KHAO LAK to KUALA LUMPUR
It has taken me some time to write this so Khao Lak and Kuala Lumpur (KL and KL) seem so long ago. Son Peter visited me in Khao Lak and because he was returning Phuket to Bangkok by air, and it is the \’winter\’ season with not so many travel options as offered during peak season, I chose to fly Phuket to Kuala Lumpur. We caught a fast Thai taxi (some are very slow and some pretty bad drivers), even though he was fast he was not the best driver, and got to the Airport in plenty of time. We took some pics and I went international and Peter domestic. It\’s good when it\’s off season and no boisterous crowds tto contend with. Pretty lay back airport too. Got a viewing seat in the plane, saw a lot of the west coast of Thailand and then Malaysia and landed a couple of hours later in KL.
I had the already made up idea that I didn\’t like Malaysia however it proved me wrong. I was there about a week and had more friendly people approach me to help with luggage, or just to ask where I was from etc. In all my 12 months travel before Malaysia I had about 3 offers to help with carrying anything anywhere. Not that I expect it because I had been indoctrinated in Sydney. KL has LOTS of steps to their overhead and ordinary rail so I managed to get in a lot of load bearing exercise. And probably the only exercise generally on my travels has been luggage, steps, and dealing with crowds and heat and rough pavements.
Found the Guest House taking the long way I realised the next day in daylight and dealt with peak hour traffic in half and dark and the 6 bed room I had on my own all the nights. There are more and more backpacker places, guest houses, whatever each city and country calls them, and the ones I chose were generally clean, well that is compared with a bed and breakfast, but clean sort of. It was hot in KL but the room was equipped with both AC and a fan. Not sure how the room would have been with 6 people in it, can only imagine, as there was no access to the outside ie no window and with 6 backpacks and luggage, a tight fit. The advantages and disadvantages balance out when travelling out of season, a great benefit is that there\’s less people to be crushed up against.
Kuala Lumpur, great place, the drivers were nowhere near as noisy and crazy as in Thailand, and even when approached on the street for some deal or other, when I replied no, I was not hasselled further. I don\’t shop but went to see if I could get my mobile phone unlocked – well, that was pretty expensive so gave that idea up. Some of the recommended shopping centres were filled with mobile phone shops – amazing, and how uninteresting. I don\’t enjoy shopping centres so left there as soon as i realised that i couldn\’t get help. But of course it is airconditioned and more comfortable than being outside.
Rang friend Stephen from Reno now living in KL to get some ideas of what to see, how to get there etc. We met after his work and chatted and then we went to have chinese steamboat – now that\’s foot I can easily deal with.