Now this is where you can tell we have or are close to running out of money.Our plan is to stay in KL only until Friday when we leave for Singapore by train.Recommended by the rough guide for budget travellers, we checked into the backpackers lodge.When the description read "slightly prison like" we should have known better.This is THE vilest place I have stayed in or seen but then I have never been to any halfway houses, which is exactly what it is like.The only room available when we checked in had one single bed and a bunk bed.I was not convinced the window behind the dust covered curtain had glass in and when i pulled it back there were cigarette butts and ash along the sill.A rusty fan on a rusty table offered the only form of cool air in the 10'x 6' dungeon.The bed sheets were laden with holes yet the concrete floor was clean.The shared toilets were down the hall with hair filled sinks on the landing.The showers were above the toilets, yes above the toilets which on more than one occasion have been filled and not flushed, if you get what I mean.I would have cried but I was that tired after 2 nights of very limited sleep.I refused to lie on the covers so we got our sleeping bags and I used my backpack as a pillow as there was no way I was putting my head on the pillow provided.

PARENTS, IF YOU WANT TO DETER YOUR CHILDREN FROM GOING TO PRISON, HOLIDAY HERE FOR AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE.

05.00 - Out of sheer exhaustion, we both fell asleep.

11.00 - When I awoke I half expected the room to look like a scene from James and the Giant Peach but luckily it was the same as the night before with no insects.Even though we were both a bit unclean from our hours of travelling, I am afraid it was a baby wipe wash, a clean set of clothes and a dry teeth clean before we left for a day of exploring KL.

First thing we did was go to the Train station to book our ticket for Singapore we quickly decided to leave that very night.Then we got a local train to go and visit the Petronas Towers.Unfortunately for us when we got there, they were not letting anyone else up for the day so we snapped a quick photo from outside and wandered through a small urban forest to get to the Menara KL Tower (the 4th largest communications tower in the world).James and his fear of heights did not like it and was sure a mini earth quake hit when we were waiting in the queue for the lift down.

KL has a large Indian community amongst its mostly Muslim inhabitants so for lunch we went to an India which was situated in the Menera Communication Towers. From here we could see a birdseye view of the city. After lunch we popped into the small animal zoo where I met some interesting birds and James held another snake but this one was tiny compared to the Boa in Vietnam. our plan was to stay out for as long as possible so that we didnt have to go back to the room. One way to judge a country in my book is to check out the toilets. In Thailand the toilets have greatly improved from my last visit there however I was mostly in touristy areas. I still cannot quite grasp the hole in the floor toilets where its so hard not to pee on your own feet. The toilets in KL even though they have western toilets have not been up to standard in my book. In most parts of Asia toilet roll isnt a big factor but there is a hose in every cubicle to wash it away instead. Being a westerner I find it hard to imagine how to use these things without having to completely undress so I carry loo roll with me. Now I am sure cleaning yourself with water is a lot better however, all the toilets have wet floors and wet toilet seats because of this so I found a lot of times I had to roll up my trousers before stepping into any cublice and when its a hole in the floor you do hope its water and not pee you're stepping in.

The worst toilet I have encountered so far was at a truck stop in Cambodia en route to Vietnam on our overnight trip. The toilets were all holes at the back of a dimly lit eatery but I had been holding it in for a while so i had to go. Just as I was adjusting the pants all the outisde lights went out so i was in complete darkness. I quickly decided I could hold it in until the next stop and quickly left the cublicle to find I was covered in crickets. (shudder).

Anyways, we spent the rest of the day trawling through chinatown, different malls anything to pass the time. Eventually, after a long, long day it was 10pm and time to head off to the staion for our overnight journey to Singapore.