We came to KL on our second holiday together about 4 years ago, so we were unsure if it would be as we remembered it. We're staying somewhere different this time as the exchange rate is not as good now as it was then (thanks to European debt crisis and general election) so we're not able to stay in the same lovely hotel, but ours is ok. Not outside the Petronas Towers this time, but close enough to allow the obligatory photo opp!We haven't done much here in KL as we saw all the major sights last time and to be honest, there isn't much to see here. For a capital city it is very glam thanks to the new skyscrapers and glitzy hotels and malls, but actually isn't really that geared up to tourists unless you want to shop or are here on a brief stopover.
We wandered down Jalan Petaling to see the main action, after getting soaked in another tropical rainstorm. It's funny to remember that we were caught in a rainstorm in KL last time too, and just as we did then, we bought a new umbrella here too. We're now the proud owners of a burberry style checked umbrella - given the amount of piracy and faked goods here, you can't buy anything which isn't a knock-off, although at least ours doesn't try to pretend it is a real burberry by including the brand name. Jalan Petaling ("Petaling St.") is the heart of the counterfeit goods trade here, and as you walk down the street, you're continually accosted by traders trying to persuade you to purchase their versions of Gucci handbags or Ray Ban sunglasses, not to mention clothes, watches, DVD's and anything else that is made out this way and sold at a profit in the west.
There is an excellent little food court there though, with a whole veggie stand, so at least I won't starve :) The standard of english speaking is generally better too, as there are so many foreigners passing through or living here. This morning (Friday) when we went to a western-style coffee shop for breakfast, there was an english guy carrying out a meeting with some malaysian guys, selling the services of his company I think, and everywhere we go there are lots of western faces amongst the mix. It's very cosmopolitan and feels very westernised, as we remembered it. Now we've been to Singapore, we can see that it is still quite Asian though.
The one thing I love here is the malls. It is like Singapore again - huge malls with floors of shops, with nice toilets (seriously, you don't appreciate them until you've had a month of grim holes in the floor) and exciting food options, all air-conditioned and clean and lovely. I can see why they are so popular and so big - they are a marked contrast to Jalan Petaling.
The photo is of me outside the mall nearest our hotel - as this is year of the tiger (and so was the year I was born) there are lots of tiger themed things all over the place in Asia at the mo. This one celebrates year of the tiger and the world cup, hence the tigers foot is on a football! Football is watched here just as much as home, and I've lost count of the number of people who find out we're from UK and say "ah, Manchester United!" or "ah, Chelsea!" - since we know nothing about football, it's usually a conversation stopper.We leave KL tomorrow for the jungle. We're off to Taman Negara, the biggest national park in Malaysia, and apparently filled with leeches, so when I get back online in a few days, I may have some very grim leech photo's to share...
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