Blogs from China Town, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia, Asia - page 18

The bus ride to Kuala Lumpur was mostly uneventful. We passed through immigration early on, having to get off and register with Singapore immigrations when we left Singapore and again with Kuala Lumpur when entering that country. At Kuala Lumpur I had to fill out the customary form. I was mostly finished, having not checked a few boxes on the back when the agent said “Just go ahead. Your bus is waiting.” I was amazed at the lack of concern. On the ride I spoke a bit with a man named Alan. I believe he is British (at least he sounds that way) and is living over here while he travels back and forth between Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. The most amusing part about Alan is that he looks and sounds exactly like Anthony Hopkins as ... read more

Leaving India was hard after all the great experiences but we were excited by the start of a new adventure; Malaysia. Our first Air Asia experience was a good one. The flight went smoothly and the plane looked new, not the rusty piece of tin imagined when booking the journey for a measly £20. We arrived into a sleak, shiney Kuala Lumpur International Airport, our dusty Indian feet were in shock. We effortlessly made our way to the bus stand, with no taxi touts to fend off, where an air conditioned coach awaited us. An hour later we were in Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station, just like that. Things actually seemed to work! The impressive KL metro system then took us to Chinatown where we hoped to stay. As we got off the platform and walked down ... read more

Excited to be back in Asia. Exiting the plane, a wall of humidity hits me. After the 73km taxi ride into the central business area (KLCC), I stay one night at any guesthouse. In the middle of the night, it all comes back to me. Bed bugs. How could I forget? ‘In the morning, I’ll head straight to China Town.’ Pet Shops can be confronting in Asia. Turtles, snakes, parrots, galagos and baby rhesus monkeys, are all for sale here. Along with hundreds of birds kept in small cages. At another pet store, around the corner, my suggestion of giving water to the three giant rabbits panting in a tiny cage is obliged. And after pointing to a dead guinea pig; the shop assistant grabs it, wraps it in a newspaper, and throws it in the ... read more