Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

We left Jogja in the afternoon for a 2.5 hour flight back to Malaysia, though this time to peninsular Malaysia to the capitol, Kuala Lumpur. We flew Air Asia for the third time this trip. What a great airline! Cheap fares; this one was only $58, cheap, delicious meals offered onboard, hot female flight attendants, (editor's note: this was pointed out by Lindso, I wasn't going to say a word), and they fly all over southeast Asia. We arrived at night in KL's low cost commuter terminal (KLIA LCCT), and searched for transport to the city center, over 30 miles away. A cab service wanted 92 ringgit ($28) but next door a bus service asked only 15 ringgit ($4.50) for door to door service. We rode the bus for the hour-long journey. This drive was some culture shock for us. After spending eight days in down trodden Indonesia, we found KL to be a sparkling, modern, clean, first world city. The skyline was lit with skyscrapers, including the iconic Petronas Towers. We spied them and the KL Tower from miles outside the city. The Petronas Towers, completed in 1998, stand at 1,482 feet, and were the tallest buildings in the world until 2004, when they were surpassed by Taipei 101. We were awed by them as our bus drove right by. We were dropped off at our hotel, the Pacific Regency, right by the KL Tower. Our room on the 25th floor had a sweeping view of the city skyline and the Petronas Towers. We had travelled light years from the dusty streets of Jogja in just a few hours. We changed into our finest non-backpacker grunge attire, and rode the lift up to the top of the Pacific Regency, the 33rd floor holding the trendy Luna Bar. The Luna had a DJ, an open rooftop setting with a pool, and unblocked side views of the Petronas. At $9 per drink, we only stayed for one, but we got some good photos.

We barhopped till late, amazed at the thriving nightlife of Kuala Lumpur, nightlife that had been completely absent so far on our trip. We particularly enjoyed drinks at Sangria's and phenomenal late-night Indian food at Estana's Curry House. Estana's might be the best food I've ever had in my life. Really. I might be willing to move to KL just to eat here every night.

The next morning we headed first to the hotel fitness center, where Lindsey wanted to run on the treadmill. I stared out the gym window at a direct view of the next door KL Tower (1,381 feet). Suddenly I saw motion from the observatory of the tower. Someone had just jumped off it! I instantly thought it must be a bungee jumper. But there was no cord. Just as my brain began to formulate the thought "Am I witnessing a suicide?" the jumper threw his little parachute. BASE jumper. Phew. As I went for my run around the Tower I would see several more jumpers. Looks like fun, maybe a new hobby for me if I ever move here for the curry.
Later we caught a cab to the Petronas where we met up with a friend of a friend, Yong Koon, who works in the Towers. Yong Koon treated us to an excellent meal of traditional Penang style dishes. It was fun to meet her and get an inside perspective of life in KL.

KL is the best place I've ever been for people watching. In just 10 minutes sitting on a bench in the Petronas shopping mall you'll see women in headscarves, women in the full black abaya, goth teenagers, skater kids, men in tailored suits staring at their blackberrys, Saudi sheiks in flowing white robes, yuppies in Armani, tall dark men in African green and tan dashikis. The world is coming together in KL.
We walked throughout the city and found lots of interesting neighborhoods and markets. Lindso and I found some super-cheap clothes on Petaling Street.
KL has a pretty colonial area, though the city is very young, having been nothing more than a swamp before 1850. We were here just two days before Merdeka, or Malaysian Independence day. As such, there were flags everywhere. Every parking garage, office building, storefront, hotel, all were flying the Malaysian flag. Below is a picture of the largest we saw, covering a 20 story hotel. We really liked KL. It is a great mix of old and new, with so many different cultures intersecting. It has great shopping and nightlife. Prices are reasonable, especially for food which is fantastic. We hope to come back again sometime on our way to another trip.

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

After flying over the South China Sea high above many nameless Philippine islands, we landed on Borneo at Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. The granite peaks of Mount Kinabalu loomed in the distance as our short taxi ride brought us into the city to the King Park Hotel. The King Park was a big step up from the ramshackle mustiness of the Swagman. Likewise, Malaysia itself looked to be a step up in wealth and infrastructure. Malaysia's per capita income is $6,540 per year, roughly four times as much as the Philippines. This rise in income however seems not to have allowed for KK to replace their old open-air roadside sewage drains. We walked to the waterfront amid a stench of exhaust fumes and human waste. Though the Lindso nearly collapsed from the smell, we managed to discover a vibrant bar scene at the waterfront. As Malaysia is a Muslim country, alcohol is heavily taxed. A can of a local beer like Anchor will set you back 10 ringgit ($3). This is a high price considering how cheap food is, with an entree at a restaurant also around 10 ringgit.

The next morning we awoke at dawn for a run past the Signal Hill lookout. In contrast to yesterday's run, we saw exactly one runner. (This would be the last runner we would see until Singapore!) Lindso's popularity continued as she got several honks, thumbs up's, and "Hello, Good Morning!" greetings from schoolkids. Borneo is very humid, and towards the end of our run we were as wet as if we had jumped in the ocean. In the morning light from Signal Hill, KK looked and smelled a lot better than he night before. After running we walked the streets of KK, sweltering even in the shade, and searching for air conditioned shopping malls to take refuge in. KK is a modern, busy, small city with no major sights to see. The city once known as Jesselton was completely demolished by Allied bombers targeting the Japanese occupiers in WWII. We found little of interest here and the heat forced us into Starbucks, the omnipresent global escape hatch for Americans.


We returned to KK after a night in Brunei. Back to the King Park Hotel. This time we spent our day on a white-water rafting trip. Actually scratch the white-water part. It was billed as "mild adventure", and that it was. It was fun to get out into the nature of Borneo though. We had a pleasant few hours floating along, seeing a monitor lizard, jumping in the river, skipping rocks.
We passed this beautiful mosque just outside KK. It was surrounded by it's own moat.

By now we had had quite enough of Kota Kinabalu. The place has no redeeming value really. It's a place you pass though on your way to climb Mt. Kinabalu, or to go on a Borneo jungle tour, or on a layover for another flight. I can't think of any reason to come here. On to Bali!