Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – a mix of developed and less developed world accompanied with expensive alcohol (or don’t get drunk there!)

Kuala Lumpur – don’t get illusions, you are in a Muslim world, don’t play stupid and consider the rules.

Arriving in Kuala Lumpur is interesting because notes are following you that your temperature will be taken and that you’ll pass a termoscan (plus you are given notes about the swine flu and what to do). After that many of the women ware hijabs and you can see only their eyes. And in addition, you can “enjoy” squat toilets.

The road from the airport to the city shows you that Kuala Lumpur is richer than Bangkok (which is not a surprise considering that KL and Singapore are supposed to be the 2 leading cities in the region). Although, while you feel at home in Singapore, you feel weird in Kuala Lumpur (particularly when you are a woman). The hotel we checked-in was the first luxury accommodation (according to hotel classifications) and enjoyed Renaissance next to the Petronas Towers.

Logically, the first step was to go and check the Petronas Towers followed by the Kuala Lumpur Tower (nothing special compared to the rest of the towers I have visited). The walk and sightseeing in the city continued with Chinatown, Little India, mosques, and temples. It appeared that you cannot enter some of the mosques if you are not Muslim, but what can you do.

The Batu Caves were visited too.. in a steamy hot, HOT day. The funny moment there was that a monkey pretty much jumped on a friend trying to eat the flower necklaces we bought in front of the temples. So be careful!

Let’s mention the triangle… well, go there and you’ll forget that you are in Muslim Malaysia - everything is like North America/ Europe and if feels familiar and close.

There was one striking characteristic of Kuala Lupmur that should not be omitted and it is the alcohol and its price – striking! It can be compare to Sweden I guess. The Hard Rock cafe and its Margarita absolutely threw me away – I was dying to have a margarita one of the nights so when we entered the Hard Rock and decided to wait and listen the group, I thought that enjoying a Margarita would be a great thing to do.. Well, I didn’t – it cost like $20 and hell, I didn’t think that it is that worthy (especially considering the other drinks that were available).

On the second morning, we took the next taxi and headed to the airport and the long waited Bali.