Kuala Lumpur, nuts and bolts.

150 years ago Kuala Lumpur was just a small village relying on the mining of tin.  Today KL (as it's known by locals and  expats alike) is the national capital of Malaysia and a sprawling metropolis of over 7 million people.  It doesn't have the squeaky clean image of Singapore, nor is it famous for its supposed debauchery like Bangkok, instead the city of muddy rivers is a giant melting pot of Malay, Chinese and Tamil cultures, mixed with a heavy helping of British colonialism.    

Flying in from Singapore (for only $40 one way it just didn't make sense taking a bus.)  I landed in KLs 20 year old KLI airport and took a Star Shuttle bus (10 Malaysian Ringet or RM for short) to the Puda Raya neighborhood in the Golden Triangle, where I had chosen to stay at KL dorms 2, a recently opened hostel that was getting great reviews on a number of booking sights.   My bed cost me 28 RM a night or about $7.  My daily budget in Malaysia was going to be $40 a day or about 160 RM.  So far so good.


                        Like any big city there are a lot of things to see and do  in KL,  and honestly the biggest disadvantage of the city is the fact that everything is so spread out, which means a lot of walking or waiting for public transportation, or splurging on taxis, a definite no-no on my budget.  Luckily I like to walk and in Kuala Lumpur that came in handy (as did having google maps on my phone). 

Here's just some of my favorite budget friendly things to do in Kuala Lumpur.  


KL Tower:  The seventh largest telecommunications tower in the world and the second largest building in Malaysia after the world famous Petronas twin towers, is widely regarded as having the best view of the city skyline, yes even better than the twins and at  a higher viewpoint.  With a 360 degree view it comes with a price tag of RM 52  witch is over RM30 cheaper than the twin towers. 

                              View of the KL Tower at night from the roof of KL Dorms 2. 

Islamic Arts Museum:   The largest museum of its kind in SE Asia, it sends you on a trip through the history of Islam especially as it pertains to SE Asia and Malaysia in particular. When visiting Kuala Lumpur it's an absolute must, and with tickets only costing RM 14 its a downright steal.  My favorite part was the  models of mosques from around the world.  You can take a virtual tour at the museum web sight here.  www.iamm.org.my

Jalan Alor:  In my view the best part about staying in the Golden triangle is pigging out on all the street food in this area from probally the worlds greatest Nasi lemak to roast duck head (yes try the duck head!)  When it comes to food, whatever you desire you'll find it here, and you'll find it cheap!   

Central Market:  Whether you want to "shop till you drop" or just enjoy strolling along and watching others do likewise this is the best place to  go.  Forget the sterile modern shopping malls that dot the city and head straight here for an authentic Malaysian shopping experience.   





        

The goat slaughter, turning 40 in Kuala Lumpor.

In one quick slice the goats head tumbled to the floor with a spray of blood, and a thump.  Its body hit the ground with death still dancing its macabre jig through nerve and muscle tissue.  I watched as one of the Hindu priest's helpers picked up the head and carried it to the idol of Shiva placing it in offering.
           I looked at the corner my companion and I had left our shoes, it now had a red river of blood spilling towards it.  I looked at the second goat being bought forth. I looked at my wide eyed companion Filbo.
                    I had just wanted a nice relaxing night back at the hostel to recover from my birthday party/pub crawl the night before.  Instead Filbo talked me into going out exploring with him.  So here I was watching three goats lose their heads in a hurricane of music, dance and free pasta. I had only met him the night before, but all of this was Filbo's fault. 


I had arrived in Kuala Lumpur or KL for short in the afternoon of April 26th.  I took a cab to my intended hostel  KL dorms 2.  It was a relatively new hostel that had been getting good reviews on  hostelworld.com my go to for finding good hostels.  Upon check in I discovered they sponsored a pub crawl a couple nights a week the next one was on Thursday April 27th, my fortieth birthday.  Right away I knew I was going! 

                                            Filbo is the blurry one with the beard



The one thing you have to know about Malaysia is that it is a predominately Muslim country, a mostly tolerant and secular country, but a Muslim country.  Devout Muslims do not drink alcohol, but KL being like any other major city in the world is packed full of bars and nightclubs however the alcohol is expensive by Malaysian standards, in fact cost wise its on par with most American cities outside of LA and NYC.  Which meant I was going over budget, but if there is one day to go over budget its your 40th birthday.       

                   9pm was the appointed time, it came and went and the group of Englishmen, me and this quiet German guy were still waiting, finally a rather disgruntled hostel worker came out and led us down the road to another hostel were he dropped us into their care where we ended up waiting yet again.  That's when the real conversation started and I was first introduced to Filbo Frensch. 

A young 23 year old bearded (all the best guys have beards) bicyclist from Cologne, Filbo was on a far greater adventure than the one I had just started.  All ready on the road for 14 months Filbo had been riding his bicycle across Europe and Asia venturing through exciting countries like Iran and Myanmar.  He was making a pit stop in KL before heading on to Indonesia and eventually Australia. 

                       Together we followed the crawl as it wound its drunken way through the neighborhood.  Sure there were other interesting people and the conversation flowed even more than the expensive alcohol.  But it seemed like we kept gravitating towards each other on that fun blurry night.  Which is probably why it was so easy for Filbo to talk me into going out with him the following night when all I really wanted to do was veg out in front of the hostel Netflix. (YES THEY HAVE NETFLIX!)   

We started just randomly walking one way looking for an interesting place to eat.  After a bit of wandering we started hearing this weird but interesting music, Filbo got on it like a bloodhound and wouldn't let go until he found his fox.  He eventually located a partially hidden staircase and against my better judgement I followed him up the steps to the music up top.  What we came across was a religious festival, although interesting I wasn't comfortable with crashing or offending anyone else's communion with the gods.  

I was about to tell Filbo that maybe we should go, when we were invited in.  After removing our shoes the both of us were led over to a picnic table and given a big plate of pasta and a coffee.  To my eternal shame I can't remember any names as I failed to write them down.  What I do remember is a discussion one member had with us about religion. 

He said holding his hands out palms up "Muslims pray like this, and Christians pray like this"  crossing himself.  "Buddhist's pray like this." Putting his palms together fingertips up.  "We pray like this." Interlocking his fingers.  "We all pray, we just pray differently, but we all pray."    

After our meal we were led back to the music, dance and goat slaughter.  The next two goats went the same as the first, except, (and I admit my eyes could have been deceiving me) after decapitation the last goat winked at me. Almost as if it was trying to say "Welcome to Malaysia, welcome to forty."  

to follow Filbo's awesome adventure visit Filbo's blog! 

Nuts and Bolts I Singapore

        



               A city, a country, an island, a lion of Asia, This is Singapore.   In my last post I put forth some ideas of things to do in Singapore on a tight budget and still enjoy your time in the city.  Today I plan on getting into greater detail in regards to my specific budget, accommodation, and meals.  Basically how I had a great time in Singapore and STILL stayed on budget.        

Speaking of budgets, my realistic budget for my over seven month trip through Asia and Europe is $50 a day when converted to Singapore that's about S$70.  Since I was staying in Singapore for 6 days, that gave me a total budget of S$420.

    When most people arrive in Singapore the do so by plane at Singapore Changi Airport. The good news is the airport is connected to the city by Singapore's fantastic subway station.  The bad news is it usually doesn't start operating until 6 am so if you have a late arrival you could be stuck at the airport for a few hours OR you can pay more for a shuttle bus to whatever part of the city your staying in OR you can shell out big time for a taxi which will put a big crimp on your budget.    I waited for the subway.  

               Now to ride the subway you're going to have to buy an MRT pass which you can purchase at the airport for as little as Singapore (S)$12 S$5 for the card itself and S$7 worth of MRT or bus rides which is easily topped up at most MRT stations.  Once you get your card it's pretty easy to figure out how to use it.   

So you got the subway thing down, now you have to find a place to sleep, on this tight budget you're not gonna be staying in a four star hotel.  In Singapore hostels are going to be  your only real option.  Fortunately Singapore has a lot to choose from.  A simple google map search will show you just how many choices you have, better yet do what I do and use Hostel World.  If not for booking (which kind of defeats the purpose of on a whim budget travel) at least for researching different hostels and reading reviews of people who have actually stayed in those hostels, so you can make a more informed decision for yourself.  

                   I stayed in the Little India neighborhood at the INNCROWD hostel for about S$18 a night.  The things I liked were the free breakfast and the excellent location.  What I didn't like, was being stuck on the third floor when the closest bathroom was on the second.  the showers always had hot water, unfortunately the air conditioning was almost a non factor.  Overall next time I think I'd try to find a different place in the same area just because Singapore has so many choices and use the INNCROWD as a backup. 


So now you have a cheap easy way to get around the city, and you have a place to sleep at night, but what are you going to eat?  No matter where I go, I do one of two things to feed myself on a budget.  I go to the local grocery and 'cook' for myself or I eat where the locals eat.  Avoid the familiar fast food places, because they're going to taste just as bad as they do back home, only for a much higher price.  Also avoid the places near major sites, they might give you a  great local taste, but its gonna be at rip off prices.  Eat where the local workers eat for lunch or when they're off work.  With my free breakfast I spent about S$20 a day on meals and became a regular at a GREAT 24 hour Indian place right around the corner from the INNCROWD.  For  less than S$ 8 I had the greatest chicken biryani I've ever had and the roti was pretty good as well. 

So with food, shelter, and transportation paid for (I had to top up my MRT card twice at S$10 a pop) I still had S$28 a day for activities, snacks, alcohol and postcards.   Not too bad right?   

BUDGET BUSTERS!!!!!!!!  

      Two things that will absolutely kill your budget in Singapore S$12 beers at the pub and Sentosa Island!
If your on a budget in Singapore but absolutely need a beer, don't go to the pub.  Go to 711 and buy a cheap can or two of beer Chang take it back to your hostel and drink it there, hell share the other one with a hostel mate, that's a great way to meet new friends and still stay on budget!  

Sentosa island, what can I say?  Yeah I got some cool pictures there, but the place is one giant overly commercialized rip off machine.  I still feel like an idiot for shelling out S$32 for  a roundtrip cable car ride.  The view was cool but definitely not worth S$32.  The  free "nature" hikes might go through woods, but your head will soon be pounding because of the annoying whine of the cable cars above you.  If you must go to Sentosa walk!  The boardwalk connecting the island to Singapore proper is  probably the best part of Sentosa.     

Even with the cable car set back and the expensive pub visit I still only managed to spend S$403 in my six days in the city/state leaving me at plus S$17 for the beginning of my long journey.  But now I was going into Malaysia with a different currency (the Malaysian Ringgit or MR for short) and a different budget to live on.     

4 free, but awesome things to do in Singapore!

                                           Anyone feel like they're in the movie Avatar yet?   

Singapore is famous the world over for the strictness of its laws.  It's also slightly well less known as being one of the most expensive cities in ALL of Asia.   In my opinion both are greatly exaggerated.  It's a safe city, its a fun city, and no its not the cheapest city, but with so many fun, interesting, and most importantly FREE things to see and do.  Singapore can be  budget traveler friendly.  So here's my four favorite free things to do in the  lion city! 



1.    GARDENS BY THE BAY LIGHTSHOW (pic above)


This is the DO NOT MISS event when visiting Singapore!  Held every night at 7:45 and 8;45pm, its basically a light show set to music, with the solar powered lights of the giant man made supergrove trees providing the show.  It's cliché to say you have to see it to believe it, but  it was the highlight of my Singapore experience Word of warning if you want to watch  it from the skywalk it will cost you S$5.00,  but seeing it from the ground is just as amazing!     

2.  SINGAPORE BOTANICAL GARDENS   

 158 years old the Singapore botanical gardens are a UNESCO world heritage sight and the only tropical gardens to be named as such.  Spread out over 182 acres amongst three lakes, anyone could spend a full day wandering its different gardens (my pick of the bunch is the rain forest)  Garden lovers could  spend two days or more.  The flora is excellent, and the fauna can be quite surprising too!  

3.  SINGAPORE CHINATOWN 

When I travel to a new country or city (or in this case both)  I like to stroll through different neighborhoods and really get a feel for the daily lives of the people who live there.  Unfortunately most of Singapore's residential areas are just soulless apartment high rise after soulless apartment high rise.  However there are some exceptions. One of them is China town.  Thanks to British colonialism the de facto language (at least the one taught in school) is English, but the Chinese are by far the largest ethnic group in the country, which means you'll hear Mandarin being spoken everywhere, especially in Chinatown.    
         Here its not just the language that's Chinese, its, the store fronts, medicine shops, temples, and food hawkers.  IF you close your eyes and just take in the sounds and smells, you can almost imagine what Singapore was like back in the day, back when it was a seedy seaport, full of vice and character.

4.  SINGAPORE LITTLE INDIA 

One of Singapore's minority ethnic groups, the Tamils of India have left a giant mark on the country as well.  Instead of the Chinese temples and medicine shops, here in Little India you find the vibrant flowers and colorful idols of Hindu temples.  Mix with that elaborate mosques and the five times a day call to prayer of little India's local Muslims, and its almost like you're in a different country, instead of just a different  neighborhood.  Walk among the hawkers selling everything from flip-flops to durian fruit (try not to gag on the smell) from incense to bootleg Justin Bieber CDs.  Visit the temples and the mosques (but be respectful) and talk to the locals, learn about them.  Let them tell you about Singapore, let them tell you about life.   Because you know some of the best things in life are free. 

All apoligies from the George R.R. Martin of travel blogging.

First of all I'd like to say I'm sorry.  From  my own bone headedness in forgetting a power adapter to not having any wireless connection on Tioman, to my own writer's block, and mainly to outright procrastination,  a month into this journey and I'm finally making  my first blog post. 

I had originally hoped to blog at least once every four days which means I'm 7 posts behind.  Over the next two days I WILL be catching up!  (By  the way this one doesn't count.)  So again I'm sorry, and thanks for the patience!  Now on to the good stuff.  

Travel, useless stuff, and selling your underwear on ebay.

Well less than a week until I hit the road, and still a lot of work to do.  You never realize how much useless junk you have until you want to get rid of it. 
       
        Honestly I never realized how much of a clothes guy I was,   I love my hoodies (and they come in handy here in Portland)  but over 20 of them?  I do have a lot of jeans too, but most of them are ripped and torn beyond use and honestly should have been tossed a long time ago. I have T-shirts that have shrunk so much they don't fit anymore, about four pairs of shorts missing buttons.  and the socks, MY GOD over a hundred pair! 
         When it comes to socks I have this theory that when clean socks are needed they magically disappear, but when you're trying to shrink all your junk down so you can fit it in your friends garage without taking up too much space, they all reappear, and laugh manically at you for wondering where they all were when they were needed. 
   
           Of coarse there's underwear too.  But I hear there's a market for used underwear on ebay or some other sites.   Why anyone would want the dirty boxers  of a forty year old man is beyond me.  But to each their own, we all have our kinks and I need the money!  OK maybe not that bad, but its always nice to have options!   

I also have some stuff that's rather easy to get rid of.  Chief among them books!  Portland loves books!  We have little sharing library trees all across the city!  I've almost completely filled the two closest, and will now be branching out to get rid of the remaining hundred or so books I still have! 

DVDs and CDs, easy they temporarily go in my friends collection.  The hardest stuff, the sentimental, yet essentially worthless keepsakes.  Show programs, old tickets to Timber matches, etc., etc., etc....... 

               The biggest mistake I make when I come back from the road, is I start collecting stuff, which is the antithesis of long term travel to begin with.  Life should be about the experience, the memories and the people.  That's what travel is all about, my flight leaves in five days, and if I wanna be on it I got a lot of work to do, getting rid of stuff.