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Blog Day 109 Tues 23rd August 2011
Today we head to Kuala Lumpur. The day starts off with a short walk to the tour office where we are to catch our bus. Although this doesn't sound too strenuous the heat and the bags make it hard work. At the booking office we are picked up by a minibus which is to take us to the main bus terminal. We are a little dubious as the guy in the office told us we would be on a coach and we are getting onto a minibus. After 2 months of travelling around Thailand and Vietnam we are finding ourselves second guessing every little decision. All is ok though and we arrive at the bus terminal to connect with our coach.
Now over the past 3 and a half months we have been on all types of busses and coaches, some good, some not so good. I have to say though, that this coach is the most comfortable and spacious form of transport we have ever been on! You can literally dance in your seat and the person next to you wouldn't know anything about it. The seats lay back almost flat with no interference to the person behind. Now this is a VIP coach.
5 hours later we are pulling into KL bus terminal. The usual taxi touts are waiting for us as we get off the bus, but we are having none of it. We ask the bus driver if he can point us in the direction of Chinatown and he very kindly offers to give us a ride there. Dropping us off in the main strip he heads of on his way and we are lugging our bags around trying to find our hostel. We ask a couple of people who point us in completely different directions, and as we are heading down one street we are greeted by a guy advertising his own hostel. On hearing that we already have a room booked he gives us some sound directions on how to get there. Turns out we had been walking around in circles. Our walk to our hostel takes us through Pretaling Street, which is the main market in Chinatown. Even with a suitcase and a rucksack on our bags, sweating like pigs, the sellers are still asking us to look at their stalls. One guy even asked if we wanted to buy a bag!
We finally reach our hostel (the Chill Inn). It's an Indian run place and they aren't the most helpful of people. The guy on the front desk mumbles his way through our check in and the only real words we manage to make out is when he calls Dan 'boss'. The room is basic but the beds are soft, and we have shared bathroom facilities.
After a quick freshen up we decide to hop on a bus to Time Square, a massive shopping mall that Dan has researched and found houses not one but 2 magic shops. The mall is huge housing a rollercoaster that loops and corkscrews in it, it puts Bluewater back home to shame. We finally find the magic shop and are disappointed when we find that the guy in there really isn't interested in showing us any tricks or having any fun. The place is dead and all he wants to do it seems is sell Dan the most basic of tricks and get him out of the way. So a pack of cards later and we move on………..to the next magic shop. Here the guy is a little friendlier and Dan is actually able to show and be showed some tricks.
After our time in magic shops we decide that we our both rather peckish and on the way out of the mall we pass a Papa John's Pizza House that has a pretty good deal on, Pizza, wedges, breadsticks and 2 drinks all for RM35 (£6). That will do nicely for din dins.
Once back in the room we find a note has been slipped under our door. It's from John and Madeline, the couple we met in Ha long Bay. They are staying in a hostel just around the corner and will knock for us for breakfast in the morning.
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