The mesmerizing magnificence – Malaysia- a  travelogue

Whilst the first and by far the most common word that would appear all across Malaysia , one that ironically welcomed us at the airport was ‘KELUAR’ which means  ‘EXIT’ ! be that as it may this country was geared up for tourists all across its length and breadth .  Tourism is one of the most important sectors of Malaysian economy , in fact second only to industrial/ manufacturing sector. The thrust on tourism is distinctly felt . As we landed in KLIA-2 , which was previously called Low cost carrier airport (Malaysia is also the birthplace of many low cost air carriers like Air Asia , Malindo airlines etc) , the first thing I felt was the calm and composed nature of the people and the sparse populace as my subsequent stay confirmed , in a stark contrast to India , this country was a quiet country despite the teeming entourage of tourists flowing in .

As I headed to the city round up of Kuala Lumpur , the board signs reminded me of the heavy influence that Sanskrit and urdu/Arabic words have had on the Malaysian language , the Bahasa Malaysia . Words like “bahaya” for danger derived from “Bhaya” in Sanskrit,  such examples were aplenty . Yet as our guide informed Malaysia populace was a amazing mix of all the ethnicities of Asia – the Indian subcontinent, the mongoloid and the south east asian  . Kuala lumpur is a commercial centre and it has  many high rises that looking up and straining the neck for so long made me get a pain in my neck (one of my colleagues in fact suffered sprain in the neck , whether it was because of The Petronas towers it is not known !). The Petronas towers were the most truly remarkable structures , standing tall , these architectural marvels seemed to follow us wherever we went around the city. Brilliant pieces of architecture as they were , they were also aesthetically pleasing to the eye and the night lighting increased their splendor and selfies galore with different poses and new devices were bought to aid in taking selfies !

Islam flowed through the lives of the Malaya people here like a quiet river flowing through a country. It was not azaan from loudspeakers but the quiet prayer rooms built at all public places that signified the presence and distinction of Islam here as compared to the subcontinent . Islam here has influenced and in turn has got influenced by the local culture.

Of the ethnicities the most distinct from the mainstream were the Chinese people , they were more separated whilst the Indian Malaysians seemed to have become one with the local populace. Following traffic rules , discipline on streets and a love for quiet business was apparent as I visited the shopping malls , the streets like China town (Petaling Jaya) , Low yat , adjoining street to the pavilion mall etc.

The Capital gains of Malaysia – Putrajaya

While having received ‘gyan’ from the net ,from day 1 here I was pestering my friends to visit Putra Jaya , it took no less than the High Commissioner from India to Malaysia to finally influence them to visit the brand new capital Putrajaya . Around 50km from Kuala lumpur , this entire city was built by the Malaysian government and the city evokes an unparalleled splendor and being one of the most recent capitals built , looking at it one wonders about the adage – Rome was not built in a single day ! The bridges , the mosques , the Prime minister’s residence , the national square , national monument all a heady cocktail of modern, Islamic and malayan architecture , it was as though a long ballad written in cement and steel ! Yet there was again a quiescent splendor , little crowds and large lung spaces , green spaces abound by design . Putra jaya – was an example to be emulated .

LANGKAWI – step in  , be duty free !

Literally coming on the weekend and being free from the official class hours and discovering this duty-free wonder island was a refreshing experience . It reminds one of Goa . The hustle –bustle of tourists from every nook and corner of the world , buzzing night life , streets lined with restaurants of every possible cuisine . Pristine beaches, endemic wildlife , present a nature sponsored break from the routine. Island hopping tour takes you to various uninhabited islands with limestone caves , the splendid back waters. Noteworthy being the pregnant maiden’s lake which provided picturesque setting and a swimmers’ paradise.

A little further the cable car and the sky walk on which the shooting of the bollywood hit Don took place and the visit to a zoo was all great. Cenang beach is a beautiful beach especially sunset being exquisitely soothing to the eye  and the Parasailing adventure there provided a extraordinary view with an orange  setting sun , blue waters and green islets of land - picturesque and serene.

The visit to Batu caves reminded me of the Indian connection that this land carried with the ancient Indian civilization with the tall statue of Swami Ayappa , the presiding deity in this magnificent limestone caves . The caves were awe-inspiring. But unfortunately we missed the dark caves tour which was closed at the time of our visit.

The good , the bad and the ugly .

Tourists always have some extraordinary and some sour experiences . First the bad one – As it happens in India ,two taxi drivers literally bullied us by charging illegal extra sum for bags that we were carrying , which were only laptop bags , when confronted by my friends they started into abusing India and Indians . We left huffing and puffing and with a  bad taste must say.

On the contrary , the security lady of the mosque in Putrjaya was so cordial and profusely aplogised us for the mosque being closed after 7.30 pm for non muslims , her genteel and humble nature made us feel good not just about Malaysia but about Islam as well.

On the last leg of the travel we had been to Sunway Lagoon which was rather unremarkable amusement park.  Those of us who had been to Genting well gambled their time well I suppose.

Over all the trip around this “truly asian” country left me with an new insights , learnings , lots of fun. Flying back I enjoyed the sweet after taste that a wanderlust can experience after exploring a new land.