KL & beyond.

---

May 2; Not the best departure we've experienced.

It now seems but a distant memory when we planned this foray to the northern hemisphere. Then, we scheduled our departure similarly to others; a flight to an Asian hub, stay a day or 2 and then head west.

In this case it was a daytime flight via AirAsia from Coolangatta to Kuala Lumpur .

Some months ago we got a message that our flight had been cancelled and replaced a day earlier with a night time flight! As Judy is prone to DVT (blood clots), we try and fly during the day so she can move about the cabin and minimise the risk. On review, there were no daytime departures at all. In other words, AirAsia had altered all flight departures from Coolangatta.

Our 'solution' was to fly to Sydney and then take a daytime flight from there.

Though (then) planned as a fly-stay at an hotel-fly, we later agreed to the suggestion we stay with family overnight.

The Coolangatta to Sydney flight got significantly delayed and instead of a mid afternoon arrival at E Lindfield, we eventually arrived after 6pm.

3rd May; OS bound

And, what was to be a 10am departure to KL was brought forward to 8:30. Jeremy very graciously arose early to get us there in time in peak hour traffic!

At Sydney airport, we went to weigh our bags. Unlike other airports where it's a free service, greedy Sydney Airports impose a $2 charge! Ouch! We knew we were 'on the limit' so we filled our pockets with the heavies just in case and checked in. Sweet, they didn't weigh our carry-on bags!

Oh, and an arrival bunfight.

Amongst many things, airports consume time. We travel (where possible) with only carry-on. Terminal 2 at KL is poorly laid out and baggage takes forever to emerge. So, we thought with just carry-on we'd be on our way quickly. Not this time!

The passport control had a ridiculously long queue. At the queue entry was a sign indicating a change to entry procedure.

Malaysia had recently changed from visa free entry to a mandatory electronic visa application. We had no inkling. Unlike other airlines, AirAsia didn't warn us of the change (either by email or at the check in counter). With a QR code we tried downloading the application. Clearly we were not alone as the free wifi was overloaded. The alternative was to stand in another very long queue to access one of 4 PC's!

Eventually we got the forms completed and passed through border control.

Next hurdle was to get some cash. We found the ATM'S, but couldn't find any of the many brands that would accept any of our cards. After trying different options in different places, we learnt that Malaysia has adopted a 6 digit password system. And, while an extra 2 zero's was the norm for those with 4 digit pins, Australian banks don't recognise a pin with 2 extra zero's.

We'd landed at 5:30pm local time and it was now 8:30. What to do? We decided that we'd limit ourselves to plastic payment for everything, even though that may limit our options.

And, there's more!

We'd booked accommodation at Times Square in the Bukit Bintang area. After the airport to city train, we needed to get the monorail to Times Square. We've done the trip when here before, so it wasn't going to be a problem. EXCEPT! To access the monorail platform, occasional patrons purchase a prepaid disk for each trip from a machine THAT ONLY ACCEPTS CASH!

We had no option but jump the turnstiles. Judy's arthritic hips presented a problem. Bruce went to her aid by lifting each leg over - much to the amusement of the many patrons on the platform.

We had to repeat the chore when at the destination platform. Not the prettiest sight!

We eventually arrived at our apartment at the 28th floor so had a wonderful view of the 'neon' lit KL. But, we couldn't stay looking as we had to rush downstairs to get provisions - the shops close at 10pm. Being so tired, we got a snack and headed to bed.

4th May; Revisiting Bukit Bintang.

Unlike Singapore which is very clean, we've always felt there is an overall grubbiness about KL. Most buildings are concrete and painted in very light or white colours. Being tropical, the paint goes mouldy quite quickly. While not dirty, it projects a grubbiness. As well, the pedestrian streetscape is often a mishmash of broken pavers, chipped concrete or uneven bitumen.

Now, a positive. We'd bought milk and cereal for breaking. The milk was a joy to consume. Full flavoured, just like when we were young. Packaging says fat content was 3.8%!s(MISSING)ame as Oz. But much fuller milk flavour. We wonder whether the milk industry in Australia hasn't found a way to produce a watered down product.

After a very late start, we went 'touristing'. With a couple of electronic items to buy/research we headed into the commercial centre of Bukit Bintang. Gone are the fleamarket type shops, being replaced largely by international chain stores. We found the area much cleaner (for the pedestrian) and the overall ambience had improved markedly.

We meandered for quite a few hours and as Judy felt like a 'nanna nap' we headed back to the apartment.

Later, we continued on 'shanks pony' and headed to a nearby pub that sells craft beer. We lucked in.

Being predominantly Muslim, Malaysians have Friday and Saturday as their weekend. So, Saturday is their 'fun' day. The pub employed a musical trio for Saturday nights and so not only did we enjoy some great beer but were (well) entertained.

5 May; A casual affair.

After a late night (for us), we again got up late. Not that it really matters as the 'official' opening time for shops, etc., is 10am.

After pottering around locally, after lunch we headed to Petaling Rd, in Chinatown. Though it's the centre of the Chinese community, the shops along Petaling Rd may once have been Chinese. Now, the store owners are Malay (which makes sense - the Chinese collect the rent and get the Malays to take the business risk).

The targeted destination was the nearby REXKL building; a repurposed cinema that now serves as an arts, culture and community hub, with gallery space, a food hall and bar, boutiques and a quirky bookstore with its maze-like multi-level bookshelves with peek-a-boo holes.

From the rooftop bar, we had a birdseed view of Merdeka 128; Malaysia's tallest building and reputedly the 2nd tallest in the world at 680 metres.

We enjoyed a beer and some Malaysian food (yum) then made our way back to our apartment.

6 May: Batu Caves

We headed to Batu Caves, a Hindu religious complex inside a very large Karst cave.

Using Google, we learnt we should take the monorail and then change to a bus. After that, a walk of about 500m. We fell foul of the Google 'trap'. So many tourists follow this advice that it is the norm. However, there is a simpler option; go to KLSentral (monorail) and take a direct train. Not only quicker, but also cheaper.

Using the monorail to Chow Kit, Judy got her metaphors mashed; "So, we go to Cow Shit and..."

The monorail access just needed cash to enter (we'd got some - eventually). The bus required a smart card. After alighting the monorail and waiting for the bus to arrive, we only learnt about the necessity of the smart card from the bus driver! Just another hurdle to jump.

One benefit of the bus trip is being immersed in the local culture. We do enjoy that aspect.

Arriving close to the Caves, we headed to a Cafe for lunch. Being a Hindu locality, the lunch spot served Indian food. Basic, but YUUUUMMMM!

The entry to the Batu Caves is via a confronting staircase. Judy looked at the 272 stairs and declared 'NO WAY'. A bit of coaxing got her started, and with several rest stops, we arrived at the cave entrance - only to be confronted with another 146 steps! Someone was not happy!

On reflection, the Caves and tired Hindu painted icons were ho-hum. But the cheeky monkeys at the first set of stairs and the exercise created by the stair climbing made the venture worthwhile.

Exiting the Caves, we headed to the train to KLSentral (we'd learnt about this option from a local at the bus stop). Then the monorail to a craft beer pub for a much needed rehydration - and refuelling.

7 May: To Istanbul.

An early start had us at the airport for an 8:30 departure.

We flew Turkish and were delighted at the comfort and provisioning. That said, an 11 hour flight is a long haul, but the Turkish experience made it a little easier. Judy loved the extensive selection of movies.

The airport exit was easy - though IST airport is a monstrously huge place with heaps of walking (acceptable after sitting for hours).

Last time we visited IST airport, there was a bus to the old part of Istanbul. Now, we were told, there is a monorail. Paying A$50 for 2 smart travel cards (credit inclusive), we headed towards our accommodation.

The metro isn't direct, rather, a series of (sort of) connected differing routes; for our destination, 5 in all plus a short tram trip.

A plus for us we're the many buskers at different stations (and one in a metro), providing musical relief to our travels.

On arrival at our accommodation, a quick BBQ meal washed down with local beer - and bed!

8th May; touristing in Istanbul.

We always thought the isthmus that is old Istanbul (Constaninople) was called Golden Horn for all the religious buildings. It's actually Eminonu. The term Golden Horn ascribed for the colour the waterway appears in dusk and dawn. That said, the number of mosques in Eminonu is incredible. Within the (ancient) walled area there are over 100 mosques - each with multiple minarets. In recent years, with his political fortunes, Erdogan (the Turkish leader) has swung much funding their way. So much renovation has occurred.

At 5am, we were awoken to Muslum prayers. It seems every mosque in the region has spent big on microphones from the minarets.

Seems few Imams have their watches on 'correct' time as the 2 minute morning prayers started from well before 5 to about 10 past. Some had a beautiful resonance. The worst sounded like a muffler deficient motor bike. Struggling to return to sleep, Bruce commented "geez there's gotta be more minarets around here than quills on a porcupine".

Later in the morning we headed to the Ecumenical Patriarchate Church of St George.

In the mild Spring weather (such a contrast to the humid heat of KL) we ambled alongside the Golden Horn surveying the plethora of boats of all sizes utilising this thoroughfare.

Back in time, the Patriarchal Church was founded by the apostle (Saint) Andrew and was in 451ad wasascribed equality with the Rome when Constantine moved the seat of the Roman Empire to the city. The inside of the church is highly ornate and even includes a stone pillar purportedly used to tie Christ to before his Crucifixion. Well touched, but with no hand sanitiser within sight. Maybe Christian faith is enough.

We were fortunate to experience a Christening being undertaken. The recitation of the bible in song was extremely pleasant to hear.

We exited the church and had a coffee at nearby shop; Kurdish for Judy (infused with Vanilla with a touch of milk) and Syrian for Bruce (infused with Cardemom, Cinnamon and Ginger).

Nearby was a wharf where large passenger boats came and went. We caught one to Kadekoy.

Istanbul is nowadays spread across the Bosphorus Straight. Eminonu on one side (the European side) and Kadekoi on the other (the Asian side). We wandered around the public gardens enjoying listening to various buskers in the afternoon sun and eventually found a place for craft beer, and another for dinner. We commented 'breakfast in Europe and dinner in Asia'.

9th May: more touristing.

After a mild Spring day, today was cloudy and quite cool.

We'd visited most major attractions last time we visited Istanbul so really didn't want to fight our way in the crowds of tourists to revisit a site. There was a Mosque some distance away that (we read) had occupied the site for over 600 years.

A couple of tram rides and a bit of a walk had us there. The building didn't look old at all. On site we read that the 'old' building was demolished in an earthquake in 1785, and the rebuild completed in 1800. Credit due to the maintenance team as both inside and out look well kept.

Despite the leader Erdogan investing public funds into the religion seeking to redirect the course of the nation back towards Islam, we observed most of the large crowd at the Mosque were mature aged. The nations' youth appear headed in a very western direction.

Headed back towards our hotel and popped into the centuries old Spice Market. While nowadays more a tourist attraction than a regular market, the hall is a riot of colour and seemingly infinite varieties of mixed spice and herb 'concoctions'.

A trader offered us samples of Turkish tea; pomegranate, Cinnamon and Ginger, Eucalyptus and Lemon. We'd have tried many more, but for free that was enough. Another gave us a sample of Cashew nut Baklava. Turkish Delight was everywhere.

The weather had turned quite chilly so we opted to use the Metro to go to Kudekai - rather than the ferry. The Metro goes under the Bosphorus. From entering the station down to the platform consisted of 6 very steep and long escalators.

At our destination, while there was a bus to get us to the pub we wanted, we couldn't easily find the stop nor the bus with the number we'd been supplied. It was a 10 minute walk and we welcomed the exercise.

Beer, BBQ skewered meat and plenty of veg made for a great night. As the ferry was close to the eatery, we took that back (enjoying a Turkish Tea on the way).

10th May: Departure

On our arrival to Istanbul airport, we followed advice and took the Metro. There were several route changes along the way, which with baggage was a little inconvenient. For our return to IST we learned of a direct bus departing from near our accommodation. Much easier.

On arrival at IST, we negotiated 6 sets of screenings and had to cool our heels for an hour in an area with very limited seating until gate notification. As IST airport is huge, with 6 dedicated departure areas, the demand for seats was high.

Till next 'blog'.

Bruce + Judy.

---

Photos

KL 2024
Frozen coconut ice. Yum!

KL 2024
True?

KL at night
View from our room towards Bukit Bintang commercial / retail area.

KL by day.
Looking south.