After getting somewhat acclimated to the near-equator weather in Singapore we made the south to the north transition en route to Kuala Lumpur on a luxury bus passing through local immigration control in under four hours. What immediately strikes you is the preponderence of palm trees along the way. Acres and hectares of this stuff growing in neat organized plantations owned by a couple of local oil producers. Palm oil that is. The country's largest export. Apparenty they are so good at it that the government sends the average citizen a MYR 7,000 refund check each year (approx $2,200). See Uncle Sam you got to change your agri mix.
Also another noteworthy item is the state of their highways. Fantastic. Equal to or some cases better than those interstates stateside. For another ex-colonial country that made it to independent status (less time than India has been independent) and occupied by a largely Muslim, peace loving people it is a wake up call for other nations not able to pull this type of setup.
It is not the most efficient system in some of its processes but clearly has set itself up as a strong economy with a diverse population that adds to its cultural and gastronomic charms.
One of our visit in the week we spent in this beautiful land was to an island called Langkawi named for a large eagle whose statue guards their harbor.
Some other architectural attractions of course included the Petronas Twin Towers that belong to the local oil corporation (non palm type) along with the new ministry buildings of Putra Jaya.
A unique experience for child and adult alike was to visit the swampy river at Kuala Selangor and see the fireflies light up the night sky within the mangroves that border the river. You go on a row boat as close as you can to these trees and watch the flies light up as the males look for females to mate. Eerily brilliant.
Wipe the sweat off and head over to a local dhaba type eatery to enjoy some spicy crab washed down with Tiger Beer. Remarkable.
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