Malaysia 2010

27/5/2010 - 2/6/2010

Kuala Lumpur (Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur Tower, National Mosque, Birds Park), Taman Negara, Batu Caves, Blue Mosque

Total cost	22 000 NT$ (= 14 500 CZK)
Number of days	7 days
Cost of accommodation	2 200 NT$ (= 1 500 CZK)
Cost of food	< 1 000 NT$ (= 600 CZK)

Two months passed and I needed to go abroad again to extend my visa the second time. This time I agreed with Michal, friend from Tainan, who already went with me to Maolin, that we will go abroad together.

However Malaysia wasn't our first choice. At the beginning, we wanted to visit Singapore, the largest port in the World! The flight tickets were too expensive and for that reason, we decided another country would be better solution.

Next one was Bangkok, Thailand. We agreed, planned the trip and wanted to buy the tickets, when I read the article in seznam.cz. The Red Shirts conquered the Bangkok city and fortified themself in the historical center. Red Shirts are opposition to Yellow Shirts, the leading party in Thailand. However the leader of Red Shirts has been assassinated just during the broadcast, when he gave the interview to the CNN reporter.

From that day the martial law had been announced in Thailand and any possibility of going to Thailand was gone. We had to find solution really fast! The Malaysia was the last choice from the cheaper flights offered by low-cost flight agencies.

Kuala Lumpur

We flew there during the day, across Hong Kong. About 16:20 we landed at KL International Airport. The staff of the airport told us the taxi and train cost the same money, but taxi is much faster and can take us just in front of our hostel. So we did it like that.

About 17:30 we were already in Red Palm, the hostel Michal booked. The hostel had 3 twin rooms and one 6-bed dormitory. We had the twin-bed room, however the difference was just only in amount of beds in the room. In the room, there was really nothing. However the hostel was really great. In the 1st floor, there was a meeting room, where we can join the internet for free, watch TV, borrow the guidebook, exchange guidebooks or even buy them and other things. The hostel has a washing machine and dryer as well as free to use fridge.

We went outside about 18:15 and headed to Petronas Towers, the highlight of Kuala Lumpur. The city has been established in 1860s and attacked by sort of plaque in the end of 19th century. So the city is in fact only 120 years old. Knowing that and to see the Petronas Towers, you realize how Malaysia changed during so short period of time!

Petronas Towers is really the pearl of Southeast Asia! Imagine the twin skyscraper, the third tallest in the world after Burj Khalifa and Taipei 101, heading to the sky like starport from some sci-fi. During the night it's even more beautiful. The view is really marvelous :)

The next morning we went under Petronas Towers again. This time to pick up the tickets. The Petronas distributes 1500 tickets every day for free. However you have to be there in time, or the tickets will be gone. We have got the tickets for 17:30 (arrived there in 7:00).

We made several pictures outside the Towers and turned to another tower, the KL tower. The KL tower is one of the tallest antennas in the World too. Standing on the hill and with much higher viewing deck, the KL tower offers the best view over the city (even much better than Petronas Towers, which offers the view deck only from the Sky Bridge in height of 144 m). The only disadvantage is the package you have to buy together with the ticket, containing "rain forest" and pony ride or traditional village visit. None of them is worthy, at least the view yes.

It was about 13:00 when we arrived to National Mosque (Masjid Negara). The KL largest and very modern from the outside appearance. The roof is made to the shape of umbrella (because the umbrella protects against rain and wind) with 15 ribs (13 states of Malaysia + Philippines and Brunei, which considered joining Malaysia in the year of building). Because we came during the prayers, we had to return later.

For that reason we went to the Bird Park, which is located just above the National Mosque. The park is the largest open ornithology in the World. Open means the birds are not in cages, but they are moving all around, among the tourists and themself. Only predators are separated, so no eating of other species or tourists happens :)

Back in National Mosque, we received violet coats to cover all our body, so we can enter inside. One of the guardians start to explain us the Islam, Mosque and well, everything. This one was nicely friendly and only a little naive, but didn't force us to convert us to Islam. Thanks God! :)

In the evening, we trotted through Little India quarter, along Chinatown and other quartem. Malaysia is home of many nations, which can live together even with their religions without any problem. Strange in Middle-east they aren't able to do so.

Later on, we discussed with the hostel staff our plan to go to Taman Negara for 1 day and to Cameron Highlands to another 2. They explained us it is not good idea to go there like that and arranged for us a trip to Taman Negara for 3 days by some travel agency. I don't like these agencies, however without it, it would be really big problem to get there, so maybe it's good they did so :)

Taman Negara

In 7:30 a driver from travel agency picked us up and drove us to the resort in the center of Taman Negara. The trip by car took about 5 hours. The driver wanted the payment without any receipt just in the middle of trip, what was quite weird, so we were a little afraid, but it ended well. In 13:00 we were already accommodated in small room with bed and fan (really nothing else) in the midst of Taman Negara, the oldest rain forest in the World (130 000 000 years).

The trip was a package again. It contained 2 nights, 3 meals a day and several trips. Some other can be paid additionally and thus increase the amount of activities. We paid them all.

The first activity was one of them. We were moved to the caves several kilometers away of the main village and went inside with several other guys. We were crawling inside for 45 minutes. The cave was full of small bats (about 15 cm tall). Nobody thought about the rabies, huh.

On the bottom of the cave there was a small natural lake completely covered by bat shits. The path went over the stones in the lake, under cliff. We had to crawl. When my camera started to dangle on my neck just over the lake, I gave it to Michal, who already passed. Unfortunately, when I moved forward holding by only one hand, I slipped and fell into the lake by the right leg! The smell pursuited us till Taipei :D

After dinner, the guide gathered all the tourists to take them to night jungle trekking. He said we should search mainly for the insects to examine it. But I found just one and how much the others I really don't know. Guide, of course, found all of the rest :) So we saw snake, spiders, scorpions, huge ants, deer and a gecko.

The next day after the breakfast we climbed up the nearest hill in the rain forest and saw the scenery of the never-ending jungle for our own eyes first time in our lives. The view is really breathtaking. Being the part of rain forest even for few days is so great!

For lunch we had the same food as the day before. Again we didn't appreciate it so much, but at least it was included in the package and we didn't have to pay for it extra money.

In the afternoon, we had 2 activities in one. The visit of local Orang Asli tribe and shooting the rapids of Taman Negara river. Have to say, that this part was quite strange as you will read later. The shooting the rapids is the same as normal rafting, but in wooden boats on much calmer river. We got wet, but our equipment was in plastic bags distributed by the guides, so no problem.

The Orang Asli village was another experience. These people lives on some strange edge of the civilization. They have some limited knowledge about the civilization and what it can offer to them, but they still live in their bamboo huts, eating monkeys and other small mammals. They don't attend school or doctor (except in case of snakebite).

Up till now, it was very interesting to see these differences. But when I saw how the tourists take the picture of them, I had really feeling like I would go to the ZOO with humans. Totally annoyed! The people sit on the ground and tourists take pictures of them, with so hideous look in their faces, feeling like these guys are less humans then them. I really felt ashamed to be part of them.

The aboriginees sold some souvenirs there, manufactured by the local Orang Asli people. We bought them with Michal as only tourists. At least they can use the money to buy some basic stuff of daily need, like teeth-brushing paste (they obviously use some thing of that kind, as I wrote before, they weren't totally untouched by the civilization, but things sold to them was in major part just the garbage.)

Dinner was again the same as the day before. Nothing surprising. After that, we had another activity we had to pay for additional money. They called it Night Safari. In fact, it was just a half-safari, but even so we saw a lot of species and it was definitely very interesting, as well as the cave experience. We saw cows, buffalos, boars, wild cats, birds, squirrels and other.

The last day we only traveled back to the Kuala Tembeling by boat on one of the Taman Negara rivers. However it was maybe the best thing at all. See the rain forest from the boat and float on the river in the midst of it is really exciting. We encountered some mammals (buffalos, monkeys) cooling them up on the river bank several times and took pictures of them. The scenery was simply splendid!

We returned back to Kuala Lumpur in 17:00 and returned back even to Red Palm hostel. Later on we found out the hostel cannot offer us any accommodation for next night, so we asked for advise and the next night slept in KL Heaven hostel just beside the Red Palm.

Batu Caves

The next day we decided to visit Batu Caves, one of the famous places close to Kuala Lumpur. It is a cave complex with a Buddhist temple in the last cave. But the most interesting is the inhabitants of the cave - macaques. We really enjoyed that.

The trip there wasn't easy, we got advise from Red Palm where to go to catch the right bus, but the buses in KL has no depot or something like that and you have to try hard. After several questions to locals, about 1 hour later, we really managed to go to the right bus and headed to Batu Caves. The busman was so nice he stopped us just in front of the main gate, so we didn't have to search it from the bus stop, which was more away.

The cave complex is in the mountain not on the ground level, so you have to climb up about 220 stairs. That is a little tiring in more than 30 �C temperature, however it can be done :). Even here, macaques are running all around. We saw one, who stole s bottle of orange juice. Such a pity that after he stole it, successfully defended it, and open the top, he spilled the water on the ground :)

The temple itself is really kind of a small one, so nothing so special. If you want to visit more, you will find it just in Kuala Lumpur or Melaka city.

Before long we returned back to KL. We wanted to finish one of Lonely Planet (LP) guidebook trips through the city, but most of the landmarks had been closed or in reconstruction, so in fact we saw just Masjid Jamek, the oldest Mosque in KL, and Times Square, the largest shopping mall in Southeast Asia.

Late in the night we went again to Petronas Towers, to say them bye bye, tomorrow we leave this city.

Blue Mosque

The last day, the day of our departure back to Taipei, we planned to visit Blue Mosque. It was already the third day of my never-ending hiccough and I was really tired, because I almost didn't sleep. Michal was at least annoyed, because he had to listen it for 3 days. Sorry man! :(

The same like in the case of Batu Caves, go to the Mosque was much more difficult than how the LP guidebook wrote it. We arrived to the Blue Mosque in 11, so before the prayers. We were the only guests, thus the guide took care of us really a lot. He explained us again a lot about the Koran, Islam etc. But this one was more persuading. According to his opinion anything is a result of god Allah and we have to convert to Islam.

He wasn't offensive, but it wasn't pleasant anyway. The best thing was when he explained us, that we have 5 fingers to remember, how to write Allah in arabic (very simple the shape of word Allah copy the 5 fingers). I am atheist and I have some reasons to think so, but I respect all the religions as long as they respect my opinion. But this is sort of a madness.

However the Blue Mosque is really one of the most beautiful mosques and it was really interesting and worthy to visit it. In 14:00 we called a taxi and went to the airport, the easiest way to get there, as we already knew from before.

In 23:55 we were at the Chiang Kai-shek International Airport. The bus arrived to the Taipei Main Station about 1 am and so I had to go by walk back to NTUST, which takes about 50 minutes. In 2:30 I was already sleeping in my bed. Michal took a bus back to Tainan, slept in the bus and in the mening attended some classes, crazy guy! :)