Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Endless Summer

Petronas Twin Towers

Quick detour in my Asian route...decided to hit up Bali for my last few weeks in the East. Heard many good things about the place, from epic waves to beautiful art and a mixed culture of retired expats, Balinese, surfers, and hippies...heaven?

But to get here, I had to spend a few days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was not much different than Chicago or Los Angeles as far as big cities go, with enormous shopping malls, crowded streets, and huge sky scrapers. But I have to admit that it was really nice slipping back into that kind of thing for a few days. But a few days max, because after that I longed for a quiet beach, clean air, and cheap prices.

Low Yat Plaza

But I did get a nice Starbucks fix...my first one in over a month! Apparently they (Bucks) started a free wifi trend throughout the city too, another bonus for this cheapo backpacker. Some people even setup mobile offices around the city this way!

It was an incredible experience too walking through these enormous shopping malls on Bukit Bintang. The States has nothing compared to these monsters. It was such a stimulating experience I just sat there for hours people watching sometimes. Crazy to think back to my days living in downtown Chicago where this kind of thing was the norm!

But besides the tourist areas, I ventured around through Little India and Chinatown too. It felt like I was on another planet. Not a single other white foreigner did I see in those areas...nice!

The worst part of the experience was the accomodation. Out of all the cities in Thailand that I had been through, this was the nasty. The entire backpacker district is pretty much littered with hole in the wall places that are waaaay overpriced. I ended up paying about $15 per night for a dump with shared bathroom...but at least it had A/C.

The really cool thing about Malaysians? They love durian! I stumbled upon several durian stalls, and can safely say that I am now a true addict! Had D24, XO, Montohng, and Mau Sang Wang varieties....WOW! The stuff we get back in the States, even Hawaii, can't touch the ones here!

Durian "The king of fruits"; XO type

This was the best durian I've ever had. Mau-Sang Wang - King Cat Durian!!

So I left for Bali on Monday, and of course had another adventure of a travel experience. You would think that the KL airport would be relatively close to downtown, but such is not the case. A two hour bus ride is what it took, which included reversing down the freeway to get to a gas station, yet another moment where I feared for me life! But I made it to the airport, with plenty of time to spare before my 7pm flight. Which of course turned into a 7:30pm flight, touching down in Bali around 10:30pm. Add in time for getting a VISA, Customs, Taxi, and I arrived exhausted in Kuta around midnight! So I snatched the first place I saw, which was like a resort in the center of town. Definitely the nicest place I have stayed at yet. It had a swimming pool, beautiful garden, and complimentary breakfast...all for the bargain price of $19 per night! And as for bargaining, bargain hard is the game in Bali. Even that first night at the hotel started out at $27 and I talked them down. Same thing with these things I've bought:

2 Sarongs Starting: 160,000 Ending: 55,000
Travel adapter Starting: 60,000 Ending: 30,000
2 Billabong shirts Starting: 750,000 Ending:100,000

The best place on Earth, Bali.

But surfing is on my mind right now, and that is the culture here. I've met so many Aussie surfers, who have told me endless stories and places to go. Even met a Balinese surfer kid from Mendewi, supposedly one of the best spots on the island...offered me to stay in his home if I make it up there!

Now it's off to Ubud for a few days, where I'm meeting up with a friend and getting my organic fix. Supposedly it's the heart of the conscious/green movement here, with more vegan restaurants and yoga studios than you could imagine!