Saturday, March 18, 2023 - Koala Lumpur

 

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Saturday, March 18 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 

Before reaching our port, we traveled along an area that was a container port. We couldn't count the number of ships being loaded.

Our tour today took us to a somewhat remote village to visit with a group of aboriginals. There are a number of aboriginal tribes in Malaysia with a wide variance in cultures. We visited with the Mah Meri. They have their own lifestyle that goes back many generations. The government has recognized the importance of retaining these tribes along with their heritage. They have been given land and protections. 

On the way to the village we passed through acre after acre after acre of palm orchards. These palms are palm oil palms. Malaysia is one of the world's largest producers of palm oil. 

The Mah Meri survive through their crafts of wood carving and basketry. We were greeted with woven crowns and a drink of lime juice. There is one person from the outside that lives with the Mah Meri and acts as interpreter for them. He introduced us to their history and lifestyle. We were then given a brief demonstration of a traditional dance with the male dancers wearing masks. The age of the male dancers ranged from a mature adult to probably an 8 year old. All the females we saw had elaborate headpieces woven out of a local grass. 

After the introduction, we were welcomed into the village itself and could observe the wood working, and the young girls helped any in the group that wished it to weave a simple example of their craft. I use the word woven, but it is more of a cross between weaving and braiding. Very impressive. 

They have a small museum that we toured, then they conducted a wedding ceremony in the traditional way. The wedding party consisted of our fellow guests. These types of ceremonies are an extremely important part of their culture. After the wedding, we were served a very nice buffet lunch. 

I think the tour could have been even more enjoyable had we had a guide on the bus that communicate better in English. Our guide was very difficult to understand and she was unable to answer even basic questions.