What a long day it’s been! In the city of Medan, on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, at 4:30 am, we got on the “becak”, a three-wheeled motorcycle, and went to the airport, with my Iranian-Dutch friend Farid.. When our Air Asia flight took off at 06:05, the sunrise had started.. We were going to watch the unbelievably beautiful sunrise in the sky, I don’t know how many thousand meters above the ground.. The view of the clouds shining with the sunlight was amazing.
After arriving at Kuala Lumpur Airport, after having breakfast at the airport, we paid 8 Ringit (RM) to one of the cheapest buses that provide transportation to the city and arrived in the city.. We got off at the Peser Senan station in the Chinatown area, using the subway system located on the upper floor of the bus.. We settled in a dorm room for 6 people for RM30 at a nearby hostel called Matahari.. Farid fell asleep immediately, while I explored the city.
The shopping street in Chinatown is very crowded. You can come across all kinds of faces. It’s hard to tell who’s Malay and who’s foreign.. You can find imitations of all the known popular brands.. Prices seem reasonable too.
I scoured the streets to buy myself a sim card and also find laundry facilities.. When I finally found the office of Digi, one of the mobile communication companies in Malaysia, and wanted to buy a sim card, they asked for my passport.. Since I wasn’t with me, I went back to the hotel and took my passport back to the office.. I bought a sim card for RM8,5 and went out again when it suddenly rained.
I waited for the rain to stop and then I returned to my hostel.. On the evening of the day, we met the Swedish Valentine, whom we met while in Lake Toba in Sumatra, and the three of us toured Chinatown together.. Our friend Farid is a salsa dancer.
Since he lost his salsa shoes while traveling, he bought sneakers for himself here.. After dinner, we took the subway to the salsa bar in the popular spot of the city called Golden Tringle, where Farid found his address online. We were there as spectators with. Valentine 22 years old Swiss DJ. He had hair shaved in Kuala Lumpur while he had hair in Lake Toba. He wanted to try something for the first time in his life.. I have the same intention and I think I will do it in India.
This 401 of my trip. On the day of 4:30 am, I was at a salsa bar in the modern city of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Southeast Asian country Malaysia, at 2 a.m. when I was stuck on a tricycle in the complex and crowded city of Medan on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.. It’s impossible not to feel weird. That’s what it’s like to be on the road. It’s a beautiful thing.
Day 401, Malaysia:1, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Friday, September 9, 2011