A week in Malaysia
Trip Start
Dec 02, 2007
1
17
22
Trip End
Aug 2007
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia
Friday, January 18, 2008
Got up and went to find alternative accomodation and bingo, found a nice little hotel called Nan Teang with Air con, cable TV and hot shower for just uner a fiver each, and due to only come here as Visa was running out for Thailand, we had no plans accept to sit, chill and watch some TV before our flights outta there in a weeks time. So went back to get Saf and Chloe from travellers inn, and checked into Nan teang. We went out and got some cash and food and then went back to hotel for well deserved hot showers, and food and TV, it was ace, we actually hardly moved! We nipped back out later so Chloe could get a camera, and we came across a temple, where a guy came over and told us there would be a load of people about later as it was the start of Thaipusam Indian festival, where they start a procession outside the temple and walk for 13 kilometers to the Batu caves, where there is a hindu shrine and they pray and chant and shit for 4 days before they walk back again. And the following they also do the ole hook thing, where some of the more devout followers then have hooks placed in their skin and there is no pain or blood, Yeah right, of course not, how can it not hurt, man they're mental! So anyway we decided we would come back a 10pm as said by the malaysian fella. Went to book our flights, Chloe to Bali and us to Philippines. Fly out on me Birthday, so will effectively wake up in Malaysia and go to bed in the Philippines.
So we came back out at 10pm and came across a fish head soup restaurant, mmm mmm,and there didn't seem to be that many people about, but there was a kind of float, which they were riggin up with some, lets say with not the safest looking cables, and then after two hours the procession actually started. A lot of the people dressed in yellow with flowers in their hair, and those without hair had smeared yellow all over the scalps. Some of the organisers were passing out water and food, as apparently they had been fasting in the lead up to the festival. So anyway they started the walk, with a load of people first, then a car/van thing with a load of flags and bunting on it went, followed by the band on the back of a pick up, and then the float itself containing the god of worship and a few fellas dressed in kinda pajamas and make-up were also inside the float. We stayed until the crowd had kinda of dispersed and then made our way back to Hotel the other, so not to get caught up in the crowd, and went home to bed.
22-01-08
Eventually got up at 11.50 after being rudley awakened by reception, checking that we were not checking out today! So got up went to the shop, and then we stayed in bed all day long watching TV. Finally had a shower at around 5pm and Chole and Saffron went out to gather food, while I stayed in doing girly things, painted toenails, even straightened my hair, what with Air Con, I could do this without breaking into a sweat! Saff and Chloe came back with some Duck and Rice, and we sat and watched Final Destination 3. Ben, the guy Chloe was travelling with turned up and had decided to stay somewhere else, much to our disgust!! So after a good ole man battering we went out for a while and then back to hotel and off to bed after such a busy day!!
23-01-08
Got up again very late at about midday, again reception called to check we were staying, we had already told them the previous day how long we had intended to stay! We decide after such a lazy day previously we would make some effort and get up and go out. So we went to Batu Caves. We arrived there and it was definatley a sight to see. There were thousands of hindu's with the most elaborate costumes there to either watch or participate in the masochistic feats. There is also the worlds largest ***** and they praise the Lord Murugan. We walked up the 272 steps to The Temple Cave, the where the hindu shrine is, and there was a load of chanting and all that jazz. We did not see the hooky stuff as apparently that takes place at 10am, and that was far too early for us! We made our way back down the stairs and back to catch a bus back to chinatown where we were staying. We got some fruit and then went to the Reggae Bar for a drink, well there is always a Reggae Bar! And there is always Bob Marley! We made our way back to Hotel and got showered and changed ready to go for dinner, we settled at a street vendor and had Pork and Wontons, although the Malaysians believe that the fat is the best part of the pork, so my dinner mostly consisted of fat and wontons, hoe hum. We went to go and find Bens hotel, we heading off the wrong direction and came across fish head soup place again! After walking for miles we came across it, only to be told by the hotle he had already checked out! So went for a drink at a bar, before heading back to our side of town to frequent the reggae bar, where they obviously playing Madonna and Gloria Gaynor! We had a few drinks and got a bit pissed so went to the 7-11 and got some take outs and went back to sit on our balcony with our beers and listned to some music and made some noise, due the our nextdoor neighbours making a shit load of noise the night before, slamming doors etc, so we got our own back in the corridor by making really loud coming home noises, only to be confronted by them, they opened their door and asked where we were from, upon our response they replied "Bastard English" and closed their, which we then took as encouragement to make even more noise!! Cheeky Swedes!!! So we discussed the fact that if you fell from our Balcony would you get death or paralysis, and decided it would more than likely be definate death.
24-01-08
We had decided on going up the Petronas towers the night before, but after waking up at about 11am we thought better of it! So we thought we would just go to Medeka Square instead, with the intention of also visiting the National Museum. So we headed off, and obvioulsy came across the Fish head soup place again, I think we are destined to go there! We made t to Medeka square after doing a lap or so of Chinatown, and it was a whole bunch of big buildings including banks etc, then there was the Square itself, and all that seemed to have was some really bizarre rules on a board, which included No Swearing, No Eating drinking smoking or laying down, and most gutting of all, you were not allowed to climb up the 100 ft flagpole, which was obviously the first thing we had wanted to do!! So found the museum just across the road and due to the Thaipusam festival everything was closed!! Rubbish! So we walked through the Central Market and went to post office before deciding on a cheeky Nando's for lunch/dinner for some comfort eating as had discovered my laptop had been stolen!! DOH
Went back to room to watch TV as by this time we were experiencing wtihdrawal symptoms. We headed out for food a little later, and found and nice little side street vendor, where we had some rice and noodles for a mere 30p, then we fellinto the cake shop, and aciidently bought some chocolate swiss roll which we thought would be a nice accompaniment with a late night movie before bed.
25-01-08
Today we did actually get up and make our way to the Petronas towers, and thought I would treat Cameron to a day out. So we got there at 8.30am to avoid disappointment, as they only a certain amount of tickets per day. So we queued up and were all ready to go up at 9.30am. They first take you into a mini cinema, where they give you special glasses, and they show you a 3D movie, was very amusing. Then up we went in a mega high powered lift, that went really fast but you couldn't feel it, genius! So got to the skybridge, and the views were totally amazing, and such a different world from Chinatown. The gardens all around the towers were immaculately kept, and not a spec of dirt. You get about 5 or 10 minutes up there, so we made our way back down after a few photos, even with Cameron, and a few of the either Japanese or Chinese or Korean folks were even taking pictures of him too. So we come back down and went on the ole gift shop to obtain some random sourvenirs, and then off for a look around Suria KLCC shopping center, which was within the towers, along with ashit load of stuff, like Art Gallery, Orchestra and of course the Rasa food Arena, so that's we made our way to. Went back to hotel after food and a walk around the grounds, and watched some half pipe freestyling skiing, where Tanner Hall beat Simon Dufont on the championships, whoop whoop, amazing what you get into when there is no movie on!
Went out for some food of Chicken Satay and crisps, and made our way back to eat and watch more rubbish which consisted of Godzilla, followed by The Plague, both absolutely terrible movies, but the entertaining part was watching Chloe squirm over how scarey they were!! The light off and the Air Con blew up, JOY!
26-01-08
Told reception about the Air con, and they sent up the fat repair man, and we explained what had happened and then he stated that we would have to move rooms, gutted, we had come to love our little haven! So we packed up and moved out, up to the 4th floor, (Definate death, no chance of paralysis) which we told was a bigger and better room, and considering our HBO had also disappeared off the our TV, a great inconvenience, we were looking forward to our new and improved room. But when we arrived it was shoddy! The Air con was rubbish and dripping everywhere, you could be in the bathroom and put your hand through near the windown into the main room, and it just wasn't home, and certainly not bigger, just had more beds squeezed in! Anyway we made do, the resourceful ladies that we were, and just moaned and complained how much "we f**king hated this room" So went down to Red Dragon to Mum and Dave a quick call, before going back to the rubbish room with some beers as we were going out for my brithday that night. We headed down to the Reggae Bar where we got chatting to owner who then wanted to introduce us this this english girl who lives and works in KL, so met Kate and her friend Kane. We had some great photos, with the malaysian rude boys, and had a good night, until my bloody bag was stolen off the table!! Thieving Pikeys, so I jhad managed to keep hold of my bank cards for almost a month before, poof they were gone again!
Fortunately at the stage when it had gone missing, I had no money left in it, and my camera was in my hand, so looking on the brightside!!! Left the bar and went to use the phone and cancel my cards, again, and then rang Mum for that Mum kind of sympathy you need, not only when something like has happened, but you are a little bit pissed too. Came out form using the phone and sat down with these two guys sat outside the 7-11, a mexican and a canadian, and told them of my plight, as they could I was crying, so they bought me a beer and cheered me up a bit telling me of their separate stories of when they had had stuff stolen, so I didnlt feel so bad after, to come out of it with only missing bank cards isn't that bad, so back onto the bank of Saffron!
27-01-08
Well after the night before, when I woke up felt really depressed and a bit stupid to have taken my eye off my bag for a milli second, DOH! I really wanted to just get my stuff together give and go home, but we went out for chip butties at the central market, and then went and watched bloody casper, before heading out for an hour or so. Back to the hot and horrible room and I nipped out on balcony, and when I came back into the room, Saffron and Chloe had decorated my bed and laid out presents for my birthday the following day, it was really sweet, so we ate some of the chocolates before lights out at 10.15, for a really flippin early start in the morning!
28-01-08 My Birthday!
Up at stupid o clock, 4.15am, still we picked ourselves up and got on with it. Taxi to the airport, and got checked in straight away, and even thought our bags were slightly over weight, the lady behind counter let us off, thank god, really didn't want to have to open bag in middle of airport to take more stuff out and transfer to hand luggage, so just bear that in mind, on 15 kilos allowed! So after all checked in we wnet and had a macdonalds, I know, what a sin, but who knows when we would eat again! We said our goodbyes to Chloe, it was quite sad as we knew our paths would not cross again on the trip! So we went through and soon enough boarded our flight. Flight only took hour and a half, so we arrived at Clark Field airport in Philippines, and got straight onto a bus ( 300peso)to the main part of Manilla, and then got a taxi to Malate, by the time we arrived and checked into Friendlys guesthouse we were shattered.
We went out for a look around and to get some foods and ended up at a massive shopping centre called Robinsons, so headed straight to the food hall, and again had some crappy food, so decided from then on no more food halls! We headed back to guesthouse and checked out the Roof Terrace, which consisted of random people, sitting around including the owner Benjie. Saff went off for a lay down,a dn I sat there with my head on the lonely liar! Benjie and Co then invited me to join them in a glass of Champagne (it was cava, but hey not too shabby for me) and I told them it was my birthday, so we toasted and he gave me the cork of the bottle as a souvenir, and then as they had a reason to be drinking at 4pm in the afternoon he opened a nice bottle of red too!
So we drank that and then this guy called Paul from Belgium turned and and we were sat chatting, and he told me he had to go to work, he had a bar called The Oarhouse, and invited to go for a drink there. So quickly emailed mum with a number to call me on, and spoke to her, and then went and got Saffron and we headed off to the bar.
The bar was actually really nice, he had decorated and made it all nice and was telling us all his plans etc. He even invited us to stay at his house a little further north, to stay with him and his wife. We sat there for a few hours having drink etc, and met another fella from Sweden or Norway or something, who had come away on holidat about 9 or so years ago and decided not to go home. Then Benjie an co came in for a drink, before we all back to guesthouse for a game of poker, which we didn't participate in, we sat and chatted to some other girls staying at guesthouse, doing project work with the street kids. Then it was off to bed after a really long but good day.
