Kuala Lumpur (Second Leg)

What’s up guys!

It’s me again – and this time I’m in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

It’s the second and final leg of my SEA (South East Asia) trip with my friends and we’ve just landed in KL.

I’m really looking forward to some more low-key adventures here in Malaysia because Thailand was just an assault on the senses.

The noise, people, lights, traffic, smells of Bangkok hits you like a tsunami.

So it’s with a lot of agreement that we decided to have more of R&R (rest and relaxation) here in KL.

Fine by me!

Been here less than a day but there are many things I’ve noticed about KL…

Where have all the people gone? 

Upon landing, the first thing I notice is that – hey wait a minute, where are all the people?

Chatting with the Uber driver we learnt that, unlike Bangkok, people here in KL actually are asleep at 3am in the morning…

Hence why there was a significant deficit of people on the streets and cars on the road.

This is because tourism is not a big driver of the economy as Thailand – hence there is more reliance on other sectors… which require you to yknow be in bed.

When we went out for breakfast this morning, that’s when the realization of the sheer number of people was evident – we are in Asia after all!

AirBnB works!

Yay – we have running water!

Far out, after the debacle of AirBnB Bangkok (read here) we were half-expecting to not have basic amenities again.

Luckily, we can perform personal hygiene without relocating – always a bonus!

In all fairness though, I think AirBnB is an amazing concept and will revolutionize the accommodation industry.

Think about it, for a fraction of the price of a hotel you can live in a similar location, access the same tourist locations and if anything be more comfortable in your surroundings (personally, I just need a soft mattress and shower and I’m A-OK).

Of course, there are many tourists who prefer the experience of living in a hotel and the suite of services available, but I think as more and more of the older generation stop travelling, the hotel industry really needs to innovate to similarly attract the younger generation – as more and more of us are willing to “slum it out” in an alternative (AirBnB).

Cheap, cheap, cheap.

Again, similarly to Thailand – the cost of living in KL is evidently more cheaper than living in a Western country.

In fact, it’s only when you travel that you realize how expensive living in Australia is (don’t get me started on living in Sydney).

100 AUD can go a long way in SE Asia from what I have seen.

If you have a fair bit of disposable income, you can well and truly live a millionaire lifestyle.

It’s an Islamic nation. 

The official religion of Malaysia is Islam and this is highlighted with the attire and dress of the pedestrians on the street, the messages hanging outside the bars and clubs (“strictly NO gambling or drugs”) and also the numerous mosques and places of religion scattered throughout the city.

So compared to Bangkok, where pretty much everything and anything goes – it’s best to er on the side of caution here.

That’s not to say you can’t have fun in KL, no not at all – just that it’s not as blatant as some transgender prostitute physically dragging your arm towards a dark alley despite your best attempts to fight him/her off…

Humble people.

Similarly to Bangkok, the people here are very humble and down to Earth.

Although not on par with Thailand in terms of friendliness (almost impossible to meet a more welcoming race) there is still warmth and good nature from the locals.

Walking along the streets and driving on the roads, I feel that the majority of South East Asians go about their daily lives with an element of Zen.

They say that South East Asia is one of the poorest places on the planet – but I really am curious to see if they are also the happiest (if not, then surely most content).

There’s a distinct lack of shouting, swearing, beeping and general aggressiveness.

People aren’t in a hurry to go this way and that and take life as it comes.

Perhaps ignorance truly is bliss? There’s a lesson in here somewhere…

I’m sure as the trip goes on there will be more peculiarities and idiosyncrasies to note – but right now, I’m going to enjoy the moment.

So onwards and upwards as we commence the second leg of our trip – been an amazing time with these bunch of guys and it’s truly what life should be about.

Creating memories.

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