Kuala Lumpur and Melaka

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Its time for a change. A new blogger, Lynnes having a rest so read on if you are having trouble sleeping. This blog will be by way of a daily diary covering a week so in Malaysia.

THURSDAY

We awake to a travel day, as today we leave Bali bound for Malaysia. Checking out at midday from the Quest our oasis in Kuta we travel to Denpassar Airport. You should allow at least an hours travel time by taxi to the airport a distance from Kuta of only 5 or 6 km. The traffic in and around south Bali is horrendous but we are lucky today the journey only taking 45 minutes. There are large billboards all around the airport showing pictures of how the new airport is going to look and if these diagrams are for real it is going to look very impressive but the advertising and the end result are often very different in this part of the world. We queue for 10 minutes to get into the International Terminal through the first security screening followed by a quick check in and through into arrivals through another security check. Lunch follows and then we go to our gate to go into the departure lounge but we are not allowed in so we stand around waiting with the other passengers. I check the departures screen and find out that our gate has changed without any announcement so off we go to the new gate and another long queue. After getting to the head of this queue we are told by the security guy we can’t go in because our boarding pass says another gate. At the same time the change of gate is announced so 150 or so people from our flight descend on mass to the gate to also be told that they can’t enter. This is all very Indonesian in its organisation. Some 10 minutes later the guard allows our flights passengers through but no queuing is involved as all 150 of us form a scrum as pass through security for what seems the hundredth time.

After all of this the 3 Hour flight on Malaysia Airlines to KL goes smoothly and withen 20 minutes we are out of the terminal looking for the bus station. 10 minutes later we are on the bus for the 1Hour journey to the city. We used Star Shuttles which goes from LCCT (the airport that Air Asia flights are based) to KLIA (the main airport for International flights) and then from there into Puri Sentral Bus Station which boarders Chinatown and Bintang two of the main tourist areas. After getting dropped of near Puri Sentral we wander into the Station looking for our hotel for the next 3 nights. An Casa Express sits atop the bus station. We did not have high expectations for this hotel as KL is very expensive for accommodation and what there is in our price range generally is reviewed poorly. After a quick check in we head to our room on the 13^th floor, open our door and walk into a surprisingly comfortable and clean room with an amazing view of KL city nightscape with the Petronas Towers bejewelled in a glittering array of lights. To the left of this is KL Tower a huge structure also bathed in light. First impressions of our room - not bad for $50. After a day of travel an early night is called for.

FRIDAY

We awake to a day time view of the city and it is still pretty impressive. Sunny with a constant haze that tends to always hang over KL. A buffet breakfast is included in our room rate so with some expectation we venture down for breakfast only to be disappointed with whats on offer. No fruit, no eggs, cold coffee and tea and really the only let down of our stay at this hotel.

On the agenda today was a look around a new part of town for us and to buy some bus tickets for our next destination. These we purchased downstairs in the bus station where there are probably 40 or so ticket outlets selling tickets for different bus lines that crisscross Malaysia and Singapore. There are also a lot of touts trying to clip the ticket as well so these people are to be ignored at all costs. As long as you do your research, know which company you want to travel with and when you want to go the process is pretty straight forward. We got 2 tickets to Melaka on a Nice Bus for NZ$24. And if you’re wondering “Nice Bus” is actually the name of the company who run luxury buses to several destinations.

Most of the rest of the day we spent wandering around some massive air conditioned shopping malls in the Bintang area. Temperatures at this time were 35 degrees with high humidity although we are by now pretty much acclimatised. Prices in the malls are mostly consistent with what we would pay at home so no bargains were to be had. One of the odd things about Malaysia is the speed that the locals walk. It is almost dead slow and applies to almost everyone. On narrow footpaths we found this a little frustrating and we could often be found attempting overtaking manoeuvres. Another thing is being a mainly Muslim country there were a large number of women wearing their full Burkas. That is in contrast to their husbands and partners who wore the latest trendy T-Shirts shorts or jeans being cool in both senses of the word.

I was advised that a visit to the bra shop was required so we found a local mall not frequented by westerners and went shopping. I was just hoping that it hadn’t reached the stage that I required one and thankfully it hadn’t. After a few minutes looking around it was suggested by a staff member that Lynne stop looking in the woman’s section and move over to the “ mama’s” section. Naturally although a grandmother we promptly left the shop.

That evening we planned to spend some time in China Town which is only 5 minutes from our hotel. Petaling Street is famous for its night market and food but we again found out that anticipation and reality are often two different things. Maybe because we have seen and been to so many markets in Asia that this one was a big let-down, selling all the same stuff that you see everywhere else for a higher price. This is smack in the middle of Chinatown but of the hundreds of stalls here 90% appeared to be run by Indians. It was very hard to spot a Chinese person. As for food, there was very little in the way of street food so after an hour of friendly hassle we ended up leaving. Another observation about Malaysia is that people here are not as friendly as the Thais, Vietnamese or Indonesians. That is not to say that they are unfriendly it is I think that they are more reserved and cautious. We finished our evening in Bintang enjoying a meal of deep fried meat at a Chinese Restaurant. Yum.

SATURDAY

A rather quiet day with me suffering a little from a dodgy stomach (I wonder why). We had an early morning walk walk to Bintang and found what is locally known as “food street”. A street about 400 metres long which is inundated on both sides by street restaurants. All it was inundated with this morning was the smell of drains and sewerage with none of the restaurants being open as yet. Later that evening we walked back through the street when it was in full flight and the odours were that of freshly cooked curries and stir fries, what a difference 8 hours makes. Most of the day was spent reading and planning future movements on our trip. Plane tickets were purchased on line for late July when our visa will run out in Thailand to get us from Surat Thani to KL. Tickets were also purchased for our return home on the 5^th October, trawling the net turning up a real good deal on British Airways out of Singapore via Sydney. Options for when Grant and Letitia visit us in Krabi were looked at. Accommodation was booked in Melaka for the following night. We spend quite a bit of time planning ahead as it cuts down on the hassle on the days you do travel. Things like google earth are really helpful for finding out where your hotel or guesthouse is located on any given street because it is easier to point your taxi driver to the address than expect him to know how to find it.

SUNDAY

Today we leave KL for Melaka and after checking out at midday we head back into town for lunch and to fill in a couple of hours before our bus trip. Puri Sentral is where all the inter- city buses leave from that are heading north of KL. So we boarded a shuttle bus that took us to the old KL Sentral Railway Station from where our “Nice Bus” departs. This bus had large spacious seats plenty of leg room and you were provided with a water and fruit juice. There were cheaper options but this was the only bus departing from central KL. All buses heading for cities south of KL leave from the Bandar Tasik Selatan which is another massive bus terminal and has an attached rail link, but this would have required a train journey to get to this terminal. Two and a half hours later we arrived in Melaka. The journey was a pleasant ride on a modern 3 lane wide highway. For the first hour KL’s suburbs stretched on and on, a valley of 1000 identical homes followed by another with different but identical homes. These were in indispersed with 15 and 20 storey apartment buildings some modern and brand new others 10 or 15 years old but showing the wear and tear that aged them so much faster than need be. This seems to be a phenomenon in Asia that buildings inside and out age much faster than at home. The last hour the countryside was shrouded in greenery. Arriving at Melaka Sentral Bus station we avoided yet more taxi touts found the taxi office and got ourselves a taxi to our hotel. Taxis in Melaka are expensive and $10 and 7Km later we were deposited at our hotel. We were staying one night here as we couldn’t get into our preferred hotel till the following night.

This hotel is the new part of Melaka near to the new malls, modern luxury hotels and a fairly unimpressive estuary. Our room was very small and expensive NZ$50 for the night. Malaysian hotels are pricier than other destinations in Asia we have travelled to. After dumping our bags we went exploring this part of town and found just more modern shopping malls and other than food courts no decent place to eat. After travelling for 10 weeks KFC was on the menu tonight. Back in our twin bedded room it took Lynne no longer than 10 minutes to find tiny insect like creatures crawling around in her bed. She describes anything that moves as an animal so for her benefit I sprayed and killed these critters. A few minutes later while lying on the bed she moved off it at a speed that I had not recently witnessed as a large cockroach (animal) clambered up the curtain next to her head. This also was neutralised. I slept well this night, Lynne not so well but at least no other animals came visiting. Little did we know a couple of weeks later another cockroach was to make more of an impression on Lynne. But that is for another blog.

MONDAY

Went spent the morning lazing in our “lovely room”watching TV. At least this hotel had some decent English channels and for a change we used the air conditioning, something we tend to avoid because by not using it too often you acclimatise better. This was a mistake because as soon we walked outside we noticed the difference in temperature another 35 degree day but this time we had the benefit of packs on our back and front as headed off on a 20 minute walk into the old town to our new hotel.



Our new abode was in a little narrow one-way street lined on both sides by quaint Chinese shop houses with no footpath to utilise. Walking along this street with cars passing by inches from you takes a little getting used too. Arriving at our hotel (Hotel Puri Melaka) which is situated in one of the towns old historic homes we must have looked like the incredible melting man and woman with sweat literally dripping in pools around us. Our room here was in the old part of the building and was nothing special especially since were paying $60 a night for the next 4 nights but it was one of the few that reviewed well. The building itself reminded us of some of the Havilis we saw in Rajasthan, India. It was very ornate and contained its own museum showing the history of the building and its owners.

After lunch we ventured out into the streets around the hotel. This area is known as China Town and is the reason Melaka has become such a visited City. Jonker Street is the attraction here and one street over from our hotel it is also full of old Chinese shop houses which are now tenanted with shops selling all the usual fare , restaurants and little bakeries selling pineapple tarts that are all the rage here. Nice, but not quite up to the standard of a Dunkin Donut. Another big thing here is Cendol a local form of ice cream which to be honest is hardly a magnum. We came here during the week because weekends can be chaotic with the place constantly filled to over flowing with visitors from Singapore and Malaysia. Food here in Melaka has several influences with the mixes of Portuguese who colonised here in the 1500s, Chinese, Indian, Indonesian and Malaysian. Our first dinner here was spent at the Geographer a very nice restaurant on Jonker Street. Food here was reasonable with a decent meal being had for $7 or $8 each. Alcohol here was dear as it is in all Malaysia with high taxes making it unaffordable for the locals.

TUESDAY-THUSDAY

Three days spent getting up in the morning and enjoying a very good buffet breakfast at our hotel; often not the case on this trip. The language barrier applies though with us expecting the availability of roti for breakfast. A cooking station was in place and Lynne went up and asked for a two roti’s to be cooked but what was given to her was two chai cups of tea. They really do have no idea what we say.

This is a city of museums and on one of our daily walks we found a street that seemed dedicated to recording history even in its most mundane sense. Museum after Museum lined the street and if you are bored reading this list think how we felt walking down this street (the Stadhuys, Museum of Literature, the Museum of Enduring Beauty, Democratic Government Museum, Melaka Stamp Museum, Melaka Architectural Museum, the World and Islamic World Museum, Baba and Heritage Museum, Peoples Museum, Kites Museum, Melaka Education Museum, the Royal Malaysian Navy museum, somewhere on this street was also the Department of Museums I could keep going but the list seems endless. After walking down this street we find another street with a building that contained the Melaka Youth Museum and the Melaka Art Gallery. Lynne thought it was a good idea that we at least visit a Museum so we go in here and I duly followed, paid the $4 entry fee and was then advised that the Art Gallery had been replaced by a history of student Architecture. In we raced only to work out that we were fortunate we had not gone to all the other museums.

Another day we walked for about 5 kms following the course of the local river as it meandered through downtown Melaka passed more Chinese shop houses and through the middle of town. This was the hottest day we experienced here and when we had worked out we had had enough of course we were only half way to our destination, our hotel, so walking back we found the Melaka Living Museum which Lynne had read about so in we went after the old lady who resided there came out and saw our confusion as to how to get in. It was easy really we opened the gate that old lady pointed at and spent the next 45 minutes here looking around what was her families original house filled with family mementos and photographs. Interesting in a sad kind of way. Photo’s taken on the marriage chair and a $5 donation later of we headed of on the 5km walk home.

Our daily routine here is to enjoy a big buffet breakfast then attempt to walk it off by strolling for miles around the town which is flat and very walker friendly. On a number of occasions we passed the Maritime and Navy Museum that housed a large replica of a Portuguese ship from many centuries ago and on our final full day we decided it might be worth a look. We were wrong, another few dollars paid we walked around the inside of the ship that was full of repetitive and badly written narrative about local history with oddly one exhibit being a replica astronauts suit from the Apollo mission. Random exhibits appeared for no apparent reason.

Melaka was one of the worlds main trading ports between the late 1400s and 1800s with a lot of the trade being based around spices that were widely sort throughout the world. Today it is a quiet, charming City that certainly in Chinatown evokes images of old time Asia and is well worth a visit from anyone passing through Malaysia.

Our evenings here were more often than not spent sitting in The Geographer Restaurant, people watching, eating good food and sharing a jug of beer. One jug was sufficient as alcohol was expensive a jug cost at happy hour NZ$15 but after the heat and humidity of the day was very much looked forward too. By the time we return to Wellington I think Lynne will no longer be drinking Pinot Gris but may well be enjoying a jug after a hard day in the office.

FRIDAY

Today we are back to KL. Catching an early morning bus from Melaka Sentral we arrived 2 hours later at Bandar Tasak Selatan Bus Station. This about 20 minutes by train south of our destination in the city. We then made our way to the attached train station that had several platforms for different trains going in all directions. After finding the line we wanted and buying the tickets we then went down to the platform that one of the locals advised was the one to catch the train into town. Standing looking around it didn’t seem like the right platform as the train that left from here would appear to be going away from the city. A change of platform was required and luckily we were right and the local wrong and our train duly arrived 30 minutes later.

A short ride later we were deposited at KL Sentral the main train hub for KL and Malaysia. Last time here we stayed nearby on the wrong side of the tracks at a somewhat grotty hotel. This time we were on the right side of the tracks at the Hilton Hotel. Hardly a back packers establishment I hear you say and you would be right. Trawling the net for accommodation a couple of days previously I had come across a deal here that seemed to be good to be true. For NZ$110 a night we could get a deluxe room and having hardly touched our luxury fund we decided to dip into it. We felt a little out of place walking into the grand lobby with our backpacks on but who cares as two bellboys quickly approach us, remove our packs and put them out of sight. Check in is a slow laborious process, why I have no idea, the cheaper the hotel the quicker you seem to get to your room.

Wow the room is fantastic, spacious, clean with every mod con you would need and a stunning picture window with views out over KL Sentral and the City. Our two days here were spent catching up on some new release DVD’s we had purchased in Vietnam for NZ$2 and popping across to the Railway Station for breakfast lunch and dinner. This is a huge Station with a wide array of shops and eateries and while we couldn’t in any way afford to eat at the Hilton the Railway Station was more than satisfactory. The only thing we purchased at the Hilton was couple of Lattes that weren’t too badly priced. To give an idea of the difference in costs we normally get our laundry done every 3 or 4 days searching for the best price in whatever neighbourhood we are in and this on average will cost us $3-$4. Costing out the same amount of laundry at the Hilton the price came to an astonishing $250. A T-Shirt cost $27 to wash which is a tad expensive considering most of the T-Shirts I buy when travelling cost no more than $5. Needless to say none of our priceless clothes ended up in the Hilton laundry.

SUNDAY

After a couple of very relaxing days it was on the road again early this morning. Back into the station and onto the express train to the airport. This cost about $5 each for a 35 minute train ride followed by a 20 minute shuttle bus ride to LCCT Air Asia’s hub.

This is one crazy Airport with seemingly thousands of people queuing for flights at the hundred or so check in gates although our check-in goes without a hitch. We have a 3 hour wait for our flight and not being allowed in to the departure lounge until just before our flight left meant a very boring couple of hours was had. This is a low cost terminal so one way they save money is by not installing seats so everyone stands or sits on the floor, another cost saving feature would appear to be to do away with cleaning the toilets. But there again their flights are cheap, almost always on time and they have just been voted the world’s best low cost carrier.

Anyways our 90 minute flight to Krabi to meet up with Grant and Letitia was uneventful and we arrived to more sun and heat. Bliss.

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