Day 6 - Malacca to Kuala Lumpur

Up early for another mammoth breakfast.  Problem was I had spent the night before worrying about our video camera which we thought we'd lost (we hadn't) and the food poisoning that we were sure to all come down with after the meal we had last night at the roadside hawker's stall (we didn't) so I only had a few hours sleep and was monosylabbic at best, grumpy as hell at worst.  The breakfast cheered me up a bit (nothing like a bit of chilli sambal and nasi lemak to get you going in the morning) and we were firing on most cylinders by the time it came to catching the coach to KL.

The journey was uneventful save for the driver's propensity to beep angrily at every other car, truck or coach he passed, meaning that the opportunity for 40 winks on the coach was missed (by me at least).  We arrived in gloomy, misty, murky ol' KL at around midday - back home at last!  I lived here for  the best part of 16 years, and last returned for a visit with Kent about 18 years ago.  On that visit I found that I was unexpectedly traumatised by the whole thing, feeling a bit like Charlton Heston at the end of "Planet Of The Apes" when he sees the familiar shape of the Statue of Liberty in the most unexpected of places, and realising that everything had changed completely and irrevocably with the passing of the years.  So, I was a teensy bit concerned that in my sleep-deprived state and after the last weepy visit that I would have another mini-breakdown, but so far, so good.  Emotions were all in check as we took a taxi through the city and down Jalan Ampang to the enticingly named "D Service Holiday Villas".

Unfortunately events then took a turn for the worst when, having unloaded our bags and tipped the taxi driver waving him a fond adieu, Kent then suddenly enquired as to the wherabouts of his rucksack, containing video camera, iPhone, medication for mozzie bites and 3 (by now slightly manky) apples, liberated from the Holiday Inn in Singapore.  Without waiting for further instruction, I leapt into best Bionic Woman action, as did Lily, as we tried (unsuccessfully) to chases the cab down Ampang Road.

Yep, the rucksack was in the footwell of the front passenger seat.  Oh dear, never mind.  To compound the misery, we soon discovered that our accomodation was rather less than the lap of luxury we had grown accustomed to in the last two hotels, and is now affectionately referred to  as our Hellhole From Home.  Actually, it's not really TOO terrible (we're just very spoilt) - it's just a bit shabby and grubby in parts.  Well, this is what happens when you go off piste and try something different to save a few bucks. 

Fortunately the reception staff here are very sympathetic and helpful, and though the CCTV didn't provide the taxi reg details, we did at least have a ticket with the taxi company's phone number on it and after some phone calls and negotiations, we managed to arrange a return journey for the rucksack later in the day - we have now been happily reunited (though the apples remain uneaten).

The pool is actually quite decent with an amazing view (see pic) and Kent and George had a nice swim (George even made friends with a boy from Libya, bonding over the international language of football teams).

After the pool and more unwinding in our Hellhole From Home, we ventured out into the evening rush-hour, strolling down Ampang Road this time and into an old haunt of mine from the 1970s, Ampang Park, one of the first shopping malls in KL and celebrating its 40th birthday this year, woot-woot!  Amazingly, the record and tape shop I used to frequent as a teenager is still there and I chatted to the owner who I'm convinced I recognised from all those years ago.  Didn't buying anything though, but she didn't seem to mind.

We took the tube downtown and got out at Central Market which used to be a rat-infested stinky place selling amazing local fruit and veg, fresh fish and meat and amaziniles of all sorts of spices and herbs,  but is now a clean, airconditioned mall selling mainly overpriced tourist tat.  I preferred it when it was a stinkhole, it had bags more interest and character.  Further up the street we stopped for dinner at a cheap and cheerful Indonesian fast-food joint where we all ate handsomely for less than £20, in fact I'd say it was the tastiest meal of the trip so far (Yellow veg curry, rice, two types of sambal, tiny ikan bilis, cucumber and tomato and a big chunk of succulent spicy chicken (yes, chicken) on the side). Mmm, yummy.

With full stomachs we next tackled Petaling Street to look at all the stalls selling toring tables full of counterfeit crap.  Kent and Lily are both after fake watches but after some half-hearted bartering decided against it - for now.  I expect there will be many more opportunities for just such a purchase somewhere between here and Hong Kong...

Nearly 11pm now and back safely at our HFH, so will post this and off to bed.  More tomorrow...

Maria