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.

T Minus 13 Hours and Counting

3-July-2010 Well, the day has finally come! This whole experience of planning for this trip is vaguely analogous to climbing a mountain-complete with preparation, physical and emotional toil, and a spectacular goal that initially felt so far away and is now just within reach. In just a few hours we will board a Cathay Pacific plane in San Francisco bound for Kuala Lumpur (KL for short), Malaysia with a brief stop in Hong Kong. The flight, 14.5 hours, non-stop, in economy class (sounds like fun!), will take us across the Pacific and to a land of ancient cultures, diverse tropical forests, and mountain highs. On the afternoon of July 5th we start our exploration of Asia in steamy KL, rich in culture and cuisine. Some folks say that in Malaysia produces (as a result of mixing elements of Malay, Indian and Chinese cooking) some of the most exciting, inventive and unique food in the world. My mouth is already watering. We plan on spending (eating) approximately 3 days in KL before heading north to the Perhentian Islands, jewels in the sea off of Malaysia’s NE coast. To say that preparing for this trip has been stressful would be giving the whole experience short shrift. The combination, of packing, last-minute saving, finishing up our duties at work, packing, making purchases, planning, and moving out of our apartment has been far from relaxing. The reality of leaving our friends, families, and comfortable and relatively-carefree lives in Sacramento has been difficult to handle emotionally. We will definitely miss our friends and families over the next 10 months. Saying goodbye to all of you (a process now weeks in the making) continues to be heartbreaking. Nonetheless, I can envision all of the stress and emotions of the past few months vanishing as the sun sets on the Perhentians, Rachel and I gazing over smooth granite boulders, turquoise water, and pure white sand. Yesterday, we packed our bags, tried them on and walked around the house a bit. They feel good, filled with a variety of things we think we’ll need over the next few months, and surely a few things that will get ditched along the way. We will carry with us not only cameras and clothes, but also the memories of all of you that are close to our hearts. We promise not to ditch our memories. And so, here we sit, ready to embark on this journey. We are ready to follow our dream, and eagerly looking forward to savoring and experiencing more of the world together. Blast off!