Kuala Lumpur!

Couple on busy square
Originally uploaded by Gypsy Saskia

Travel is not just about the destination, but also about the journey. And a fine journey it was. A two hour stopover at Schiphol allowed me to stock up on Dutch magazines and have a McKroket (not quite the same as Van Dobben but hey....can't have it all). At the gate, two little blond Dutch boys were in awe of the KLM pilot who dutifully posed for them. Very cute. My stewart wasn't as good looking as the pilot (could have been the missing cap) but he made sure I had a good flight. Flying economy comfort was a good choice. Still didn't get much sleep but it sure was the quieter part of the plane and extra recline is a treat on 12 hour flight. My cabbie to the hotel had lived in Amsterdam and London, which was a first for any Asian cabbie I have ever met. Lovely chatty guy. And oh, the joys of checking into a flash hotel. Many people (and I used to be one of them) say it's not wirth the money as you only sleep there on hols. Well, did I prove them wrong. My jetlag kept me awake most of the first night. I went through half a Dutch magazine and half a Janet Evanovich. All between 1am and 5am. Only to fall back asleep around 5am, and not waking up until 11am. So half of my Saturday was gone before it started. Anyway. A nice shower, majestic bed, and good room service are treats I truly appreciate for a couple of nights straight on arrival these days. And what guesthouse would provide a room with massive windows on the 30th floor overlooking the city (albeit not the Petrona towers)?

When I finally was out and about, I headed to Chinatown and Little India. Amazing streetlife. Women with beautiful headscarfs and dressed in najib (or whatever you call the ones that just leave a little bar free for the eyes), the latter something I'll never get used too. Many women in sarongs in Little India, and in the centre too. I visited a chinese, hinduh and buddhist temple, and ate tasty street food. At the hottest part of the day, I stumbled across the Central Markets that had a nice cool coffeeshop with WIFI in it. Two hours later I had uploaded pics, read Facebook and Twitter updates and had some lunch. Most modern coffee shops here have free WIFI, great. And despite it being past 2pm, it was still bloody hot. I walked the pace of an average European 80yo, while drinking my body weight in water.

Dinner the first two nights was a hawker's place in the center. Tourists and locals alike eat Thai, Chinese, or Indian style street food on plastic stools. Cheap as chops and a huge variety. Grilled frogs and frog porridge are particularly popular with the locals, but less so with the tourists it seems. A stall that did deep-fry-your-own-skewers looked very interesting. A local couple offered me to try some of theirs, but I gave that a miss, something I later regretted. Might try some tomorrow. The centre is lively and right by the monorail station breakdancers and living statues entertain the crowds. Many coffee shops are lined along the main drags, and the first thing I saw getting off the monorail was a bloody Debenhams!

In the elevator back to my room, a (gay) American guy started complaining to me that he felt fat. 'I put this suit on today but am so fat I won't be able to take it off anymore'. I thought he was rather fit and good looking, said he didn't look fat (figured I should leave out the fit and good looking), and out he walked with a 'sleep well, love' and a big warm smile. And sleep well was what I did. Or at least between 4am and 9am.