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    Tropical Punch Tour: Malaysia Part 5

    Monday, July 5, 2010
    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Clink! Clink! Clink! This dang blacksmith woke me up way too early. Voyager Hostel in Melaka, Malaysia.

    A psychedelic trishaw brightens the day in Melaka, Malaysia.

    Colorful Muslim headscarves for sale at Melaka Sentral bus terminal in Malaysia.

    The endless Malaysian jungle toward Kuala Lumpur scrolls by my bus window.

    I awoke today in the Voyager Hostel to the tune of a blacksmith across the street incessantly beating metal against metal. “Clink! Clink! Clink!” I had to get out of there. On impulse, I decided to head on over to Malaysia’s biggest city, Kuala Lumpur, a two-hour bus ride away. It seemed like three or four days in Melaka was enough, since I had already enjoyed most of its colorful charms. As I walked over to Town Square to jump on the bus to Melaka Sentral terminal, I was tempted to stay, because it was a gorgeous day with the sun shining in the middle of a clear blue sky.

    Chinatown signage in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    A big-ass shopping mall near Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    Feel the grit in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    Standard stir-fry at the Old China Cafe in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    Rice and crackers at the Old China Cafe in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    Two hours and three easy bus rides later, I found myself strolling through the crusty streets of Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur. I rented a bed in a cavernous dorm room at the Red Dragon Backpackers Hostel, where I took a much-needed semi-nap and escaped the tropical heat by parking my corpse smack-dab in front of a fan. A little later, I mustered up the strength to wander through the packed aisles of the Chinatown market and rub shoulders with a cross-section of humanity that ranged from snow white tourists to aggressive Chinese and Malaysian hawkers to Muslim women completely cloaked in intimidating jet black burkas. As dinner time drove up, I settled for another plate of stir-fry at the Old China Cafe, a place that exudes an early 20th century antique ambience.

    Roll over photos for captions.
    All words and photos ©2010 Arcane Candy.

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