Footprints

Hello again!
Time marches on and we are making the most of our time here in Laos. The days are hot. The nights are too for that matter. But the land is truly magnificient. I can't wait to spend some time writing about this area. Hopefully I will peak your interest. This country has much to offer...
But for now I want to take you to a different place...

Imagine a street of crumbling grandeur. The buildings, once gleaming white in the heat of the sun, are now cracking and fading. Wooden shutters, once painted tidy shades of blue and brown, hang from their hinges, warping in the moist sea air. Carved cement facades proudly decay above the chic cafes who fee off the tourism brought in by the now legendary beauty of a town in decay.
A wasted fort stands sentinel one the hill crowning the lively town square. A formable church of deep, brilliant red sits prominently below in the shadow of the old fort. The stark white lettering proclaims in to be “Christchurch” boldly in the noonday heat. The grid work of streets is orderly. Bright paint gives a touch of pride to the reconstruction efforts and more and more restaurants, pubs and guest homes appear regularly.
A few kilometers from the old city center a new mall glares testily at its surroundings. Inside name brands and knock offs compete for shelf space.
The smells of coffee and warm pastries can be found on every street. The newer cafes showcase excellent cakes and pies, their walls decorated in art motifs.
The people smile broadly. Their English has a faint accent but is otherwise perfect. They sit in shop doorways and watch with amusement the growing tourist throng.
Is this a scene from modern day France or Portugal? No, far from it – at least geographically speaking. The town was Melaka just south of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This was a sleepy fishing village until the opportunistic Portuguese discovered its exceptional location on the recently discovered trade route on Asia’s Silk Road. For centuries this simple town would be tossed between dueling European countries. It would see the Portuguese, Dutch and British flags before its identity as a South East Asian city would be restored. Its story is not unusual.
During the 14th century, the European super-powers of the day marched across the globe in an insatiable quest for discovery and conquering. They trod with heavy feet and those footprints are still evident today – often in the most inconspicuous places.
This march of European influence left entire nations and even continents in its wake (i.e. New Zealand and Australia) but even in areas where the shadow of a European flag hasn’t been seen for hundreds of years, the evidence of their lasting impressions still echoes in remote towns and communities. You can taste the influence in the excellent French pastries of Luang Prabang, Laos and see its ghostly face in the old colonial tea plantations of the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia.
It catches a traveler by surprise this faded but familiar echo of European ambitions. These countries, perhaps so used to the myriad of influences from outside invaders, have embraced and adapted these influences to suite their needs. The broad grid-like streets of Melaka prove perfect for a colorful – and entirely Asian – night market. The local tuk-tuk drivers, noticing the European appreciation for color and grandeur, lavishly decorate their tuk-tuks with fake flowers, flashing lights, and blaring radios to draw the attention of the pale tourists braving the humidity and heat. (Side note: a tuk-tuk (pronounced took-took) is a mode of transportation found all over South East Asia though its forms vary greatly. The tuk-tuks in Melaka were bikes modified to have a bench-like seat attached behind the driver. These seats are then covered with a shade and decorated in the most unique manner possible. They are a source of pride for the drivers who often heckle their less decorated or overly decorated peers.)
Melaka was a beautiful town – then and now. Its proud history gives it a peaceful and picturesque personality. It was, for our traveling band of gypsies, a surprising find of misplaced influence on the road less traveled.


Oh but there's more! I have another blog coming up in three....two...one...

Read on!