KL

Kuala Lumpur Dec 27th
The name of city is derived from the fact that it stands where two rivers meet and then become muddy and murky from all the sediment that is deposited. However the city is far from muddy – it is similar to Singapore, high tech and modern, remarkably also – everyone speaks English and there are KFC’s and Mac D’s everywhere! Not what I was expecting from Malaysia.
We have a disaster upon arrival – we try to withdraw cash from about 30 different cash machines in the train station and everyone is coming back declined. We begin to worry our account has been frozen or frauded and we’re stuck with no cash and no idea what to do – the situation only made worse by smack my bitch up being randomly repeated over the station tanoy. Luckily, I brought some sterling for such eventualities but I really didn’t want to tap into it already: It’s pretty stressful arriving within a foreign unknown country at 7am with no cash though, so we bite the bullet and get some cash changed. We later learn that the fact the card isn’t working is a stupid rule that you can only withdraw twice in 24 hours; at least it’s nothing major!
We head to some random hostels I have the flyer for and get a decent room for just over a tenner (70 ringgits): it’s a nice place with a tropical motif and beach hut feel, although the room stinks of wee a bit but it’s not too bad. We drop our bags and head off as usual with no idea what to expect. The hostel is near the Times Square area (I’m sure they nicked the idea from N.Y) and the streets are very colourful and active. There are massage parlours and fish spas (where fish eat the dead skin on your feet – yummy) and many boutiques and shops selling knock off designer clothes and sun glasses, we bypass these but stop in Mac D’s for the obligatory coffee.
KL has an amazing transport system and after another pick and mix lunch we get a bus for 1 ringgit (20p), we find out the buses are 1R flat rate which is pretty good it seems once again our money is worth something . We head to the central market area and are greeted by bustling streets that seem a combo of India and Singapore, to Kath’s delight she manages to order a Chai at the Indian food court – there is a real blend of culture here with Indian, Chinese and European all mixed together to create a cosmopolitan feel (although it is predominantly Muslim the dress and attitudes seem much less traditional than India).
The market is a bit touristy and prices high so we walk through and head along the river exploring the tourist trial. There are amazing blends of architecture that parallel the blend of people, with mosque style domes and minarets often seen across from 19th century British buildings the highlight of which is a club house and cricket pavilion that sits among the high rises. Another amazing structure is an Indian style skyscraper in imitation white marble with no windows – just cut out patterns reminiscent of those seen on the Taj: very unique.
We head now to an area of gardens on the periphery of the city, it is a good long walk but worthwhile, as acres of greenery and flower beds span across the length of the city – excellent for relaxation in the muggy tropical weather. We stumble across an aviary but pass because of the entrance fee, we also pass an observatory and Islamic museum but unfortunately we learn everything is closed on Monday which sucks. We do get to explore the amazingly modern National Mosque which is an amazing blend of modern and traditional architecture – and offers good views over the urban vista. We have to don silly purple cloaks to adhere to tradition (or maybe just because they like to make the tourists look like pricks).
We head now to the national museum and learn something about Malaysian history and culture, the funniest exhibit being a beat up proton car from the year we were born (1985). It’s been a long day as we arrived so early and we’ve walked for miles, so we head to china town for some relaxation – on the way we see an amazing hindu pagoda, much more impressive than that in Singapore. The colourful deities and paintings stand out from anything I have seen before – as do the men wearing Tarzan style loin cloths lazing beneath their Gods.
For dinner we find an authentic local food court and get some exciting soups, mine is particularly interesting, coming in classic Malay styleon an iron hot plate (still sizzling) and complete with chunky bits of on the bone chicken and a fried egg in a thick black sauce: not bad for a quid (5R). We finish up with a few beers (not so cheap but more affordable) and mix cheap local gin with sprite, listening to tunes by the hostel. I also catch united highlights in the local bar, and see Anderson and berba tearing it up at snowy OT.
Dec28th KL day 2
We decide to stay an extra day in KL mainly just to see the Petronas towers which were closed yesterday, also the night life seemed pretty cool – with everyone hitting the streets at about 10-11pm, which is something we haven’t seen before. Things don’t exactly go to plan though, it rains again all day long, making everything pretty difficult. It’s not so bad when it rains as it is still warm, but occasionally the downpours come so heavy that two or three minutes will soak you to the bone, especially given that your usually wearing shorts and a vest. It’s pretty annoying because it’s so hot when you’re walking about but if it catches you you’re screwed. Anyway, we spend most of the morning/early afternoon just sorting out future tickets and travel arrangements. Good job too, because the coach station is out of action and a temporary station on the outskirts houses the ticket offices – I buy a ticket here for tomorrows coach.
We spend the afternoon checking out the shopping mall at times square, pretty cool with over ten floors, the highlights of which are arcades where you can play for 20p a game and an indoor theme park (although we can’t pay for entry as were too late in the day), the indoor rollercoaster is pretty cool to watch going by. We get the metro to the Petronas towers which are beautiful, even more so in the night. The layered metallic surface is light up to form beautiful concentric rings which rise meteorically from the ground upwards. One of these towers would be magnificent but the two perfectly symmetrical structures joined by a bridge create a truly unique and awesome vision: the X of the bridges support adding to the perfect duplication. They shine in the night like no other building I have ever seen; maybe they’re not the tallest buildings in the world, but they are definitely the most fantastic modern man-made structures I have ever seen. Unfortunately we can’t go up as it is closed at 7 which is a real bummer, even worse it starts hammering down and we get drenched. The only positive is the food court within, which you would think would be a rip off, given that the mall has chanel and harrods and Armani stores – however I get a gorgeously spicy claypot chicken (that shits on sweet mandarin’s) for 6.50! (£1.30).
We head back to our neck of the woods to sample the nightlife, except its still pissing down and we have to jump in a taxi. The people it seems have hidden away indoors, still we have some top nosh, squid in oyster sauce and Kath goes for Frog Porridge which is what it sounds like. Bizarre gloopy glutinous rice porridge comes with a spicy black sauce that is so thick it sticks to the tub. Within this fiery tar come the little deep fried frog’s legs; think of them as tiny chicken wings – nice flavour but with a little more gamey tone like rabbit. Another new experience and not bad for a couple of quid. We can’t find any decent bars again – so we get shisha and drink some gin on the cheap while watching Tottenham vs Newcastle.