TRAVEL | Macanese woman backpacks through Southeast Asia to break stereotypes

Susana Cruz in Penang, Malaysia

A backpack equipped with a snorkeling mask and a few pieces of light clothing easily sets the scene for a traveling adventure in Southeast Asia. Twenty-eight-year-old Macau-born Susana Cruz embarked on a two-and-a-half-month journey through Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore without planning too far ahead. While on the road, she broke stereotypes, and met pure human kindness. What she brings back are memories of those she met along the way: a girl traveling the world on a bike; a Hungarian family who converted to Islam; or an Iraqi boy living in Malaysia.
Susana Cruz was born in Macau but spent the last 17 years almost exclusively in Portugal, before returning early this year. Wishing to travel around Southeast Asia, she headed to Bali, Indonesia, where a friend was also traveling. A motorbike was enough to traverse a handful of beautiful landscapes and towns before heading to the island of Lombok.
“I had a friend in Bali. So, after I finished work [in mid-June], the following day I was already on a plane. I have traveled many times before, but mainly in Europe. This time I didn’t feel like planning ahead too much. Apart from Bali, I was going to be on my own. But it’s interesting that I met so many people along the way. I didn’t feel alone most of the time,” she recalled.
A woman traveling the world by bike, wishing to go from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, all the way up to Bangkok, and another one  traveling the world by boat, were some of those who inspired her throughout her journey.
But the most unforgettable journeys help us to break down stereotypes; or show us that human kindness comes exactly when we need it.
Susana had never met Muslims until she visited Malaysia in the second part of her trip.
Making use of the well-known Couchsurfing network, she requested accommodation from a Hungarian family living in Penang, Malaysia.
“On the [Couchsurfing website], upon making requests for accommodation, we should provide a more personalized profile. I made the request to this family and the father replied saying I seemed like a very interesting girl, adding that he would accept my request mainly because I am from Lisbon and he loves Saramago [Portuguese writer who won the Nobel Prize],” she said.
The Hungarian family lives in Penang and converted to Islam a few years back. Meeting them helped Susana break stereotypes: “What we usually hear about Islamism is about horrific things happening, terrorism. So it was very interesting to discuss things openly with them, I learned a lot about Islamism.”
Believing that Couchsurfing is more than crashing on another’s sofa, Susana went on to meet an Iraqi young man through the same network. Staying at his house in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia, she was once more allowed to reflect upon labels and stereotypes that often leave us far too clueless about distant realities.
“We have these stereotypes about people who come from these countries. I was able to talk to him about Iraq. He told me how he grew up having to fight [against so many different things]. So he doesn’t fear things easily. He told me about how his country has suffered. I think it’s crucial to know people from all corners of the world. Hear from them before judging them,” she stressed.
While traveling, one must acknowledge that food is another way to learn from someone else’s culture – roti, hummus, egg-
plant, a mix of flavors, a taste of different cultures. “The Iraqi boy cooked for us, even though he doesn’t really usually cook. All these small things that are possible through Couchsurfing make it worth it,” she said.
From the clear blue water of Indonesia’s beaches to Malay islands cradled by coral reefs, Susana met human kindness. Without a map pointing at a certain path or a plan dictating a specific way, the young Macanese traveller says she met wonderful people, who didn’t always speak English but would always smile. At a beach in Gili Trawangan, a local saved her life.
“I love snorkeling. I have been able to do it in many places. So in Gili, I had an interesting experience; well, I actually almost died. I always carry my snorkeling equipment with me, and I had spent hours snorkeling on the first day there. The sea current, however, was quite strong. So the second day I wanted to go a bit further and swam off shore, so I could see the fish better,” she recalled.
Having swam too far off shore, Susana found herself fighting a strong ocean current, on the verge of an asthma attack. “I tried to swim back to the shore, tried two or three times, but couldn’t. I really thought I was going to die, but a local man on a boat jumped to help me,” Susana said.
Having stayed 28 days in Indonesia, she traveled all the way to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, meeting a friend who she had met through Couchsurfing.
“I think it’s a matter of positive energies. If you are a good person, and a good guest, people will react in the same way,” she recalled.
Malaysia was full of interesting experiences, she said, starting with Kuala Lumpur, where she was surprised by such a multicultural environment, and a mix of languages that she could  actually recognize. Malacca, Cameron Highlands or Perhentian Islands were just some of the places that made her believe that there is more to Malaysia than she initially thought.
However, while trailing a backpacker’s path, one eventually finds realities that provide us with a glimpse into a different world, sometimes hidden behind all the beauty. “What I found most difficult was to deal with children asking for money. We see they are really poor. They try to sell you things constantly, and you know their parents are probably behind it,” she said.
Susana says she feels blessed after such a trip and believes in continuing to be good to others. In her next trip, she is thinking of exploring Cambodia, and doing volunteer work.
“This trip taught me not to judge people. To hear only one perspective isn’t the right approach. There are so many perspectives and ways of living,” she stressed.
Susana states that, to travel around Southeast Asia, one doesn’t need too much money; guesthouses, Couchsurfing and hostels provide not only alternative means of accommodation, but are also part of a different way of traveling.
“It always depends on how you want to travel. Because there’s a difference between being a traveler and [being] a tourist.”