, all the passengers were Chinese and

This is  how the British arrived in Malacca...

headed somewhere, locust like, in the same direction. Assuming 70 buses with 43 passengers per bus, equals 3000 tourists.
           Yes, Asia is on the move! Assuming that this is just the tip of the iceberg as prosperity percolates down to the working masses, the numbers involved become astronomical. And as the whole industry in Asia grows it most probably will become increasingly homogenised with Disney, Starbucks, Holiday Inn, Mc D etc., at the forefront. I suppose that what I am trying to say here, is that I wish, in the interests of authenticity, I could have seen Malacca 25 or 30 years ago in pre-UNESCO days, when it was likely a rather poor and sleepy back-water.  What surprises me with today's mass tourists, is the seeming total lack of interest by 98% of them, in any details or background of the place that they have paid to render homage apart from the "selfie" phenomenon. Move just 75 metres from where the 'action' is and streets are deserted.
          I am glad that I was able to see northern Vietnam and northern Laos, both on the cusp of 'opening up' and likely just before the tidal wave of tourists from The Middle Kingdom arrive at the local airports and coach parks. Only the lack of infrastructure in those places  is currently holding the onslaught in check. I spoke on several occasions to travellers from Myanmar who assured me that that country is virtually the only untouched/authentic country left in the region. But things are happening pretty fast there and after

Oriental sound machine.....

40+ years of being closed the nation is now open for business.

            I visited Malaysia a number of times for business in 80's and 90's, the capital Kuala Lumpur specifically, and found at that time that English was widely spoken, not just by hotel staff, but by 'the man in the street'. Today, things are very different and sadly comparatively few seem to understand English, especially younger people. The Malaysian govt. I am told, has a determined plan to assure the social supremacy of the Malay (Moslem) majority and as part of this strategy, the Malay language has priority over all others---Hindi, Mandarin and English. Languages other than Malay have almost vanished from public sight. Apparently English lessons and access to English language study material has been severely cut back by the Ministry of Education. The older people in Malaysia were educated in English, as were their teachers. Under the new system, I am told, the present crop of teachers would have been trained uni-lingually & predominantly in the Malay language. Cynical I may be, but hopefully not a language fascist, however inclined to wonder how many of the future millions of Chinese tourists to Malaysia will be fluent in Malay!
              Singapore, (currently ranked #1 best educated country in the world) in contrast, has heavily favoured the use of English as the unifying force in its multi-cultural society----to the point that the government is now undertaking a promotional campaign to encourage the majority Chinese population to speak more Mandarin and use chop sticks!! 

Scenic Malacca........

       Turned out of my hotel into the torpid equatorial heat at a brisk 10.30am, to do the sights of

View from the bridge in Malacca...

Malacca. Noticed how many of the go-down shops were shuttered and padlocked and first thought that the economy of Malacca was in some type of free fall. At this point, I got chatting on the street to Malik, a very friendly older man, who reminded me that it was Friday, (the Islamic Sunday) with many people in the non-tourist sector enjoying a day of rest. Can't say that I noticed this last week in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, but maybe Malacca, being a little smaller, is more conservative.
           Malacca (pop: 759,000), has a very interesting history being established by a Hindu sect in the 14th century, became a Chinese protectorate in 1405, dominated by the Portuguese in 1511 and the Dutch in 1641, with the British

He shared my lunch time bench by the river....

applying the heave-ho in 1795, when it became a Crown colony. In fact, there are a couple streets in the historic old town that still boast Dutch names---Jonkers and Heeren streets. The largest building, formerly the city hall, in the UNESCO 2008 designated central heritage core area, is even today known as the Stadthuys. It is around this area that the tourists mill, 98% from China,---loaded down with their famous brand gift carrier bags. H & M incongruously located nearby at the busiest spot, was doing roaring trade.
           It does appear to me that the local effort to capitalize on the UNESCO status of the city, has been mis-matched with the tourist arrival numbers. Many shops and restaurants are obviously having a tough time to survive. I walked large sections of the riverside, where I was the only tourist and could see many boarded-up

Someone went to Texas for their vacation.....

businesses, There were obvious signs of decay---cracked sidewalks and peeling paint even at the fun fair just off the central area.
              I am frequently amazed at the mass tourist segment ---they seem to spin in circles in a very limited central area, posing for selfies in front of everything. Move just 50 metres away and the streets are deserted. I watched people posing for their selfies in front of a decorative windmill, obviously celebrating Malacca's Dutch heritage. Click, selfie click and onto the next attraction and I asked myself how much actual interest these people had in the city they were visiting---not much, I hazard to guess. If it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium!
           A note from the mosquito front. I have hauled two bottles of high powered repellent around Asia for three months with nary a mossie spotted. Now, I know where they all hangout--in Malacca and to be more precise, under the table in the lunch room of my small bed and breakfast hotel. Big as aeroplanes, with appetites for my blood, to match. Let's just hope that the daily anti-malarial pills that I

Shady store fronts in old Malacca....

have been taking are upto the task!
                Malacca is acting as the run-down to this SE Asia bus/back packing trip. In just 4 more days, I shall be back to my starting point in Singapore ready for the long flight to a snowy, cold Canada. Taking it easy and enjoying all the heat and humidity, along with the frigid blasting air-con air in hotel rooms.          
               If you think I am going to rewrite my earlier comments------
         Just before the tropical dusk descended at 6.30pm, I sauntered forth for the 10 minute walk to the town centre to find my evening repast. Hold on -------the narrow empty streets of midday are now absolutely jammed with outside tables and stalls selling a million nic-nacs and almost every conceivable Asian food dish. Thousands of hungry Chinese tourists have spilled into the central part of Malacca to share the noise & ambiance of this hot tropical evening.

Day of computer problems.....

        Oh, the stress of it all. I was by turns angry, disappointed, fearful and felt lonely and isolated,

Conservative shoppers....

rejected and forgotten by the world. Sounds pretty serious. Google had let me down. Every time I tried to enter the internet, the sites including G-Mail mail froze. I applied the various virus scanners and scrubbers---nothing worked and I was not able to determine if the problem was with Google, was just me, only in Malaysia or the whole world.  Then I had the bright idea of sending a Skype text message to my lovely and media talented daughter, not realizing that a Skype alarm would send her tumbling out of bed at 4 am to help and advise her tech challenged dad. Quick as a flash she diagnosed the problem and promptly recommended that I switch away from Chrome and enter G Mail through Internet Explorer.

Melange of architectural styles.....

Wow-- it worked and down into my G Mail dropped several totally unimportant messages---and here was me expecting that the whole world was going into seizures and worrying that this scribe had disappeared, been hijacked or abducted from his KL B&B digs.
         I thank the internet gods that luckily, I had had the foresight to back-up onto a USB my 2500 digital travel photographs, so that they are stored in three separate locations. 
         In the of relief that is sweeping through my aged veins, I believe that I experienced the terror and panic that is today associated with being forced 'off-line' for a few hours. Well within my lifetime, we used to buy a postcard of exotic locations, search the city for a post office and mail off said post card that would then take 3 weeks via airmail to let the folks back home know that all was well.  Today, a delay of 3 minutes is stressful and 24 hours 'off line', beyond words. It brought home to me, a realization of just how far we have come with all this instant technology that we accept as a matter of course into our lives and how completely hostage we are to mechanical technical glitches and horrors, hackers.

Monkey business at the Batu Caves.....day #4.

 Another day to appreciate the tourist complexities of Kuala Lumpur. Usually by the third or fourth

Batu Caves,  294 steps and a golden deity...

day in a large city I am beginning to have some sense of direction and starting to use the bus or subway systems with ease, to facilitate movement to and from my hotel base. It is with some frustration that I can sense this sense of orientation has not yet kicked in for me yet in KL. The city is a maze of small streets that wind and twist chaotically---apparently the colonial masters who early on designed & administered the city, had no comprehension of the demands of the modern tourist!
           Today my agenda was the Batu caves. In this case very simple--- take bus #173 (40 minute ride, less than 70 cents each way) from just outside my hotel door and ride it to the end of the line-----upon arrival, look for a massive cliff adorned by a 100ft. high golden Hindu statue. Even I, could not miss it!!
           Batu is billed as a major Hindu shrine, and according to the bill-board at the entrance, attracts 3 million pilgrims for a major festival every January---this seems an enormous number to me, for a city supposedly having a total population of just 2 million. Kind of glad that I am not here next

Ain't that cute......

month to experience this mass of humanity. People-wise today, it was most comfortable for my visit---no crowding or line-ups. The holy shrines are located 294 steps up the cliff face within a series of cliff cave systems. This morning was exceptionally hot in KL, with the sun blazing out of clear skies and I can tell you that ascending those 294 steps demanded full effort to attain the top. Many of the tourist visitors were clearly at their physical limits on the steps & I could not help wondering how a health emergency would be handled. I did not see any emergency facilities--but perhaps I'm just being a nervous nelly westerner. The whole Batu caves site is currently under-going major renovations. My heart-felt sympathy went out to the labourers, some of whom appeared to be middle aged, who are employed to carry the 50lb bags of cement up the 294 steps on their backs, so as to maintain the construction project.
           Truly awesome in its proportions, the actually temple within the major large cave is rather disappointing, with little to see. The comedy for the occasion was supplied by the

Moon over the Central Market---KL.

hundreds of macaque monkeys that inhabit the caves and cliffs at Batu. To some, they are obviously pests. Totally, without fear of humans, the monkeys are very quick to grab at hats, hand-bags and likely cell phones and cameras as well! At major risk of attack is any person with food being transported in plastic bags. I witnessed one poor man tag teamed by a couple of large animals who quickly ripped apart his food bags. The monkeys are not without danger to humans and  I was told that frequently tourists suffer bites. Not pleasant. Even the thunder-clap fireworks deployed frequently by the official monkey control officer, only seemed to scatter them for a short time before they returned to their "monkey business". 

Kuala Lumpur---days, # 1 & 2.......

                  Now have achieved a couple of days foot-loose on the streets of Kuala Lumpur (KL to the

Meeting fashion models.....

initiated!). Laugh not....this city is a maze of narrow streets in the central area surrounded by a network of 'almost' motorways, ringing it to the outside, criss-crossed with a maze of above and below ground subway stations. The city is dotted with a number of 'signature' futuristic sky-scrapers and often the best way to orientate, for this navigation challenged traveller, is to look skyward ---spot a land-mark structure, note it on the map and begin walking in the required direction. My hotel is near central market (since 1831, the foundation stone claims)--in fact not a pig, or a head of lettuce to be seen---all has been gentrified into restaurants and tourist nic-nac boutiques. Stating to the subway ticket seller this evening, that the 'central market' destination was wanted, I was irritatingly mis-directed to "Sentral" yes, spelt with an 'S', the largest inter-change in the KL transport system. Anyway, survived this tour of the underground system & circuitously made it back to my hotel in the late afternoon heat and with sore feet to prove it!
           My KL walking expedition today, took

Petronas Twin Towers.....  84 floors.

me to the famous twin Petronas Towers. Not sure that it is the tallest anything, but does claim that it is the worlds highest connected twin towers. They seem to build a "worlds highest/biggest almost every month some where in the world. The structure incorporates at its base a massive high-end, a scenic lake with foot paths, swimming pool and park like settings for all to enjoy. The tower visitor viewing experience is very professionally handled & very similar to the high security check-in at the airport---- there is a complete security check, colour coded neck tags provided for all. Visitors are required to be individually photographed prior to boarding the elevators---except that this 'space traveller' was just waived through---no photo required! Perhaps it was the half price, old age pensioners ticket in hand that persuaded the 'authorities'  that he was not a security threat. An expensive treat for a family man with wife & two teen-agers in tow at 360 MR ($90US).
The view from the 86th floor was spectacular on this day of leaden grey skies. The viewing area, spacious and all

Something for all tastes....

decked out with marble floors and walls and surrounded with large interactive monitors providing

visitor information on construction, dimensions etc. No line-ups encountered as the visitor flow is controlled efficiently by the coding on the neck-tags.
        After descent from the towers and proceeding to the bowls of the Earth, several levels below ground to locate supermarkets and the food court, to replenish energy and the all important liquid levels, I emerged into an exceptionally large pedestrian friendly lakeside park complete with fountains and surrounded by the impressive buildings of the KL financial district. Falun Gung was in attendance, providing the spectacle of a mass (perhaps 50 people) in some type of hypnotic state. I photographed a very conservative Muslim lady, totally, 100% veiled in

As viewed from the 86th , floor.

black, posing unself-consciously in front of a Santa to get her photo taken. Apparently the Malaysians, majority Muslim, do not find it at all incongruous that many public spaces are all decked out in Christmas finery with stores big and small loaded with Christmas merchandise. A true multi-cultural society. 

Lumput and the road to Kuala Lumpur.......

                    Made it down to Kuala Lumpur aka: KL, after a couple of non-descript days in a small

Styles combined......

coastal town called Lumput-Seriawan. Annoyingly, and I only have myself to blame, I booked my hotel in the Seriawan part of the conurbation. I use this word intentionally, as the town of Lumput is quite concentrated by the sea and is used as a ferry point to resorts on a couple of islands, whereas the Seriawan end is urban sprawl personified. The town is situated along both sides of a four lane highway the length of which cars, buses & trucks all belt along, as if on the Mulsanne Strait of Le Mans fame. Woe be-tide any poor pedestrian who tries to cross the race-track & do his shopping on the other side of the road! Took the local bus for the 10kms jaunt into Lumput---attractive sea front, but other-wise seemed to be low season  semi closed up and holding it's breath for an onslaught of hoped for tourists! The tourists I did see in Lumput, boarding the ferry for the islands, seemed to be 99% internal Malaysian visitors and I, about the only Westerner in town. One always knows when there are few tourists in town, as many locals cannot help themselves shouting--- "Hey, where are you from?" to which I often feel like responding with a variety of smart-ass responses--

Malaysian beauties....

-but refrain, with a friendly smile.
               Four hour bus ride down to KL, half of which was in heavy rain alternating with light drizzle. Corporate farming is big in Malaysia---we passed endless pineapple and palm oil plantations, plus forests of rubber trees, identified by the small pots attached to the base of the trunk to catch the liquid (latex?)--- Canadian readers---, just think of catching maple sap.                              
          Malaysia, a multi-racial society--- the largest group being the Malays, the original inhabitants, generally poorer economically, but politically dominant, the Chinese who control the economy and large numbers of immigrants from mainly Tamil Nadu, southern India. The Malays are Islamic, although I am told that their brand is comparatively benign compared to certain areas of the Middle East. The Chinese & Indians also have their temples in profusion. The overwhelming feeling however, is that of being in a tolerant Muslim country. I have been intrigued to note that in all the shopping plazas, in department stores and being piped into the streets are non-stop western Christian Christmas carols. The majority Muslim population seemingly does not see it as at all as incongruous to have the sacred music and traditions of another religion omni-present for the full month of December.