Kuala Lumpur and Teman Negara

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February 22^nd Saturday

Went to find the Bird Park and other places that are situated in the Botanical Gardens, double checked the way with the receptionist and she told me to go to the Old KL Train station instead of Dayabumi Complex, so I crossed the river and followed the train line, as I got to the KL station a chinsese tourist asked e for directions and I said it was straight on.. so I carried on, soon realised he had stopped following me. Hmm. Ok so I carry on walking, following the train line, for a long way, much further than I thought it should take, I got the map out and checked my nearest road name to see if it looked like I was going the right way and it seemed that way. I kept on walking and found myself at KL Sentral Station, buggar, gone too far. I headed into the massive station where there were monorails, trains, buses, komuter trains etc just to get out of the sun and buy more water. I again constulted the map and the Gardens were just on the other side of the Hilton Hotel, so headed for them, there was what seemed like a whole school’s worth of children walking the opposite way to me, through the Hilton Carpark and onto the main road.. so if it safe for tem it is for me too, right? Jesus it was hot. I soon realised that I was heading to a motorway type road without a pavement, there was a guard of some kind outside the only building I was close to and I asked him for directions he told me to come back the way I had come and walk over the main road. I tried it, but I did not feel safe and could not see a safe way to get to the gardens, which at this point I could see. So I headed all the way back to the junction where – I assume – the Chinese gut had turned..

YAY found it! First there was the National Mosque, one of the largest in the country, and I think the largest that’s lets tourists in. however I had been lost for such a long time that I got there at 1pm at which time it was closed due to afternoon prayer and opened again at 3pm. I headed straight for a shop that had a bench with a fan next to it. Another girl had the same idea, we got talking and I gave her one of my maps told her I was heading up the hill to the bird park and her friend suggested the national museum. So we all went together, FRIEND! The girl was called Meeri from Sweden and the boy was Ben from Germany and they had met in Vietnam and happened to be going KL on the same day. We found the museum, we had to walk over a bridge to get there and I could see where I had been lost! Jeez I was so close! The museum was 5RM to get in, so about 90pence but it was pretty boring. So we headed to the Bird Park, on the way we saw a monkey in the trees! I went to take a picture an soon realised I had left my memory card in my Netbook as was blogging the night before. Buggar. We got to the Bird Park and it was 48RM (£9) to get in and Meeri and Ben said that was too much, so we had an iced drink, gives me chance to get my memory card and come back tomorrow. We headed back to the Mosque and waited for it to open, Ben went back to the Hostel. Made the silly mistake of walking on tiles with bare feet. Idiot! Meeri was telling me how rubbish she was with directions and map reading, made me feel better about myself lol.

When we went into the mosque, which was free, we had to go barefoot and wear a Burka and cover our hair. It was good, we say and chatted for a bit about religion etc. we headed back via the Central Market I went to yesterday as she needed a toiletry bag. I looked at some Aladdin trousers, which were 300RM (£54!) erm no thank you. Continued looking and got some for 35RM wahoo! On the way back we decided to add eachother on Facebook and meet for dinner and drinks. When I got back I was very tired and just slobbed for a bit, I do really like that hostel – explorers guesthouse. Met Meeri and Ben for dinner and headed to the food court in the street where I has my meltdown the day before. But I felt so much better. The food was great, I had chicken satay on a sizzler plate and a Tiger beer for the first time in my life, not bad. But just as the food came it started raining and if it was going to turn in to the rain I had seen the last few days we should move, so the staff moved our whole table inside! We played shithead that Ben had learnt of some Israelis in Vietnam and was surprised I knew the game! Had another beer and it was about 11pm when we decided to go to a bar, Reggae bar, which was on my street. Had a cocktails, we played more cards and got talking to an Iranian/Australian man called Sam, quite funny, we all got up and had a dance about half 12, the music was rubbish but sometimes you gotta go with it. I left about 1.30am. Such a contrast to the first few days here.



February 23^rd Sunday

Got up at around 9.30/10am showered and headed for the Bird Park, again, this time knowing the way and with memory card. There were some beautiful ones, some families kept trying to touch the peacocks etc which annoyed me, but hey ho. The bird show was good, and just as it was finishing I noticed something moving way behind, but still part of the park. It was a family of monkeys. I practically ran to them as I know my little sister loves them so they reminded me of her. Oh my word it was so amazing, there was a baby one only about 6 inches tall and there were other juvenile ones playing etc then a mother would have a swipe at them or lay them down and pick at them. And I was so close to all this happening, only 2 feet away, no barriers they were obviously wild from the botanical park trees. They were so funny.

After the bird park I continued up the road to the butterfly park. Again it was so hot. Got some good shots, I love butterflies, they seem so happy, it make me happy. Explored towards the train station on the way back to get food, and also see if there was a cut through. Food was good and I had another peach flavoured ice smoothie. Whilst walking through the station I realised there was a train to the Batu Caves, so I thought sod it lets go! I was going to do it the next day, but why put off to tomorrow what you can do today. It was about 5pm though so I didn’t know if it would be open. The ticket was only 2RM, (35pence!) and it took 30 mins to get there. Again it was free to get in and the amount of stairs was crazy! I was stunning though! And there more monkeys, as cute and funny as they were you could tell there were just there for food from humans. Even saw one purposely spill a bottle of Coke to drink it off the floor! Because it was late afternoon it wasn’t as busy as I had seen in the pictures. In the end it had been a great day.

Went back to the hostel and looked at what I could book for the next few days, Penang? Cameron Highlands? Taman Negara? Langkawi? Or out of Malaysia? Had I google around and looked at the Taman Negara, the worlds oldest rainforest – 130 billion years, which was the most expensive at 490 RM (£90) for 2 nights and 3 days, including transport to and from by bus and boat accommodation, most meals and a guide. I asked the receptionist to call and ask if there was any availability for the next day, which amazingly there was. So I went and packed! Loving this spontaneous stuff!



Monday 24^th February

Taman Negara. Amazing. 3 hours on a bus from my hotel, then 3 ½ hour boat ride, which was amazing, so calming and beautiful scenery. Reminded me of the Amazon Boat ride, but more sand and less mud and more obvious signs of people living there. Had got talking to a few people on the bus, two ladies from Denmark on holiday celebrating their 50 somethings birthdays, Anmi and Bretta, who were both very lovely, and Max and Marianne, a couple travelling for 4 ½ months from Belgium, again very nice people. When we got here, I realised it was a village, some floating restaurants and then a village inland, there were roads and cars and everything, very different to the Tambopata Lodge in the Amazon which was only candle light and wooden lodges. My Hotel – yes hotel – was basic but ok, the room has bright yellow walls with bugs painted on them. Two single beds no seal under the door to the balcony area but a mosquito net and – best of all - a squatter toilet. Wow.

That night we met for dinner and then for a night walk around the jungle, on the other side of the river, on the otherside it seemed more like the Amazon lodge I stayed in, but more expensive. There were about 12-15 of us in the walk and we were not the only night walk using the same path – a raised walkway about a foot off the ground. We didn’t see much, a few spiders and stick insects, a tiny snake and a crusted headed lizard, basically a chameleon. There are these things that are attracted to light called Cicadas and they are like massive flying cockroaches and make a lot of noise, like a dentists drill. Horrible things but they are everywhere. There was also a massive mammal called a Tapir, looks like an anteater mixed with a giant pig, in the grounds of the lodge area over the river to us. Got back to the hotel around at 11pm and made sure my mozzy net was tucked in all the way around.




Tuesday 25^th February.

Woke around 6 to the sound of the Muslim prayers, the mosque is next door to my hotel and speaker aimed directly towards my hotel. Found my earplugs and went back to sleep. Went down to breakfast on the floating restaurant, chocolate pancake and a tea! First day I hadn’t had something with jam for breakfast in 3 weeks! (Wow – three weeks already!) we headed out on a boat towards a tree top canopy. It was brilliant! Longest tree top canopy in the world and it was 40ft above the ground. Myself and a German man called Armin were at the front and we swapped cameras to get some shots of ourselves. We then had a trek through the jungle and saw some more insects etc, including a scorpion in its nest! We headed back for lunch at 1.30pm ish and me, Armin, Max and Marianne played shithead – taught it to them, they picked it up pretty fast, was fun!

Next tour included rapids down the river which was great, I just love being on that river, or on any boat, it’s amazing. We then stopped at an Orang Asli camp (aboriginal people) where we learnt about their culture and how they hunt etc. They even showed us how they make the arrows they hunt with and how to shoot, most of us had a go and I got the target(a teddy bear) right in the middle, better than everyone else! The 4 people who hit the target got a gift from the Chief, an arrow in a hand decorated bamboo case! The guide Herman told the chief I was staying there as I am a good hunter! So when we were back in the boat I pretended to push him in!

We had dinner and Armin’s side of the river served alchohol so we went over for a drink and played cards, a Cicada landed on my leg and it wouldn’t get off like it was attached. Shudder. It came off and Armin stood on it, horrible things! Then I got the last boat back at 11pm – nearly missed it – and another Cicada hit me on the lip then got tangled in my hair as I shook it off. Shudder again!

Next morning we got the boat to the Jetty where I had booked a bus to take me to Cameron Highlands instead of KL, so had Max and Marianne – Anmi and Bretta had already left earlier that morning.



If anyone goes to Malaysia – I strongly recommend the Taman Negara rainforest, although we didn’t see a lot it was still a great experience and so cheap!

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Comments

[Laura Isherwood]

loving it xx
Loving your blog Jess e wop keep it up its dab looking at photos and your writing it exactly how I would so the reader can take every step with you xx adore the monkeys Mia and Emily will too will show them xx love ya xx