Chapter 3: Coastal Roads and Cultural
EncountersCoastal Roads to Alor Setar
The mainland welcomed me back with a road that hugged the coast,
a ribbon of asphalt flanked by beach and backwaters. The ride was
shorter than expected, a gift of distance, and the scenery unfolded
like a quiet symphony—water shimmering to one side, palm fronds
swaying to the other.
In Alor Setar, I found a modest room across from Masjid Zahir, its
domes and minarets rising in breathtaking symmetry. The mosque’s
grandeur was a reminder of Malaysia’s devotion, its architecture a
prayer in stone. My search for a map proved fruitless, but small
discoveries filled the day: a new laptop charger, snapshots of the
mosque, and food parcels wrapped in banana leaves. One held fried
noodles, the other fiery rice—simple meals transformed into treasures
by their unexpected packaging.