March 29, 2026
We docked in Port Klang, Malaysia, and boarded a tour bus. And what a bus it was. Once we had our sunglasses on, we could see that it had three seats across rather than the usual four, and that there was ample knee room for Mal – a first for this cruise.
Our bus went by several temples like this one. For some reason, in Malaysia we felt more like we were in the far east than we had on most of our other shore excursions.
We passed many palm groves/orchards, The palm fronds are huge by comparison to those we’d seen in the US and the Mideast. These palms don’t produce coconuts, Instead, they produce a small red fruit that is ground and crushed to produce palm oil, which is a major Malaysian export.
The object of our tour today was to visit a Mah Meri Cultural Village. The Mah Meri are an indigenous Malaysian people whose name in the Mah Meri language is ‘Jungle people’. Today, they have a population of around 2,000, and most live in small villages. They are known for their traditional wood carving skills.
We were given woven headbands when we entered the village. The Mah Meri wore these to readily distinguish themselves from outsiders, who might be dangerous. We were also welcomed by a god, who danced for us, sprinkled us with small leaves, and then led us in dance.
They showed us crafts that included woodcarving, Here the photos show one carver making a large, intricate figure and another working on a smaller figure that he is holding between h is feet.
They also showed us how they made music with bamboo tubes. It was mostly rhythm with a pleasant sound. Here’s Dottie doing it.
They used a wedding ceremony to teach us about other Mah Meri skills and customs. They said that the bride and groom were required to pass several tests to demonstrate that they could support their partners. Among the tests, the men had to demonstrate that they could use a blowpipe. The original blowpipes shot darts that were poisoned with a neurotoxin made from the sap of a local tree that caused death within minutes.
A woman needed to be able to weave. Here we’re being taught how to weave bands like the headbands we’d been given.
They next held a mock wedding ceremony. The needed a bride and groom, and Dottie and Mal volunteered (of course). We were first costumed:
During the ceremony we were asked several intimate questions, in particular, whether we were pure. We weren’t sure how to answer, but since we had grandchildren, we thought the truth was probably ‘No’. As the mother-in-law, Iris felt Mal’s answer was only marginal, and in accordance with custom, required him to provide her with several years of servitude. Mal was happy to agree.
In the next part of the ceremony, half a dozen women, including Dottie, were hidden behind a cloth drape. Each held one hand above the drape, and Mal was required to pick which hand was Dottie’s. In our case, Mal remembered Dottie’s nail polish and the rings she was wearing, so it was easy. We were told that this was a chance for the groom to pick someone else’s hand if he didn’t want to go through with the marriage. Mal chose Dottie. (He still has good survival instincts.)
And here are the result and the entire party.
We’d never really thought about a ceremony to renew our vows, and we certainly wouldn’t have thought about doing it in a Mah Meri ceremony. But there you are . . .
As we left the village we looked over the wood carvings for sale and we found a dragon.
On to Mauritius,
Dottie and Mal
Port Kelang (Klang is the correct spelling) is the principal port of Malaysia on the Strait of Malacca. The name originates from the Mon-Khmer word klong, meaning “warehouse”. It is the largest port in the country. It is located about 24 mi southwest of Kuala Lumpur.
Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia. Its modern skyline is dominated by the 451m-tall Petronas Twin Towers, a pair of glass-and-steel-clad skyscrapers with Islamic motifs. The towers also offer a public skybridge and observation deck. The city is also home to British colonial-era landmarks such as the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. Other key sites are the Central Market, the Merdeka Square, and the Thean Hou Temple. For those interested in food and shopping, Jalan Alor and the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur are popular destinations