Touring Malaysia: Transitions down the peninsula

My fellow WorldTeach friend/travel companion Matt and I landed in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. The next few days that followed consisted of roaming the very walkable streets and gazing up in admiration at the Petronas Towers, which seemed to be casting shadows on us everywhere we went. There were some delicious Indian, Chinese and Malay meals with pulled tea (an awesome pouring technique that seems rather dangerous to replicate at home) tossed into the mix, but I spent most of my time in KL in a post-rural Thailand daze. The air-con in restaurants made my food cold (eating indoors, what?). The pollution sent my allergies into a rage (traffic jams?). And I couldn’t for the life of me find fresh fruit (where are all the fruit carts?). Somewhere between leaving Nakhon Phanom on an overnight bus to Bangkok and flying down to KL, I also misplaced something. Bulky clothes? Toiletries? Souvenirs? I wish.

What I lost is much more valuable and difficult to replace than anything filling my overstuffed bags. For the past year teaching has been my life and now that I am completely removed from the environment I grew to love, I feel a loss of purpose and an emptiness where my students once were. Don’t read into this sentiment too much, though, because in many ways I was ready to go. The goodbyes had to come sooner or later. I am also very happy right now as I travel the beautiful country of Malaysia and am excited about returning home to my loved ones in a few short weeks.

We’re now in Melaka, a port city with Dutch, Portugese and English influences, in addition to the country-wide Malay, Indian and Chinese trio. The architecture is beautiful and the food is delicious. I’m really enjoying the chicken rice curry and pineapple tarts, as well as the Malaysian coffees and teas. Though my thoughts often drift to the students and teachers in Pla Pak, I am beginning to replace my nostalgic cap for a traveler’s hat, falling more into a comfortable backpacker routine by the day.

Tomorrow we depart for Penang, an island off the Western coast of the peninsula, about seven hours north of Melaka. Here is where we’ll spend the remainder of our time in Malaysia, before flying back to Bangkok and then to the States. I think it’s about time to check my laundry and assess my packing situation, as I have purchased a few more  last-minute items that will prove to be a challenge fitting in my already over-stuffed backpack!

Thailand Tribute #10: Boba

Boba and all its flavors: A perfect treat in hot, humid weather

Boba, bubble tea, and khai mook are just a few of the many names for this incredible drink. Although it is quite popular in the States, I didn’t experience my first boba until I was in Thailand, and it has since played an integral part in the happiness of my life here. I’m actually feeling a bit apprehensive about returning to the Midwest and it’s utter lack of boba-ness. In Thai we call it khai mook (which means “pearl”) because that’s what the tapioca balls included in the drink are called. Popular flavors range from teas and coffee (freshly brewed) to fruits and vegetables (in powder form) which are blended with ice, non-dairy creamer and of course, condensed milk. My favorites include Thai iced tea, coffee and taro. Durian was a pretty big no and I have yet to try the corn and cantaloupe, which both seem intriguing.

Above is a picture of a typical khai mook stand in our village. The flavors are stacked high in these cylindrical containers and until I started reading Thai, it was a bit of a guessing game to find the right one. Luckily taro is usually the only purple color! Khai mook has been our go-to treat for relief from the sweltering heat and humidity, a reward for jobs well done, as well as consolation after rough days at school. I will certainly miss this popular and utterly delicious drink.

Along the Mekong

Amber and I are in Mukdahan (a small trade city south of Nakhon Phanom, which is now known for Friendship Bridge #2 connecting Thailand to Laos). We arrived last night after three full days of teaching at my village schools in Pla Pak. She had a lot of fun meeting my students, helping me lead “Daily Routine” activities and taking pictures of me with my classes. On Friday afternoon we caught a ride into NKP with my principal from Pla Pak Noi and hopped on a bus to Mukdahan.

The bus ride was less than comfortable; for most of the two hour trip there were people standing all the way down the aisle (an aisle that was too narrow for the width of my hips!) and the air-con didn’t seem to actually produce cold air. Despite these setbacks we were able to make the most of it. Amber introduced me to The Moth so we passed the time by listening to stories.

Upon arrival at the Mukdahan bus station we were accosted by several Tuk Tuk drivers and quickly bargained for a lower fare before getting in the one that seemed to offer the best deal (a point of controversy, as Amber claims the neighboring driver was offering an even lower fare than the one I chose!). We tore out of the station’s parking lot towards our hotel and Amber experienced her first Tuk Tuk ride with joy.

After dropping our bags off in our room we headed south along the Mekong river to Wine Wild Why?, one of the few restaurants with Roman script and an English menu. The atmosphere was great. There was outdoor seating all along the river’s edge, the whole restaurant was lit up with pretty lights and our waiter even gave us some bug repellent to use. The food was great too. Amber had the green curry dish and I the red.

Today we had coffee at a really cute place called Good Mook, just down the street from our hotel. It was so nice we actually returned this evening for a cocktail (yes, it is a coffee shop, a bar and a restaurant with books, a television and sometimes live music…a great find!) and we will probably visit again tomorrow. After coffee and then breakfast we went to Mukdahan National Park. We did not plan too well and arrived at high noon so walking from rock formation to rock formation was quite a sweaty experience. Luckily there were gazebos and large rocks to rest under until we felt energized enough to make it to the next shelter. On our way back to the park entrance we were asked by several groups of Thai high school girls to take pictures with them. Amusing, I know.

Getting back to Mukdahan was more of an ordeal than we anticipated (and if my mom asks, the story that follows actually didn’t happen). We asked the ticket office personnel where we could catch a sawngtaew (Baht bus) back to the city. They said we needed to get to the thanon yai (big road) about a kilometer away. Before we knew it one of the park security officers pulled up on his motorbike to give us a lift to this road so we climbed on the back and sped away. Once we reached the main road we assumed a baht bus would come by shortly but after about 25 minutes we were laughing at such foolish thoughts. By that time two double-decker tour buses had passed us, heading towards Mukdahan, so I turned to Amber and said I would try to flag down the next one that passes and see if they would let us hitch a ride.

Shortly after saying this a silver truck honked and pulled over to the side of the road. A woman in the passenger seat asked where we were going and then offered to take us since they were heading in the same direction. After weighing our options we decided to accept and as we pulled away I looked behind us and there was the third double-decker, right behind the truck! I tried to make small talk but my limited Thai allowed me to express only two things: I was a teacher and the park was fun. Then we were told the driver was a police officer in Mukdahan. I was skeptical at first but was convinced after we were shown the two bobble-head police officers bouncing away on the dashboard. That was good enough proof for me. The driver also pointed out the police headquarters which happened to be right around the corner from our hotel. We thanked them several times as we climbed out of the truck and then headed upstairs for quick showers before shopping at the Indochina Market and eating dinner at the Night Market.

I’ve really enjoyed our weekend trip, short though it was, because it gave me a chance to explore my backyard. Next weekend we will travel a bit farther and will have more time to do so, since I took off Friday and may possibly have a free day on Monday. Hopefully I’ll post some pictures from this trip before then, but no promises.