Malaysia Part 3: Kuala Lumpur

As far as Asian cities are concerned, Kuala Lumpur is relatively small in size and very accessible by foot. After eight days of island paradise, Eric and I headed mainland to explore the Malaysian capital. Arriving a few hours later than expected we made it to our hostel around sundown. Our first stop for the night, after our hostel, was the Central Market, an indoor shopping complex filled with traditional crafts from Malaysia, India, China, and the Middle East. After perusing the various international treasures, we made our way to Chinatown.

Before I go on any further I should explain explain to you that Kuala Lumpur is a very diverse city; home to large populations of Chinese, Indians, and Arabs. This diversity results in at least four different languages being spoken at all times, lucky for us English was one of the four. Chinatown is home to hundreds of street vendors, selling various knocked-off goods, and hundreds of restaurants whose hosts’ are soliciting for costumers on the busy streets. After turning down a tempting Marc Jacobs wallet, Eric and I take at seat at the first restaurant we see. Even though the food is tempting, we are just here for drinks. We order the day’s special, two large bottles of Anchor Pilsner. After taking in the sights, sounds, and beers of our first stop we move on to another place to grab a seat and one more drink before we call it a night.

The next morning (Saturday) we get an early start so we can fully explore the city before we have to catch the red eye out. We started with a walk around the old colonial district. There elegant government buildings and quaint, colorful shop houses remain from the British colonization. Towards the end of the colonial district we enter Merdeka (Independence) Square. This was where the now-Malaysian flag was raised to mark the country’s independence back in 1957. From Merdeka Square we make our way to the lake and garden district to check out the orchid and hibiscus gardens. While these grounds are exquisitely maintained, none of the flowers were in bloom. We weren’t that upset though, it gave us a chance to hang out in the shade for a bit. We back tracked for a bit after and made our way to the Jimek Mosque. This mosque is home to the only coconut palms in the city. Here, we were allowed to walk the outside grounds. However, in order to do so, I needed to where the robe and head scarf provided at the front gate. The Mosque was gorgeous. The architecture was regal, using fine marble tile.





Little India was the next stop on our walking expedition. I have never been to India, but from the news reports I’ve seen, traffic seems to be a mess. Little India in Kuala Lumpur is no different. Cars remain at a standstill in the streets as pedestrians weave their way through the cars. Little India is filled with large bazaars, selling various Indian goods: saris, spices, and a multitude of other things I cannot name. Even though the streets were extremely crowded, I loved little India. There was something about the hustle and bustle I found charming and invigorating.

After wandering Little India we found ourselves headed towards the city’s “Golden Triangle”, the upscale district. On our way, a crowded Chinese café caught our eye. There was about a ten person wait, but we figured if it was this busy I must be good. We ordered the Beef Redang (spicy curried beef with rice and potatoes) and the fried mee sua (mee noodles stir fried with beef, cabbage, onion and soy sauce). Once we had food in our stomachs and smiles on our faces we entered the golden triangle to visit the Petronas Towers. The Petronas Towers were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998-2004 and they remain the world’s tallest twin towers. Inside, the first five floors are dedicated to a high end mall, selling the world’s most luxurious brands.

The last stop on our day’s adventure was Berjaya Times Square. Here, we wandered the upscale streets, which are supposedly home to the city’s best night life. We were also able to walk the outside perimeter of the Old Pudu Jail. While this jail is no longer in use today, the decaying walls give off an air of hostility and darkness. Today, graffiti covers the perimeters walls. However, for one block stretch, graffiti covers the world’s longest mural, left over from the jails active period. Now, it’s well faded, but the prisoners of the jail came out every day to work on the tropical landscape. The lack of maintenance of the mural and the jail are symbols of a time far gone and forgotten for Kuala Lumpur; for better or for worse.


The end of our day was marked by salty skin and swollen feet. However, I would gladly do it all over again. I’ve come to love exploring cities by foot. This way, I get to see every detail, of every street corner. After a year of this, I don’t know if I could rent a car in my future travels; I wouldn’t want to remember all the street corners as one big blur.

Malaysia Part 2: Pentai Cenang

• Pentai Cenang. After spending a quiet four days around the isolated Oriental Village, Eric and I moved down the island to Pentai Cenang, a 2km stretch of beach with an abundance of restaurants, shops, and bars. Here, the streets were more lively, allowing us to catch up on good food and drinks.
o The Boutique Resort. Why they called our hotel a resort, Eric and I will never understand. Aside from offering us a free breakfast and a decent pool (the two positives of the place) we were also provided with a room which included: holes in the ceiling, windows and doors which didn’t fit the frames (allowing geckos and other critters to enter and leave our room as they please), an all inclusive power switch (meaning we couldn’t sleep with the ac on without having all the lights on as well), and what appeared to be a blood stain on the curtain….homey! Despite the places shortfalls, we didn’t spend too much time there and it gave us something to laugh about each day.
o Island Hopping. On our second day in Pentai Cenang, Eric and I decide to take in the sights of some of the other islands in the area. We were able to book a 3.5 hour island hopping excursion which took us to Pulau Bertas Basah, Island of the Lake of the Pregnant Maiden, and an eagle feeding session. Pulau Bertas Basah is a small island filled with bright white sand and vibrant palms, surrounded by bright blue waters. Here, we stayed on the beach opting to swim and explore the clearer waters. After the first island, we headed to a calm bay were we could observe the local sea eagles feed. After the eagle feeding we made our way to the Island of the Lake of the Pregnant Maiden. After docking we had to walk inland for fifteen minutes. At the end of our hilly trek, we make it to a large lake. The water was warm and extremely still. Even though the first island was gorgeous, the lake was my favorite part of the adventure. The surroundings were so different from the sceneries we took in the whole week; it was a nice change of pace.




o Food and Drink. While staying on this side of the island, Eric and I were given the opportunity to revisit some of the foods we have been missing since moving to Korea as well as introduce ourselves to some new Malay and Southeast Asian dishes. Raffis was a bar we frequented most; offering RM4 beers (that is roughly 1 USD) and wine and cocktails for RM8. Set on the beach, Raffis serves its customers refreshing drinks alongside grand ocean and sunset views. The Beach Garden Beer Garden, connected to a high end resort, served up a combination of authentic Western dishes and beers. This is where Eric and I had our ‘splurge’ meal. We ate a Mediterranean antipasto platter, a club sandwich and fries, and two Carlsberg Shandies (beer mixed with lemonade). It must sound funny to you that we splurged on a sandwich, but we haven’t had a real sandwich since we left. It was worth the little extra money. We also found ourselves frequenting a hole-in-the-wall Arabic restaurant where we gorged ourselves on the best lamb shawarmas I have ever tasted. Outside of these international dishes we also indulged in spicy Malay and Thai curries, coconut rice, satay skewers, fried noodles and exotic fruits. I am amazed we didn’t grow out of the pants we brought; I guess we have cheap sides to thank for this since we opted out of renting scooters and taking taxis.

Malaysia Part 1: The Oriental Village

We made it. After 11 days, six delayed flights, and a few sold out buses later, Eric and I have made it to Malaysia and back. The past week and a half was filled with sun, cold drinks, sunburns, and monkeys, all of which will be explained in the posts to come. Here is a taste of the leg one of our island adventure.

The Journey
All of our friends in Korea who have visited Southeast Asia told us it is anything but easy getting there; usually what can go wrong, will go wrong. Maybe it was optimism or just plain excitement for the vacation that lay ahead, but Eric and I chalked all this who-ha to a few isolated bad experiences. After our four hour bus ride to Incheon International Airport, we quickly realized there might be some truth to our friends’ warnings. Our flight to Beijing was delayed by over an hour, bringing our layover down to less than one hour; this worried us since we had been told you need at least ninety minutes to clear security. Needless to say after sprinting the long, vacant stretches of the international terminal in Beijing, we made through security in time to board our connecting flight to Malaysia. What we didn’t know, was we would be sitting in our designated seats, on the tarmac for over three hours. We finally made it to Kuala Lumpur, where we slept on the tile floor of the airport until our plane departed for Langkawi the next morning, you guessed it that flight was delayed too. However, our grumpy moods and the sour taste in our mouths quickly dissolved once we saw what the tropical island had to offer.

Langkawi
Langkawi, technically an archipelago composed of 99 islands, is located of the Northwest coast of Malaysia, not far from the Thai border. Of all the islands, Langkawi is the largest and most inhabited. Here, we spent a total of eight days, four in the Oriental Village and four on Pentai Cenang.

• The Oriental Village. The Oriental Village is a small cluster of shops, restaurants, and a hotels set at the base of Langkawi’s second tallest peak. Here we were able to explore the offerings of the village as well as the rainforest surrounding us.
o Burau Bay. Located just 400 meters from our hotel, Burau Bay offered some of the calmest waters and longest sandbars around. Home to two of the nicer resorts on the island, Burau Bay’s beaches were home to soft, white sand and a multitude of palm trees. For at least a few hours a day, Eric and I took refuge in this small cove to take in the nearly equatorial sun and scenery. On our mornings spend at the bay we have encountered a variety of wildlife such as hornbills, monitor lizards, and snakes. Eeek!
o Cable Car. Just outside our hotel room is the base of the cable car. From here, the cable cars take locals and tourists alike to the summit of the neighboring peak. While the cars prove to be a little cloisterphobic, squeezing in no more than six people, the 360 views on your way up the mountainside will help eliminate any small room feelings. From the cars you can take in views of the rainforest and waterfalls, the sharp peaks above, or the aquamarine waters below. At the top, we indulged caught a local breakfast, nasi lemak (coconut rice, fish samal, and curried chicken), and wandered across the steel suspension bridge. From here we were able to see many of the islands that make up Langkawi’s archipelago.
o Seven Wells Waterfalls. Located a few miles into the rainforest, which surrounds the Oriental Village, are the Seven Wells Waterfalls. These falls gets its name from the seven pools of water which sit at the top of the falls. Before the water falls over the mountainside’s edge, it must flow from pool to pool. Over time, the running water has made the rocky channels between pools extremely smooth; so smooth in fact that one can slide from pool to pool without discomfort. Eric and I started at the first pool and quickly slid our way to the seventh. This was a truly unique swimming opportunity, one I know we both won’t forget. We spent hours sliding and swimming from pool to pool.



o Planet of the apes? Before arriving on Langkawi we read countless accounts of how monkeys are a part of island life. Monkeys can be seen nearly everywhere you go; from the hotels to the beaches. Needless to say, we found this to be one of the more charming aspects of the island. After all, who doesn’t love cute, long tailed monkeys? One afternoon, Eric and I were walking back from Burau Bay. On the journey back we stumbled, literally, upon a small monkey family. Thinking they were so cute, we whipped out our camera to take their pictures. As we kept clicking our camera away, more and more monkey’s revealed themselves from the dense forest just off the road. The monkeys carried on as usual, crossing the street and finding vines to play with on the other side. We couldn’t believe how cute they were. After a few minutes the monkeys must have decided they didn’t like us taking their picture because a group of three of them began hissing and running at us. Bewildered, shocked, and quite frankly scared poopless, I started running, leaving Eric behind. Eric mustered the loudest yell he could and stood on his tippy toes and confronted the monkeys head on. It seemed to have worked because the monkeys stopped in their tracks. Well we discovered they only stopped until more of their monkey friends joined the battle. Eric and I took off running, yelling and laughing at the same time while a pack of monkeys ran after us hissing and barking. Luckily, a kind soul from out hotel witnessed our struggle and offered to drive us back to the hotel. Needless to say, I think we showed those monkeys whose boss.

Away We Go!

Hello All!

Now that summer camps are officially over Eric and I are headed out on our summer vacation. Tomorrow, in the wee hours of the morning, we will start the day of travel which will take us from Gwangju to Seoul to Beijing to MALAYSIA! We will spend a lovely 8 days on Langkawi, an island of the Northwestern coast, and 2 days in the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur. We are very excited for our trip because 1. we are looking forward to relaxing in the sun and exploring the island's rain forest and 2. this will be our first trip to an Islamic country. Our visit falls over the sacred month of Ramadaan. We are excited to see and explore the countries mosques and special bazaars, erected for the holy month. We will be without internet for our entire visit, so we promise to update the blog as with stories and pictures as soon as we return.

Much love,
Dana & Eric