Kuala Lumpur - A grotty introduction to beautiful Malaysia 

Tuesday 5th October

Our plane had landed in KL at around one in the morning. We had been expecting a plush new airport and lightning quick train service into the city as promised by the Lonely Planet, instead we were ushered through a dirty and disorganized visa entry and eventually found an old rickety bus to take us the hour journey into the city centre... KL was going to be very different to Singapore. By the time the taxi pulled up outside our hotel it was gone three and we were delighted that the Prescott Inn was both clean and spacious, we had soon crashed out and didn't wake  until early that afternoon.

We headed to a nearby mall to grab some food, immediately we could tell that the climate was completely different. Gone was the stifling heat and humidity of Singapore, replaced by a warm yet fresher air, which was a pleasant change. The food court didn't prove that successful as I tried butter chicken; it came back full of greasy fatty chicken parts covered with ladles of melted butter. Tj managed to get some vegetarian noodles so we both shared her dish, which filled a whole rather than being that tasty. We left to a huge downpour, the rain almost creating a wall from our shelter under a shop window it was coming down that hard. After it eased we ran back to our hotel, grabbed our umbrella and headed out to the monorail to explore the city further.

Our first stop was right in the centre where we changed some money. The city was a bustling metropolis of neon lights, beeping cars, coffee shops and massage parlors. As we walked towards China town we started to get a sense of what KL was all about, huge impressive sky scrapers sprang high into the air, gleaming like beacons of prosperity and advancement. The streets surrounding them saw crumbling houses, old shacks and neglected neighbourhoods, certainly a different story from above. The side streets were full of rubbish, rats and cockroaches and the smell that accompanied it was at points overpowering. China town was no different but we headed to one of it's famous markets to look around. Chaos engulfed us as the crowd thickened and market sellers jostled for customers, the smells of the streets disappeared, replaced with spices both sweet and sour from the passing food hawkers. At one point we passed a steaming vat of soya beans, the seller mixing it intensely, so much so in fact that he splattered both of us and some other passersby. He kept his head down realizing what he had done, let's just say we've been trying to get the stains out of my shorts ever since!

We soon replaced the chaos of the market with a gentle stroll by the river, the night was warm and clear but again the city couldn't charm us, the river side poorly lit, dirty and smelly. We eventually made our way to the city's central mosque. A huge building that looked pretty lit up at night, we didn't attempt to investigate further as we were not following the strict dress code but the mosque was a hive of activity. We passed through a non existent little India and headed up to one of the city's great landscapes. The Menera Tower can be seen from most places in KL and indeed is huge in stature looking much like the needle in Seattle. We attempted to go to the top for a look at the city at night but we arrived too late so settled for some nice gourmet Italian and a late night walk home.

Wednesday 6th October

The rain was ever-present as it had been the following day, one minute pouring the next clear skies. We ventured to one of the city's famous markets north of the city, here the sights and smells were like none other. As it poured with rain we skipped in and out of the numerous alleyways, dodging the puddles and the dipping covered roof. The sheer array of fruits and vegetables from different stalls was astounding, the fresh smell enticing you to try the exotic fruits on offer, as we ventured deeper these were replaced by the far more pungent fish stalls. Here the live catch was spread out over the table, flapping and flipping in a vain attempt to find water. Fresh though it was, it all got a little too much for the vegetarian, as one stall we stopped at a bucket of sea snails pulsed with muddy life. I carried on as TJ retired to the safety of the fruits and veg. The smells and sights got stranger and more pungent as I passed; hanging pigs feet, blood washing through gullies on the floor carrying with them the odd chicken feet. Cats were everywhere feeding on the tasty treats left from the aftermath of the butchery and just as I was about to head back to TJ the blue glow of a blow torch caught my eye. Nothing strange there you may think but the flames were being passed over a severed cow's head, it looked perfect as if the body continued under the bench. As the butcher passed the blowtorch over it's head, smoke and steam rose from it's torched nostrils. A gruesome and amazing sight that I was captivated with, managing to discretely take some pictures I meandered back taking in all of the markets wonderful and bizarre sensory experiences. It was certainly one that we both wouldn't forget.

As night fell we headed up to the Menera Tower for a second attempt at a city view. The long walk didn't disappoint as we had fantastic views over the city, our views explained by the provided audio guide. The city indeed looked impressive, especially at night with all of the main skyscrappers and historical landmarks lit up. Included in the ticket was a visit to the on sight cultural museum which provided a valuable insight into the different ways that the Malay people live. Here they had reproductions of the different houses, explaining there purposes, all of them with a similar stilt like structure. We left for dinner with a bit more understanding of the Malay culture, something that the city itself did not show. After a hearty but expensive steak we headed home, via a few bars for our last night in a city that hadn't endeared itself to us.

Thursday 7th October

We left the hotel early leaving our bags behind and headed to the centre to catch the bus out to the Batu caves. The journey was long but took us through the suburbs of KL and beyond where we saw a cleaner and less hectic side to Malaysian living. Located north of the city within huge cliffs overlooking KL the caves are visited by millions of worshipping Hindus each year. The vast caves home to shrines and depictions of all the Hindu gods, none more so than Rama, who's giant golden statue stands guard over the long climb up to it's entrance.

At the base of the steps, tourists gathered snapping pictures of the great statue while others watched as two worshippers smashed hundreds of coconuts in huge vats, all under the watchful eyes of the cave resident monkeys. We started to climb the steps, pausing regularly for a breather and to watch the playful monkeys chasing each other or taking handouts from other tourists. Eventually we reached the summit and the entrance to the ginormous caves treated with wonderful views over the distant KL. Walking around the cave you could imagine it filled with thousands of Hindu worshippers, the colours, noise and smells, it would have been an amazing experience. The caves were impressive without the mass of people and it kept opening out into larger areas, shrines were dotted all over the place in no noticeable order. Some Hindus were quietly praying by some adding to the overall atmosphere which was one of calm and peace dispute the troublesome monkeys.

We descended the steps after a while and investigated the base of the caves where more shrines were found and a couple of temples, one dedicated to the god Hanuman. A huge statue of him stood proudly on the roof of the temple, holding his chest open, depicting his story, to reveal Rama and Sita. Batu caves had an amazingly holy feel to it and we both felt privileged to have experienced what some Hindus travel the world to visit. We took the long bus back managing to jump off right by our hotel to collect our bags and head for the station.

We reached the main bus station in plenty of time to catch our 3:30 bus to Penang, our next destination, we were looking forward leaving KL and seeing what the real Malaysia was like. As we got to the station we were directed to a huge seating area to wait for our bus, there we sat and sat until fast approaching 3:30 and no bus. I eventually found our bus directly opposite us and spoke to the driver who instructed us to wait by it while he disappeared off. So again we sat and sat, 3:30 passing without a sign that we would be boarding, eventually the bus driver returned and again we showed him our tickets only to be told that this was not our bus!

As TJ waited with our bags I located the bus companies stall, set up in a large marque next to the rows of buses, and was refutably told that we had missed our bus and should have reported to them. Explaining what had happened further I was passed from person to person eventually left with a strange man who spluttered and shouted his English at me, we had missed our bus and that was that, if we wanted to get to Penang we would have to buy another one. I flatly refused, returning to get TJ for back up and hoping that a girl might get a little further with the arguing. As we both returned TJ cleverly asked to speak to a manager from the company and we were taken to a man who at first had fobbed me off, we sat down and explained our situation insisting that we had been told to wait at the seats and not told to check in at the stall. A few phone calls later and the man smiling called us over proudly telling us that he had managed to get us on the next bus straight to Penang at 5;30. We were so relieved, the tickets were not that cheap and having to buy more would have meant going over our daily budget, we thanked the manager for all his help. As we sat waiting he sat in his booth smiling looking so proud that he had helped us and sorted the situation out, after a while he came over and chatted with us telling us riddles, telling us about himself and enquiring into our travels. Mr Chaing, an ex police officer, stayed with us until the bus came then personally escorted us to make sure that we boarded safely, I think we made a friend for life there, he certainly was a lovely old man and it was wonderful to see someone take such pride in his job and such delight in helping.

Darkness fell as we pulled out of the station and by the time we reached Penang we were both tired and stiff from the long journey. We taxied it to the Royal Penang Hotel and were again pleased to find another clean and spacious hotel room.      

Mark & Tejal x