Sunday, May 23, 2010. I start from Taman Negara, a natural park which houses the oldest jungle in the world and a few hours later I arrive in Kuala Lumpur, a city is as developed as Bangkok in Thailand, after the coronation contrast jungle!
I agree with the old Chinatown by skytrain, an overhead monorail, I want a hotel right price and can not have a bed in a dorm for less than $ 5. For that price I have my room in Bangkok.
I ended up finding a dorm Pleasant, a large room on 2nd floor, a bed 15aine spaces each with a small table and a bedside lamp, it makes think of images of these hospitals or old buildings requisitioned during the war. I'm going to walk the district, Chinatown is very, very touristy, so that they have covered the main tourist shopping street and a glass roof is 15 feet high against the rain, sheltering hundreds of small stands of objects for tourists restaurants that I stick their nose under the menu while I'm just crossing the street, it has no further interest, the street is now a large shopping center dedicated to tourism.
I
people in the streets around, no good Chinese in the neighborhood, eating noodles at a stand run by Chinese, this may be why Chinatown ^ ^ ... I feel that this city is synonymous with relaxation, I take a moment the view from the hotel, the first floor a bay window, without glass, sitting just above the street in an old chair smashed and comfortable to sip juice Leech and read books and watch the bustle on the street below.
dinner in one of these Indian restaurants, I order a cheese Regal Nam, this large crepe filled with cheese swelled accompanies tandoori chicken, pieces of chicken red spices and very spicy. Chinese people eat and work there, one who serves me is of Indian descent, Asians eat Malaysian surely has the next table was eating, I suir the only European and it's nice to be in Kuala Lumpur " local ", that of everyday life.
Monday, May 24, 2010, the dormitory, the hall is nice. It is a 15aine, lots of space, and the beds are not greenhouses as is often the case. I'm off to visit places deemed of Kuala Lumpur. The old station, little interest, I continue to the great mosque, immense, and I have to wear a big jacket, bermuda forces, which covers me to the feet. I go through the neighborhood called "Litte India", and here too, the street attracts so many tourists that it was covered with a glass roof against the rain and is filled with items to tourists. Just go on the streets parallel to find the population from India three generations ago, during a chai, the famous Indian tea. I continue my walk, a masseur rule was a problem back a guy into a corner, put a chair on a trotoir, next to a small panel that is his promo. Then to the neighborhood called "Golden Triangle", where all the tall towers of the city, a neighborhood business, big company names. I see the Petronas Twin Towers
2 twin towers that hung cilminent to 452 meters high. I pass in the mall they are home, mostly stores or luxury brand, only original articles here, an exclusion in Asia! I will then see the Menara Tower
30 seconds of lift thrust this feeling, this acceleraion to reach the top of this tower of 421 meters, above which I can see a spectacular 360 degree panorama of the city.
I then spun toward the embassy of Indonesia to try to get a visa for 2 months. 1st obstacle, the monorail is down this line. I want a bus, but too many people are lining up to go to work, because the monorail, I change and take a taxi, too expensive! Arrives at the embassy, I was denied entry. T-shirts, shorts and sandals are not accepted in the embassy. I do not have t-chirt, but I had my account Bermuda shorts and sandals! Even if I went to take my shoes at the hotel, by taxi, I would buy pants because I gave mine to a friend yesterday envious of the flannel pants size 2 times too big and perfect in this heat, binds to the waist by a cord, extra large and comfortable, I would find one easily in a corner has tourists. And therefore, even if I equip myself in the uniform required at the entrance of the embassy, it is possible that the documents they request for the issuance of a visa two months are difficult to obtain. We need proof of $ 1500 on the account, difficult to contact my bank for this document. We also need a return ticket, I can stand it, no worries. But they can also request a letter of invitation from a indionesien, the more difficult it would be a hack. Too complicated, I loose the case.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010.
I'll get breakfast in the snack bar run by Chinese, a milk coffee and a donut fried. A large rat runs between my legs by 2 times, I struggle to see him as he loses his hair but he looks rather fat and well housed. I also see one of these large butterflies as I saw in the jungle Taman Negara, off a curb and fly a boulevard in the city.
Photos of Kuala Lumpur
then I'm going to Melaka, a city in the direction of Singapore, which should be fun, seafront, and a rich history of Dutch and Portuguese colony in the remains of the old city. 2 hours by bus on the highway to see only palm plantation everywhere, I arrive in Melaka, a major city, head for the local Chinatown.
Many cities have their headquarters here "Chinatown" and "Little India", with the population that bears his name and his origins. These immigrants are arive in the 50s, Chinese or Indian traders refugees. Pleasant to come across so many backgrounds. The meal is a choice of noodles or dumplings in other specialties, or just a few blocks away, a curry and a cheese nam. I found a cozy guesthouse, a dormitory clean and pleasant, mosquito nets are available but unnecessary, and it is best seen as heat.
A little advertising for Yaksa, the Travellers Lounge Travel (Travel guesthouse, chinatown, Lorong Hang Jebat 40, 606-2815216)
Thursday, May 27, 2010, I joined a group of 5 guys, the boss hotel, a Nepalese employees with 3 other tourists and we share a night in the jungle next to the city. It is screwed into an old merco fortunately they are wide these old big boxes and we share. 1 hour away, to leave the city of Melaka, cross vast palm plantations used for their oil (the Mailaisie is the first world producer of palm oil). We arrive at the foot of a hill with gentle slopes and mercedes station in the path. 15 minutes walk and we arrived next to a natural swimming pool with rocks and water clear and fresh, a treat with this heat.
The boss has forgotten the tents, but there are 2 plastic tarps, we'll sleep under the beautiful star, alone in the jungle, in terms of small beasts dangerous it is better to be lucky.
We start looking for firewood, and rightly I find a big scorpion under a strain, the size of the palm of my hand.
He begins to float. It houses our business with tarpaulins, swimming pool and direction for us, water is a little less fresh and the sheet is not big enough for us 5. The rain stops after one hour. It starts the fire, the night always falls much faster in the forest. Boil water to eat noodles, crackers, bread and tin of tuna sugar / spices, dinner jungle. A Buddhist monk landed late after noon on the site, he set up his tent a little farther, he came here to spend one month to meditate. He joins us for the evening near the fire. He says he has spent almost 30 years in Southeast Asia, he is in love with Thailand. He tells us his journey and his practice of meditation. It answers many questions about our meditation, and what he says is very interesting. Most travelers have heard of or sometimes even tested techniques of meditation, but the exchanges on this subject usually live questions answerable for beginners which has other, nothing very clear. An evening under the stars, trees and full moon, the sound of the noises of the forest and tales of meditation, falling asleep on a plastic tarpaulin under a large towel for lack of anything better, the boss also forget the downs. We are greenhouses, a 6 on 6 m edges of the sheet, inch allah for venomous critters!
Friday, May 28, 2010 is the birthday of Buddha, he would not, would have attained enlightenment and died the same day full moon of May, AC simplifies dates to remember ^ ^. Awakening in the forest, it feels good and I slept pretty well apart the mattress which is simply the ground. I agree with the monk for a few years of discovery rather marants his technique of meditation, moving as slowly as possible by naming every move, or hold the lotus position by focusing on breathing. It will make AC a month ... !
Photos of Melaka
Saturday, May 29, 2010, I leave for Singapore. Someone told me that I'll spend maybe 8 hours on the bus, instead of the usual 4 hours, the cap requires extended weekend, I check out hotel, take a bus around midday, fast, I 4h am a Singapore. I will spend 2 nights here, and begins by taking the MRT, the subway, to join a neighborhood where I Logerais.
has to walk a day in this rich city, the kingdom's business in Southeast Asia is the Mall, shopping malls, immense buildings glues together in the business district, and population still very mixed race, ethnic Malays, Chinese and Indian as well as in Malaysia which she belonged before.
Sunday, May 30, 2010, towards the district of huge buildings, empty for Sunday, some images that suggest a New York streets to empty.
I go see the "Merlion, the symbol of Singapore, facing a bay of the artificial face 3 towers that carry a pool .... giant, simply put it. And malls, these malls immense European prices.
visit Sentosa Island. It is fully equipped for Singapore Sunday, and is full of people in the MRT, the station, which is in the basement of a mall, these vast galleries of shops. A casino, that I could not visit because of passport, a huge Merlion, the lion, symbol of Singapore, the movie studios, a zoo and other attractions. The choice of activities here is wide enough for a city, but it remains a city immense. A Singaporean told me that although the government manages its city, but the freedoms that are too narrow, it is almost complete with CCTV, they must march in step, along the line, the group and avoid the slightest deviation.
Monday, May 31, I go for a ride to Little India, a district that bears its name. These are not small Indian streets, but few places have this strong and pleasant smell of curry, and most people that have crossed the Indian blood.
I continue to "Chinatown." Lots of small stalls tourists, the output of the MRT, monorail. I read some news, rather terrible, and for Israel actions of "turf protection".
Photos Singapore
Monday, June 28, 2010, I took the bus and the MRT in Singapore Clock speed of the speed of people who go to work, I go from station to station until the airport is huge, I have to go through to finally arrive at the baggage check, just in time. A small plane takes me in Jakarta ....
photos
