Developing Malaysia and manicured sophisticated and somewhat regimented Singapore

Malaysia is developing. Very fast!   330k sq kilometers in area. Population close to 30m. Johor Bahru in the South where we are is a place of contrast. Old and new alongside. Many more highways than we have, super well-run train system including underground, plenty of "bas" and "teksi" at very reasonable cost. 

Varied housing from working class shacks, dormitory style blocks, through levels of middle quality to mansions and palaces. Reminders in abandoned building complexes of a previous economic collapse when German investment came to a sudden halt. Ethnic groups include Chinese 28% Malay 50% Indian 7% Indigenous 11% others of mainly European and Asian backgrounds living alongside each other.  Colour, noise, activity. Forget weekends and holidays. Indonesia was the same. They are on the upwards development track and they know it. We feel it. Education is everything. 

Shopping is national pastime. Large centres vary from outdoor markets to kmart style to Southland/Chadstone style and then the up-market Daimaru like. Most Malaysian women possess a black belt in shopping.  One reason is the centres are air conditioned  but also there is money despite the ringat being one third the value of AUD.  

They also know how to party. Halloween was a fun experience at our bar on the marina.  Every night there is music. 

Colin and I had a long day out visiting Singapore. We taxied to the city centre where we picked up a Singapore taxi allowed to take us to Singapore across the Causeway and on to the zoo. At the border our passports were checked and stamped. We have tourist visas now to travel in and out for 30 days. 

Singapore zoo was fantastic. We bought a 30 day ticket covering the main zoo and its feeding and educational activities, the river safari, the tram and the night safari. We used all except the night safari that day. Lots of walking.  The River safari is relatively new and has exceptional aquarium type facilities where the river systems of the world are on display including the Murray. 

White tigers

White rhinos incredibly close to us

Large enclosures where we walk amongst inhabitants. 

Komodo dragon

Polar bear so close we could touch paws

It was here we met a lovely Singaporese woman and her children and learnt better ways to move around and places to go. Off to Chinatown to explore and eat. Found a place favoured by the locals - Hong Kong Street Fish-head Steamboat. Excellent and very cheap. 

Home by MRT (metro rapid transport) bus and taxi. $70 to Singapore, $12 to get home :). It does take longer and you have to jump on and off the bus a couple of times to pass back through both Singapore and Malaysia Immigration. All good fun and 800k Malaysians do it every day. 150k motorbikes cross the Causeway every day at $4 each way. 

Diwaly is the festival of light in the Hindu religion. Equivalent to Christmas. Beautiful clothes bought by families for the occasion. I tried a few on but nothing to fit. We went to the Hindu temple in city central which had stalls and activities around it. 

Very beautiful and a spiritual experience. We met a lovely young couple who explained some aspects of the festival and Hindu religion to us and advised we visit the only crystal temple in the world nearby. We were so glad we did. Here there was only us and a Chinese family other than the locals. We were made very welcome and watched the religious rites taking place including blessings. The music, chanting and acoustics were wonderful. 

Interesting story to this place and the community program run from it led by a former teacher.  Sounds, smells, sights so foreign and yet what strikes us is the similarity of the stories and values running through all the religions we are experiencing. In this place there are statues of Jesus, Buddha and Mother Theresa as well as Hindu notables. Makes you wonder. 

After we wander down back streets and catch buses to see further afield than the city around us. 

Cecilie and John are already planning the next year's travelling and visitors to join them and saying they won't have time for this or that along the way. We think they will be here for several years. So much to see and do and often so inexpensive to live.  We look forward to more travels with them and hearing about their adventures. 

A last dinner at our excellent Italian restaurant. The chef trained in Singapore and one of the 5 star hotels for six years. Joined by Lyn and Chris of Out of the Blue ll. They live and travel on their catamaran as do a number of the Sail Indonesia fleet. 

So today is our last day in Malaysia and on the beautiful Delphian. Goodbye to the sounds of the Mullahs in the fresh early morning and the small cats with their crooked truncated tails, the daily storms that allow us to quickly fill the tanks and drinking water containers and thunder violently right over us. 

The four of us are off for two nights in a hotel in Singapore then back to Australia for Colin and I. It will be sad to leave this incredible highly emotional and spiritual journey through Asia. Life culminates in unexpected ways and places. We have woven strong threads with those we love through Canberra, Queensland, the outback, Northern Territory and Asia.

And the women are still strong, the men good looking and the children above average at Camp Wilkinson.