So I’m here – in Malaysia – and first impressions are many.
I got off the plane, not being able to find any travel buddies, and when I got out of the airport I simply walked towards the bus station. When I got close some guy who worked there asked if I was going to Central Station and I thought why not so I said “ok”. It cost me 8RM (less than £2) and again I was the only westerner on the bus.
Being able to relax for a bit I let the impressions come to me by the bus window – I saw a lot of palm tree plantations, lorry drivers asleep while driving, pouring rain, tin shacks as homes, people fishing in the river, and traffic warning signs for cows. When we got closer to the city I started seeing a lot of newly built appartment complexes – a lot of fancy looking flats with a lot of shiny glass. The amount of newbuilds seemed OTT, are there really that many people able to afford such homes here?
When we arrived at the central station I ignored all the taxi drivers as I’ve heard they’re expensive and walk straight to the metro instead. I asked the girl at the Info desk to give me a map of the city and if she knew some good backpacker areas so she sent me to Chinatown.
1 stop on the metro, only 1RM (about 20p), cheap! At least compared to my home town London. Chinatown is like all the other Chinatowns – hectic, busy, dirty and full of shit. Big markets full of fake designer stuff and streetfood every 2 metres. I went to some hostels in the area and found some pretty chockingly bad ones along the way. They should pay me to sleep in a dorm in the attic of some derelict cinema, with dead cockroaches on the floor and windows without glass out to the roof! I’m now staying at the Original Backpackers Inn in my own room but shared bathroom for 35RM a night. It’s the kind of place that makes me miss home, put it that way.
I went out to find some food here in Chinatown, chatted to some locals over a beer, and then took a walk on my own. Only wanted to explore the surrounding area but I didn’t feel quite safe to be walking alone so didn’t walk far. I’m not yet sure if it’s alright for a girl to be walking alone at night in KL or if I should try to avoid it… There were a lot of shady looking men around, doing shady things, so I quickly walked back to the busy streets of Chinatown.
Jamek mosque
