Gentlemen… start your engines!

Only three days at sea to absorb India and here I am in Malaysia. We arrived in Peneng and five of my friends and I flew to Kuala Lumpur. Before I go any further, yes I’m about to say five star hotel. I stayed in a hostel in Brazil, its time to use our powerful dollar and take advantage of it. Arriving at the Mandarin Oriental we were greeted by a full staff that you would expect from a five star hotel. Our hotel was right next to the Petronas towers which are the highest towers in the world! Upon checking into the hotel I was greatly surprised to find out that we had been upgraded. The lady told us we had been moved to the top floor with a view of the towers. I walked into our rooms which had a door that opened to create one large suite. Directly in my face on the other side of the windows was the towers. We had the best view in the city. A side note that you will understand later, many of the Formula 1 drivers had rooms at out hotel for the Petronas Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Grand Prix.

Malaysia was the first Islamic country we had on our itinerary. Besides the women walking around with berkas on; what made me feel the Islamic faith was the call to prayer many times a day. One could hear what we would call a hymn about four times a day throughout any part of Malaysia.

I loved Kuala Lumpur and hope to make it back for a F1 race sometime. I’m sad that I just missed the race but I was at least in KL for the hype that was building up before. Not only did F1 drivers stay in our hotel but the entire BMW team from corporate to marketing to team to just about any BMW position during the race. I have never in my life seen BMW’s like the ones they were driving around and up to the hotel. Some of them looked like seven series BMW’s but more tricked out without badges to tell what they were.

I was impressed at how well Kuala Lumpur has developed into the financial heart of Malaysia. Tall skyscrapers with bank logos were a sure sign of economic success in the region. Of all the ports we have visited no port has been as helpful. People would walk up to me at the airport and ask me what I needed help with because they could tell I was struggling with where to go. Great place to come back but its time to move on.

India

I really don’t have much to say about India. It wasn’t my favorite port, yet it changed me more than any port thus far. I’m still reflecting on India and how it changed me. Maybe it’s the experience of riding in a rickshaw and glancing out at the poverty flying past you. The people suffering of polio and the people just down right dying on the side of the road. Could it be the seven year old child holding a malnourished new born baby asking for money?

From a cultural aspect I feel changed after visiting Varanasi, Sitting on a boat and slowly sailing down the Ganges River felt life changing to me. The stench of a burning body on the banks of the river, watching the ritual of Hindus washing themselves of the birth and rebirth cycle. This is a ritual that has gone unchanged for thousands of years. What is something that you can remember that has gone unchanged for that long?

I guess I really can’t put into words what I saw, felt and comprehended. I can’t tell you I saw many parts of India: Chennai, New Delhi, Varanasi and Agra. Yes I did the tourist thing by going to the Taj Mahal, but I fell that was just something to look at. I felt everything in Varanasi. I saw everything in New Delhi. I guess this is a place I will share my reflections once I’m home and I have absorbed all of this.