Hitchhiking in Malaysia: Alor Setar
6th of January, 2025.
The first text of 2025! Happy New Year!
After postponing my departure from Mai Dusun Retreat (I came for three weeks but ended up staying six!), I finally get back on the road.
MD gives me a lift to Alor Setar, where he lives with Riza, and drops me off in front of Zahir Mosque. It’s a very beautiful mosque, and the contrast of the white walss and the black domes, with the blue sky is amazing! Well, the original color of the domes was actually copper, as the volunteer guide lady kindly explains to me, but with time they got black. The original part of the mosque was built in 1912, with posterior extensions around 1960’s.
I start walking towards outside Alor Setar sometime after 10. I know it’s quite late already, even though the ride to George Town, in Penang, my next destination, is less then two hours, but I wish I could get there still during the morning time.
As I walk and walk, I arrive to a busy road which I believe to be my exit to George Town. It’s not. Luckily, I stay there for only a few minutes until somebody tells me that. Just as I start walking again, a red pickup stops. It’s funny how some things are supposed to be. If I had taken only one more minute to reach this road, Sufian would’ve had missed me.
Sufian is going to his farm, about 10 minutes from here only, but after that he will go to his other farm, which is roughly half away to George Town. After I am only for a few minutes in the car, he already invites me to camp overnight in this place where we are going. I make the calculations quickly, and realize that going to George Town early tomorrow morning, it’s better than late afternoon today, so I accept the offer.
When we get to Tanah Sofia, I am surprised in how beautiful it is! It’s more than just a farm, it’s a lovely place for people to come and take photos, have an event, fishing and preparing their grilled fish around here, and even lovely views of the rice fields around. There are some date trees, which Sufian has just started growing for selling. There are also some lemon trees and hundreds of other gorgeous plants and flowers. Also, there are many little roosters, some pigeons, and two huge turkeys.
After some time, we go back to Alor Setar, to Sufian’s house, to have lunch. I meet Ameera, Sufian’s lovely wife. Her ancestors are from Punjab, and I already feel nostalgic about India, and we also get along immediately. We talk a lot, about many things. She was born in Malacca, where most of her family still is. They are Sikh, but she converted to Islam when she got married to Sufian. They both worked in a bank for many years, in Kuala Lumpur, and that’s how the met. Now, they have been living in Alor Setar for about 8 years, in Sufian’s family house. Ameera is a wonderful cook, and she bakes lasagnas, shepherd pies, puffs, and many other goodies, for selling.
After a delicious curry for lunch, we must go back, as Sufian will now go to the durian farm.
We stop at Tanah Sofia to get one of his staff, Bani. While they get ready, I take a nap in the room where I supposed to stay tonight. It’s incredibly hot and I am glad for the fan above me. Just before they go, Sufian tells me that’s better if I stay. It will be even hotter by the durian farm, and I think it’s a genious idea, as I would probably start feeling not so good. So I stay and go back to my nap.
I take a walk around and admire the place. The fishes in the pound are huge! And the short roosters are adorable! I finish reading Civil Disobedience, and do some juggling. It’s just then time for Sufian and Bani to come back.
Sufian says I must come with him and we will go to get some food. I was thinking he would just get some take away food for me, but we actually go back to his home, and pick up Ameera (I’m so happy to see her again), so we all go have dinner outside.
We cross Alor Setar and the town looks beautiful with all the lights and leds at night. We come to a very traditional restaurant for kuei teow, called Iman. It’s a huge company now, having already four shops, as they become super popular among the people, and the tables are all set on the streets. We all have kuei teow goreng meatless, and there’s a fried egg on top, but it’s with a running egg yolk. On the contrary of all the previous noodles I have had in Malaysia, this one is flambe, so it tastes delicious!
Ameera and Sufian invite me to stay with them, in their home, instead of camping at Tanah Sofia. How sweet! I refuse at first, because as my backpack is still back at the farm, I don’t want to give them the trouble of going all the way back there. But as they insist, and they have to drive me back there anyway, and then go back home, I accept.
I take a quick bath when we come back, and say goodnight to Ameera as she goes to bed.
I’m staying in a very comfortable bed, with comfortable pillows, and I cannot believe that I’m still in Alor Setar. When I tell that to MD he will be surprised.
As I took a long nap in the afternoon, I use the next hour I have left on the day (and the wi-fi) to back-up my photos online (my cloud is already full) and move them to my laptop, so I can work on them even when I don’t have wi-fi.
Next morning, as “agreed” last night, we leave Sufian’s home around 8.30 in the morning, that’s because they will drive me to George Town. What? Yep! I could not fight with that, and I am really hoping that they had some other business to do it there or on the way. Still, isn’t that super kind and generous? I so much think so!
We stop for breakfast in a restaurant and we all have dosa. Yeah, I know, India keeps on ruling my life no matter where I go. But I also have roti canai. Also, we all have milk tea, and it’s great!
We arrive to George Town around 11.00 a.m., and it’s with sadness that I say goodbye to this lovely family! But we’ll be in touch, as Ameera also told me, advised me, to come to Malacca, not only because of it’s historical importance to Malaysia, or because it’s her hometown, but also because she has family members working in the Gurudwara there, and she told me they can let me stay there, and eat there, which was one of the reasons why I was skipping this city, as it can be quite difficult to find both things in bigger cities. Yay!
10 Years Around the World 