Tag 40 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (20.02.2020)

After our stay in Langkawi, we spent one more night in Butterworth. The view from our apartment on the 30th floor was truly amazing. (The pool on the rooftop on the 40th floor was great too :))

The next day, we took the train to Kuala Lumpur to explore the capital city of Malaysia for a few days as the conclusion of our trip.

Other than hearing the name before, we didn't have a real idea of the city beforehand.

We were really impressed with the size and modernity of the city:

• Shopping malls where roller coasters even run and their size is more reminiscent of New York, a really affordable & well-developed public transportation network, modern high-rises and skyscrapers (such as the famous Petronas Twin Towers), and construction sites all around showing how much the city is growing.

Of course, sightseeing was also a must. Therefore, we decided to visit the Batu Caves. The limestone caves are home to numerous Hindu temples. However, to enter them, you have to climb 272 steep stairs.

Unfortunately, we also saw once again that many tourists pollute the beautiful place by simply throwing their trash anywhere. The trash is then searched by monkeys for edible remains. The monkeys are not afraid to snatch water bottles or chip bags from some visitors' hands.

Otherwise, we mainly took care of everyday backpacking tasks:

Grocery shopping, finding the nearest coin laundry & doing laundry, or buying tickets for the next journey.

However, the biggest challenge for us was getting hand sanitizer. We already had trouble finding a face mask anywhere in Thailand. After checking at least 6 pharmacies in Malaysia, we finally found one here in Kuala Lumpur. The pharmacist explained to us that due to the coronavirus, the market is practically empty, there are hardly any restocks, and people already queue up in the morning to hoard disinfectants and face masks.

We don't let the whole situation make us too crazy, but we pay extra attention to hygiene in public areas such as the metro or train stations.

After 15 days in Malaysia, we will take a 6-hour bus ride to Singapore tomorrow. We will spend about 3 days there before a real adventure awaits us in Indonesia!

Stay tuned!

Bianca & Michael