Malaysia in a Nut Shell

Casey, Ben, Erin and Drew

It's our last day in Malaysia, and the last three weeks have flown by. Our time here was more about relaxing, than about seeing sights or traveling from place to place. Most importantly, we wanted to spend time with our good friends Ben and Casey, who are some of the coolest folks we know. Ben is a wonderful guy, full of interesting conversation and good humor. We've been able to observe firsthand, his strength and positive attitude in his recovery from a recent stroke. He's almost back to his old self, and has a vigor for life that can't even compare. Casey is a sweet, beautiful, strikingly smart gal. She has an honesty and openness to life that I've rarely seen equaled in others, and she seems to always be in search of the authentic experiences in our world. We've had such a great time with them, and I can't even express how wonderful it is to have quality time with friends during this year of so many strangers. Even though they felt like they didn't show us around enough, we simply wanted to have time with them in their home here in Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur Skyline

We spent most of our time in Malaysia in the city of KL. It's a very clean and colorful city, with great architecture and mass transit that zips you around. It's people are diverse, a collection of Malays, Chinese, Indians, and expats. There are Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and Christians. KL has a lot of green spaces, big parks and even a jungle walk in the middle of the city. And even though it's a modern city, it's relatively cheap if you stick to the local food stalls and public transportation. As far as cities go, it's a great one in my book.

Christmas Dinner

We felt lucky to have spent the holidays with Ben and Casey. It meant a lot to us to be in the company of good friends, both for Christmas and for New Year's eve. We did have a few presents but the biggest gift of all was to be able to speak at length with our families. We all discovered how cool technology can be, and used Skype for the first time. It's amazing to see the faces of our loved ones across the planet from each other, and it really gives a sense of intimacy.


Palau Pangkor Beach
We did get out of the city on a couple of occasions. We spent 4 days on the island of Pulau Pangkor with Ben and Casey. We tried our utmost to be complete beach bums, and spent our time either slothing it on the beach or eating. We entertained ourselves in the evenings by playing cards.

Boh Tea Plantation, Cameron Highlands Drew and I spent another 3 days up in the Cameron Highlands, which is a hill town at about 1500 meters. It's cool temperatures and rainfall make it the perfect climate for growing tea and vegetables, and it felt very comfortable after the sweaty heat of KL. During the days, we visited a tea plantation and did a short jungle walk to a waterfall. Our evenings were spent reading. It was relaxing and easygoing, a nice break from the busy city.

Robinson Falls, Cameron Highlands

Our time in Malaysia was just what the doctor ordered... time to "chillax" as Casey would say. We ate well (satisfied all of our cravings), watched tons of movies, spent numerous hours on-line, and talked at length about our adventures so far. We feel energized and ready for our next leg of the trip, which is Thailand, tomorrow! Our first stop will be in Phuket to visit my second cousin Johnny, his wife Pim, and son Arthur. We'll be sure to fill you in as our adventures unfold!

Erin