Umpa Lumpas in Kuala Lumpur

Merry Nikolaus Day!

We are currently sitting in our hostel in Singapore and have already eaten a few pieces of gingerbread - yes, fortunately you can buy it here too.

From Krabi, we embarked on the journey to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia (short KL). After a 22-hour bus ride, we arrived at the bus station early in the morning. Exhausted from the journey, we took the tram to the area of our hostel and inquired about the correct building. At first, we thought that the references to a high-rise were a mistake until we realized that our hostel was actually located on the 25th floor in the middle of the city (including breakfast, pool, and skyline view for €7.50 per night).

Thanks to our central location, we were able to reach all the sights by foot: the places of worship of various religions, the botanical garden with a bird park, the Independence Square of Malaysia (Merdeka Square), the Petronas Towers that define the skyline, and not to forget numerous department stores. As KL is quite multicultural, we were able to taste dishes from different nations, from Taiwan to India. However, we also couldn't resist indulging in American fast food.

We reached the third capital on our trip after another bus ride and some complications at the immigration office (e.g. outdated passport photos). Singapore impressed us from the beginning with its skyline, clean streets, and Western influences. Thus, it presented a strong contrast to Bangkok. On a two-day hop-on-hop-off bus tour, we were able to admire the metropolis from numerous angles and have all our questions answered by an audio guide (the strict legal system, the high cost of living, the unique infrastructure). Once again, we found peace in the botanical garden (one of the only two rainforests within a city worldwide), and we cooled off in the department stores along the six-kilometer long Orchard Road (successful bargain hunting in the most expensive city in the world requires hours of calculation and a lot of patience from the cashiers). We watched the sunset followed by a light show on the waterfront with a view of the skyline.

Since the weather in Thailand is currently very rainy, we will probably have to spend a few more nights here ;)

Hoping that your shoes were more full this morning than ours,

Mara, Konrad, and David!