13th November: Night Markets
I was surprisingly un-jetlagged when I got off the plane in KL after a 12 hour flight from London, in fact I was bursting with energy as a direct result of being forced to sit still for so long, so I went straight to the night markets to try some Malaysian food :)
Sugar cane juice is my favourite! The stall holder just hacks one open with a machete and pours the juice out into a cup for you. Delicious!
Signs that made me snigger then hurl. I'd definitely need a LOT of Guinness before eating deep-fried fishheads. You can see their eyes looking at you through the batter >.<
This is called something like longon juice. It looks like a dirty tank full of dead fish but is actually fresh juice with pieces of fruit that you drink out of a bowl with a spoon. Very sweet and well worth trying :)
Seafood snacks, ready to be chargrilled!
14th November: Botanical Gardens and photo shoot
Went on my first big walk this morning to visit the Botanical Gardens and National Monument.
Long-necked turtle checking out my juice
Lots of turtles sunbathing! <3
15th November: Mosque and Museums
Sooo tired this morning but fuelled myself up with coffee and peanut butter to visit the National Museum, followed by the National Mosque and the Islamic Arts Museum. The latter was my favourite- I don't know if I've ever seen so many beautiful crafts in one place before. Every single item was absolutely dense with minute detail, whether it was painted onto paper or ceramics, carved into wood or embroidered onto textiles, and must have taken so long to create. The museum must have contained literally centuries' worth of hours of labour of love. Looking at that paired with the prehistoric people's jewellery and ornamentation in the National Museum, I was struck by humankind's seemingly hardwired and insatiable desire to see beauty and create it all around us, even if we're fighting off sabre tooth tigers, foreign invaders or a short life expectancy with one hand while we do it!
17th century Koran
18th century Chinese ladies' fashion. This outfit would not look out of place in London today!
Beautiful dome in the Islamic Art Museum's roof
Oh yeah, this is what I had to wear to go into the mosque :p The robe made me look pregnant but I would actually wear scarves like this on a daily basis if they weren't so closely identified with being religious. Comfy, versatile and saves doing your hair!
Inside the National Mosque
16th November: Orchids
Got up, had four slices of peanut butter toast for breakfast, went back to bed, slept till lunchtime, then spent the afternoon in Kuala Lumpur's beautiful Orchid Garden. I love orchids <3
I also love exploring new cities on foot, which is fortunate as I must have clocked about 10 miles per day since I arrived in KL!
17th November: photo shoot and National Gallery
After another great photo shoot this morning, I visited my favourite local greasy spoon for lunch, where you can get a huge bowl of the lushest rice or noodles I've ever tasted for the princely sum of £1.20 + 30p for mineral water :)
I walked off my lunch by visiting the City Gallery and the Sze Ya Feng Shui Temple, the oldest Taoist temple in KL, built in 1864. Inside, the mood was pleasantly casual with people hanging out reading newspapers with their shoes on among the shrines and icons :)
I want one of these lampshades!!! I had a good hunt along Petaling Street in Chinatown to no avail, just came away with a new knock-off backpack for hiking some of my luggage around in :p
Now it's time to say goodbye to the guesthouse and jet off to Hong Kong tomorrow morning! Looking forward to my return to KL next month, though :)
