Selamat Datang ke Malaysia

Remaining fragments of light, my last night in the Philippines.

I leave the Philippines with a smile, and an open heart. I am thankful for my simple time spent there, and lucky to have escaped the approaching Typhoon! ...It was a close one... I really enjoyed my experiences not seeing any tourist for an entire week! Needless to say, it was strange seeing fellow travelers again upon reaching Malaysia.

Rambutan at Chinatown Market.

Kuala Lumpur. Quickly becoming the city where I rarely sleep. Returning again to Chinatown, the backpackers district, I am reminded of the vibrancy I love about this city. A cultural melting pot & paradise...There are people from EVERY walk of life. Malays, Chinese, Indian, Persian, African - & that barely begins to scratch the surface. My hunger for stimulation of the senses is satiated here. & with this colour palate of culture, comes amazing [did I say amazing?] food. It's cheap, it's delicious, & you can find it any time of day [or night]. I see people eating, drinking, & laughing @ 4 AM after dancing all night. I love it...

It's nice to see the familiar faces of my local friends. We can usually be found at Mom's shop [a street hawker stall with delicious Nasi Goreng (fried rice), Mei Goreng (fried noodles) & Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice)]. Angela, Andrea, Simon, & Kipp... Everyone is asking about you!

Rice Porridge for breakfast!

I have retained some of my Malay/Indonesian, so it is nice to be able to converse a little and understand what people are saying on the subway. I am anxious to learn more and have been studying from my phrasebook whenever I get the chance.

The escape

I have seen much of what is to be seen in KL, but my dear friend Elmi took me to a beautiful waterfall just outside the city yesturday. We hiked up, weaving through monkeys looking for handouts, above where most people where enjoying the water. Ridiculously hot & sweaty, a hot mess if you will, we were blessed to have an amazing spot under the fall... all to ourselves, sharing only with the monkeys, fantastically huge butterflies, & the never ending sea of green. It was a needed escape & grounding experience. Peace was in reach, because we were at peace. I thought about traveling alone, but how far from being lonely I was. Sharing this experience with an old acquaintance who quickly became a lovely friend, I am thankful for him and the good soul that he is.

I am enjoying one final night in KL, before going, going, back back to BALI BALI!

Excitement is building for the magic to come...