Kuala Lumpur, Day 1

6-July-2010 Author: Nick After setting foot on Malaysian soil yesterday afternoon we took a taxi (curiously cheaper and faster than taking the train) to our hostel, located in the central part of the city. After trying to decompress from the day in the air and jet lag we set out to get our first taste of the city.

Before we talk about the first tastes, how about some first impressions. Okay, so it is hot and humid (it is supposed to be these two things), but, surprisingly it is not too bad. I expected worse. Second, KL is really modern, clean, and seems pretty prosperous.

Okay, onto the food. We headed straight to a food court located at the bottom of a mall recommended by the guy at the front desk of the hostel. Food stalls and courts are reputedly very popular with the locals and this place was pretty crowded. Basically, you have your choice of just about any Asian food you can (or can't) imagine. Needless to say, it was hard to choose and our stomachs are going to have to work hard to do the cuisine of KL justice. We both settled on spicy soup/noodle dishes. Mine was a traditional Malaysian chicken laksa with spicy, coconut broth and both known and unknown spices. Rachel's was very similar but without the coconut or chicken. So, so delicious! So spicy! Being full and tired we resisted the urge to try one of the many durian (large spiky fruit with famous smell and taste) flavored deserts and marveled at a donut shop with more variety than imaginable. You are probably thinking, "what more can they do with a donut." My answer to you is think of both sweet and savory, and eastern and western flavors. We will be back to partake. How much did this dinner cost? $4 for the both of us!

After dinner we walked in a jet-lagged haze to the city center to gaze at the massive, twin Petronas Towers, which at over 450 meters tall are two of the tallest buildings in the world. At some point we found ourselves back at the hostel and collapsed.

Today, it is off to explore more of KL, its sights sounds and tastes. Little India and Chinatown here we come.