Travel-Malaysia, Tanjong Jara continued

Today is the continuation of last week’s post detailing our trip to Tanjong Jara on the east coast of Malaysia.  Okay, so we were just listening to the beating of the drums in the nearby distance…

Suddenly around the corner, a group of about 12 people approached me and my husband carrying flowers, drums and some huge pottery.  They looked to be in almost a trance-like state, at first.  The women crowded around me and then began giggling and smiling as they placed a batik sash over my head and fitted it to my body.  My husband was being surrounded by the men, as they gathered to fit a batik bandana securely around his head.  We looked like fools…this was embarrassing!  Next, they took us by the hands and lead us through the dining room (with tons of people watching), beating a drum and chanting some song as we followed them out the doors and headed towards the beach.  My husband and I held each others’ hands tightly as we both were a bit scared of the unknown.  We had no idea what was happening and with the language barrier and at the risk of being rude, we didn’t want to ask.  So we just went with it and hoped for the best.

We continued through the entire resort, along the way stopping at different pots as they scooped out the water and filled a little bit into the two pottery jars that they held.  Each pot was labeled with words like Health, Beauty, Fertility, Happiness.  In all, there must have been about eight different pots!

After filling both of our jugs to the top with water from the eight different pots, we reached our last and final destination, the resort spa.  We were told to take a seat and they would explain what came next.

What came next was definitely shocking, but in the sense that it shocked all of our body senses!!!  We were asked to undress and they dressed us in thin batik sarongs and asked us to sit on top of the marble slabs on opposite sites of each other.  Picture two cement benches which look like crypts hovering over a pond of water, acting as a little barrier and a moat.  I sat on one side, with my husband on the other and they took each jar (one for him and one for me) and poured the water on top of us while chanting what the water meant.  They would say, “Fertility, Health, Happiness…”.  All the while we were cringing with shock and discomfort because this had to be the coldest water we have ever had touch our bodies!  It was poured all over us with only the sarong separating our skin from the bitter, icy water that began seeping through our pours.  Thinking about this now makes me cringe because the water was so FREEZING cold!  Haha!

After our cleansing “celebration”, the girls finally explained that they performed this ritual for honeymooners and special guests…we really couldn’t figure out which category they thought we fell into.  But nonetheless, we smiled, thanked them and went along our merry way!  What an experience!

We enjoyed the rest of our trip by the beach and the pool and trying all different types of food Malaysia has to offer.  On our last day as we checked out and said our goodbyes, we were reminded what a wonderful time we had in Tanjong Jara…one we will never forget.

Our luggage was taken and we were escorted to our car (which was washed during our stay), as all the staff from the front desk along with the manager came to shake our hands and say goodbye.  We were treated like true royalty, like movie stars.  Who knows who they thought we were…we still don’t know ’til this day.  But either way, we had such a relaxing, wonderful time at Tanjong Jara and we hope to go back again someday.  Plus, everyone was so nice to us!  Hopefully they will treat us with the same kindness if we go back again someday and maybe they won’t figure out that we are only…Mr. and Mrs. …Wrinkled Chiffon.

When I was little, I absolutely loved the movie, “The Chipmunk Adventure” and during this experience this scene was flashing through my mind.  A little crazy, I know…but I thought I would still share it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHjIc1hU5R8&feature=related