Untether The Dirigible! : Koala Lumps

There were two goals we had to accomplish in Kuala Lumpur: Get Liz's tooth fixed and make it to the Future Music Festival on March 16th. The hotel we had booked was supposedly very close to public transport and a dentist's office, so it seemed like we would accomplish our goals without breaking a proverbial sweat. (Breaking an actual sweat was of course guaranteed.)

The VIP bus from Penang arrived in the middle of an intense afternoon rainstorm. The aforementioned proximity of our hotel to the bus station suddenly became a drawback as the taxi drivers all refused to take us to the hotel, instead offering route advice that maximized time under the cover of awnings. We were completely drenched by the time we got to Petaling Street. Liz's mood, thoroughly fouled by the rain, suddenly improved when she realized that our hotel was in the middle of a street market.

A little more about the hotel. At first glance it was about as well equipped as anywhere we'd stayed, even including a shower curtain! Then the deodorizer that housekeeping sprayed wore off. And then the internet stopped working (naturally). Five days of mold headaches and $4 coffees at Starbucks while using their wifi and we were really happy to be getting out of there. The street market was pretty fun, though.

Public transit in KL seemed very well laid out if underutilized. For about a dollar, we went 15km out of town with 6 other passengers to the Batu Caves. A slightly busier LRT took us to the Petronas Towers and attached shopping complex. Even the long ride to the airport and concert grounds was less than $5. The most difficult part of the whole process was jamming Ringgits into the machines to get our tokens.

Mission #1 accomplished! The dentist was as well priced as the street market's food. A crown was applied to Liz's tooth for $60, while I enjoyed the waiting room's air conditioning and plastic surgery magazines.

Penang and KL really seemed to move at a different pace than other Asian cities, and I don't think the rough sidewalks and the heat fully explained it. The propensity of people stopping in the middle of a sidewalk for no apparent reason was nothing short of boggling. I started referring to these people as ACORNS (Asian Citizens Obstructing Normal Speed). I guess it could be that the good roads and relatively reasonable driving in Malaysia leaves walking as more of a leisure activity than an actual means of conveyance.

More on Mission #2: Future Music Festival to come soon!

Dave