Malaysia to Indonesia

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I know I haven't posted in a while but thankfully I've been keeping notes in my journal so that I don't forget anything. I'm just going to write a short entry because frankly the weather outside is much nicer than the cold stale air in the Internet cafe.

Last time I wrote we were leaving for Melaka from Kuala Lumpur. We really enjoyed Melaka. It was a lot quieter than KL and we got to experience a little bit more of the cultural side of Malaysia. We ate a lot of Nonya food (fusion between Malaysian, Chinese and Indian food) which was absolutely delicious. On the way to Meleka we also got to drive through some Malaysian suburbs that were totally bizarre. You know how in North America we try to mix up how subdivisions look by reversing some of the house designs or making every 5th house or so look different? In Malaysia, out the window with trying to convince people that their house is different than someone else's. The houses in the suburbs are rows upon rows of exactly identical stucco houses, with the exact same tree planted out front and the same black fence. It was really weird to see.

Anyways, in Melaka we also went to a very authentic Indian place where they didn't have any utensils, the plates were banana leaves and you had to eat with your hand (your right hand though, because the left is used for other things). Adam really enjoyed not using any utensils, as did I because anyone who knows me, knows that I rudely pick at my food with my hands anyways, so I fit right in. There was a Japanese couple sitting near us at the restaurant and they were totally disturbed by the fact that everyone was eating with their hands. They asked the owner to find them some utensils, so he managed to find some laying around in the back. When we were done eating, we looked around and there weren't any napkins. I busted out my hand sanitizer and Adam and I try to get the caked food off our hands and from under our finder nails. A few minutes later someone pointed towards a sink where there was water and soap to wash up. We must have looked like the biggest idiots in the world. On a different night in Melaka we ate at a Chinese place that had real Chinese fondue! You got a tray and went over to a little freezer area and picked what you wanted to put into your boiling pot. At one point a server walked around handing out King Prawn to everyone. It took Adam and I about half an hour to eat it because it still had it's eyes and tenticles on.

We made it back to KL where we have totally managed to master the transit system. I don't think that I mentioned that Bukit Bintang where our hostel was located is like the Yorkville of Kuala Lumpur. At night really expensive cars would drive around and all the KL hot shots would go out for dinner in our area. For $30 USD we got to eat beside a guy who had parked his Porsh out front. We were wearing flip flops, how fitting. In Bukit Bingtang we did find this one Indian place that was ridiculously good and ridiculously cheap. Being the creatures of habit that we are, we ate there 3 times. Each time we ate there (we ate the exact same thing every time), the bill got cheaper. I guess he started charging the price the regulars get instead of the tourist price. The third time he handed us the bill which was about 10 ringgit cheaper than the first, I asked him if he was sure of the price and wanted to make sure he hadn't forgotten to add anything. He seemed totally insulted, so I smiled, paid and left.

As I mentioned previously, we did end up flying to Bali. This was our second time flying Air Asia. When we flew from Saigon to Kuala Lumpur, we left 45 minutes late but still arrived on time. I noticed that on Air Asia they don't make the typical announcements with regards to flying speed, altitude, time, etc. They just go. On Air Asia they also do the safety demonstrations while the place is positioning itself on the runway for takeoff. On our flight to KL, we figured because the flight was late that we would arrive later in the afternoon, so we ate a 10 am lunch when they came around with the food for sale. People looked at us a little weird while we ate our 10 am chicken lasagna (by the way everything in Malaysia was chicken and halal, so I was loving life).
Our Air Asia flight from KL to Bali was also 45 minutes late (remember what we said about the departure times being a suggestion?). When we went to check in at the International Departures terminal, we were informed that a flight from Malaysia to Indonesia is actually a domestic flight. Go figure. So we made out way to the domestic check in counter. Now picture what you think a check in counter for a discount airline in South East Asia would look like. If you picture insanity and chaos, you are correct. Adam and I each picked a line for efficiency. Turns out my line was for Jakarta flights only- Iwas kindly informed by the man behind the counter that I should have known this because it was being announced over the PA in Malaysian. The line Adam picked had a "family" of 14 checking in with everything they owned. I use the term family loosely here the way South East Asians use the term family (basically one dude and all his buddies who wanted to jump the line). In any case, we made it to Kuta. Our initial arrival was a little overwhelming because as I've mentioned, it's never ideal to arrive somewhere in the dark because you have no idea where you are and are much more likely to be taken advantage of. You're also way more desperate because you just wanted to find somewhere to stay after a long day of travel. We managed to find a nice place that's a little ways away from the consumerist madness that is Kuta. There is a massive fountain with fish right outside our door, so we fall asleep listening to the sound of running water (Adam is having flashbacks of being a little boy and falling asleep on the bathroom floor listening to the shower).

We are about to head out for our second day on the Kuta beach. Despite Kuta being a little bit crazy, the beach here is amazing. I spent the day yesterday trying to "read" the waves for my surf lessons that start tomorrow. I think this is probably the best place in the world to learn to surf. The water is chest deep (so knee deep for most people) for what seems like a kilometer and the wakes are a perfect size. Adam and I have already been identified as the cheap tourists. Yesterday I haggled the beach chair guy down to a third of his initial price. We're not the silly new kids in town who are going to pay 20 US to sit on a beach. Adam thinks it's hilarious because I think I've actually become more frugal than him, if that's even possible.

More soon and lots of love,

Nicole/Poke/Coco
xoxoxoxo

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