On TV in KL!

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From Melaka, I got the bus to KL with 3 english guys (Dave, James & Harry) I met in Melaka, and although were were booked into different hostels, we met up the next morning to do the Petronas Towers sky bridge. They were great craic, and their company more than made up for an early start of 7am!

One of the best things about my 4 days in KL was the food! I tried Roti Canai (sp?), really nice Indian tea, satay, otak, various kinds of fish balls on skewers, rambutan fruit, sticky rice...a real mix of chinese, indian and malaysian food :-)

On Friday night, I went out for the proper local food experience with Hady, one of the managers of the hostel where I stayed (Equator hostel) and a friend of hers, who happened to be an airport taxi driver so we got a tour of KL at night!

On Saturday, I went to the Landscape & Garden Festival which happens every other year and turned out to be Malaysia's version of the Chelsea Flower show. I hadn't intended to stay very long and once I was done taking lots of pictures for Mum and I was going to head over to the butterfly park. But...I went to look in a tent full of Batik clothes and the guy asked me if I wanted to take part in a Batik painting competition! Although initially reluctant, I registered for the competition - the fact that there was a prize, i.e. free souvenir was a big incentive! When I came back at 2 to take part there were 9 other competitors and I was the only tourist. I thought mine was quite good until I looked at everyone else's, which were a lot more impressive. Anyway...I thought that they would announce the winner there and then but I had to come back at 4, only to find photographers, a TV camera and an apparently quite important guy handing over free stuff to all the competitors and a prize to the winner! I didn't win, but I did get a little bag of Batik goodies and the butterfly I painted myself, and apparently it was on the local news!

I also went to the Batu Caves, which were interesting, but probably not worth the hassle of getting to them.

On my last night in KL, there was a big parade called Citrawarna, to launch "Visit Malaysia 2007" and I went along to see it with a guy from the hostel (Amos, from Singapore). I was so impressed - loads of fireworks and dancers from all 30 states of Malaysia.

While I really enjoyed my 4 days in KL, I was keen to get away from the smog, so the Cameron Highlands were my next stop...

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