Malaysia!!!

Reeling from my experience in India, I feel that only three days at sea was not enough to prepare for Malaysia. However, this is another lesson that Semester at Sea has been teaching me: to adapt and be flexible. Nevertheless the Explorer sailed through the Strait of Malacca and we arrived in the island of Penang, Malaysia on Monday, April 2nd.
Another first happened; we all had to get into the lifeboats…thankfully only to be transported from the bay to the port. It is exciting to always have something new! Our first day was a fun one, a day with the girls. Kate, Jen, Brit, and I got acquainted with Georgetown, the capital of the island and state of Penang. It is one of the largest islands in the Strait of Malacca and was previously a hideaway for pirates! Unfortunately, the pirates have vacated but there was still a lot to see!
Our first stop was to get some coffee and then we “planned” on visiting an internet café. However, the café was located in the Kumptar Tower, a very large mall which offered anything and everything at prices that made Wal-Mart seem steep! After a few hours of indulgence, we ventured back to the port to take the lifeboats back to the ship. We grabbed a bite to eat and then met up with some friends to experience the nightlife of Penang.
On Tuesday a group of 120 SASers boarded three large tour buses to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. What should have been a four hour drive turned into a ten hour day! The combination of traffic, rain, and well, unknown reasons, we arrived in KL around 5pm. This city was absolutely incredible! It is known as the Garden City of Lights with breathtaking architecture and plush greenery highlighting the old and new parts of the city. There are colonial buildings, a lively Chinatown, and buildings such as the Petronas Towers which are two of the tallest and most spectacular buildings in the world! The population is close to two million and is the where the central government resides. We checked into the Swiss Garden Hotel, another nice accommodation provided by SAS. Then we went to our welcome reception which was lovely. The food was plentiful with choices from Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Thai cuisine. I will have to admit though that the dessert selection was delectable! The rest of the reception we were entertained by a multicultural dancing from India, Malaysia, and China. After the colorful show a few of us met some friends at another hotel…one that looked directly at the Petronas Towers…phenomenal! The night was fantastic and we got to experience how energetic nightlife is in KL.
Wednesday was spent touring KL. We drove by the Jamek Mosque, Sultan Abdul Samad Building, KL Central (Rail system), and Chinatown. It was amazing to see the unique combination of all the different religions and ethnicities in the area. We stopped at the Royal Palace and took pictures with some of the guards and their horses. The gates were intricately decorated in a shiny gold. The next stop was at the National Museum, an interesting insight to the history of Malaysia. Then it was to the Lake Garden and the National Monument. The best part was ascending up the 421-foot KL Tower for a bird’s eye view of the entire city. Overlooking all the places we just visited was great and seeing the Petronas Towers at that height was awesome! Our tour ended with a Chinese lunch at a local restaurant. When we returned to the hotel, Stacy and I headed off to explore more of KL. It is a bustling city. We ended up shopping and getting the famous reflexology massage…very refreshing. Then we got dolled up for another night on the town!
Our last day in KL was a short one. After breakfast we checked out of the hotel and got back on the buses for Penang. Thankfully the drive was only 6 hours instead of 10. We got to watch movies though so the time went by faster. At port the line to take the lifeboat back to the ship was long. We had to wait over an hour but it was fun to catch up with everyone and share stories.
Overall, Malaysia was a great place to visit. It is hard for me though to think that only a week ago I was in India. The experiences that I had there will forever be life changing but that is not to discount my time in Malaysia. I am very thankful to have had three days in this fascinating country. Though I think there is a lot more to learn, see, and do here. Again, that is one thing that SAS has taught me: to really dig deep into a culture and drink it all in. I hope that I am fortunate enough to come back. I had a really great time. I was able to relax, enjoy my friends, and make memories. So for that I am thankful.