Last night some French idiot produced the controllers for the air con. When I traveled before, it was fans, but with technology, whoever gets that controller has complete power. I decide not to stick the controller up his nostril and get ready to leave. Over some toast at the hostel, we speak to 2 English girls and a Dutch guy. The girls are trapped in KK, waiting for their trip to climb Mount Kota Kinabulu in 4 days. The Dutch guy doesn't really know where to go as things need booked and planned. Everyone is in the same boat.
Our taxi arrives and we get the short taxi to the airport for our flight to Kuala Lumpur.
I've mixed opinions on Sabah. Its not designed for Backpackers and in some areas the locals will only do the bare minimum to help. I've encountered laziness and stupidity, but some real warmth and hospitality. Sabah is frustrating to navigate and excursions are either extremely expensive or badly advertised. After speaking with the tourist board last night its something that is being worked on but whether the cost of coming is worth it is debatable. Diving was exceptional, no chance realistically of seeing a wild orangutang and rainforest walks are mainly for the vegetation as opposed to wildlife. Even Mount Doom will cost over £250 to climb. Terrorist activity is kept hidden here and travel insurance isn't even valid here. I'd have to weigh up whether climbing a mountain is even worth it anyway when you can climb in Scotland for free.

We catch our Asia flight and get to Kuala Lumpur in 2.5 hours. The airport is a lot larger than when I was last here and after checking for accommodation at a coffee shops wifi we get the metro express to KL central. Technology being a bonus we check in for our flight tomorrow on the express. After speaking to a clerk we find out the line to get to China Town. One stop away. TripAdvisor leads us to Agosto Inn. The lady who owns the place is a delight and for some luxury we get a room each to try and finish the cold we are still enduring. Craig more so than me. Dumping our bags she prints off our boarding cards and arranges a taxi to the airport at 4am. Its going to cost the same as getting a taxi to central and the first metro at 5am to the airport. No time to waste we sweat back into the hot streets, deciding to check out Chinatown for dinner. Our memories of KL are hazy with Craig remembering the national mosque and I remember the aviary and butterflies in the park. Our hostel owner says they are next to each other so we set off. Noticing the central market on route, we take a quick look. Touristy but a break from the sun. I weigh myself out of curiosity and still 13 stone. Must be muscle increase I consider.
We get to the mosque and don a purple robe each. Peter Potter and Craig Grainger enter the temple area. The central prayer area is for Muslims only and a friendly guide there informs us about the prayer times. Whilst taking photos I am in waterfall mode, the extra layer in this heat melting me like a Rubicon lolly on an open fire.
We plough on towards the park, by this time I am feeling rather dehydrated. Not a stall or shop in site. We follow the weaving road round and can see the aviary below us. Eventually finding the entrance we stop for ice cream and a drink (LT). The fan above us is cooling. With the heat we choose not to go to the aviary as one of the attractions are hornbills which we saw in the wild.
There is a hop on, hop off tourist bus that takes you around the city for 45 ringet (£9). Beats walking and we wait for the next one. Its an interesting city and possibly the most interesting in southeast Asia that I have seen. With the British influence there is an old cricket ground in the centre that seems odd for this part of the world. The bus continues on its tour, a guide pointing out sites periodically. We jump off at the Pertronas twin towers and go in to look around. Something we didn't do before due to the late hour. Inside is a large shopping centre, from Marks and Spenser's, food courts and a cinema. Feeling extra grubby I stand in a pharmacy looking for a facewash without skin whitening. We walk round the food court and torture ourselves, like a Sumo wrestler in a McDonald's factory. Due to the time, there's no point spoiling our Chinatown feast. I pick up a 32gb memory card for £20 and now have space for more video. Just missing the tourist bus we find some shade (5.50pm) and wait for the next one. Its a laid back city with less Burka's on sight, western influence apparent. The city is busier and more modern than I remember embracing tourism more so than Sabah.
We've been on the tour bus for about an hour, slowly meandering round to chinatown, dinner waiting. Upstairs at the front of the bus, its much easier to get round the city now. Adverts for fast food glisten in the dwindling light and the waistlines reflect the change in diet. 17 years of progress sadly show an obesity epidemic on its way. We pass a building site for the worlds first Harrods Hotel starting its journey skywards. Billboards, neon signs and shopping centres are blooming in the evening glow. An electrical garden on display. I will be curious to see my old photos.
We amble into Chinatown and soon find a restaurant by the side of the road. Toast and an icecream wore off along time ago and we order a well deserved feast. Sweet and sour prawn, chicken curry, duck, vegetable fried rice and a vegetable side. Washed down with a beer (LT)