Back to Malaysia!

I have to admit that my first impressions of KL were not good... This is partly because I arrived late and in the middle of a storm which then (unlike Brunei storms) continued into rain all the next day and partly because it took me a while to find a decent breakfast the first day. However, after an awful lot of walking around, I've decided that KL is GREAT and everybody should try and find an opportunity to come here and just walk around it if nothing else!

I am staying in Chinatown, which means lots of markets, temples, Chinese tea and streets with lanterns. I am also quite close to Little India, which means lots of Indian food, material and flowers. I am also quite close to Medeka Square, which means colonial buildings, a mock Tudor country club and what used to be a cricket pitch (and is now Independence Square). Also close by is the National Mosque and Islamic Museum. All of this is surrounded by masses of skyscrapers, big chunks of forest and the odd monkey. I have never seen so many skyscrapers, this city has some of the tallest buildings in the world in it, and most of the time you can't see them at all. It is such a mixture of things and I really like it. This was apparent in the Textile Museum which I went into to avoid the rain and 'Malaysian' dress involves so many different cultures all at once, from Murut people in Borneo to some very Westernised outfits. They also have every holiday of each religion/culture as a public holiday, they are currently in the lead up to Deepavali.

I spent a couple of days in KL mostly walking around the areas described and eating, as well as finding the Petronas Towers and the swankier part of the city. I visited the bird park as well, I don't know how it compares to the Singapore one, but it was quite good fun.

I included Malaysia and KL in order to visit the Malaysian equivalent of TF and, having organised to see them later in the week, made my way to the Cameron Highlands. My original plan there was to do some walking around and be at a more comfortable temperature. The first person I met here is Malaysian but studied in Newcastle and came 'because she misses autumn'. It is MUCH more like British summer, but it is comfortable! However, after I arrived I decided that actually I'd much rather sit around and enjoy the tea plantations than the jungle, which I did very happily! I braved the local bus and had a walk through the bright green plantations which I had virtually to myself. Extremely beautiful. It is also the only place they grow strawberries, so there are lots of red strawberry cushions, plus lots of very European looking houses...