Malaysia and Singapore Recap

So it was my last stops on the map before an eight month break, to get some more money, attending a christening and a couple of weddings, a stag do and finally, Christmas Day - always a Millen hotspot on the calendar.

Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur

30th November - 07th December

Top 5 moments:

1. Petronas Towers

2. Sky Tower (even though I was terrified of the height of it)

3. Batu Caves

4. Times Square Mall (with a rollercoaster built in)

5. Jalan Alor - Street Food


Singapore

07th December - 10th December

Top 5 moments:


1. Marina Bay Sands Hotel

2. Chinatown Eating Street (including Fatty Weng)

3. Fort Siloso

4. The skyline!

5. The Metro - it was pretty slick


What a trip!

Day 166 - The Last of Lumpur

I hope to see you again someday, Kuala Lumpur.

Day 166 - 6th December

So my plans for an early night were thwarted by my earlier four grande, black coffees and the dinner down at Jalan Alor. It was a case of me laying in bed, my heart thumping from the caffeine and unable to sleep until 3am!

When I woke up, I washed and went for a gentle stroll to Chinatown for one last meal in Kuala Lumpur before my bus to Singapore in the morning. I stocked up on some snacks for the trip - something has to go wrong surely!

I'm going to miss KL. She's been a whole heap of fun! 

I went back to my room and packed. My backpack is torn on one side and now showing its age. I've had it since 2009!

Again my plan for another early night went out the window. It was too hot and the fan in my room seemed to be assisting the heat, not cooling it down for me.

So Singapore in the morning, my wallet's already bleeding!

Day 165 - I feel like Kevin McCallister, just in Home Alone: Lost in Asia

I have no idea why I took this photo.

Day 165 - 05th December

So I worked through the night. By the time I finished it was 5:30am. That's how nuts I am about writing. It's not the first time and it won't be the last. And I loved every second of it.

The great news is I finished the sitcom. Yep, it's finally completed to a full draft stage. It will take tweaks and minor changes but the groundwork and most of the material is there. This is the one. I know I say it but this one just has me laughing out loud (not in a big headed way either). I think the balanced of characters, their backgrounds, the settings and scenarios, and the jokes are perfect. I'm proud of this!

By 8am, I was showered up and moving off for breakfast. If I didn't, I'd be sitting in my room all day editing and that's not good. I had three missions for the day - find a post office, find a new iPod cable to replace my lost one and book a bus ticket at Berjaya Times Square.

I found an apple retailer in the shopping district but the grumpy sales assistant told me 'not open until 10! Go!' Feeling slightly victimised and pretty shattered, I went next door to Starbucks for an Americano to wake me up. Whilst waiting for 10am, I finished The Women in Black. Definitely read it, it was awesome and had me right there on them marshes. Crazy ghost bitch!

When the retailer opened, I went to the partner store across the street. Screw the rude assistant but they didn't have a replacement cable because Apple want you to buy a brand new iPod to get it. Sod that!

I went to the shopping complex which was just five floors full of IT gadgets, parts, cabling and other hardware. I managed to get a replacement for 20 ringgit. Happy days. One down, two to go.

I moved to the next shopping centre but the Post Office was deserted. They weren't opening.

That bidet is like the fountains at the Belagio in Vegas!

Now for the disgusting part. This blog documents the good and the bad. When using the toilet, I turned to find no toilet roll. No problem. Use the bidet and then pull up, grab tissue paper, back in, pull down, dab, sorted! I'm trying not to be so graphic. In short, the bidet was broken so it sprayed like a sprinkler, there was no tissue in the dispensers. There was only one cubicle! With water all over the floor, my shorts and my boxer shorts drenched, I had only one alternative and no wipe was not an option. I had to do it the Indian way! I hang my head in shame before you and please be assured I washed my hand fifteen times to be sure it was sanitised.

Merry Christmas!

Moving swiftly on, I went to Berjaya Times Square Shopping Mall or fifteen stories of pure hell! The fifth floor has a theme park inside it which is pretty cool but I wasn't paying the admission for one ride on a roller coaster. 

Too much for me.

A roller coaster in a shopping mall. That's kind of cool.

I found the bus company and booked my bus whilst confusing the poor assistant with my mumbling English. Sorry! But that was two down, one to go.

Seriously walking around this district I felt like I was lost in a big city, trying to find my way out so kind of like Home Alone. And as it's Christmas I can accept that comparison.

What I thought was probably the easiest to accomplish became a nightmare. I walked for kilometres with my phone's smart nav either to find the post office had closed down or had never existed in the first place. The local, although trying to be helpful, were directing me back to the mall where it wasa deserted post office.

A cracking hot dog.

In the end, I abandon the mission and went for lunch (bolognese hot dog - I've got to stop eating crap) and went back to Starbucks to continue my editing of my sitcom. I'm hooked now, it's too late.

I Skyped in with the folks and received all the latest gossip from the home front - my niece's christening is proceeding to plan, my brother's wife is struggling with two slipped discs and my sister has a new haircut. Quite a variety I'll admit.

After a little more work and four grande, black coffees inside me, I headed to Jalan Alor for dinner. I had a spicy dish then I'd intended and it had me coughing profusely in front of the locals. What a plonker!

Day 164 - Sky Tower, dinner on the town and an all nighter (writing, calm down!)

Shit!

Day 164 - 04th

So another late wake up after another late Skype session was throwing my body out something chronic. Nevertheless, it was great to catch up and I was going to get through it easily. Just an early night was required, that was all...

I continued work on my sitcom. I'm getting closer to the end now and then I'll have six good episodes to edit and sent to the BBC. But I have until April so I have plenty of time to mound it into something that I think has a lot of potential. Even my tutor on my open university course told me it had real potential.

Anyhow, I was writing that watching Malcolm in the Middle on Netflix. Do you remember that show? It turns out it more hilarious than I remember, mainly down to Hal the dad, brilliantly played by Bryan Cranston. If you get a chance, watch it. It helps you relive your teens (if you were born circa 1988).

I'm also reading The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. It's very atmospheric but has me gripped. I can't really what happens in the film so it's idea for reading the book.

As the sun started to go around 6:45, I rushed into the shower, readied my self and set off for the Kuala Kumpur Tower. Being scared of heights already wasn't helped by a dodgy looking lift appearing, the doors jamming half way between opening and the walls peeling. It look like something out of The Tower of Terror. 

The main viewing point in Kuala Lumpur - The Petronas Towers

Love the sky in this.

Why am I thinking E.T.?

As we ascending up the 400 odd metres, I started to feel queasy and when we reached the open observatory deck, my legs went to jelly. I was on my own for the first time on a huge structure like this. I had to pull myself together or risk ruining the experience, I slid along the wall like I was in stealth mode. I've been on taller structures but I've always been with someone. It's sounds a bit melodramatic but I honestly thought I was stuck to that wall for a while. Once I found my legs, I took in the views and relaxed a bit more.

Not bad!

This was awesome. That marshmallow on top was great.

Afterwards, I gorged myself to a chicken and Swiss cheese sandwich followed by a pecan brownie and ice cream at Outback Steakhouse. All the weight I shed in Cambodia has suddenly come back ten fold now I'm not exercising. Need to get my gut back to swimming or some other form of exercise, and soon!

By the time I got back it was 11pm and all I could think of was finishing that sitcom. So I sat down and wrote, and wrote and wrote. I didn't realise it was the earlier hours until I zoned back into reality and checked the computer desktop.

But it didn't stop me!!!

Day 163 - Excursion off the map and Emmy Skype Star!

I love this beautiful city.

Day 163 - 03rd December

I woke up well into the afternoon, a punishment for staying up late and Skyping my brother I suppose.

The afternoon was a write off in one respect. I wasn't moving from my bed. In another respect, I wrote so I was pretty happy with myself.

I did managed to raise myself for an hour stint around 4pm to go and have a mutton madras with a garlic naan. That eased some of my tiredness.

By the time night fell, I decided I had to get my ass out of bed and go for a little walk around, just to get some more fresh air. My excursions took me somewhere I'd never been before and I ended up wandering for an hour or so in some shifty looking nieghbourhoods. I suppose that's part of travelling, providing you don't get killed. And I obviously didn't because I'm here writing this!

I waited up until 3:30am just to get a little Skype time with my brother... Ah, screw that. I wanted to see my little Emmy. God is she growing up fast and is now clapping on request which is funny to see. Funnier still she tried the grab the screen to get to me when I was calling her name and blowing raspberries. I always said I'd never do that to kids when I got older but it's impossible to resist unless you have a heart of stone.

By 4am, Emmy was due her bed time so we called it a day there.

I tried to call my parents quickly but was as dramatically challenging as John McClane in Die Hard trying to radio for help. Seriously, it was like trying to talk to my Nanna without her hearing aids, bless her.

Day 162 - Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Merdeka Square, Batu Caves and Jalan Alor

Batu Caves was very impressive.

Day 162 - 02nd December

One thing I am missing at the moment is the advent calendar. It brings a rare treat to my day in the month of December and if I don't have that then what do I have? Oh, travelling, yes of course!

So I woke up, showered and readied and headed out to find some places to visit. I took the subway and forgot which line to take but it worked out. Something in the tiny recesses of the old noggin' must have kicked in.

Stunning building.

Merdeka Square in somewhere beneath! If it's not scaffolding, it's events!

I stopped first at the Sultan Abdul Samad Building to admire it. It was pretty spectacular to be honest, build in brick it was a fantastic overlook for Merdeka Square. The square was covered in marquees and fake flooring ready for an event in the next few days I assume so I didn't get to sit and just admire the surrounding city. It was probably a good thing, the heat was rising.

Not a bad balti for £2.20.

I made my way to Kuala Lumpur Sentral station and waited to board the Monorail train to Batu Caves at 2:45pm. Whilst I had forty minutes to kill I indulged in a chicken balti which was pretty tasty and before I knew it, I was reading The Woman in Black on the monorail, heading towards Batu Caves.

Seriously, huge statue.

The golden statute that towered over everything else at the site was something that left me in awe - kind of like the reclining Buddha did in Bangkok. Sometime you just have to stand back and metaphorically applaud the sheer will power of faith and religion. It was a remarkable tribute for Hindus and Buddhist. 

Crazy monkey! Not cute.

As I scaled the steps up to the temple in the cave, and the monkeys descended on me like flies around shite, I just took in my surroundings, grateful I was there.

This place is just more and more beautiful as you go on.

Shortly after, I took an educational tour of The Dark Cave to visit bats, snakes, locusts, millipedes and worms. Our guide was fantastic and she really knew her stuff, she had a great touch of comedy about her too and at only 23 years old, she could've been mistaken for someone twice her age with the amount of confidence she gave off.

By 5pm, I was back on the monorail, reading The Woman in Black again. It's not a scary book but I can see how it grips people and puts them on edge. Susan Hill is a terrific writer.

The chicken and rice.

And the BBQ squid - delicious!

When I arrived back in Kuala Lumpur, I went to Jalan Alor, the hub of street food. It was already bustling by seven pm but I found a nice place where I had chicken and rice and BBQ squid, both were delicious.

Jalan Alor.

On my way back, I met a Portuguese man who was lost so I walked him down  edge of Chinatown and bid him farewell and a safe onward journey. #gooddeedoftheday.

I had a Skype session with my brother at midnight which was great, despite us only getting fifteen minutes of talk time before intervals of broken Wi-Fi connection. Even prisoners get to talk to their loved ones for longer periods!

Day 161 - Burnout but a walkabout did me good

The Sky Tower is pretty special.

Day 161 - 01st December

Happy Holiday y'all. But anyone who says that travelling is one long holiday is moronic. It is incredible don't get me wrong but when you're moving every few days with broken sleeping patterns, you get burned out. That was me.

I sat and wrote for most of the day, trying to save the pennies, but I did go out for a series of walks. The first time I came back with a postcard, a magnet, two apples, peanuts, dried peas and a packet of black pop socks! 

For lunch I had fried rice with two sausage skewers made at a local place in Chinatown. It was a wise choice and came in at less than a £1 with a drink!

I went back to work for a few hours before heading out again. I saw the Sky Tower all lit up. Again I need to go up that before I leave which raises my apprehension levels. The second time out for the day saw me come back with a Nandos for dinner - a terrible mistake, the pitta was abysmal as was the rice. I'll stick to the local stuff in future.

I retired to bed earlier, feeling pretty tired and ready to tackle Kuala Lumpur properly in the morning.

Day 160 - Kuala Lumpur, Chinatown, Market and Petronas Towers

A bridge too far?

Day 160 - 30th November

So Kuala Lumpur, here it was in front of me and I was so exhausted I didn't even want to look around.

But Ross pulled me together and we both managed to pick up tickets for the subway and headed into central Kuala Lumpur where I left his at Plaza Rakyat to head to my hostel - Step Inn, situated just a few minutes from the station. Of course, I got this arse about face.

I went to McDonalds and had a breakfast whilst trying to use their Wi-Fi. Useless. A weird, old guy was smiling and staring at me so I loaded up with my bags and got the hell out of there.

Eventually, I found it was just off a street at the top of a hill, beside a small Hindu temple and a curry house. Happy days.

Because it was only 6:30am, I had to wait until 2pm to check in. Not knowing what to do in that amount of time, I instead chose to write and submitted two sports articles to GMS and two short scripts to the BBC Writers Room. Fingers crossed again on these.

Petaling Street Chinatown

I checked into my cell... I mean room which consisted of a single bed and one bedside cupboard. I did a little research on places to visit and then headed off to Chinatown and the Central Market to discover what Kuala Lumpur had to offer. It turns out quite a lot and I immersed myself in the sounds, smells and ... other things in Chinatown and the market.

Love that pork!

And that dumpling broth.

I had a fantastic BBQ Pork noodle dinner and then set off around 7pm to find the Petronas Towers. Within forty minutes, I'd passed Times Square Mall (home of an indoor theme park - I'll be visiting at some point I'm sure), the sky bars and bar strips and finally what I had come to see, those towers were mighty big and I gazed up nervously at the bridge way that connects them knowing I've got to go up there in a few days. Shite!

Just fooling around.

Ok, one without me. You happy?

I saw a movie inside the complex before heading back around 10:30pm. A prostitute asked if she could walk back with me and I joked, 'I don't think you could keep up.' Word of advice - don't say this to a prostitute, she thinks you're talking about something else when really you're referring to a walking pace!

Day 159 - A whole day literally travelling

Farewell New Hut Bungalows, you've been amazing to me.

Day 159 - 29th November

So as the title eludes, it was a full day of mini vans, ferries, more mini vans and sleeper buses. By the end, it was getting more luxurious but prior to that, it was looking like one of my old boss's cups of tea - dark brown, oily and too strong - basically, a horror show.

My journey, from Surat Thani (after an hour on the ferry) to Kuala Lumpur. Christ!

I boarded the mini van with two Eastern European girls and we took the short 25 minute trip to Koh Samui pier. The waiting area had just me in it for quite a while, which was worrying but suddenly it started to fill up. A French woman asked me to open her can of cold coffee and being English, I duly obliged with a smile despite having a tug of war with it for five minutes.

Well the island did look like a woman lying down but I caught it on a down wave. Nuts!

We all boarded the ferry and I had a little snooze. It wasn't long and within an hour, we were back on mainland and horded into a shabby coach. Bits were falling off of it, it was dirty, it was Asia's finest!

We stopped after thirty minutes, possibly even less and those bound for the airport stayed on whilst the Malaysia gang stuck around. Lucky I checked otherwise they were going to take our luggage with them!

Those damn mini vans, my expression says it all.

A mini van shows up. A pretty nice one with leather seats but with all mini vans, no bloody leg room. We endured this five hours with a brief pitstop. I met Ross from Atlanta, Georgia and we ended up next to each other on the second leg of the bus until we reached almost the most southern part of Thailand.

A sweet ride but a crazy transfer. 

As the rest of the group went off, me and Ross were told to get into the back of an classic, gold Mercedes where an old guy drove us five minutes to a bus company.

This was pretty good for £1.

There we had to wait for an hour for our night bus. We were the only ones going to Kuala Lumpur. In that time we got lost but found a little time to have dinner at a Chinese restaurant which was pretty good. A few snacks from Seven 11 would tide us over until we reached Kuala Lumpur on the morning.

I might miss this set up in years to come.

By six thirty, I was running alongside the bus as I came out of the toilet. The bugger was going to drive off with my luggage and without me. Close call!

Love this bus. Great leg room, air con is a bit too much!

We reached the exit border. No problems. We reached the entry border for Malaysia. No problems. We were in the clear. So we got our heads down and hopefully, we'd sleep all the way until we reached Kuala Lumpur - yeah, and Sandra Bullock would be waiting for me in my hostel room when I got there!