Pleasantly Surprising Malaysia
So after spending a night in Hat Kia I boarded the hour late executive bus to Kuala Lumpur & 12hrs & 1 time zone later arrived in what would prove to be another favorite city, although a lot smaller than Bangkok it has everything a truly International City needs!
After 3 days KL is even better, as we were dropped off in China Town that’s where I stayed. With the coming of daylight discovered that my hotel was just steps from the Hop-on Hop-off bus stop. Now Hop-on-off buses are the greatest invention since sticky rice, as they are reasonably priced & give one a feel for the city. Also here in KL the day is 24 hrs so if you buy your ticket at 2 pm today it’s valid until 2 pm tomorrow with 22 stops to choose from.
The people are friendlier than Thailand, more English is spoken + they also use our alphabet & KL is a clean city which is different from most of Asia. It’s also mainly Muslim but looks like they are doing things right.
Have visited The National Museum, KL Sentral Station, KL Tower & the Bird Park but will have to return for another couple days sometime.
First time I have stayed in a China Town but not likely the last—Chinese act differently once out of China, easier to get along with.
All in all can’t find anything to complain about here & looking forward to the rest of my time here & The Jungle Railway then returning to Borneo on my way to Indonesia & Australia.
Forgot to mention that the Hop-on-off buses are the kneeling type & fully Wheel Chair accessible as are most buildings in KL.
After a second night in KL’s China Town I have to say it’s my favorite city to visit, sorry Bangkok but you are just too BIG, while Panama City still holds it’s position as the only city I could live in.
Oh yeah KL I shall return as I have only scratched your surface!!
Tags: Travel
busman7
Glad you’re enjoying your time in Malaysia…my friend’s father stayed there for over 3yrs working for Lavallin bringing electricity to the jungle. They loved it.
Wouldn’t anyone be easier going once outside of the communist grip? lol
Communist???
That is SOOOOO Western a question!!!
Actually I have visited Cuba, (as have a lot who are following this blog) China, Laos & Vietnam that are supposedly “communist” countries & my actual observations, from the point of a small business owner in Crapanada is that they have more “FREEDOM” than Crapanadians do from the Simple Serpent Dictatorship (which is NOT benevolent) that in REALITY makes the policy that rules the lives of the people that have been brainwashed enough to think they actually have Freedom!!!
No offence pina but this trip + the Ont “justice system”, what an oxymoron that is (anybody believing in it is a 1st class brainwashed MORON) is a major sore point with me “at this point in time” & subject to a major rant!!!
Hell Crapanidans do NOT even have any property rights, unless one considers the “right to pay taxes on property that can only be used for purpose the neighbors agree with & the gov’t can take away paying whatever they want whenever they want!!
If that’s “freedom” I will happily become a trader on the Mekong Delta living on my boat & have freedom communist style which beats the hell out of what Crapanadians, in reality have!!!
no i don’t think it is…i have neighbors who lived under Communist rule in Eastern Europe and they have a totally different view than what you have Dave. They lived it…not visited through it… no offense taken Dave lol…that’s what good friends do – debate.
When i mentioned that they should go to Cuba to my neighbors they went on a rant…similar to yours lol but opposite views….
Not sure how old your neighbors are but if they are talking mid 20th century when the communist governments were killing their citizens & Trudeau hadn’t started Canada down the slippery slope to being a simple serpent Dictatorship they are correct.
We now live in the 21st century, it’s a whole new ball game & I stand by my comments!
they are your age….from Hungary
That would explain their views BUT they are no longer relevant!
I was born and raised in communist Poland, and it was not pretty!!! But that was the past, now things have changed for the better there. But it was not all rosey like the communist Asian countries (Laos, Vietnam) seem to be according to you Dave (which I believe). Communism, for the most part, has evolved and improved, save for places like North Korea…
Anyway, if you like KL, you should visit Singapore, just a stone’s throw away. Its very similar, multicultural, modern and squeeky clean and compact, tourist friendly. But its a more expensive place than KL, so don’t go for more than a couple days, as it will cost ya!
I can only comment on what I have seen & heard but to the best of my knowledge the communism practiced in Vietnam & Laos is more like the socialism practiced in Cuba in Cuba than the tyranny of the cold war that was in place in Eastern Europe until only a few short years ago. From my experience as an independent businessman in dealing with the powers that NOT one ioata worse than Canada. From what I gather North Korea is the worst country in the world to live in!
When I am done with school here in Bangkok (keep in touch as don’t want to miss meeting you by a week or so, will make a point in the same town as you at some point, either Bangkok when you arrive ir Bali just before I leave) will go to Borneo, flying into Brunei then traveling to Sarawak Malaysia before heading to Kalimantan Indonesia. Making my way to Bali prior to flying out of Singapore, after a Singapore Sling at Raffles, to OZ
Ok, well Bali might be the best best then. We will be there for a full 30 days, May 11-June 10.
Actually since my Bangkok apt is so affordable am thinking as you are arriving on the 20th & the 24th would make it an even 2 months here I might as well keep it until then so unless something unforeseen comes up why don’t we plan to meet up in Bangkok in that time frame. Who knows what might come up in Borneo or elsewhere making a Bali meeting difficult?
So Radster, Bangkok between Apr 21 & 23 is the plan (subject to change LOL) is entered on my i phone ca lander! actual date to be confirmed.