Kuala Lampur, Malaysia

Jan 3rd, 2012

Headed down to Kuala Lampur via Bus. Super comfy with huge seats! Arrived at the bus station and after a few false starts, found a hostel to stay in. Lack of 3 person rooms ended me up with a dorm bed in an 8 person "all female" dorm, but the beds comfy, and the room's air-conditioned 9pm to 9am. Bloody hot the rest of the time though! Wandered a bit through Chinatown and good dinner. More starfruit juice made my evening. 

Jan 4th - Emma and Chris and Rene (we met up with another Dutch gentelman in the Cameron highlands now also traveling with us for a shirt bit) and I went wandering. On the way to find the Lake gardens, we also discovered a square, several back streets (hibiscus lampposts), that it is difficult to cross the highway, and a very pretty random rose garden. Once we finally discovered an entrance into the Park it was very nice with paved paths and "shade shelters" dotted around. Much wandering later we took a read/nap break in the shade near the lake for a while. After our break we wandered the rest of the way around the lake before finally finding the deer park. The Mouse Deer are actually cute in a disturbing way. (They are about a foot or so tall/long, sorry the mesh made photos impossible). 

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrotain, though google image searching is better]

 Also several cages with roosters in them. Not sure how they relate to deer. Found but decided to not pay the outrageous fee to go into the bird park.

Walking, and walking, and HOT, and walking.. Masjid Negara Mosque, beautiful. Couldn't go in the actual prayer room, but we got dressed in "robes" with headscarves (for the girls) and got to wander around a bit taking photos. Nice lady told us a bit about the Koran and practices of Muslims in KL. 

Dinner at the "central market" this time, air-conditioned for the win! It's more a mall than a market, still the air conditioning was great and I have learned the place to eat in Malaysia is food courts for good, cheap food.

Jan 5th - (oh, ow day) We got ambitious and decided to visit FRIM (Forestry Research Institute of Malaysia) per recommendation in the Lonely Planet book since it has a Canopy walkway. Train, taxi and walking later (with a stop to sit and eat the breakfast, Roti with egg and cheese(Indian pancakes/flatbread), we brought with us). After more walking along the sidewalk in the trees, we found the info office and bought our ticket to the canopy walkway. Then we CLIMBED. Oh ugh. Thank goodness it was shaded or I would not have made it. We went UP, and UP and up some more. 1st on a "road" like trail, then climbing a stair like dirt trail. Eventually we reached the walkway, and yes, it was worth it. 150km long, 30km up in the canopy. It's boards set on aluminum ladders with netting and ropes holding them in place. Not for those afraid of heights for sure.

Then, oh then we had to go down, which was WAY easier than I was expecting, even though the trail was rougher. We had a brief foot soaking break in a waterfall, then another break near the bottom next to another small waterfall. Made friends with a neat guy who worked for the place on his lunch break and he drove us over to the Batu Caves! Score!

The Batu Caves are big, there are big statues, and LOTS of stairs (276, hence the oh, ow day). It's beautiful but dirty. Monkeys everywhere. Many holding baby monkeys, and many perfectly willing to steal anything they can get their hands on. They were gearing up for a huge Hindu festival on the 20th or so where 40k people pour in, very glad we aren't there then. Train back to KL. They have "female only" train cars here since there are so many Muslims!

Steamboat for dinner! Pot of boiling water? in the center of the table, seafood and veggies are cooked by you on skewers in the water, and meats are grilled and brought to you at the table, dipped in a mix of sauces (seemed to be peanut, oyster, and chili). Was charged by the skewer, and somewhat pricey compared to what we have been eating at 12Ringgit (about 4$USD). :)

Jan 6th - I did nothing. Left the hostel for dinner at 7pm ish and that was it. Ow. My legs hate me.

Jan 7th - Mostly a nothing day. In the afternoon I walked to the golden triangle to catch a movie at the 9th largest mall in the world, Berjaya Times Square. There was a dragon dance inside the mall while we were there. Chinese New year is coming and they are starting to set up and prepare. Sherkock Holmes was fun, and wandering though the mall was entertaining . The half hour walk there didn't kill me, I might recover.