The British Era In Kuala Lipis, In Buildings

Kuala Lipis is a town up in the hills of central Malaysia, known as a productive mining area that was exploited by the British, starting in the mid 1800s. Independence for Malaysia came in 1957 and the Brits moved on soon enough afterwards. Left behind: the houses, schools and other buildings a colonial power typically establishes.

Recycled bungalow. Some of the modest housing for ex-pats have become hidden slums of the town.

Abandoned house, front sign identifying its purpose as a government accommodation.

Clifford School, established in 1913 and bigger than ever.

One of the original classrooms. How many students have been taught there in 100+ years? Inside another abandoned mansion. While grand in size, most of the old British houses are now abandoned, due to being isolated up in the hills and no modern requirements like air conditioning, updated plumbing, electricity, kitchens, etc...

A rare house still occupied. It used to be occupied by the manager of a nearby goldmine.

The Pahang Club In Kuala Lipis

Ghosts of the British colonial era in Malaysia are all over the country, no more present than in the buildings left behind. Nothing says olde England like a social club and the one in Kuala Lipis is a good example. These clubs were a social gathering place for government, military officials and ex-pat businessman, tin magnates, rubber planters. A place for a drink or 20 with people with similar complexions.

The Pahang Club. It was built at the turn of the last century in the tropical, whitewashed clapboard style of the time. Recently closed.

All wraparound porch for those humid nights. Golden oldie front sign.

Opposite the club, the required tennis courts. Still open.

There's chatter about rehabilitating the Pahang Club as a community center. Right now, on the road to ruin. Outside, the clapboard is peeling. Inside, the billiard room is a mess.

A look at the main part of the club. All that's left are the ghosts, never to return. With the advent of jet travel, air conditioning, international hotels, the era of the men's club is over in Malaysia.

Trucking Through Sri Marathandavar Aalayam Maran Temple

Near the town of Jerantut in Malaysia sits a big, yellow Hindu temple. It rose around a couple of big trees that flanked the main road and eventually became a bit of a complex, with the road running right through the temple.

Drive through blessings!

The temple today. Eventually the state had to divert the road around the place.

You can learn about the temple's history through a set of murals in the building. Here, a depiction of a typical trucker rolling through and getting a blessing. One of the big trees is no longer alive and its location has been turned into the main, holy altar - now a silver covered facsimile.

The other tree, much alive and now surrounded by the temple. Raining yellow fertility offerings.

The temple's founder, immortalized down to the big glasses.  Across the street, a stall selling all things Important India.

Back at the temple, a couple who came to get their new van blessed. Holy roller.

Around Kuantan

Pahang state's biggest city is Kuantan. If you forget where you are, head to the river and just look across it.

Malaysia loves to put its city names in giant letters. River, hill, gates, wherever the eyeballs drift.

In other patriotic boasts, big flag painted on a water tower. Concrete vegetables.

Shuttered market.

Elephant mural with accidental 3D eyebrow. As usual in tropical Malaysia, a fine line between the urban grid and wild jungle.

These giant office buildings are found in most Malaysian cities, the same blueprints used for police, government buildings constructed in the 1960s-1970s.

Religion In Pekan

No matter the size of the town in Malaysia, chances are you're going to find temples for Hindus and Buddhists. A mosque or five. Time to check out what small Pekan has to offer.

Lie Sheng Gong Chinese temple, typical pagoda design.

Tale of two altars. On the left, the one inside Lie Sheng. On the right, a more compact example, wedged into an urban shophouse.

Selection of paper prayer slips. Choose one and throw it into the incinerator.

Hindu time, the town's small Indian temple, all recently painted. One requirement, bright.

Finally, how the dominant (and national) Malaysian religion rolls, the historic Muslim mosque.

Laid Back Pekan

Pekan is a small town on the South China Sea in the state of Pahang on Malaysia's East Coast. Traditional wood housing, nature still abounds.

Kampong (village) life, wood housing from the 1950s.

More dwelling details, half Key West, half Walker Evans-era FSA Southern United States rural housing.

Big muddy. Many rivers in Malaysia look like chocolate milk, bursting with rich, clay-like sediment.

Another Pekan architectural style, the iconic Chinese shophouse. Back to nature, headless palm trees.

Surreal coconut palm plantation.

Palm Oil, The Lifeblood Of Malaysia

If there's one thing you hear about in Malaysia, it's the palm oil industry. You literally can't miss its power, the endless rows of palm trees surrounding the Kuala Lumpur airport, the first sight you see when landing in Malaysia. The huge green carpet is unforgettable.

Palm oil production dominates Malaysia's economy and plantations cover large expanses of its land. Think less like a nice palm tree at the beach and more like the waves of wheat to the horizon in America's Midwest. Palm cultivation is that impressive.

Not impressed by words? How about a typical jungle hill, now palm trees to infinity. Wow.

How do they conquer the wavy terrain? It's all about the tiering. What it's all about: the seed bunches from an oil palm tree. The crop gets gathered and squeezed.

The old trade trying to survive in front of the new powerhouse. In the foreground, a small rubber tree spread, in the background, a wall of oil palm trees. For rubber, the tree gets slashed, sap (white latex) drains into the hanging cup. Raw work.

Details. A metal hopper, ready to dump oil seed bunches into the next arriving truck. Muslim cemetery, among the ever present palms.

Laying waste to an old crop. Oil palm trees are only productive for about 30 years. Clear and replant.

The trees always look great from the air or from a car, whizzing by on the highway, all uniform and green. Up close, hints of the hard, rough life of workers and what happens when groves aren't maintained. The jungle is always trying to reclaim its land.

Back to the beauty of the grove.