MALAYSIA
Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak, a Malaysian state on the Island of Borneo, is not what comes to mind when one thinks of Borneo, an island that used to be famous for jungle, head-hunting tribes, and orangutans. Logging, mining, and palm-oil plantations have drastically chopped away at the jungle, the tribes no longer hunt heads, and the orangutans are endangered. I challenge anyone who doesn't believe in evolution to spend time with orangutans! They are intelligent apes, and the main reason I stopped in Borneo on my way to Indonesia. Very cool :^) Their genetic proximity to humans is obvious. They are endangered. There is nothing primitive about Kuching; it is clean, safe, and green. There are national parks nearby with pristine jungle, lovely beaches, and even orangutans. The Muslims and Christians live together in peace and harmony.
Malaysia snubbed the IMF during the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, and was least damaged as a consequence. Compare to Indonesia.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Previous: Philippines . . . Next: Indonesia