After the fright in the boat from Ao Nang, the arrival at KL airport was a step into 2004.

Architecturally impressive and impersonal, with vast empty spaces, I was unable to fine an information booth or tourist help desk. Neither could I find a map of the city anywhere in the airport. I was told I had to buy one at a bookshop, but the bookshop did not have any either.

I was very impressed with the transport system at the airport. From KL airport there is a KLIA transit train, rather like the new Jubilee tube line with those clever doors that line up with certain spots on the platform. A porter helped with the heavy bags. Then at the end of the line, KL Sentral station, another porter was on hand to help get us a taxi to the hotel.

But the taxis are another story. Rip of is the name of the game. The centre of KL reminds me of a vast, nightmarish version of Croydon - anyone who has got lost in Croydon's one-way systems will know what I mean. Concrete, wide roads with no pavements, centre barriers and miles of one-way streets, with a monorail built over all. The traffic lights are very butch, compared to the tiny, generally ignored traffic lights in Vietnam, and when red seem to remain for every unchanged. So it is easier to cross the roads but unfortunately it is very easy to get lost.

Today more rain, and the decision was to go to see the very large park, according to our map it is in the centre of the city. There on the edge of the park is a magnificent ultra modern mosque and the Islamic Arts Museum, while in the park are various attractions like an enormous bird enclosure, a butterfly garden, an orchid garden, and finally the National Museum. Needless to say, we got well and truly lost in the park. The park authorities obviously believe that everybody who goes there can find all the exits and follow the correct paths. But not us. There are no maps in the park except one, which we finally found and realized we had been walking for 45 minutes in the wrong direction. But the trees there are stupendous. It must be a fantastic place to be on a hot day.

The high spot of the day was the Islamic Arts Museum, which is beautifully designed, very modern, and has two floors of world-class exhibits from all parts of the Moslem civilizations. We had the place to ourselves except for about six other people.

The restaurent was serving a delicious buffet of Middle Eastern cooking, the best I have ever tasted. Quite expensive for Asia, all of 35 Ringits, (about 5 pounds sterling). Anybody in KL should make a point of visiting this place. Unfortunately, because we got lost in the park afterwards, we could not see the birds, butterfly, orchids or museum. Just got very wet.

Luckily for us, a taxi driver was on our weary way back to the major road, fetching his wife, and kindly drove us back to the centre of town.

Tomorrow leaving for bus to Penang for four days. The chaos at the bus station on a range of 1 to 10, rates 9 and a half. But that is another story.