A Lady in London

Nine hours is a long time to spend on a train. By the time I arrive in Kuala Lumpur from Penang, I can’t wait to stretch my legs. I have less than 12 hours left in Malaysia before traveling to the Philippines, but I’m not ready to go yet.

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Penang. A Shangri-La, a distant spice island in a mysterious legend. The Far East, full of traders and sailing ships, the meeting place of Easterners and the coveted jewel of Westerners. The final destination on my Malaysia travels.

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Driving up into the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, the roads become increasingly winding. As my ears pop for the millionth time, I look out the window at the lush surroundings dotted with giant greenhouses. Many of them are growing strawberries and other produce that can’t take the heat in the country’s lower altitudes.

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The sky is magenta. I scramble out of my seat, nearly toppling the woman next to me, and run to the opposite window to get a photo. And a video. It is one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen, and it reminds me why I decided to travel by train in Malaysia.

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Looking out over the Strait of Malacca, I feel I’m peering into history. Like most Westerners, the body of water is something I read about in books as a child but never expected to see in person. But it’s here. Right in front of me. And being in Malacca shows me that the strait’s fame as a historic trading passage still affects its namesake city today.

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“You’ve eaten lunch?” she asks. She’s not actually wondering whether I’ve consumed my afternoon meal. Rather, she is greeting me in the traditional Malaysian manner. And this simple salutation speaks volumes about the culture here. The food culture. The food obsession.

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After spending Christmas in Singapore, the next stop on my winter sun adventure was Malaysia. It wasn’t just any part of Malaysia, though. It was Langkawi. Located off the west coast of the country near the border with Thailand, Langkawi is an archipelago of 99 islands. The largest, called Langkawi, is where I spent the past three days.

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Autumn has finally arrived in London. After a bit of a sunshine teaser earlier this week, the weather has become significantly cooler. As such, I’m starting to get excited about my upcoming fall and winter travels. One of the most exciting trips I have in the pipeline is a two-week jaunt to Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam over New Year’s.

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