Day 1: September 13th Andrew and I left the beautiful island of Phi Phi aboard a ship at 9:00am. Our destination was Phuket airport and then onward to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The early boat was not our first choice. There is one that leaves at 2:30pm, but the travel agent said we would be cutting it too close. Our flight didn't even leave until 6:05pm, so we knew we had a long day ahead of us.
Once off the boat, we crammed in a van with about 10 other tourists and their luggage and were off to the airport. We couldn't check in until 4pm...so that gave us...4 hours to just sit. There wasn't much to look at or many places to sit. Outside of the fact that there was a Subway which we ate for lunch, we were bored out of our minds. The time passed slow and we were more than ready to leave the airport when 6:00pm rolled around. Our flight was a measly 1 hour and 20 minutes. We landed around 8:15pm (another time change) and were nervous about navigating our way to the hotel. We took a train for 28 minutes to the central station where we then were able to catch a cab. It went a lot smoother than it usually does, so we were pleased with ourselves.
The drive in was beautiful! Everything looked so new and lit up and clean. Kuala Lumpur is definitely a multi cultural city and on the cutting age of architecture. We were very excited to be here!
Then we pulled up to our hotel. Let's just say a lot of things can be disguised using the Internet. The hotel is under construction. There is no lobby...just a lot
of ripped up flooring and tools and wire hanging down from the ceiling. In the back corner was a little table set up with a computer and a lonely hotel staff member. Not sure what to expect when we got to the room, we were pleasantly surprised. The room wasn't nearly as bad as the lobby. The only concerning thing in the room was a letter that greeted us stating that due to construction the water temperature wouldn't get any hotter than "luke warm." (After showering, I would have paid extra for this so called luke warm water...the shower is freezing...and miserable.)
of ripped up flooring and tools and wire hanging down from the ceiling. In the back corner was a little table set up with a computer and a lonely hotel staff member. Not sure what to expect when we got to the room, we were pleasantly surprised. The room wasn't nearly as bad as the lobby. The only concerning thing in the room was a letter that greeted us stating that due to construction the water temperature wouldn't get any hotter than "luke warm." (After showering, I would have paid extra for this so called luke warm water...the shower is freezing...and miserable.)Day 2:
Reading about the bustling excitement of Chinatown, Andrew and I made this our first stop. And sadly our only stop of the day, here's why: After asking for help at the front "table," we got lost trying to find the train station. Grabbing a bite to eat at a nearby Starbucks, we asked for directions which were not the same as the ones from the hotel, but we found it this time. Confused as hell at the station, we bought a ticket for wrong train. Realized we were going the wrong direction we were able to talk our wa
y out of buying another ticket which again we got on the wrong train. We ended up at the correct platform unaware that there were two trains, we got on the wrong train again, and again, we got to bypass another ticket. Frustrated and waisting time, a man offered his assistance where we stood for about 15 min waiting for the "right" train. After this train, we had to switch stations where we had to buy a more expensive ticket. Our first clue that we were still going the wrong way should have been the vacant station. We were the only people there except for the workers. We had about a 30min wait time for this train. Somewhere after about 20 mins, I was reading our little city booklet when Andrew spotted something. We were about to get on a train that was going to take us 1 hour and 30 min out of town! We quickly left and went to find someone for help. We ended up back at the center station where we picked up the cab last night. Our tickets were declined when we tried to get through and they kept telling us we had to pay more money. We tried to explain that we hadn't even used these tickets yet because we had been lost for the past three hours. Finally the let us through, probably because they were tired of listening to us.
y out of buying another ticket which again we got on the wrong train. We ended up at the correct platform unaware that there were two trains, we got on the wrong train again, and again, we got to bypass another ticket. Frustrated and waisting time, a man offered his assistance where we stood for about 15 min waiting for the "right" train. After this train, we had to switch stations where we had to buy a more expensive ticket. Our first clue that we were still going the wrong way should have been the vacant station. We were the only people there except for the workers. We had about a 30min wait time for this train. Somewhere after about 20 mins, I was reading our little city booklet when Andrew spotted something. We were about to get on a train that was going to take us 1 hour and 30 min out of town! We quickly left and went to find someone for help. We ended up back at the center station where we picked up the cab last night. Our tickets were declined when we tried to get through and they kept telling us we had to pay more money. We tried to explain that we hadn't even used these tickets yet because we had been lost for the past three hours. Finally the let us through, probably because they were tired of listening to us.We finally made it to Chinatown exhausted already and it was nothing really too exciting. It was a lot like China...just bartering for goods which neither of us bought. We then braved it back to the train station where it actually only ended up being about three stops and 15 minutes from our hotel. We were so pissed that the man at the front table sent us on such a wild goose chase and we pretty much waisted a whole day.
Day 3:
Not wanting a repeat of yesterday's disaster, we decided to make our first stop the Touris
m Center. After leaving, armed with a map and information we were ready for the day. We first went to the Petronas Twin Towers which are the tallest twin towers in the world and a world renowned icon of modern Malaysia. They were quite a site to see. However, we were not able to make it to the sky bridge observatio
n deck because tickets are on a first come first serve basis and we didn't make it in time :(
m Center. After leaving, armed with a map and information we were ready for the day. We first went to the Petronas Twin Towers which are the tallest twin towers in the world and a world renowned icon of modern Malaysia. They were quite a site to see. However, we were not able to make it to the sky bridge observatio
n deck because tickets are on a first come first serve basis and we didn't make it in time :(We then walked our way to the Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower. It's a tower used for communication purposes and the 4th tallest in the world. A bit expensive to go up in we thought but the view was worth it. We had the chance to get a 360 degree view of the city and the sites were just awesome!
After the KL Tower, I wanted to check out the local craft center for some traditional han
dmade crafts. This took us a while to get to and our legs were achy by this time. Andrew was a trooper for going with me and we were so bummed when we arrived. This "don't miss" site was nothing more than a few handmade baskets, some framed silver pieces and home decor. I was envisioning a warehouse type place filled with little booths and people selling what they have made. A HUGE disappointment, Andrew and I headed back exhausted and ready to take on day 3.
dmade crafts. This took us a while to get to and our legs were achy by this time. Andrew was a trooper for going with me and we were so bummed when we arrived. This "don't miss" site was nothing more than a few handmade baskets, some framed silver pieces and home decor. I was envisioning a warehouse type place filled with little booths and people selling what they have made. A HUGE disappointment, Andrew and I headed back exhausted and ready to take on day 3.Day4:
Excited to explore another city in Malaysia, Andrew and I got up early to catch the two hour bus to Meleka, a historical town south of Kuala Lumpur. Well, we had directions to the bus terminal that the tourism center gave us but when we got there, we could see signs but we didn't see the terminal. Finally we went into a hotel and asked. The man said that we have to take the buses parked outside about 20 min to the actual terminal. So we payed our 75 cents and got on without really knowing where we were going. When we arrived at the terminal about 10 people met us at the door yelling at us asking where we were going. Overwhelmed, we just said no, and passed them. Well they were recruiters for the different bus ticket places that were crammed into a white tent. Finally we followed one lady who we bought the tickets from and then we had to wait until 11:30am for the bus. Well this was a little aggravating because now we have such a late start. We didn't take off until about 11:50am which put us in Meleka at about 2pm. When we arrived in the Meleka bus terminal we were stared at like zoo animals. The only tourists in the whole place, we looked as lost and confused as we felt. We went to an information booth as asked how to get into town. She told us, "Bus 17." We grabbed a quick burger at McDonald's to curb our hunger and then we went to find the bus.
We waited for about 30 min but no bus pulled into the bus 17 slot. Finally after what seemed like forever a bus pulled in. When we got on and confirmed where we were going the driver said wrong bus and said you need bus number 17. Confused again, he pointed a few buses down. We saw bus 7 and assumed we misunderstood both of them. We then asked the driver where she was going and she said you need bus 17. Andrew and I were like...ok...is this some kind of joke?! She then pointed to this little piece of paper crammed in the bottom part of the windshield that said bus number 9. Totally confused, we realized that the slots the buses were in didn't mean anything, we had to look for the number that you could barley see! We waited about 15 minutes longer before sadly we had to blow off the entire excursion. We were there only as a day trip and the last bus for Kuala Lumpur left at 7:30pm. By the time we waited for the bus to take us to town that still hadn't showed up, and had to make sure we were back to this terminal before 7:30pm...we only had about an hour to see anythin
g.
g.The whole thing was a giant frustration and ended up just being the longest trip to McDonald's EVER! At least the drive was pretty :)
After that whole debacle, we went to the tourism center again to ask a few questions, took some night pictures of the towers and then ate some Malaysian food next to our hotel.
(As newspapers do, I would like to print a retraction, in regards to the shower situation. I shower at night and Andrew showers in the morning. I thought that maybe the showers were just cold at night since he hasn't hand any temperature problems. Well turns out, I had a bit of a dumb moment...after complaining about the shower being so cold again Andrew told me about an observation he had. He said that when he got in the shower this morning, he noticed that the nozzle was turned all the way to the right. I responded with an annoyed, "Ok...your point?" He says with a smirk, "Well that's the cold side..." Point is, I apologize for bashing the hotel on the account of my own human error...I think I've been traveling too long :)
(As newspapers do, I would like to print a retraction, in regards to the shower situation. I shower at night and Andrew showers in the morning. I thought that maybe the showers were just cold at night since he hasn't hand any temperature problems. Well turns out, I had a bit of a dumb moment...after complaining about the shower being so cold again Andrew told me about an observation he had. He said that when he got in the shower this morning, he noticed that the nozzle was turned all the way to the right. I responded with an annoyed, "Ok...your point?" He says with a smirk, "Well that's the cold side..." Point is, I apologize for bashing the hotel on the account of my own human error...I think I've been traveling too long :)
Day 5:
First on our last day's to do list was to go to the Central Station to buy our train tickets for Singapore tomorrow morning. We successfully booked them for 9am and it's going to be an 8 hour ride...eeek!
After leaving the station we decided to go check out Masjid Negara, the national Mosq
ue of Malaysia. Malaysia is a Muslim country and never really being around the Muslim religion, Andrew and I decided that it would be an interesting site to see. This Mosque is able to hold 15,000 people and it's most noticeable structure is the 73-meter high minaret and the 18 pointed start blue roof. (Upon arrival I wrapped a black sarong around my legs to cover my knees out of respect...the last thing I wanted to do was offend anyone since the ladies there have everything covered but their faces. So if you notice the awkward black skirt in the pictures...that's why.) When we got there we had to wait about 45 minutes before non-Muslims were allowed
in, I think it's was some sort of prayer time. This gave us ample picture taking time on the grounds! After 45 minutes passed we took off our shoes, signed in, and were given long purple robes to wear. All the women that entered had to wear the hood which is why mine is on and Andrew's isn't. Once inside, there wasn't really a whole lot to see. It was mostly just a big open space with lots of pillars. I'm not sure what I expected it...but that wasn't really it. It was still very cool just to be inside and see what it actually looked like.
ue of Malaysia. Malaysia is a Muslim country and never really being around the Muslim religion, Andrew and I decided that it would be an interesting site to see. This Mosque is able to hold 15,000 people and it's most noticeable structure is the 73-meter high minaret and the 18 pointed start blue roof. (Upon arrival I wrapped a black sarong around my legs to cover my knees out of respect...the last thing I wanted to do was offend anyone since the ladies there have everything covered but their faces. So if you notice the awkward black skirt in the pictures...that's why.) When we got there we had to wait about 45 minutes before non-Muslims were allowed
in, I think it's was some sort of prayer time. This gave us ample picture taking time on the grounds! After 45 minutes passed we took off our shoes, signed in, and were given long purple robes to wear. All the women that entered had to wear the hood which is why mine is on and Andrew's isn't. Once inside, there wasn't really a whole lot to see. It was mostly just a big open space with lots of pillars. I'm not sure what I expected it...but that wasn't really it. It was still very cool just to be inside and see what it actually looked like.Leaving the Mosque, we ventured over to the Central Market, a 'must see' according to all
the tourism brochures. I can't say much other than it was a bunch of trinket stores. You could really see the Indian influences in their clothing and paintings which was interesting. We just sort of walked around and took everything in. Again, we left empty handed but we were happy to have seen it.
the tourism brochures. I can't say much other than it was a bunch of trinket stores. You could really see the Indian influences in their clothing and paintings which was interesting. We just sort of walked around and took everything in. Again, we left empty handed but we were happy to have seen it.Later in the evening we had dinner and then packed our bags to get ready for our journey to Singapore!
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