It's nice to be in a new country, a new mix of culture, language, and religion. It's the end of Ramadan here, the holy Islamic month of fasting, and the streets are heaving with hungry people. Everyone is heading home for the Hari Raya Puasa holidays to see friends and family as is customary in Muslim cultures. We’re just pulling up in KL long enough to organise an Indonesian visa – these holidays mean we need to extend our stay.
Aiming for the cheap (and mostly nasty) Chinatown, in central KL, we find a sweaty little enclave of dank hotel rooms, DVD salesmen and deep fried street food – a thriving hub heaving with energy. Festering puddles line the humid streets, as bags of rubbish steam in the oppressive summer heat. A rat’s dream come true! A new hostel becomes our home away from home for the next 5 days in KL as we wait for the visa shop to open.
After nearly 2 months playing in Thailand, the Thai baht is our term of reference and I'm constantly converting local prices into baht to check thriftiness. KL is somewhat more expensive than Thailand for accommodation, but food is on par. Gonna take me a while to adjust to the new currency, just in time for a new country.
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