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Published: January 24th 2012
It’s hard to believe it’s eight years since we last visited KL. With Vietnam on a virtual shut-down for two weeks to celebrate Tet (their version of Chinese New Year) we thought we would take the opportunity to return. A good value flight with Malaysia Airlines from Saigon was a bonus, but we were really happy with flight times which prevented any jet lag.
This time we enjoyed the hospitality of our friend Peter and his family. Luckily eldest son Joe is now studying at university in the UK so we had his bedroom! It’s delightfully decorated with Brighton & Hove Albion memorabilia leaving Russ too excited to sleep!!
On our first evening we went out with Peter and his wife, Sylvia, to a friend’s “country retreat”. It took the best part of an hour to get there driving up into the hills near the Genting Highlands. We spent a lovely evening being fed and watered next to a river in a traditional wooden Malaysian stilted house. The evening finished with charades and Pictionary which, for English teachers, was a bit of a busman’s holiday!
A breakfast of
roti chanai was a pleasant surprise. Whilst Russ loves curry
for breakfast, even Trish had to admit it was delicious. Not truly a curry, granted, but a couple of roti breads with some curry sauces for dips were more than sufficient. After that we went for a cheap haircut and, unlike our last two adventures in Vietnamese barberland, it went without a hitch. Russ opted for the neck massage but was horrified at the crunching sound the realignment of his bones made!!
It seems at times that our holidays are food, food, food. The start to this holiday was certainly that. Peter and Sylvia took us out to one of the many golf clubs where we had a fabulous Malay/Chinese meal. After that we were dropped off at the Mid Valley Shopping Mall, the largest shopping centre in South East Asia. They even had Starbucks so Trish was happy. We think you could cram all of Saigon’s shopping centres into this one gargantuan mall.
The next day we decided to be proper tourists. KL’s transit system now includes trains out to the Batu Cave. They lie half an hour to the North of the city but a world away from the ultra-modern architecture of the metropolis. A couple
of Hindu temples lie at the base of the hill and some of their statues are incredible, especially the “Jolly Green Giant” (aficionados of 1980s tinned sweetcorn will understand the reference).
The main attraction though is the cave above some 272 steps. Once again we had to contend with curious monkeys on our climb but they were strangely docile. Maybe it was the midday heat or more likely the plentiful supply of snacks from the many tourists climbing up. At the top of the steps is a giant cave which is home to some small shrines and a couple of Hindu temples. It was slightly eccentric and a bit bizarre. One thing it did not feel was spiritual which was a big disappointment. Definitely worth the trip out for curiosity’s sake but don’t go there expecting enlightenment!
The train took us back into central KL where we walked around Chinatown and Little India. We expected a bit more in the way of decoration in Chinatown with the New Year fast approaching but it looks like they are only just getting started. We had a great lunch of “Clay Pot Chicken” which was bubbling hot and scrumptious. The walk
was long and hot but worth every burned calorie. Let’s hope we burned enough of them!!
In the evening we had arranged to meet Peter and Sylvia at another shopping centre. This one contained the George and Dragon pub where sat and waited for our friends. It was great to sip Guinness and Speckled Hen (not mixed together – what a disgusting thought!) but drinks like that are outrageously expensive outside of the UK so we drank in real moderation – just the one! The venue for dinner was
Rebung, home of celebrity chef Ismail Ahmad. He’s quite famous apparently, but his TV show was in Australia as far as we can gather. Nevertheless, he came out to greet us and he was a really nice chap. Shame we never got the camera out. The food was awesome, a whole host of Malaysian delights, some spicy and some not, but all mouth-watering.
All too soon we were waking up early ready to take Sylvia’s car away for a week and a bit of touring. The traffic in KL is a bit of a nightmare, but we were up for the challenge. More to come soon!!!!
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What no spiritual enlightenment???
This seems to be becoming a regular occurrence whichever temple you decide to go to. These places seem to be rapidly turning into tourist theme parks where the locals do their best to make a few extra quid, which is a darned shame really. Sounds like you\'re both having a great time anyway :)