Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur to Penang
Trip Start
Dec 26, 2008
1
8
13
Trip End
Jul 17, 2009
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia
Sunday, March 8, 2009
After catching up on some much-needed sleep on Saturday we headed out to explore Kuala Lumpur. We were staying in the Bukit Bintang area which as well as having many hostels and large hotels also houses a huge number of local restaurants and markets which create a real bustling feel.
We'd slept through breakfast at the hostel so first thing on our agenda was food. We nipped into the Tourist Information Centre to ask for directions to the nearest supermarket and there was a crew filming what looked like a Malaysian soap opera in the gardens and we continued to see these cheesy scenes as we walked through the city. We arrived at the Petronas Twin Towers and as we sat at the base and marvelled at their grandeur we devoured our fruit and vege (first food in 36 hours ... good job we had plenty of fat reserves from Oz to keep us going). We didn't know what to expect inside and were surprised to find a very exclusive shopping mall. It was a shoppers paradise with designer clobber spanning ten floors. Although donning our scruffy shorts and walking sandals we held our heads high as we nosied around Gucci and Prada, much to the dismay of the yuppie shop assistants. Definitely a place to revisit once we've made our millions ha ha!!!
Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia as a whole is culturally diverse in the fact that it is populated not only by Malaysians, but equally Chinese and Indians. To the unsuspecting tourist eye it would appear that this is a harmoneous religious mix, however, speaking to local people we have learned that there are problems with racism and there are significant cultural divides. One example we have witnessed was on public transport ... where an Indian woman refused to sit next to a Malaysian lady even though this meant she would stand in the aisle for the 30 minute journey.
That night we had planned to go to Little India for the weekly Pasar Malam (night market) but our plan was foiled by a torrential downpour lasting most of the evening. During a brief rain recess we wandered around the local food market but were too tired to tackle the vast unfamiliar menus so we returned to our humble quarters at Pujannga Homestay.
Sunday morning our batteries were half-way charged and we were ready for a full day of sightseeing. First stop was the KL Tower. As we approached it became clear that some kind of marathon had taken place as hundreds of sweaty locals wearing numbers across their chests were scattered around huffing and panting in the heat. A free shuttle bus took us up the hill to the entrance and on arrival we were given a free bottle of water shaped like the KL Tower. We were ushered into the lift fot the 1 minute ascent ... we were pleased there was no stair climbing involved.
At the top it was a very clear day and we were lucky to see 360 degree views of Kuala Lumpur. We took the audio tour which pointed out local landmarks and some amazing architecture. We reluctantly left the air-conditioned viewing deck and made our way back down. We had been given complimentary tickets for the animal park at the bottom of the tower. We were surprised with it being a freebee how many exotic animals were on show including a HUGE reticulated python and many other deadly snakes and spiders. As you can imagine, Soph didn't like the spiders so much! We were treated to see an albino monkey with it's newborn baby which was oddly dark.
We needed to buy our bus ticket up to Penang so armed with our 'basic' map from the Tourist Information and a backpack full of fruit we embarked on what would turn out to be a complete mission to Puduraya Bus Station. We walked and walked and wondered if we had taken a wrong turn but eventually we came across a chaotic area called Pudu and although the bus station was full of mayhem we managed to buy our tickets without too much trouble and we were back on our way.
Next on Soph's itinerary were the Lake Gardens but her map reading skills weren't up to scratch that day and we ended up at Times Square on the other side of town. It all got too much for Soph so we retreated to the shade for a diet coke where we got chatting to a nice Malaysian girl called Nora. She gave us a run down on Kuala Lumpur and its different cultures and helped us get back on the right path.
The first leg was a ride on the Monorial (a train track on stilts) which Sophie really enjoyed. After managing to lose a Syrian guy who seemed to have fallen in love with Sophie on the five minute journey we made it to the underground for the second leg. As you'd expect it was packed with locals and they studied me as if I were a being from outer space much to Sophie's amusement ... she kinda blends in apart from being a lot taller than most of them. Nora had told us to get off at Sentral Market which Soph assumed was Sentral Station but when our ticket wasn't accepted at the turnstile we spoke to a ticket officer and discovered we had come to far ... back on the tube we went DOH!!!
A short walk at the other end and we arrived at the Lake Gardens ... the clouds were looking threatening. We joined a small crowd that had gathered to watch the wild monkeys taking over the rooftops and generally getting up to no good. There are several areas in the Lake Gardens including KL Bird Park, Butterfly Park, Deer Park etc but as it was late in the day and these charge an entry fee we settled on a quick zip around the Orchid & Hibiscus Gardens before heading to the National Monument.
I'd read in our Lonely Planet guide that if you turn up there at 5.30pm on a Sunday evening there will be a group of people playing the drums and you may be able to get involved so I was keen to get there on time. We arrived at the monument and before we even had time to get round the front to take a picture the rain came so we sheltered under the temple dome ... locals told us that in Kuala Lumpur it rains every day of the year at 6am and 6pm for about an hour. We were just in summer clothes with no raincoat or umbrella so that was us stuck and to our disappointment there were no drummers.
We got chatting to the armed guard and although he spoke little English we established that the drummers don't come when its raining. I was rather unhappy about this as I had been looking forward to it all weekend.
In the storm the KL skyline had vanished and it was only an hour later when the thunder and lightening subsided and the rain eased that it reappeared.
We were about to make a dash for it when we heard the sound of bongos in the distance. We went to investigate and found that the Tugu Drum Circle was actually being held in the nearby ASEAN Sculpture Gardens. We went down to watch and it wasn't long before someone invited me into the circle by handing me a tamberine. At first there were maybe only 30 people but as the rhythmic sound filled the air and the darkness set in, more and more people turned up, some with their own instruments and some just like us. The rain picked up again and seemed to fall harder and faster with every beat of the drum. By this time there must have been 60 people or more all banging or shaking something in rhythme ... Soph was stomping around with a fruit shaker ... under the canopy mind you ... she wasn't getting soaked like me!
I shook my tamberine so hard that blisters appeared on my fingers but that didn't stop me!!!
Although the majority of us were strangers we were all welcomed into the group and it didn't matter what colour or religion we were ... it was just about coming together and making music ... great music, great people, great feeling!!! I'd come back to Kuala Lumpur for this alone!!!
It just so happened it was the Tugu Drum Circle's 7th anniversary and at the end I was interviewed by Bernama TV for their news report the following morning. I guess I must have stuck out like a sore thumb and they were curious to find out how I'd got there.
It was already about 8.30pm and we still had Chinatown to see. It was a long walk and although my walking sandals are the least sexy shoes ever I was glad of them as Soph slipped and slid all over the tiled pavements in her flip-flops. We made it to Chinatown and just sat down at a covered food stall when the sky unleashed all its fury on KL ... so much for it only raining for an hour each evening.
This was our first meal out and we were confused by the menu (Malaysian although in Chinatown). A friendly girl asked if she could join us and we were quick to ask her for advice. As we'd put on a bit of pork in Oz we wanted something healthy and trusted her to order for us. What we were served was enjoyable but definitely not healthy. When we quizzed her a bit more about Malaysian cooking she expressed that most of the food is fattening ... so that's us on fruit and cereal then!!!
Monday morning we made our way back to Puduraya Station for our coach to Penang. Sophie's excessive contingency time planning meant we were over an hour early. She parked me on a bench with the backpacks and went off to source some fruit for the trip.
The drum 'n' bass pumping out of the speakers overhead and the many people rushing past in different directions gave the place a real buzz.
I was just sat minding my own business when a strange man stopped about a metre directly in front of me. He stod staring at me and at first I thought he was just another curious local studying my blonde hair and white skin but then he started looking around and I noticed he was cradling a small shoulder bag. I told myself not to be paranoid but when he carefully lifted the shoulder bag over his head, slowly leaned forwards, gently placed the bag beside me and then slowly walked off rummaging in his pocket an alarm bell rang in my head.
Somehow I picked up both of our backpacks, daypacks and a big bag of food and pegged it. I could see Sophie at the fruit stand on the other side of the station and as she turned to walk back to where she left me sitting, I yelled her name and luckily she spotted me.
Once we got a safe distance away I was explaning to Sophie what had happened when our bus arrived (and they don't wait around). I looked round and the man had gone back for the bag. As our bus was ready to depart all I could do was alert an official and point the man out, so from there we don't know what happened. Maybe he was harmless but his actions led me to think otherwise so I went with my gutt and got out of there ... guess I'll never know but it's better to be safe than sorry hey!!!
So all in all the 5 hour coach trip was relatively comfortable apart from the fact that we were sat under the air-conditioning unit and were shivering most of the way because the driver reckoned it was automatic so he couldn't change the temperature. The other passengers had clearly done this journey before as they were all wearing coats and trousers unlike us in shorts and vests.
We arrived at a bus station and we assumed it was a scheduled stop so we stayed in our seats until the bus driver got back on and started shouting "Penang Penang Hurry Up" at us. We thought we must have to change coach but when we asked the driver he yelled at us "You're in Penang, You're in Penang!"
Being an island we thought that our journey would include a ferry crossing. We'd obviously not realised we had crossed the Penang Bridge over to the island ... maybe our brains were frozen by the air-con!!!
It was like trying to get blood from a stone trying to get advice from the information desk but eventually we established that we were in Georgetown as we had expected, but on the outskirts and we needed to take a couple more buses to get to our destination.
So off we went, backpacked up to find the first bus. This proved to be a challenge as there were no marked bus stops. Eventually we found the right stop and the smell of raw sewage from the underlying drain nearly made Sophie sick.
On the bus, the driver had his foot down but it still took around 30 minutes to get to the jetty so for RM1.50 (30p) each we did alright. At the jetty a nice Malaysian retired army officer helped us find the right bus to our beach destination Batu Ferringhi ... a further hours journey for RM2 (40p) each ... sweet as!!!
A short while after we set off we were reminded that we were still in Malaysia as the rain beat hard against the windows. It was still the same when we arrived at Batu Ferringhi ... thankfully we had put our backpack raincovers on on the bus but we had forgotten to get our own rain jackets out so we got soaked.
A young Malay boy met us from the bus and took us down the lane to the guesthouses. We looked at a couple of rooms to suss out price and standards etc but as the thunder and lightening started we settled in Ismail Guest House right on the beach for RM80 (16 quid) for the night. On closer inspection the toilet was leaking so we were moved to a bigger room.
The rain eased off so we went to some other guesthouses to see if we could get a better deal for the forthcoming nights. On our return to Ismail's, Jessy the Malaysian housekeeper had upgraded us to an even bigger more luxurious room as the TV wasn't working in the last one and she said she would worry about us ... not sure why?
We were over the moon as we now had a double bed each, a fridge, air-con, a TV that worked, a kettle and hanging space plus a much bigger bathroom. Not bad for 16 quid especially as this room normally goes for 30 a night.
We had a comfortable night and the next morning we were umming and arghing about whether to move to a different guesthouse or try to strike a deal with Ismail. At first they wanted us to either move back to the small room now that the toilet was fixed or pay more for the big room ... we were having none of it and decided to play hardball. After some hard bartering from Soph and a bit of help from the English pensioner next door we managed to bag it for RM85 (17 quid) per night.
We could have got a basic room (2 single beds and that's it) around the corner for much less but as we'd been travelling non-stop since we left the UK we both were in need of a bit of luxury and somewhere nice to relax. So for the nexst 3 days we pretty much did just that ... lazy mornings on the beach interrupted only by the sound of the mosque leaders prayers blasting through the tanoys several times a day ... just as well we have our mp3's!!!
Strolling, chatting to other guests, eating fruit ... on a daily basis Sophie eats half a piece of fruit and I finish it ... she's so finnicky with food but I don't mind as I get more vitamins. We have managed to do a bit of reading and watched a little TV ... Under Siege being one of the highlights .. they love Stephen Seagal here. Aside from that I've done a bit of jogging a few mornings ... I seem to be the talk of the town running up and down the main street in my trek shorts and hiking boots. I think they think I'm a crazy person but they still wave and say good morning to me as I pass. Soph has also been attempting some aerobics sessions in the air-conditioned room but she takes a bit of motivating on a morning unless she's had her 12 hours sleep.
On Tuesday we took a bus back into Georgetown to get some provisions from the supermarket where in the cosmetics department a Chinese lady tried to sell me 'whitening' facial wash ... you what? They don't call me Michael Jackson!!! These whitening skin products are really big over here ... all the girls want to be white and all we wanna do is get a tan ... I guess you always want what you haven't got!
It was dark when we left but we managed to find our bus surprisingly easily at the depot as the driver was stood with a megaphone bellowing "Batu Ferringhi" until he'd crammed so many people on we could barely move. We didn't even get a seat and stood in the aisle with our shopping bags trying not to fall over as the driver swung the veteran vehicle around corners. You certainly wouldn't get buses like that back home and if you did someone would get locked up for it.
Soph had a filling fall out in New Zealand which we tried to get fixed in Australia, but when the dentist in Airlie Beach reckoned he wanted 120 quid for a temporary filling we decided to wait until Asia and we're glad we did as our neighbour Brian (the English pensioner) recommended a dentist he has used here. So on Thursday we went down and Soph got a permanent white filling for 12 quid ... happy days! Soph said they were very professional and squeeky clean so its no wonder people come out here to get their teeth fixed, especially at those prices.
The end of our stay was approaching and we felt unready to leave. We decided to stay for another 3 nights but Ismail could only accommodate us for one so we stayed there on Friday night and then moved to Ah Beng's around the corner for the weekend which is run by an old Chinese couple.
What we have liked about Batu Ferringhi is the fact that there's not much to do so it's easy to unwind and recharge the batteries.
Along the main street there are plenty of restaurants and a handful of bars, but here by the beach you can just switch off and forget that they are there.
I have surprised myself here as I actually feel content just doing simple things ... usually I'd have itchy feet and be bored out of my brain. It's a nice change to feel relaxed.
As the weekend has arrived however, it has become much busier here ... locals fill up the guesthouses for beach breaks and to some extent this has disturbed our peace.
It's a long way from the beaches of Europe as we watch Muslim women fully covered apart from their faces accompanying their husbands whizzing up and down on quadbikes and jetskis. The illegal paragliding and jetski operators etc have certainly been raking it in this weekend.
We are taking a minibus to Phuket in Thailand tomorrow morning (Monday) which we think is about 10 hours ... oh joy ... where we are hoping to meet up with Ashling and Paula who we met in Oz for Soph's birthday on Sunday.
I'm sure we will have quite a bit to report from there so stay tuned ...
Hope you are all well and lots of love to you all x x x
Comments
Kuala Lumpur to Penang
Hi Girls,
So good to hear your voices on Friday morning!
I am amazed how modern the city of Kuala Lumpur is - great photographs again and I love the little comments!
I'm pleased you have relaxed this week and recharged your batteries. Lois, you did well to get away from the guy at the bus station. Sounds like it could have been drugs. Maybe he mistook you for someone else who was doing the 'pickup'.
Praying you have a safe journey tomorrow to Thailand. Don't overdo things on your birthday Soph if that is possible!
I am really delighted you are seeing so much and gaining insight into the different faiths and cultures.
Keep alert and looking out for each other!
Love you,
X Mum