Yesterday we returned to Kuala Lumpur. It was a relief to get back after our trip to Phuket in Thailand which can only be categorised as an abject failure! To say we didn’t like Phuket would be an understatement! The first day there as I’ve already covered in my previous blog, we got the hotel shuttle into the main town of Patong. Didn’t like it one little bit! Back at the hotel we struggled to see what we might do for the following couple of days. We were nowhere near a beach, the nearest one being a not terribly pleasant walk along a busy main road of at least 2.5 kilometres. Once you get there it’s not the nicest of beaches and without at least having towels there was no way we would go in the sea either and with the brutal heat you definitely need to cool down somehow. Consequently our second full day was spent in and around the hotel pool which is something I never thought we would do. In fairness it was quite pleasant as we had the place pretty much to ourselves for most of the day. Unfortunately, even though it was overcast a lot of the time and we spent lots of time in the pool and under the umbrella, we both burnt more than I expected so now three or four days later I’m shedding my skin like some kind of geriatric snake!
Our last two days were spent in our room or on the balcony as, even though we have been in Kuala Lumpur for so long we just couldn’t cope with the heat. So, nothing really interesting to write about and quite frankly it’s a trip I’d rather consign to history and forget about. The only saving grace was a restaurant which we visited twice including on our last night. This was called Baan Rim Pa Kalim. I have no idea what any of that means but I’m glad to report that this place was a glorious oasis in a desert of mediocrity! Unlike the other places we had eaten, where, to be fair, the people were nice but the facilities were slightly ramshackle, this restaurant was simply magnificent. It wasn’t particularly cheap and we declined the wine list where the cheapest bottle started at almost £60, but the service was excellent and the food was exquisite!
To add further insult to injury, on the day we checked out we had to wait until 9.40 pm for our flight. The logic behind this decision was that we should have been having such a great time that we wouldn’t mind an extra few hours to eke out the last crumbs of pleasure from this location. However the reality was, we killed three hours sitting in the hotel reception before getting a taxi to the airport to kill another three or four before it was near time for the flight. Oh, and did I mention, the whole time we were busily killing time, it was pissing down with rain! So, not sorry to leave and I don’t foresee us returning anytime soon. This has to be one of my shortest blogs yet and I apologise if it sounds like one big whinge.
The above image was taken at one of the bars at the hotel. At first I though it was a leaf that had blown onto the railing but as I moved closer he turned his head toward me in a weirdly slow robotic movement which I have to say I found most disconcerting. Thankfully there was a four feet wide water feature between him and me although I have no idea whether or not they can fly. As we sat drinking our hideously expensive beers, he slowly moved along the railing with a silly walk that John Cleese would have been proud of! This was one of the more interesting moments of our trip as I don’t think I’d ever seen a Praying Mantis before.
So that’s it from Phuket in Thailand. Not my most interesting blog I suspect, As I’m writing, we have been back in Kuala Lumpur for a couple of days without leaving the apartment. The reason for this is the horrendous haze which seems to have settled on the city during the time we were away. Apparently this is caused by forest fires in Indonesia. Visibility is severely restricted and we can’t see the mountains in the distance which are usually the more attractive element of the view from Dan’s apartment. According to the news, air pollution is currently way above a level considered to be healthy. Consequently, Lynne and I have opted to stay put for now. Next week we will fly back to the UK and normality whatever that is. I wish I could say I was looking forward to returning home but alas, I’m afraid after just three months, Kuala Lumpur now feels more like home to me than home, if that makes any sense at all!
Wandering Wildman 