A greeting in Malay and Chinese

PENANG

Aussie's Anouk & Simon on the Suzuki they rode from New York to Alaska

Simon presents Anouk with her medal for completing her first half-marathon -- you go girl!

The Royal Australian Air Force doesn't want Simon & Anouk to feel uncomfortable while posted overseas -- not bad, eh?

Great Architecture can be found all over town

    . . When in Rome . . .

KUALA   LUMPUR

Suhaimi leads us into KL

Petronas Twin Towers in the background

Viewed from the top (looking down), each tower is made in the shape of an Islamic star

The tallest identical towers in the world

Shopping till you drop at the KLCC Shopping Mall at the Petronas Towers.

The Sultan Abdul Samad building ---during the day

... and at night

Erin with Ven, another F650 rider who rode from India to England a few years ago.

Erin phones home to Mom -- she's using the internet from our laptop.  It's a free call!

Man selling FRESH honey in Little India -- those are bee hives filled with bees in the red buckets!

Some of the locally produced soft-drinks

BUKIT TANDAK

Zaharan, Rosnah, and their 2 children.  We were invited up to Rosnah's parents home/plantation in Bukit Tandak.  Rosnah moved down to KL years ago, but comes back frequently to see her parents and cousins.  Bukit Tandak is a Muslim farming community near the east coast, just below Thailand.  The locals (we were told) are said to be "land rich" and "cash poor".  They may not have much money (or speak any English), but they're some of the warmest folks we've ever met!

A GAME:  A string made from rubber bands is held at varying heights.  The jumper must get one foot over, then he/she can wrap their foot around, pull down (no hands) and step through.  The girls were the best by far at this particular game!

They must jump back and forth at each height, so speed is also a key factor

The houses here are built on stilts, and mostly made of wood.  The front of the house is one large room which is used for everything (eating, sleeping, entertaining, etc.).   In the back is a very basic kitchen (refrig, portable stove, and sink) and a separate room with bathroom/toilet.  No phone is needed, as people come and go as they please.

Breakfast-time.  Sitting on the floor to eat while trying not to point the bottom of your feet at someone can be tricky when you lose all feeling in your lower extremities!

Visiting the pineapple plantation with Rosnah's mother -- she didn't speak any English, and we got along just great!  She cried when we left 3 days later.

The first pineapple to sprout -- It will be 2 more years before these plants can be harvested.

A nearby lake with a mosque on the far island

MELAKA / MELACCA

Melaka was a former Portuguese colony that later also came under Dutch and English rule.  It's known for its colonial architecture and has become home to several artists.

The Stadthuys, believed to be the oldest Dutch building in the East.

Beautifully restored shop-houses in Chinatown.

Local Melaka artist Charles Cham.

The motorcycles have been crated up and sent by ship to Sydney.  In the meantime, we've become backpackers and more conscientious of what we carry -- this stuff is heavy!