Summer vacation - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Pt. 1

Well, I finally have some time to catch everyone up on my summer vacation. I got 16 days off, which is a long time for a hagwon. I was pretty happy. So I decided to split the vacation and travel six days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and spend eight days in Bali, Indonesia. I traveled alone for the first four days in Kuala Lumpur. I wanted to travel with other people from my town, but everyone had different vacation times. My co-workers didn't want to go to Malaysia, so I just decided to head there by myself. I was scared, but I would never admit it to anyone.

My co-workers were going to Thailand, but they had a long layover in Kuala Lumpur. So even though we all booked flights at different times and through difference sites, ironically (or coincidentally) we were all on the same flight to Kuala Lumpur. So I was a 6.5 hour non-stop flight and we arrived around 6pm. We all had accommodations in Chinatown, so we all walked to find my co-workers' hostel. I was staying at a different place.

When we started looking for my hostel, we had no idea where to go. They were only supposed to be around the corner from each other. Me, being stupid, forgot to print my confirmation, so I didn't have the address. After about an hour of looking, I finally went to an internet cafe and wrote down the address for my hostel. then we were asking every person that walked by and they had no idea where the hostel was. I thought that was impossible because Chinatown wasn't that big and I couldn't fathom how nobody knew or ever heard of this hostel. After two hours, we finally found it.

After that adventure, we went to Nando's for dinner. Everyone was talking about how they haven't had it in a long time and I was saying that I have never even heard of it. The three people I was with were all South African, so maybe it's more common there than in the States? I don't know. I had half a chicken, I think. It hit the spot actually.

After that, we all decided we wanted to see the Petronas Twin Towers. That is the one reason why I wanted to go to Kuala Lumpur. Something so majestic about those two buildings that really attracted me to go there. It was awesome. From Chinatown, KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Centre) is only four stops on the subway. Very cheap and easy.

So as we are emerging from the subway station, you look up the stairs and the tower is literally the only thing you see. It was breath-taking. As you get to the street level and keep walking, another identical tower comes popping out. The buildings really amazed me. I can't explain it. So we spent a while there and headed back to the hostels.

We went to bed in our respective hostels and one girl and I went to the bird park. If anyone knows me, I don't really things that fly, so of course, I go to the largest free-flight walk-in aviary in the world. I'm stupid. It was a great time though. Over 200 species of birds. It was maybe $15 to enter, and you get one of those bright orange wristbands. I like to keep those one for multiple days. I don't know why. So we saw lots of birds and took a professional picture as a souvenir. It's kind of what you do when you go to that bird park.

I forgot to mention and was too lazy to go back and edit, but on our way to the bird park, we stopped at the National Mosque. That was pretty cool. It was very open with a fountain in it. It had all these pillars and and main praying room. People couldn't go in there; only if you were Muslim. You were still able to take pictures from the outside.

It was very different than a church or a cathedral. All my other travels have been mainly been to predominantly Catholic countries (just thinking of Mexico and Spain). I have been to many cathedrals, but never many mosques.

After spending a day togetrher, my co-worker finally said she had to head back to the airport and catch her flight to Thailand. I was a little nervous, but I knew I would be fine. I think I ate at Subway after they all left and went to bed early. I was pretty tired still.

So that was the first day. I hate to admit it, but I think I ate at Subway at least once a day for the first three days. I was nervous to eat by myself or alone, but I didn't mind eating alone at Subway. Don't judge me.