Cracking Malaysia

We left Siberia on our 32^nd wedding anniversary and arrived at Kuala Lumpur the next day both tired, fractious and ill tempered. We fell out. I considered getting a divorce, but I have really been looking forward to coming to Malaysia and without Liz I would have no reason to be here, so we made up.

I have been here before, but never for more than a few days passing through, so this is an opportunity to properly get to know the country. First impressions have a dreamlike quality because KL, where we are this week before moving to a much smaller town, is such a contrast to where we have been living. Whenever possible I like to travel overland and get an understanding of how far I’m going but there is something magical about flying and, after a fitful night on the plane, we’ve stepped out into a different world as cleanly as Alice through her looking glass.

From a low density town built in the middle of nowhere to a skyscraper city constantly expanding; from our Soviet style apartment block to a 5 star hotel; from a land which is extremely cold and very dry to one which is never cold, always humid and where it rains at some point almost every day; from bread, potatoes and horse meat to rice, noodles and seafood and from copious beer and vodka to what has so far been a very disappointing attempt to find something to drink.

Next week we will be further north, in Kuala Kangsar where we will be making our home and which is also the residence of the Sultan of Perak. I have always found that the truest experience of a country is to be found in the small places and not the big cities, so once there I will try in earnest to crack the code to understanding life in Malaysia. But for the next few days we have to put up with the hotel.