Kuala Lumpur

Lynds gets arty at Petronas Towers
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After running away from Cambodia like a couple of scalded cats we ended up in Kuala Lumpur, and as always Lynds had booked us into a posh hotel for the first night.  We were staying over the road from the Petronas Towers and soon went off to have a look.  They're enormous and the grounds are very well tended and if it was a little cooler I can imagine a lunch break here would be very pleasant.  As it was, Lynds and I soon found ourselves melting, diving from air-conditioned shop to shop looking like we'd just been for a strenuous run.

Feeding Tiny
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We headed to China-town in search of some cheap accomodation and were surprised to see how what can be considered an option in hostelry.  We had already encountered that hot water was definately not a given, but were yet to find out that a window was a luxury we could ill afford.  The first place we looked at resembled a concrete cell, but the second place at least had a carpet.  So we settled in to our cave and booked a driver to take us two hours east into the heart of the rainforest, to see the largest elephant sanctuary in the world.

A window was a luxury we could ill afford

Tarzan has a new wardrobe
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The sanctuary helps to move elephants that have got shirty about losing their jungle to palm oil plantations.  Occasionally they find orphaned elephants, that are unable to survive by themselves in the jungle.  They come to the sanctuary which is like a drop-in centre for these beasts.  They come back for their meals and a wash and then trundle off into the jungle for an afternoon of debauchery.  We watched them being washed, for which they are chained so they don't go wandering off.  But they don't seem to mind as they walk up by themselves, know where to stand and readily lift their feet to receive a chain.  After wash time me and Lynds were allowed to feed them, putting our little hands in their enormous mouths (and getting covered in elephant spit).  Then we took a little ride on the largest one.  Now these things are so wide that when you straddle them you get as close as you ever will to doing the splits.  And it ain't comfy I can tell you.  I was asked if I'd like to ride him into a nearby river which I readily accepted (who wouldn't wanna be Tarzan for a day??).    He trudged me into the water and when one of the keepers slapped his hand on the water, the elephant dropped sideways into the river, taking me with him.  Now thoroughly soaked I was thrown a scrubbing brush and Lynds waded in to the river as well to give Nelly his back scrub, while he took great pleasure in squirting us.  All in all it was a good day.

Batu caves
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On our way back we stopped at a large Hindu place of worship called Batu cave (think albert hall) at the top of a very large set of stairs.  Up we trotted while Lynds squealed a bit as the monkeys who surround the place passed by.  We saw a couple who had a baby have a bag nicked by these evil monkeys, and when the guy tried to retrieve it the monkeys stood their ground and started bearing their teeth.  So we ascended just a bit quicker.  After a quick look round we went to leave and were caught in a tropical storm.  And when it rains, it really does pour, so by the time we got to the bottom even with a brollie (thanks again mum) we were soaked.  But I think it at least made the drivers day.

He had skin like a brillo pad
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All in all Kuala Lumpur is a very diverse western type city, with Indians, Chinese, Malaysians and Europeans all getting along fine. Aside from the markets and the towers though, it didn't stand out as a city among the others we have seen.  So we got a bus ticket to Singapore and headed off.