In the Malaysian Language (Bahasa Melayu) Taman Negara means National Park. While there are several national parks in Malaysia, when people refer to Taman Negara, they are usually referring to the oldest and largest in the country. This park is a large protected area in the central northern region of the country.

The park is approximately 4343 square kilometers that spans three Malaysian states - Terengganu, Pahang and Kelantan. The park is nearly all primary jungle and is provides an excellent way to understand the jungle ecosystem up close.

In a previous post I voiced my opinions about Swatow Lane and how the entire street of hawkers was moved from the street into a modern food court.

The corner where we used to enjoy hot mee goreng and ice cold ais kacang.	Swatow Lane street sign

Of the 5 things I planned to do while in Malaysia, the only one that wasn't possible was drinking teh ais on a corner in little India. This is because the cafe right in the center of little india had closed. A minor inconvenience because there are plenty of places to get teh ais, but none with such a prime location. On the positive side though, the other 4 activities were completed.

Since today is the last day of Ramadan, it seems fitting that I right about the Ramadan Market. For anyone who hasn't had a chance to visit a country with a large Muslim population during Ramadan, the basic ritual is rather simple, Muslims don't eat or drink from dawn until dusk. The times that they stop and start eating are marked by the morning prayer and late evening prayer.

As you might imagine when fasting, life doesn't generally continue as usual. This is partly because the body must make it through an entire day on whatever was eaten in the morning, and also because many Muslims use their time during Ramadan to reflect on life, engage in prayer and visit family and friends.