Calypso Island Chronicles » Cameron Highlands

The best masseuse this side of Beijing, China

Hanumann — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:46:02 +0000

My body needed a tune-up after a 4½ hour trek into the jungles clad hills of the Cameron Highlands. It wouldn’t have been so bad except for an arthritic right hip which started acting up about 600 meters into the hike. Talking with other members of the small hiking group afterwards, it seemed that everybody had the same thing in mind – MASSAGE tonight!

Later that evening, I wandered downtown Tanah Ratah looking for a place where I could get a therapeutic massage. At the end of the strip, I found a massage shop that looked pretty respectable, so I walked in. After being greeted by the Mamasan, a middle aged Chinese lady, I told her that I wanted a one-hour full body massage. She quickly hooked me up with LULU, a rather vivacious young Chinese lady who had recently arrived from Beijing, China. Apparently Lulu was on loan to the Mamasan who knew her family back in Beijing. Even though Lulu had a very limited facility with English, I was able to communicate with her that I wanted a moderately hard massage. Now I have had plenty of massages (both body and foot) before in Southeast Asia – mostly Thailand - but Lulu’s massage technique was far superior to any massage that I’ve had in recent memory. She kneaded my muscles in my legs, shoulders, arms and upper torso thoroughly. Lulu was exactly what the Doctor ordered. She is what they call, a Natural!

After the massage was finished, Lulu escorted me back into the lobby. With Mamasan acting as a translator, I was able to have a conversation with LULU and found out more about her. When I inquired why Lulu had left her homeland to work in this small, quiet mountain resort town in Malaysia located a good 4 hours from Kuala Lumpur, the answer was very simple (and just as I expected) - MONEY. According to Mamasan, Malaysia was considered an upgrade from Mainland, China – the standard of living was higher, and most Chinese people could make more monies in Malaysia doing the same type of work. In Lulu’s case, she could make far better monies working as a Masseuse in the Cameron Highlands than in her native Beijing.

As a young lady of only 31 years, I asked her whether she missed the glittering discos, fancy nightclubs and bright lights of the big city. Shaking her head, she said no. Even though Tanah Ratah had virtually no nightlife, it suited her fine. When I asked her whether she had children or a boyfriend in China, she shook her head again, smiled and said no. Her plan was to stay in Malaysia for 2-3 years, make some monies, then return home. As it was time for me to leave, I thanked LULU for the wonderful massage and giving her a healthy tip and I told Mamasan (the proprietor) that I would probably return the following night.

I returned the following night, and this time around I had LULU give me a 1-hour foot massage. As she massaged my feet, she allowed me to take a series of pictures of her working me over. Again, she did an excellent job. Before leaving, I took some pictures of Lulu with Mamasan and her coworker just outside the shop. Since it was my last night in Tanah Ratah, I told Mamasan that I would return later and take all three of them out for dinner at a nearby Indian Restaurant. Mamasan said that she would be delighted.

Upon my return a couple of hours later, Mamasan apparently had a change of heart. She decided it wouldn’t be feasible for her, Lulu and her other employee to join me for dinner as she would have to close up the shop for an hour – she didn’t want to lose out on any potential business. No problem, I said, as I bade farewell to Mamasan and to LULU, thanking her again for her wondrous service. She was the best masseuse this side of Beijing, China.

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An eclectic new travel show on MALAYSIA

Hanumann — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:36:17 +0000

I have just published on YOUTUBE my long awaited, critically acclaimed slideshow video on MALAYSIA. This is my 12th travel production that I have put up online and I really believe that Malaysia Farewell ranks as one of my best efforts to date. It is simple and straightforward - the pictures and the music carry the story as there is minimum text. Unlike my prior shows on YouTube*, this will be first one in High Definition. Selamat Datang!

I guess you’re probably wondering who has reviewed Malaysia Farewell – besides Jerry, an old family friend and yours truly, no one else – let it be known though that I am my own harshest critic. My rating for this home production using ProShow Gold V4.0 is 8.5 on a scale of 1-10. I really don’t want to toot my horn anymore, but you must view this latest effort - it is that good!

The video is based on my inaugural 13-day journey to MALAYSIA in November/December 2008 and is intended to be an introduction to this very tropical and exotic destination located just south of Thailand. Highlights include Kuala Lumpur, the cosmopolitan Capital; Melaka (Mallaca), the historic colonial city with a mixed pedigree of Dutch, Portuguese and Chinese Heritages located just 2 hours south of KL; Cameron Highlands, a popular hill resort about 1 mile above sea level with sprawling tea plantations covering the hillsides and a popular locale for jungle hikes; last but not least, the final segment features Langkawi, probably the most popular beach resort in Malaysia and a decent dive destination as well.

Just a couple of notes (and anecdotes) before you view the show. The footage on Kuala Lumpur is very scanty as I was there for only a brief 2 nights/1 day, just long enough to pack and unpack. The section on Melaka is the biggest chunk of the show as there are tremendous photographic opportunities in this UNESCO World Heritage Site including China Town, the colorful night bazaar, old forts and a hybrid culture and architecture that is reflective of Melaka’s colonial past (both Dutch and Portuguese). In Melaka, there is definitely a clash between the Old vs New (and East Vs West) as evidenced by the proliferation of modern shopping centers, new condominium complexes and luxury resorts in addition to manifestations of Western Culture - KFC, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, McDonalds and the like. Finally in Cameron Highlands, where I stayed for 5 days/4 nights, I have omitted gruesome images of THE WOUND, an injury I suffered on the top of my left hand while hiking through the jungle in search of the legendary Jim Thompson.

*Also see Streets of Bangkok

As usual, I have one cameo appearance in the show and there is one rather comical moment! ENJOY!

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Sneak preview of upcoming stories from Thailand & Malaysia

Hanumann — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 21:58:45 +0000

It’s been a rocky start for CALYPSO ISLAND CHRONICLES in 2009. While I was on my 30-day odyssey to Thailand and Malaysia not too long ago, I discovered that Calypso Island Chronicles (and our associated website) had been hijacked by some nasty malware. This hijacking caused traffic numbers to our blog to drop significantly as many of our readers/visitors were unable to access our site and read our new material. Needless to say, this act of cybervandalism caused me a lot of aggravation and grief. Because of the hijacking, I decided to temporarily halt the blogging effort as of January 1st until the culprit was eradicated.

I can finally breathe a sigh of relief as it has been a couple of days that my webmaster – a young English bloke by the name of Paul who lives in the popular mountain resort of Pai in Northern Thailand - discovered a way to extricate the culprit (bug) from the site and banish it into the nether reaches of cyberspace. The details of this hijacking and how you can protect your website from being vandalized by this insidious type of malware will be treated in a subsequent blogpost. Now that CALYPSO ISLAND CHRONICLES has been debugged, we will commence our blogging effort on a variety of travel topics and issues. In particular, in the next couple of months we will feature many stories, anecdotes and memories from our recent excursion to THAILAND AND MALAYSIA. For a sneak preview of upcoming stories in CALYPSO ISLAND CHRONICLES, read on…

A day at the Beauty Salon – how I was worked over by four ladies at my favorite beauty salon in Bangkok
Excursion to the Moslem village of Nong Chok – interesting visit to a small rural Moslem community located just 70KM outside of Bangkok
More Snippets from Bangkok – anecdotes, tips and random observations while stationed in Thailand’s fascinating capital city
An eerie rendezvous with Mother Teresa, Ho Chi Minh and Mao Tse Tung – a visit to the Hall of Fame, the fascinating Wax museum at the Siam Cultural Center in Ratchaburi Province

The Starbucks Index - the cultural impact of STARBUCKS in Thailand and Malaysia
A pleasant Saturday excursion to the 100 Year Market – colorful outdoor Thai market, a popular weekend outing for Bangkokians
THAIger very dangerous, eat money – a rollicking adventure in NAN in Northern Thailand featuring my amiable tour guides, Nong and Chaat
Highlights of Nan – featuring the earth dunes of Sao Din, the Thai Hibachi factory and a visit to a Mlabri village, the most primitive and poorest hilltribe people in Thailand

The Terracotta Lady – profile of the wonderful lady who owns Mae Pundin Guesthouse, an eclectic hostelry near Chiang Mai which features ceramic making and Thai Cooking classes
The Plant Man – Profile of one of Thailand’s premier horticulturalists and owner of Udom Gardens and Nursery in Ratchaburi Province
The View – commentary on the heavenly views at Phu Lang Ka, Phayao Province in Northern Thailand. Out of this world!
Passport of Pan Hu and the Yao People – While I was Phu Lang Ka, I had the opportunity to learn about the origins and history of the Yao people

Special Memorial Tribute to Princess Galyani by the Hmong and Yao people of Phu Lang Ka – One of the most heartwarming experiences that I have ever had as a traveler
The ruination of MELAKA – how modern development threatens to destroy the old world colonial charm of this popular tourist town in Malaysia
Snippets from Chiang Mai – includes a stroll through the famous night Bazaar, outrageous T-Shirts, a weird experience at Whole Earth Restaurant and more!
Snippets from Cameron Highlands – random observations and tips about this popular hill resort in Malaysia including recommended places for dining

Lulu, the best masseuse this side of Beijing – profile of a very talented lady in Cameron Highlands. I miss her magic touch
The search for the legendary Jim Thompson - highlights of a most memorable all day tour in Cameron Highlands featuring a muddy 3 hour hike through the rainforest to the world’s largest flower
Snippets from LANGKAWI – random observations and travel commentary on Malaysia’s most popular beach resort.
Dine around Plan in Langkawi – A review of my favorite places for dining in this popular Malaysian beach resort

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Malaysia’s Goodwill Ambassador

Hanumann — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:07:53 +0000

Arriving in a foreign country can be somewhat of daunting experience as one is often confronted by a culture, way of life and language that is very foreign and different than one is accustomed to. To many travelers, including yours truly, our attitude about a new destination is often shaped by the first several encounters we have with some of the native people.

Case in point - I arrived in Malaysia with no real advance preparation for my visit, other than planning my itinerary and booking my hotels for the duration of my 13-day stay. I admit that I really didn’t know much Malaysia other than it was a Islamic State and former British crown colony in addition to being considerably more tropical and biodiverse than Thailand, Malaysia’s well-known neighbor to the north. I was also familiar with the story of the legendary Jim Thompson, a legend of sorts in Thailand and former WW2 pilot, who mysteriously disappeared in Malaysia’s Cameron highlands in 1967.

Getting back to my story - shortly after landing in KLIA, the international airport located just outside of Kuala Lumpur, I proceeded to the currency exchange booth to change some monies. The gentleman who worked behind the counter, Mr. Kamarozaman B Abdul Rahim, was tremendously helpful and informative about the ins and outs of currency exchange. At the airport he explained, there is a small service fee of $4.00USD for cashing traveler’s checks up to $500, however at any of the currency exchange outlets in town, the rate of exchange would be more or less the same, but there would be no service fee. I went ahead and cashed $300USD in travelers checks anyhow (the rate of exchange being 3.55RM for 1.00USD). He volunteered this information freely without me having to extract it from him. I commended the young man for being so honest and forthright. Thanks to this goodwill ambassador, my initial impression about Malaysia was a good one - he definitely made this traveler feel at ease.

Next up is a story about Eddie, the best airport taxi driver in Kuala Lumpur and another fine ambassador for Malaysia.

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Follow me on my 30 day adventure to Thailand & Malaysia

Hanumann — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 03:07:14 +0000

Round about 12:00 midnight tonight, I will be flying to Bangkok, Thailand for the start of my 30 day Adventure to Southeast Asia – 18 nights in Thailand and 12 nights in Malaysia. This will be my eighth trip to the Kingdom of Siam (Thailand) and my very first time to Malaysia.

As usual I will spend the first 5 nights in Bangkok before I travel upcountry to explore some new places off the beaten track – this time around I will visit Nan and Phayao provinces in Northern Thailand’s Golden Triangle. The tourism infrastructure in these two provinces is fairly rudimentary and the volume of oversea tourists is a drop in the bucket right now; however in 10 years time, this relatively obscure region of rural Thailand will probably become a legitimate tourist trap as more and more tourists discover the area. From what I understand, the countryside is very beautiful here and there are a number of national parks in the general vicinity. I’m really looking forward to some R & R and some thoughtful introspection during my one week in the boonies of Nan and Phayao. Needless to say, I’m bringing lots of reading material.

Malaysia will be quite a unique experience for me as the culture in this Moslem state is 180 degrees different than other countries in this region. During my 12 days there, I will stay briefly in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s modern capital city before venturing out to the old colonial town of Melaka >(Malacca) about 2 hours south. From there I will head to the popular mountain resort of Cameron Highlands which is known for its miles of tea plantations and nearby woodland forests. as well as being the area where the legendary Jim Thompson vanished in thin air - this former World War II pilot from the United States resettled in Thailand shortly after the war and is credited as reviving Thai’s failing silk industry before his mysterious disappearance in the Cameron highlands. My last stop in Malaysia is the popular beach resort of Langkawi “The Cancun of Malaysia”. I understand that it is considerably less busy than Phuket, Thailand’s most popular resort area and the nightlife is quite limited, but I always create my own fun, so “No Worries!”

If you’d like to follow me on my 30 day adventure to Thailand and Malaysia, I suggest that you subscribe to my RSS feed.

Click here to see my whole itinerary!
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