21/05/217 - 24/05/2017
Kuala Lumpur
KL, as it is referred to, had a few gems although I wouldn't recommend too much time here as transit is difficult and the lack of sidewalks limits walking as well.
The first day I walked to the Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest twin towers in the world. They are quite impressive.
I stayed in China Town which was definitely the heart of the city, very busy with a good mix of locals and tourists. Petaling Street is the main market, none of the streets are really labeled but you can't miss it. The street consists of a long row of hawkers (vendors) set up in small 10 ft by 10 ft tents all connected together. Whatever you want you can buy. I purchased a little Bluetooth speaker to take with me for laying around in the evenings, only 35 Malaysian Ringgits, around $8. Everything can be haggled, so if you know roughly how much something should cost then you shoot well below that with the hawkers and then work your way up or down till both parties are happy. I would go to grocery stores and malls to see the set prices of different goods. I would then go to a hawker stall and under bid the product I wanted. It is definitely a game, including the rolling your eyes at the price they quote and then pretending to walk away until they call you back with another price.
The next street over from Petaling was an outdoor food market. At night people filled the streets, finding a dish, then sitting down to eat at small little plastic tables with stools. I really enjoyed the kababs. The kabob cart is set up with different piles of skewered food all ordered by veggies and meats. You pick what you want, put it on a plate and hand it off to a guy tending the fryer. As the food cooks, you find a table behind the vendor's cart and wait for your kabobs. I chose a few kabobs to be fried and then I picked a few to be steamed at the table. These tables were not plastic but metal with a propane lit metal container in the middle filled with water. The pot was where you submerged the food for steaming, 5-10 seconds. Usually the kabob cart is crowded with people and yet the cooks remembered who picked which kabobs and where you are sitting.
Meeting other travels has been difficult for me since I'm staying at budget hotels and homestays instead of Hostels. The hostels are filled with 20- 26 year olds, constant loud music and drinking, and the sleeping accommodations are bunk bends. However, sometimes you just need to talk to other people that fluently speak English. The street with the food also had a Reggae Bar of all things. The reggae music was legit and the two tool tables provided a nice activity as you chatted with other travelers.
Lastly, KL had a wonderful bird sanctuary high up on a hill with a planetarium nearby. I chose to see the bird sanctuary given time constraints and it was wonderful. I saw the famous native Rhinoceros Hornbill. The African Grey parrots and the owls are also a classic favorite of mine.
The city was also scattered with beautiful mosques but I did not go inside.
