…..Back in the city

Gosh it was nice to hit a proper city. I know this is terrible, and you will all tut tut at reading it, but I am rather missing doing normal city-like activities and having civilization all around me… It would seem that my journey so far has not exactly released my inner hippy because my eyes lit up as the bus made its way into Kuala Lumpur, or KL as the locals call it, and I saw all the skyscrapers and coffee shops...

My stay here was really cool for lots of reasons, but two stick out in my mind – shopping malls and decent hostels.

It may not sound like a big deal but this was my first time (this trip) staying in a proper youth hostel and it was so nice bunking down in the dorm with other travellers and hanging out in the lounge area/rooftop garden etc. We even got free brekkie! So I finally got a taste of how travelling should be rather than all this going it alone in guesthouse business.

Anyway, my hostel just happened to be right in the heart of the golden triangle (shopping district) and bright and shiny shopping centres literally line the streets. So when I set out on my first sight-seeing jaunt I was completely sucked in and overcome with excitement of it all. The malls were huge and hectic and completely overwhelming, but no matter how hard I tried to extract myself I seemed to just keep going further up and up the escalators… I was like a person possessed! One of them was aimed at a more youth crowd, it had a kind of market feel with lots of original design outlets and it really was like something out of a Gwen Stefani video… was brilliant!

And even when I did head for the sights it was impossible to avoid the shops. Underneath the Petronas Towers was a very smart designer type mall which was a little out of my budget but still nice to browse (actually there was a branch of Top Shop there alongside Gucci which made me smile no end).

I was quite good though and over the four days only bought a skirt, bikini and a pair of sandals – not too bad…..? Oh and some MAC make up from a Chinatown market stall – it’s real!

The only annoying thing about shopping here, which goes for the whole of Malaysia, is that the assistants (in small shops anyway) follow you around from the moment you enter to the moment you leave – like nearly touching you. It drives me mad and a couple of times I played this really pathetic game where I zigzagged randomly backwards and forwards to see if we would crash but they are very skilled it would seem and trailed me to the death.

What else? Well it was also the KL Formula 1 grand prix while I was there and that added to the city buzz, there was lots of events etc going on to celebrate it so that was good fun. A group from the hostel went along to watch but I decided against it even though it was only about 6 quid, slightly cheaper than going to Silverstone I think?

And I did see lots of the city apart from the inside of fitting rooms, I promise. I am a slave to the Lonely Planet so always like to tick lots off – as the photos will indicate, I hope....