jb

"Hilly downtown JB is undeniably scruffy, a fact born out by a stroll through the claustrophobic alleys of the sprawling market, below the KOMTAR building on Jalan Wong Ah Fook, where machetes, silk and one-thousand-year-old eggs (actually preserved for a year in lime, ash and tea leaves) are sold... A little further south, the Sri Mariammam Temple lends a welcome splash of primary colours to the cityscape. Underneath its gopuram, and beyond the two gatekeepers on horseback who guard the temple, is the usual collection of vividly depicted figures from the Hindu pantheon..." (The roughguide to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei)

Heh, it is quite interesting to read guidebooks on your own region. Small facets of everyday local life are illuminated with travel-savvy insights. Even the not-so-interesting nooks and crannies are painted with a sense of rowdiness and vibrancy that gives it character and cultural vibes. Maybe I should backpack in Southeast Asia soon, once I have saved enough. Going to JB tmr for a day of shoot-out and pigging out :)