A Walk About With Larry

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first full day in KL

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First photo’s in Kuala Lumpur!  This is from the LRT station, a 3 minute walk to my hostel!  Lovely location, nice people, great roof top area for relaxing, writing, reading.  And a new restaurant will be open when I return!

Wandering this morning on my first full day here!  Intentionally headed off walking in a new direction and had lovely discoveries already!  Now sitting in a coffee shop talking with a couple from Australia traveling for a month with a 1 1/2 year old!  

It is SOOO nice to be traveling again.  There is a significant shift between “home” life and travel life! The travel transiton is surreal!  Plan, plan some more, juggle details, pack light, reorganize and then….on the shuttle…in the airplane and suddenly, I’m IN the experience.  Not planning or thinking…smack in the middle of the experience!  And all the skills and mindset of travel comes back quickly!

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LRT Ticket Statoin KL

Multiple times here, but, with fresh eyes this time!

I’ve been here about six or seven times?  Each time, I’ve stayed in the same general area.  Good News:  I know where some of my favorite restaurants are, how to get on the LRT to travel around Kuala Lumpur, where the bus station is, I’m quite familiar with the Chinese Medical Clinic and so forth.  Bad News:  it is easy to get stuck with the familiar!  

BALANCE!  This visit, I’m intending to discover new places.  While savoring the familiar, I’ll explore the new.  Last night, walking back to the hostel, I saw an Indian restaurant that looked good.  A new one.  I stopped in and was the only tourist there.  The staff was great helping me decide what to order and the food was excellent!  Really, just have a look below!!

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Choose purposefully!

Last night, I went in search of a sim card for my phone.  The local shop was not so helpful so I got on the LRT and went to the shopping center near KL Sentral station.  I found the office for Digi.  They installed the card, set up my phone, and when they were unable to get it working properly, directed me to the Apple Store!  They found the conflict and fixed it.  Then I found a great coffee shop and had a great dark hot chocolate!  My purpose…engage myself so I could stay awake until time to go to bed.  I’d been up and moving for close to 48 hours.  I slept great and got a full 10 hours in to wake feeling refreshed.  Adjusting to the time change has gone very smoothly!

This morning, after breakfast at a favorite Indian restaurant, I went strolling in a new direction.  I had one plan when I left the hostel…breakfast.  Beyond that, I had no plan or ideas for the day.  Well, one general plan….take it easy, let my body recover!  Get some rest!

My breakfast and restaurant photo’s are below.  You can see steam rising from the pot in one of the photo’s.  Great food and such friendly people!

Wandering....

After breakfast, I left the restaurant and turned right.  Going….somewhere??  I continued to walk slowly exploring.  Slowly.  Looking and seeing what was around me.  Through the covered shopping mall, I saw an interesting area across the street.  Which turned into another interesting looking area.  And then, I found myself on the edge of the river on the path for the “River of Life”.  I had heard of it but didn’t know where it was?  And now I was HERE!  So I strolled gently along.  And saw the views.  And came upone a food truck park.  And passed the oldest mosque in Kuala Lumpur.  And talked with people.  And….the experience flowed.  Met two couples from Canada traveling with small children.  Met two women taking photo’s along the river and have a great conversation.  And I love that flowing feeling of being in the right place at the right time and being immersed in the experience.  It’s so energizing and refreshing for me!  Here are some of the things I saw!

And this is just the first few hours walking!

30 food trucks!
Food trucks
Relaxing monitor lizard
Amazing mural!
Mist on the river.
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Many other shops have sale signs in their window.  Not a lot of tourist now but its improving. 

More Magic!

Listening!  Reaponding!  Tired and heading to the ticket counter, I noticed a visitor center in the KL Sentral station that hadn’t been there before?  Feeling the urge, I walked in to ask some questions.  When I told the woman I was going to be in Sabah, Borneo, she was excited for the experience I was about to have!  And she recommended something unusual?  I have read about the islands off Sabah and have visited one well known area.  She recommended I fly back here and go to the East coast of Malaysia to the islands there.  The water is crystal clear!  The sea life is amazing.  And it is much cheaper here.  There is an opportunity of staying in local homestays so I can experience local life.  I’ve never been here before when weather was cooperative.  During rainy season, the weather on the East coast is so bad, everything closes!  Now, it’s open and between seasons.  Now, I’m planning to do that and am looking into options for getting there.  She offered to help if I have more questions which I clearly do!  Once again with minimal plans and lots of flexibility, opportunities are showing up for me!  

Looks horrible doesn’t it!  

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From Achilli Family photo's on Flickr

Travel day...after relaxing for five days!

In a few days, I’ll fly to Northern Borneo to the town of Sandakan.  First, I’m giving my body plenty of time to rest and adapt.  I’ll have another acupuncture session, east good food, walk, read, write and then repack for the jungle experience.

This too is surreal!  The first time here I knew very little about Sabah, the northern state of Malaysian Borneo.  I traveled through there for 3 weeks.  And in that experience, learned about many other options.  Now, seemingly suddenly, 13 years have passed and here I am…jumping into the middle of those experiences I’ve dreamt about having!

First and foremost, I’m excited about sitting in the jungle and feeling the energy of the place.  Silence!  Noise!  Heat and humidity!  Sound of insects!  Calling of the birds!  Watching the sky fill with flying foxes at sunset!  

Then, I’m eager to see wildlife that is native there.  Hopefully, I’ll get to see pygmy elephants this time!  And I hope to see the tarsier.  And beyond that, I’m anticipating the pleasure of watching monkeys and orangutan moving through the trees!  

Yes…I’m feeling very blessed to be here!  

Happy to have you along! If you have any questions, please ask!

1 thought on “first full day in KL”

  1. Mary Jo Prochazka

    how lovely! Your enthusiasm and joy in travel are in every word and photo you share. So happy for you!

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