It's Bohemian

I arrived in Malaysia yesterday. A destination is as much the sum of all the legs of the journey as it is a city or town, so before I talk about the bunk bed I'm sleeping in or the bathroom down the hall that I share...

I was in Hatyai, the largest of the cities of Southern Thailand. There is a lot of Chinese influence here, and a lot of Muslim influence, with people weaving in and out through the fabric of the city as if they are just different threads in the same pattern.

The guesthouse I stayed in was cheap - 160Baht a night for a single, with your own bathroom that leaves you wondering what kinds of things you can catch on your feet that might be difficult to get rid of. I think there were bedbugs in the mattress, but who knows; something about the mold and dust make me itchy anyway. And yet, it was, in it's own way, wonderful.

The train station was only two blocks away, and day and night markets surrounded it, leading to a modern mall with KFC and McDonald's an Sizzler, movie theaters and karaoke game rooms....I decided to try two things, so I enjoyed (yup, actually enjoyed) a couple silk worms and bamboo worms (that's what they called them) that had been sprayed with salt water at the market. I may try the scorpions some day, but not quite yet. Think protein filled crunchy salted snacks....

I also decided to try the Double Big Mac. I couldn't get through half it! I did find a hair in my fries, which is not surprising for Thailand but was for McD's. And when I was done, with a pile of fries left and less than half of the sandwich on my tray, I felt "the attack." The kind of attack you only truly understand when having been out here. So much for having to watch out for street vendor food. Watch out for McD's too...

I left Hatyai and am now sitting on the top of a bunk bed in Penang, Malaysia. Entering Malaysia was a fun experience. You can take an AC van from Hatyai for 350Baht; it takes you to the Thai border where you get out and get in line to receive your exit stamp; then you drive 500 meters and get out again to go through immigration in Malaysia. Nothing fancy, but when you're in a van for several hours, these little stops are fun, and somewhat exciting since you always wonder if you're going to make it through. Sure, pretty much everyone makes it through, but there is always that chance that you did something wrong without knowing it and end up living your life between borders...I think I would learn how to juggle.

The moment you cross into Malaysia, things look different. Billboards in English - street signs with Latin (English?) characters - police spelled Polis and taxi spelled Takesi on the side of vehicles. It was raining, a thick cloud hugging the foot of a mountain in the distance, the landscape covered in trees; steam and lush green of a rainforest battling the freeway for dominance over the land. Rice fields, sheep, muddy roads and wooden shacks...and then, entire California-style communities with stucco walls and clay roofing emerging out of the jungle.

Penang is nothing like most of Thailand, and certainly not anything like a Thai island. As we crossed the bridge here, we say skyscrapers along the shoreline as if creating a wall around the island. Once you enter, you feel like you're inside a normal city; speeding cars, streets lined with mechanic shops and fabric shops, street carts, large trucks both new and old. The people "look" very Chinese, or very Indian, or very "local." Chinese store signs, mosques, and malls.

The food is amazing already, and all I had was a somewhat Indian burger made by a street vendor of little words. I sat on a chair near a dumpster behind him, and he smiled when I gave him a thumbs up as hamburger juice streamed down my fingers. For 4.5RM, it's about $1.50 for a really good eat.

Malaysia is modern in so many ways that Thailand is not, and yet, it has a similar spirit. At least from the window of an AC van. I have just gotten here, and am sure I will understand the flavor more over this next month. I'm looking forward to recognizing the spice that is Malaysia by the time I leave.