Wednesday 5th August 2009, THAILAND TO MALAYSIA

This morning was a super early morning as we were flying at 08:15am. So this meant getting a taxi from Patong (Puket) at 05:30 so then arriving at the airport at 06:15. After struggling once again with our pack safes, god there a nightmare, we eventually got checked in. Once through in departures I went and claimed back my tax from my camera (bought in Bangkok) and then we both had coffee and a donut whilst we waited. Now being typical Hewitt girls, we read and smoked whilst we waited and then as soon as they called the flight, well we had to go to the toilet!! I went in and out fairly quickly but I got a little scared whilst Caroline was there that we were going to miss the flight. It very quickly went from calling seats numbers 1-17, to final call!! Thankfully we didn't!!!

We arrived at Kuala Lumpur low cost carrier airport at about 09:45, Thai time, but 10:45, Malay time. That's right we now 7 hours ahead of you guys. From the airport we caught the airport bus to Sentral station (yes, that is the correct spelling) and then from there we caught the KL rapid express train to Masjid Jamek station. We were on the hunt for our hostel. This time we had returned to hostel world and booked before we arrived. This meant we had directions, what I didn't realize until we were on our way was that the directions I had printed off stopped at Masjid Jamek station. After that there should have been a map but on a different page. Whoops! I didn't have it. So I left Caroline at the station with the bags and went off to explore the area to try and find the hostel. After many a street, a river, and several mosques I eventually spotted a police man and asked him. He pointed me in the right direction (we weren't far away) and so I went back and picked Caroline and the bags up and off we went.

Our guesthouse/backpackers was called Backhome guesthouse and as soon as we walked through the door we felt extremely welcome. We were booked into 2 dorm beds and they were ready when we got there. After checked in and having a quick look around the place we then used the internet. The guesthouse is extremely clean, very friendly and very new. We later found out as well that the beds were super comfy. The problem we had was that we had only booked for 2 nights so therefore going to have to check out on Friday but because most of today had gone we needed longer. Backhome were full Friday but could do Saturday. So we had a look on the net for the next popular and highly recommended Bedz KL. They could do Friday but not Saturday. Oh deer!! So we ended up booking Bedz KL for Friday and the agreeing with Backhome that we would leave our main bags with them and then come back to them on Saturday. What a pain, but sometimes these things have to be done!!!

Once this was sorted Calvin (manager of Backhome) took us 2 and 2 other guys up the road to a Chinese for some early dinner. It was about 4pm by now. The place we went was your typical street restaurant, somewhere you would by pass unless someone had told you about it. I had sweet and sour pork and Caroline had ginger chicken. Both very nice and well needed, we hadn't eaten since the donut at the airport!!!

After this we felt it was time to try and explore. It was about 5pm by now so we headed into China Town. Where we were staying was in between China town and Little India, so not far too walk. The main section of China town is a market that is run by every other race/nationality except for the Chinese. Strange. We had a look around the market and the adjoining street. Caroline was looking for a new bag for the days. This was too be my second part of her birthday present. First part was 2 dresses from Thailand. She found a few she liked but because it was only our first day in Malaysia, she wasn't used to the money so she wasn't happy to barter just yet!! So we left it for today and sat with a beer or 2 and people watched. Interesting I must say. Malaysia is made up of primarily Malays, Chinese and Indians. These different groups have been here for generations and there are a lot of Chinese-Malay, Indian-Malay people now along with other groups. There have also been migrations from other Asian countries over the years into Malaysia, so the various groups of people you see walking around are really interesting. Especially when you see them interacting. I love people watching anyway but I find it all the more interesting when you can't fully understand them so you have to watch there body movements etc. Its also loads more fun when you have someone else with you (Caroline) who likes to do the same. Although at times we do have to remind ourselves to stop being witches!!!

From China town we headed back over to Little India, where we had a walk around, tested some hand creams (not our choice) and had some dinner. Although we had only eaten at 4pm by 9pm we were starving. We went to a vegetarian Indian and had some semi spicy food. It was nice. From here we grabbed a few cheap beers from the man at the bottom of our street and headed back to the hostel, where we then sat and chatted to Joe (English) and Yousef (Turkish). Good day!

Thursday 6th August 2009, Kuala Lumpar

After getting up about 10am, we had several coffees and a few chats before heading out about 12pm. Our plans for today were too get the train to the National Mosque, find out the opening times and then go to the Lake View Gardens/Park. So we caught the train from our stop to Pasar Seni (only one stop) and then from there we walked over a bridge, along a main road and then through the KL Old Train Station, all in the direction of the mosque. Thank god for maps!! Once we had found the National Mosque we checked out the times that the visitors were allowed in and settled on the 3pm time.We then had some real lemonade sat in the sun before walking uphill too the Lake View Gardens.

The gardens/park were very nice and well kept with a 2 big lakes in the middle. But we only got to see a small amount of it as a very pervy Asian man ruined it for us!! We were just walking along when this guy approached us talking in Malay but pointing at his watch. So Caroline showed him her watch and told him the time. He then asked where we were going (this time in English), we gave him our standard response of just walking and then kept going with him walking in the opposite direction. Well next think we knew he had turned round, come up behind Caroline and stuck his hand up her skirt!!!! Not pleasant, her response was not pretty!! After this we made a swift getaway over the bridge away from him. This experience kind of ruined it for us both and it certainly didn't make us think any better of Asian men!! We did carry on walking after this for a bit but neither of us was particularly relaxed, especially not Caroline. From here we decided to get some lunch in the park at a café but neither of us could tell you what it was. It was a spicy tomato soup thing with pasta, egg, meat, chille's and bread in it!! But it also had a fishy taste to it. A wee bit strange!!

By now it was getting on for 2:30pm and it was quite a walk back to the mosque. We didn't want to miss the 3pm visit as the next time was 5pm. As it only opens for an hour at a time for visitors and then it closes for non-Muslim's after that. WE arrived at the mosque at about 3:10pm and after being kitted out in Muslim dress with head hood we went into the mosque. It was ok. It was probably more interesting from the outside but we got to have a walk around and Caroline picked up lots of information on the Muslim faith, so a productive time had by us both. Although I couldn't tell you weather she'd read it or not!!!

After this Caroline had hinted about shopping so we made the long walk back to Pasar Seni station and then caught the train to Sentral. From there we then had to walk around a subway to another Sentral station to the get the monorail to Bukit Bintang. Bukit Bintang is the main shopping area so once here we heading in the direction of a couple of shopping centers. The first one was on 6 floors but it wasn't that appealing. Caroline thought it sucked so then we went in the Pavillion shopping centre. A hell of a lot better and very impressive. But within about 20 minutes it had been decided that shopping with no money is no fun!!! We did find the food court though and that was good and reasonably priced. But because we'd just had a snack we didn't get anything for now. But what we decided to do was to head to one of the bar/restaurants and indulge in happy hour. Malaysia is heavily taxed on alcohol so it another place that's best to drink either at home or during happy hour. But it's also another place that has happy hours that last about 6 hours. We arrived at Arena at about 6pm and didn't leave until about 22:30. Whoops!! The truth be known we only left because we didn't want to miss the train and also happy hour had finished!! We arrived back at our hostel about midnight, chatted for a bit and then went to bed!

Friday 7th August 2009, Kuala Lumpar

Today turned into do not a lot day!! Not intentionally and we did make up for it on Saturday!!

We had to be checked out by 12pm although Calvin had said that it wasn't a major issue if we were a bit late. Because we were only staying at Bedz KL for one night there was very little point taking our big bags over. So we packed enough for the night and the next morning in our small bags and then left our big bags at Backhome. After checking out, we chilled for a bit with coffee and chatting before final deciding that we should really move our buts over to the other side of KL to Bedz. Bedz is in the Bukit Bintang area. Once there we checked in and then did some more talking outside in the sun with an Australian guy and an American girl.

Food tonight was at a Chinese food stall (Honey chicken, stir-fry veg, satay sticks and rice) and the rest of the evening was spend Skyping (mum and Rach), talking and watching a film!!!

As I said at the start, a day of doing nothing!!

Saturday 8th August 2009, Kuala Lumpar

We woke today to the sound of our alarm at about 8:45am. After we had both dressed and packed up our small amount of belongings I had a quick coffee and Caroline quickly used the internet. We checked out around 10am and then caught the 2 different trains back over to our KL "home". We arrived back at "Backhome" at just after 11am.

The original plan being dump our stuff and then get a taxi staright over to the Batu Caves but when we got there, their was an American couple who were wanting to go as well but they needed to go to the bank etc. We said we'd wait as splitting the taxi between 4 instead of 2 was going to be a lot cheaper!!! They arrived back around 12 and we all decided to grab some lunch before we went. We went to the same cafe/restaurant that Calvin had taken us to the other night. So it was Chinese for lunch.

The Batu Caves are about 13km outside of KL. There are 3 caves, but the most famous being Temple Cave because it contains a Hindu Shrine (and a large family of monkeys). To get there you have to walk up 272 steps. It is also guarded by a 43m golden Murga statue. Very similar to a standing Buddha. At the top there is a sign saying "NO MORE EXERCISE AFTER THIS POINT!", it lied! Once inside the cave you have to then walk down some steps and then up some other steps so as to see the whole cave. There were various Hindu pray points within the caves. Not the most impressive site we've seen but deffinately worth visiting!

From here we all went back to the hostel and the Caroline and I walked to the KL Tower. The Tower is also know as the Menara Kuala Lumpar, it is the 4th highest telecommunications tower in the world. Its total height up to the spire is over 400m tall but visitor can only go up to either the viewing deck or the relvolving restaurant. The revolving restaurant is 282m above ground. We decided to go up to the restaurant as it was only 2RM more to have high tea. And were so glad we did as it was alot quieter and more civil. We had coffee and cake whilst admiring the view from 282m. The view was very good and with a very good view of Petronas Towers. Petronas Towers is KL's Twin Towers, formerly the world's tallest syscapers until 2004 when Taipei 101 took the title. You can go up the towers but only half way to the bridge linking the 2. It is free but you have to get there at 07;30am to get a ticket. And also the towers are then not in your view.

After here we went to China town, so Caroline could barter for the bag she wanted. She got a black Coach shoulder bag. Her second part of her birthday present. Once we'd finished here and on our walk nack to the hostel we stopped at a Beef Noodle place that Calvin had reccommended. The family who owned it have done so for 63years and it is very popular with the local community. It was a bowl of noodles with beef granules and then in another bowl was clear stock, beef meat and beef balls. You could have had tripe as well but we declined. You then mixed all of it together and added chilli where needed. It was really nice although very strong flavoured. Most of the time noodle soup is in a clear stock but because of the beef granules it was a dark stock. So it was also Chinese for dinner.

After dinner we nipped back to the hostel did a quick change with a babywipe wash and then caught the train to KLCC. From the station we walked through a well lit park with a water fountain display and a brilliant view of the twin towers in the directions of Traders hotel. Traders has a sky bar with some very nice views across the city. Its 33 floors up so our 3 high point for the day. It was a very nice bar (for those of you who were in Manchester, very much like the Hilton bar) with a swimming pool in the middle and big windows for views all round the outside. But it was a little pricey (for here anyway and especially on a backpacker budget!), it was about six pound a cocktail. We arrived at 9:30pm and because we hadn't booked a table we sat on a sofa on the otherside of the pool but still with a view. The best seats were opposite us in the main window over looking the towers. Anyway as I was saying we arrived at 9;30pm and manged to make 2 cocktails for me and for Caroline a glass of wine and a cocktail, last us 2 hours!! For us it was a small miracle!! The cocktails by the way were raspberry mojitos and very nice they were!! We left about midnight and as it was going to be too late to get the train we caught a taxi home. Once back we had a couple of beers and then bed.

Sunday 9th August 2009 Kuala Lumpar-Penang

After showering and packing we checked out around 10:30am. We left the hostel just after 11am and made the 10 minute walk to the bus station. Now the bus was meant to leave at 11:30am but at 11:30am there was no bus in sight (well not in our lane anyway). At about 11:40am 2 buses pulled into our lane but neither of them were ours. Eventually at about 11:50am our bus arrived and finally left for Panang at 12:10pm. To know the rest you can now see Penang!!! But I will say this was the comfortiest bus we have had in the whole of Asia. It was like sitting in an armchair!!!