There was always a chance that this holiday would see me curled in the foetal position rocking and mumbling, unable to function, alone. Having arrived on the verge of exhaustion to do some hard travelling, even the slightest setback could have had a disastrous effect given my already fragile state. There were hiccups, snorts, and of course the Qantas debacle (who aren’t answering my emails, by the way), but luckily no major explosion knocked my confidence.

Solo travelling isn’t all smooth sailing though, ridiculous taxi fares (it costs 42RM to get from Penang airport in to Georgetown - by comparison my bus ticket from Penang to KL cost 36RM), food tasting options are limited to only the amount you can eat and it does get lonely. I mean, you do meet a cubic megatonne of people, but at some point you go your own way to a new town and start all over again. Which is one of the reasons I jumped at Hong Ching’s offer to meet up when I got to Kuala Lumpur.

Putra Mosque, Putrajaya

A KL resident I met at Mulu National Park, Hong Ching plays tour guide on a grey and drizzly day. How novel to be driven around and not have to worry about getting lost, being ripped off or how I’m going to get home. Plus having company and conversation was a lovely change (see how much we ate for lunch). First stop, lunch (expansive). Second stop, Putrajaya. Third stop, Batu Caves. Fourth stop, best sate ever.

Putrajaya is the planned administrative capital of Malaysia. On a Sunday afternoon it was deserted but for the tourists busses, the occupants of which seemed as smitten by the mosque as I was. An Australian lady I met later said that Malay couples come out here at night for picnics and to court in public. Interesting. I just saw sparkling new buildings and empty boulevards, all spotlessly clean. Out next stop couldn’t have been more different.

Putra Mosque, Putrajaya

Batu Caves is busy and noisy, packed with people, monkeys, chickens and cats. Grubby and used, such a contrast to pristine Putrajaya, and a tourist attraction I had never visited. The huge gold statue of Murugan, the main reason to visit in my opinion, is magnificent in detail and size, imposing. At this point I was feeling very lucky, a lovely afternoon, great company and the opportunity to get out of the city and visit somewhere I wouldn’t have otherwise (thanks Hong Ching!).

To top off an already grand day Hong Ching suggests we have a drink before heading back to town. This mythical drink turns into the Best Sate Ever which deserves its own post, soon.

A spot of site seeing, delicious treats and a new friend, hello KL, I think I might like you.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 10:34 pm and is filed under KL, Malaysia.