Days 59-61: Malaysia

Batu Caves

           In Malaysia I was able to connect with a family member of a friend whose was currently living in Kuala Lumpur with his wife and kids.  They graciously offered to host me during my stay and show me some of the sites.  After the incredibly draining experience I had in Thailand, this was a welcome break.  As much as I have enjoy couchsurfing, there’s a nice comfort in staying with someone who someone you know can vouch for. 

Canopy Walk

           Jake and Teresa picked up from the train station, and took me to Batu Caves, a cave in this cliffside with a giant Hindu sculpture.  It was a relic from the days when Mayalsia used to be a Hindu country.

           Next we went to a rainforest preserve.  After a hike through the rainforest, we did a canopy walk through the trees.

           Jake offered to take me downtown to show me some more sights, but I was so exhausted I told them I was ready to go back with them.  We went for a swim in their pool and then I rest for a while and tried to figure out my travel plans in India.

Petronas Towers

Doctor Fish

           The next day I went downtown with Jake and he showed me the Petronas Towers and a couple of other sights around town.  We went through this mall and inside they tanks of fish that you can stick your feet into and the fish will suck off your dead skin.  They were called "doctor fish."  I had seen these in Cambodia, but didn't have a chance to try them, but this time we did.  It was a really strange experience  as all the fish swarm to your feet and start sucking.  It tickled a lot, and I could barely keep my feet in.  But after a while, I got used to it and it started to feel good.

The State of My Shoes

           My shoes had started disintegrating through this trip, and by Thailand they had been held together mostly by postage tape, superglue, a apple juice carton, and some wishful thinking.  While we were downtown, Jake took me to the China town market and we tried to find a decent pair of shoes for a reasonable price that would actually fit me.  It took several tries until we found one, it they weren’t really all that cheap, but it was a welcome relief to have shoes that weren’t one misstep from falling apart.

           On the last ride to the train station in Thailand, I started to have a sharp pain in my neck.  By this time in Malaysia, it was almost unbearable.  I ended up relaxing the next day because of this, and trying to recover a bit.

           Thanks to Jake and Teresa, I was able to catch up on sleep, recover and reorganize and get ready for the next step of my trip: Singapore, my last stop in East Asia.

Jake and Teresa's family and me.