WHERE IN THE WORLD: PULAU KETAM, MALAYSIA

Notes from the tour zone with George Fontana

A northwest course through the Straits of Malacca took us from Singapore to Port Klang (Kelang), Malaysia. Once at Port Klang, most aboard chose to visit Kuala Lumpur one hour inland. John and I opted to travel to the small mangrove island of Pulau Ketam (Crab Island). From the Port we took a cab to a smaller terminal where we boarded a ferry for a 40 minute trip through uninhabited islands to arrive at remote Pulau Ketam. A small monkey appeared on a beach to observe us, and we noted many tropical waterfowl on shore, although not in abundant numbers. Inhabited by Chinese, the descendants of Hainanese, Pulau Ketam is known for its fine restaurants specializing in crab dishes. Stilt houses, built out over the water, are connected by narrow wooden walkways and bridges. There are no roads. The busy market place is typically lined with small food concessions, household goods venders, clothing and electronics stalls. A number of ornate Chinese temples anchor one end of the market place. Offshore, numerous floating fish farms dot the nearshore waters -aquaculture at its most traditional. I was intrigued by the still sleek although ancient Soviet-built passenger boats which remain in operation in the area. Although the heat and humidity were extreme, and despite the ubiquitous iPhones, we welcomed the opportunity to visit a part of the world relatively unchanged by time. And now to Sri Lanka.

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