by Nick

Having left Sri Lanka earlier that day it was a slight culture shock stepping into the modern frenzy of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital city. With Air Asia offering dirt cheap rates around the region Kuala Lumpur, or simply KL, is a stop on just about all itineraries through south east asia and was our home for two nights while we waited to board another Air Asia flight to Manilla, Philippines.

The good deals stop there and staying in such a modern capital will leave travel budgets a little worse for wear. After enjoying the cozy guest houses in India and Sri Lanka for under 10 USD I was shocked to find our room of 23USD was about the size of a large closet. Nonetheless, Reggae guest house in Chinatown was a clean and convenient place to stay despite the claustrophobic feeling of walls closing in. Food does not come any cheaper and with every kind of option imaginable, it becomes even more difficult to hang on to those precious Ringgit.

With a recommendation from friends in Mirissa we headed to Wong Ah Way in Chinatown known for a multitude of street eats. Nothing beats delicious food in interesting surroundings and Wong Ah Way certainly delivers both with countless eating options and excellent people watching at street side tables.

I had one thing on my mind – black pepper crab came highly recommended so I did not want to miss my chance at this delicious sounding dish. I was not disappointed and after one of the messiest meals I’ve ever eaten was over I began to make plans of returning. My meal was topped off with a dessert of durian offered up by a generous man enjoying his own supply. For those who have no idea what durian is, it’s a fruit spread throughout the region and banned from most hostels for the pungent odour it produces. The texture is described more like custard than any other fruit one might know and some say the taste is similar to stinky cheese while others find it indescribable. Durian is a delicacy among locals so the price is on the high end of things so I was very thankful of the sample I was given without having to purchase copious amounts. The verdict? Actually, I found it quite tasty and enjoyable but definitely unique. Certainly undeserving of such a rancid reputation.

Once we learned that the airport is 90 minutes outside of the city center, we decided it was best to fore go another night in the hostel and sleep the following night in the airport as our flight was leaving at 7 am and KL traffic can be unpredictable. This left us with a full day to kill which we easily passed by hanging out in the maze of shopping malls stocking up on some books and enjoying the super mall surroundings similar to home. We caught another movie (Sherlock Holmes this time) and before we knew it it was dark, and we headed over to see KL’s most famous landmark before departing.

Even if the name Kuala Lumpur escapes those from home, the sight of the twin Petronas Towers is unmistakable. While rather dull and gray in the daylight, the towers show their true beauty when lit up at night. Tourists and Photographers alike collect at the base of the towers as pictures are continuously snapped of these iconic buildings.

Afterwards we collected our bags and made our way to the airport where I sit now at 230am (in starbucks) waiting for our flight 5 hours from now. It doesn’t look like we will catch a wink of sleep tonight as we are confined to the bench seat of the coffee shop unable to lie down.