Man is known to be a creature of habit. Whenever we travel to a new country, we first have to get used to the new environment, to the people and to the climate. But after a while you dive into the country, soak it up and take in the way of life. The transition to a new country is sometimes smooth, sometimes more like beaming to another planet. So far, we mostly had the latter and our next stop is without question one of those. Kuala Lumpur!
The shock begins at the airport. Here everything is spotlessly clean, a mall greets us right after the baggage claim. An express train takes you from the airport to the middle of the action in no time at all. On the way far and wide no garbage to see, clean air, everything somehow like polished. Having arrived we end up again in a huge mall with loud electro music, the locals are dressed very western, also hot pants and spaghetti straps are acceptable all of a sudden. In between a few headscarves, oh yes, it is a Muslim country after all. Now you have to familiarize yourself with the complex Metro system. Somehow it was easier with the tuk-tuks.
We meet an old friend near the main station. Hieda with her friend were couchsurfers with me in Dresden two years ago. Actually, we were planning to stay at her friend’s house. Sadly, however, his mother has recently passed away, so we prefer to find another place to live to not be an additional burden.
Our accommodation is preparing us for the next shock. The Airbnb is located in a brand new, sterile and uniform apartment building south of the center. On the 23rd floor of 35. The keys are automatically handed over in a locker. At the elevator we can see that there is a gym, basketball court, a sky bar with BBQ and an infinity pool. Let’s go to floor 7A right away.
Our room is like a shared apartment room. The two owners are in their late 20s and run a start-up company. Another Ukrainian roommate is somehow stranded in Kuala Lumpur and trades in crypto currencies for a living. Could it be more modern?
We take the metro to the city center and take a look at the Petronas Towers. For 1.6 million inhabitants, there are quite a few high-rise buildings here. And then you understand why there are so many malls. It’s oppressively humid. You can’t stay out here too long. So back in again, past all the Gucci and Rolex shops, because in the Foodcourt a delicious ice cream waits for us.
The next evening we meet our couchsurfing friends again for dinner. Not anywhere, but in the entertainment district. Here you can hear loud western music from bars and pubs, the tables full of beer and cocktails. This all seems strange to us. We haven’t seen or heard anything like this for over two months.
During the day we are tired and not very motivated for sightseeing. We’re practically on vacation from traveling. I’m having a hard time with it, though. I need a break too, but doing nothing is hard for me. I have to do something. Fortunately, our hosts still have some time for us. Hieda drives us out of the city with her car and shows us a local market and on the way back a refuge for elephants. The institution also relocates elephants to national parks when people get too close to their actual habitat, e.g. when growing palm oil plantations demand more land. You can watch the elephants bathing and feed them. A really beautiful, harmonious place without entrance fee.
We also use the time in Kuala Lumpur for a few errands. Haircut, buy nail scissors, print out a letter, sign it and scan it, send some things home and buy some summer clothes. H&M is of course also available here. The only thing we can’t find is aluminium-free deodorant. On the other hand, there is plenty of deodorant with a whitening function. That’s right, this is Asia.
Before we leave we visit the bird park right in the green city of Kuala Lumpur. Here you are in the middle of it instead of just there. The visitor may enter the huge aviaries and can be very close to the birds. At least to the species where that is justifiable.
We like Kuala Lumpur very much. Only the countless temples of consumption remind us of the dark sides of the First World. We are therefore looking forward to the next destination and the return to simpler conditions.
