Malaysia: Malaysia is divided into two main regions, Peninsular Malaysia located south of Thailand on the Indochinese Peninsula, and Malaysian Borneo, also referred to as East Malaysia. For our trip, we stayed on Peninsular Malaysia, visiting the cities of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital, and Malacca. Malaysia is populated by three main ethnic groups: the Malays, the Indians, and the Chinese.
Malaysia was formed in 1957 after gaining its independence from Britain. A total of nine sultanates and five other territories united to create the newly formed nation, each one represented by the fourteen pointed star and fourteen red and white stripes on the Malaysian flag. In 1965, Singapore left the union to become an independent city-state, but the fourteenth point and stripe remains on the flag, now representing the federal government.
Arrival: We arrived by plane from Bangkok and headed to our hotel to check in before joining an afternoon tour. After hanging out in our room for about an hour, we headed to the lobby to catch the tour at 2:30. When no one arrived by 3:00, Peep started making some calls. As it turned out, our travel agent told us to meet the guide at the start time of the tour, rather than at the pick-up time, 1:45, and the guide did not call up to our room when he didn't find us in the hotel lobby. After a lot of back and forth with our travel agent and the tour company, a private guide arrived at the hotel at 4:15 and we were finally able to start seeing the sights.
Petronas Twin Towers: Our first stop was at a popular spot for taking photos of the Petronas Twin Towers, the two fifth tallest buildings in the world. The day was overcast and the stainless steel exterior of the buildings made for a very striking appearance against the backdrop of the storm clouds.
Craft House: Our next stop was at a handicraft shop. There we learned about the making of Batik fabrics. First, the design is drawn on the cloth using wax. The wax soaks through the fabric, essentially creating a dam to stop the dye that is applied at the next step. Finally, the wax can either be melted off or left on the final product. Each of the items produced at the shop we visited were unique, as no guides or patterns were used when the wax was applied.
Chocolate: Our next stop was at a chocolate factory. Although we were not shown the actual chocolate making process, we were presented with a quick overview of the technique. Next, we were led into the shop where we were able to taste test any of the various kinds they produced. Most were made with fruits or nuts, but the most unique one we tried was made with hot peppers.
Istana Negara: We continued on and made a quick stop by the Istana Negara, or the King's Palace. The palace is not open to visitors and only a small portion of the building can be seen from the main gate. The Istana Negara is the residence of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or Supreme Ruler of Malaysia, a largely ceremonial post. Malaysia has one of the very few elected monarchies in the world. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is elected by the Conference of Rulers, a group composed of the rulers of the nine sultanates that make up Malaysia. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong has to be one of the nine and each holds the post for a five-year term, sitting in turn.
Tugu Negara: Our last stop for the day was at the Tugu Negara, or National Monument. The Malayan National Monument was designed by Felix de Weldon, the same sculptor who designed Washington's Iwo Jima Monument. The seven soldiers surrounding the Malaysian flag represent leadership, suffering, unity, vigilance, strength, courage and sacrifice. The monument honors the sacrifices made against the Japanese during World War II and against the communists during the Malayan Emergency. Located directly adjacent to the monument is a cenotaph which was the first National Monument.
After our quick afternoon tour, our guide dropped us off back at our hotel, where we had dinner and then went to bed.