My intentions to get up early went out the window after last night, but I am still leaving today because Thaipusam is being held tomorrow in Kuala Lumpur and so I want to see that. It is a Hindu festival where all manner of strange things happen, from self mutilation, to the carrying of large offerings to the deity, that and 257 steps up to the cave. I can't wait. I have all my stuff packed up and I am ready to go. I'm just going to get a bus to the main bus station and then get a bus back to KL, they run fairly regularly so it shouldn't be a problem. Of course Howard is no where to be seen this morning, this is a common problem with howard, there has even been a case where I have seen someone come to the hostel to check in and could not find Howard and then they just left. Crazy. An interesting way to run a business. I eventually find Howard outside having some breakfast, I tell him I want to check out and he tells me that he will be 5mins. Of course he is more like 20mins. The uni guys wait to see me off and tell me they will let me know when they get back to KL and we can grab a drink. I check out and get my bus to the station.
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My bus arrives in KL at the TBS, luckily I am more than familiar with where this is due to my last time in KL, so getting in to town is a breeze. I have a general idea where Chinatown is and this is the place with the cheapest hostels. I get off the train and start making my way towards Chinatown, on the way I help a couple of girls who are also looking for a hostel, after I help them they walk off, I offered to bring them to my hostel so they could check it out, but they decided to go on there own, completely lost. Aww well, whatever you want, though I did find it very strange, perhaps I look too scary, ha. The first few hostels that I try are fully, and I am stating to think that today may not be my lucky day. Then I stumble across one, a bit more expensive than I had wanted, but it is always the case that you get what you pay for, and my hostel is very clean and the dorm has AC, the shower is also the largest shower room I have ever seen.
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I chat to the girl at reception because I really have no plans for KL apart from Thaipusam, Petronas Towers and meeting up with Hannah (who I met in VIetnam) She points out a few of the tourist spots and gives me a map. I am also looking for a shopping centre to look for my bag. She tells me that the best time to head to Thaipusam is in the morning, about 7am?? This was not in my plan and so I start to plan my early rise. I have purposely not done very much research for this festival as I want to experience it in it's raw form, with no biased view, or expectation. I message SJ as she is due to arrive tomorrow, I tell her that I am going to go in the morning as that is when I have been advised, so we can meet up in the afternoon tomorrow.
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I end up talking to a couple of girls in the hostel as I am relaxing having a cup of tea. I end up going out with the English girl, Sian and we head down to Chinatown to have a look. I was going to go anyway and so I thought I would extend the invitation. She was a little boring at the start and I was regretting my decision, but she was alright by the end. She had been working for a year in Australia, though I think she was still very young, the two girls had been out on the lash last night and had accomplished absolutely nothing today. I mentioned that I was going to Thaipusam early tomorrow morning and that they could come if they wanted. After some initial hesitation they decided that they would as they hadn't seen anything in KL. I teach Sian how to use chopsticks while we are out and she seems so happy. Hopefully that will set her on her way for travelling the rest of Asia. Not a late one and we have to trawl our way back through the market street, which is literally brimming with lanterns and all manner of Chinese trinkery (a made up word I like) When we get back to the hostel the receptionist tells me that she had spoken to her friend and that there was no need for me to go up so early tomorrow. Thank God, though Sian and I decide that we will still go early, just not super early.