KL

All is can say is WOW...

It is so different in Asia. I was expecting something different and overwhelming but I had no idea it was going to be like this. KL is busy, dirty, bright, loud, interesting, beautiful, diverse and going non-stop all the time. It is an amazing country because the people are so diverse and friendly. The Malay culture does not seem to be super prevalent in KL but I am sure in the highlands and outskirts the local people are more recognized. KL is comprised of a melting pot of Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Muslim and many others from the surrounding countries. You can get any kind of food you want at any hour. Everything from McDonald's to the local street food.

We flew in on Thursday from NZ and it was a shock walking off the plan to 33 degree weather and heaps of humidity. However, it was a nice change from being pretty much frozen to the bone in NZ. We finally felt like we were thawed out. We flew Air Asia from Auckland to KL which was a treat. It was quite a quiet flight so Brett and I each got a whole row. It was so nice and necessary since we only slept for a few hours the night before in the airport.

Brett and I have been here for two nights and we are staying for one more. The hostel we stayed at the last two nights is in the heart of downtown with shops, malls, cars, bright lights and plenty to eat and do. After getting to the hostel around 8pm on Thursday we left our bags in our room and headed down to the night market where there were hundreds of vendor selling food. We got a great Chinese meal of chicken fried rice and sweet and sour pork. It was really delicious. We slept so well that night!

Yesterday we headed to Batu Caves just outside the city. It is a series of 3 caves which are HUGE. Once you finally hike the 272 stairs to the top cave it is filled with shrines and temples for all different cultures to come and worship. Apparently it is a major pilgrimage site in Jan and Feb for the locals people. It was massive and beautiful. Inside the caves there were also tons of monkeys running around. We were not expecting that. On the bus ride there we met a Polish girl and a Canadian guy who we spent the day exploring with! It was nice having some company. After the caves we went to lunch at an Indian place and it was interesting but good! We all shared a taxi home and explored Chinatown on our way back to our hostel. Because it is the beginning of monsoon season we had to make it home by 6pm to make sure we didn't get soaked. Thankfully we made it home with about 1 minute to spare because immediately the skies unleashed their powers. It was so intense. A lot like the rain in Port Douglas. It comes really hard for about 30 or 40 minutes and than stops as suddenly as it starts. We showered, watched a movie, napped and than headed our for dinner. In KL there are massive malls all dedicated to the same thing. Let me explain: Last night we went to this mall because it was suppose to have a good food court with lots of choices for dinner. Well, we entered and realized it was an electronics mall. It has 6 stories of stores all dedicated to electronics. It was literally like the Tacoma mall full of the same electronics. It was insane. The part I cannot figure out is that they all sell the same stuff so really how would you know which store to pick?!?!

As you can see we are seeing a ton and learning so much. It will be really nice to get out of the city and onto some of the Thailand beaches! However, KL has been a great starting point and we are really happy we picked it! I will try and post some pictures but it is pretty hard with only having access to computer at an internet cafe. They are usually pretty strict about what you can do on their computers. Also, just wanted to let you know Brett finished his class so he is finally free!!!!

Miss you all and love you!
Love,
B and K8