Hostels & heights


Kuala Lumpur by night was impressive and bustling, and by day, its a busy metropolitan mega city of metal skyscrapers and towers! I slept fine in the hostel, but Leon couldn’t cope. Perhaps a combo of the illness and he is a lighter sleeper than I. The poor sausage only got 4hr.

We were up at 8.30am while the rest of our dorm were still asleep, so creeping around trying to get enough bits together to be decent for a breakfast of toast and tea, all free! At breakfast, we met a guy called Joshua from San Diego. We had a chat with him, although he was a bit of a chest oggler. I haven’t met many people who do it so obviously. He works investing in stuff and called himself ‘advanced homeless’ which he explained is homeless with money. I found him a bit tasteless tbh, but it takes all sorts!
So Leon and I ventured out to investigate what KL is all about! We started out making our way to the twin towers, which are monstrous and industrial, but somehow attractive too.

Kuala Lumpur twin towers from below

I used my first ‘hole in the ground’ loo in the Petagonia shopping complex bit. The floor was wet and I was worried about splash back, so stripped from the waist, apart from my crocs. What an image! I backed onto the hole and had a wee which did splash everywhere! Very glad I removed my trousers. Gross! How do they do it?!! Only upon chatting to Leon about it did I realise you were meant to step in forwards, and face the wall, and I can only imagine the contour of the hole in the ground maybe splashes less? No idea. I did it my way. Hahahaha!!
We found our way into the underground aquarium, which had the longest shark tunnel ever! I really enjoyed seeing the sharks & seahorses especially. Pretty weird to be underground and in the middle of a city that makes London look understated.


We then found our way to the tower which has a Perspex viewing platform at 300m high. Loved it! What a view and experience! I didn’t feel sick at all.


We stopped off at Long Beach restaurant which curiously had a sign saying ‘no photography’. They had teensy sharks swimming above the bar. After ordering (a shared pizza- disappointing to be having to eat western food but Leon’s tummy is still unpredictable), I asked the waiter why no photos? ‘Well, we are a legendary bar with celebrity’s in the evening, and we keep their identity concealed. Also KL has many ‘strict’ Muslims who are no meant to drink alcohol, but sometimes go out secretly and don’t want to get found out’, according to this young man, and he also tells us their tiny sharks are very expensive (odd thing to say! I never have understood people that constantly talk about how expensive their possessions are. So what, you bought a ridiculous item, at a ridiculous cost. Am I meant to feel pity? Shock? Impressed?).
We now have a mission to find a post office, to send Daddy Ann another postcard. It’s my 60th gift to him, as he likes to collect stamps. The Uber took us to a closed post office. Doh! So we go ask in the 7 Eleven corner shop, and the man tells us they only sell stamps in KL on a Monday (huh?). I think he must be having me on, or it’s lost in translation.
So we head back to Sunshine Bedz hostel about 6pm, and they send postcards! Hooray! They really are a great hostel. Friendly, clean, good facilities, free unlimited breakfast of toast and tea. We have a South African dude called Tony who is packing in the dorm. He has the most odd accent. I said to him he didn’t sound S.Af, and I wasn’t sure if he was offended! He sounded Eastern European, who had been taught English by an American, if that makes sense! He said it’s because he travels a lot. Ok! We get chatting about all sorts, and turns out he invests money & lives off the gains also to fund the travelling! We like Tony, although he has a VERY different sense of humour to us Brits, despite him living in the UK for 7yr. Much more serious but a calm guy at the same time.
My tummy has started clamping now, and I have to dash to the loo! Oh nooooo!!! Not again! And I’ve been so careful! We have since booked a cheap £20 room near the airport, since it is quite far from airport to city centre, and the traffic can be bad. Also, I need a private loo, and Leon wants some sleep without the super fidgety fellow Northamptonian, Dom below him in the bunks.
We get a lovely Uber driver to take us to Tune hotel and just in time for my tummy to turn over again. I’m so grateful and glad for this little extra luxury tonight.

Epic cityscape of KL with a cloud chucking a huge amount of rain in the distance

Leave a Reply