At 20:15, we jumped in a taxi to the bus station rejoind which was a bit far. Our bus was leaving at 21:00. Planners, we came to 20.30. While we waited, an impressive number of buses (many were returning to KL) in succession, all apparently more comfortable than the others. An employee reassured me by telling me that our (No 104) had not yet arrived and we would advise that once he would. But at 21:00, still nothing. 21:15. 21:30. 21:45. Still no more buses No. 104. At 22:00, a bus of its kind''municipal''bus entered the bus station. As before, there was''104''scrawled on a sheet of paper. It could not be done! Both say that jai felt rising in me a huge anger from the feeling of having been deceived. There was no question that we reach KL in such a vehicle. Seeing that I was rather worried, a company supervisor told me that this vehicle would lead us only has about 50 km from here, or we would get into our''real''bus that arrived from another city. Somewhat reassured (but not completely because the story smelled bad!), We boarded our shuttle''.'' An hour later, we fixed the poorly lit parking d'un arret de bus de village. Dehors, tout était sombre. Mais pire que ça, il n'y avait pas le moindre autobus a l'horizon. Apres etre restés ainsi 15 minutes, nous sommes finalement desendus pour apprendre que l'autre bus arriverait ''dans 10 minutes''. Le temps en Malaisie devant etre flexible, c'est pres d'une heure plus tard que nous avons enfin vu arriver un autobus digne de ce nom. Nous avons mis nos sacs dans la soute et avons pris place dans ce qui serait bien plus confortable pour passer une nuit sur la route.
A 6h00 du matin, le chauffeur alluma les lumieres. Dehors, le jour se levait. Le décor était noyé dans une brume matinale: nous arrivions a KL. Apres etre descendus dans la grande gare routiere or there was already an important activity, we went along wide boulevards to join a Skytrain station. A few stops later, we were at the train station to put our bags on consignment. Indeed, late in the day, it was expected that we find Constance (cross few weeks earlier in Banaue, Philippines) who lives about 40 km north of the city. Our plan was as follows: visit the city during the day and take the train late after-noon we will be welcoming or Constance Rawang for the night. After having locked our backpacks in the major guidelines of metal, so we took the subway to our first visit to KL's famous Petronas Towers''''(named for the Malaysian national oil company). These are two twin towers of over 450 meters high (88 storeys) which have the characteristic of being connected one to another at the height of the 42nd floor. This gateway (the skybridge'''') serves as a point of view for visitors. However, the number of the latter being limited to about 1300 per day, should arrive relatively early in the morning to get a chance to get a pass to reach the sky''''42nd. At 7:15, we arrived at the entrance of mastondontes concrete and steel. Soon we reached the entrance of visitors. The few dozen people had already arrived. We sat as we read the newspaper to pass the time. But soon, the crowd began to swell and it was not long several hundred people are out of cash in back of us. Around 8:30, the big metal curtain rose and the assignment schedule could begin. Luckily, we had access to 9.15. After visiting an exhibition room depicting the construction of the towers (their height,''''design, location, lightning, etc..) Is called on visitors to 9:15. We boarded an elevator and a few seconds later the doors opened. We had already arrived at 42 étage. Nous avons embarqué sur la passerelle d'ou nous avions une vue plutot impressionnante sur la ville. KL s'étend bien plus a l'horizontale qu'a la verticale. La taille moyenne de ses batiments est relativement faible, ce qui tranche avec des villes comme Hong-Kong ou Shangai. Une des raisons de ce ''manque'' de gratte-ciels est que la Malaisie est un pays jeune, toujours sur la voie de l'acces a la modernité qu'elle n'a commmencé a vouloir atteindre que récemment. Les tours ''Petronas'' sont le symbole visuel de cette volonté de développement. Elles ont été érigées dans les années 90 alors que le gouvernement malaisien exprimait clairement sa volonté de faire de la Malaisie un pays ''Developed''in 2020. And see the rigor with which he seems to follow the roadmap, it's a safe bet that it will achieve this to great effect, one of the facilitators who are in the sub-soil of Malaysia as important oil reserves that can fill the coffers of the state of precious capital.
The visit was timed. After 10 minutes taking pictures, we were called back to the elevator because another group would take our place. We took the elevator in the opposite direction and 9.45 am, we were out of the visit. Rather effective. In going to the entry point, a small signs indicating''more tickets for the visits.'' You Do not Mess with quotas!
At the foot of the towers is the most modern and pus prestigious shopping malls in the city. Have not yet breakfasted, we have joined the area of food to swallow anything stand for the rest of the day. To our surprise, we had a rather Western tariffs ... much like we had to reformat the consumer society that we would find in a few days in Canada. Really, anywhere in the world, money is king!
Then we strolled the aisles to discover that the stores here are the same as everywhere else: ''Sony Store'', ''GAP'', ''Banana Republic'', ''The Body Shop'', ''l'Occitane'', etc. Et que les prix pratiqués sont les memes ue chez nous! Bref. Vers midi, nous avons pris un plat a emporter et nous sommes allés nous installer a l'extérieur des tours, sur le parvis ou dansaient de somptueuses fontaines. Apres avoir fait le tour du parc qui les entouraient, nous avons rejoint le centre des expositions tout proche. A l'intérieur, une exposition était consacrée aux produits malaisiens. Puisqu'elle était ouverte a tous, nous avons défilé dans les allées ou nous avons découvert une partie du savoir-faire du pays: des autos, des produits alimentaires, du loisir, clothes, electronics. In short, Malaysia is well and truly on the path of development.
The morning after a fast spinning, we needed to reach the station to retrieve our bags and catch a train to Konstanz. However, all day, a terrible back pain had greatly handicapped. Once at the station, persistent pain, we chose not to do too much and have decided to stay in town. We took a taxi to the hotel where we had booked for the next day, hoping they would have a room tonight.
The hotel was located in a busy neighborhood street rather Chinese: Jalan Petaling Street'',''that is deemed to be a unique shopping area. Indeed, the street being closed at night, the taxi had to drop us a bit further. Our bags on their backs, we entered on said street or we quickly realized the value of the place. In a deafening cacophony, hundreds of small stalls selling thousands of counterfeit goods (watches, clothes, bags, sunglasses, etc..), Making the area an ideal place for foreign tourists fond of such items. In''zigzag''between the plastic sheets of étlas and speakers who were all screaming louder than each other, we finally reached our hotel. We had a room, being careful to apply it does not on the side of the street! Once installed, we immediately called Constance him that we would come this evening. Luckily, she came the next night in town. We then planned to eat together.
After taking a shower (we had spent the last night on the bus!), We went out to eat. The decor was impressive: the whole trip, we had rarely seen such a concentration of stalls counterfeits, as clearly visible to customers and the addition but also the authorities. Finally, we have landed in a small street restaurant run by two Chinese. A soup, a plate of noodles, tea, and a great kindness on their part have completed our perfect day. It was time to go to sleep.
The next morning the weather was gray. After lingering in bed, we had lunch. But my back demeurrant recalcitrant, I finally made my bed-in''to me''(named after the call for peace by John Lennon and Yoko Ono had started when they spent 7 days in bed ' 'Queen Elizabeth''in Montreal in 1969). Its edge, Sylvie occupied his day by visiting shops selling articles of clothing bijoux.
Apres une bonne journée de repos, le corps était reposé et les douleurs estompées. Nous avons donc été rejoindre Constance avec qui nous avions rendez-vous pour aller manger. Elle était accompagnée d'amis qui oeuvraient tous dans des ONG. Tous les 7, nous avons donc passé un tres agréable moment autour d'une bonne assiette de nouilles chinoises et d'une biere bien fraiche. Les discussions ont porté autant sur le voyage que sur la vie en Malaisie, nous permettant ainsi d'avoir le point de vue de personnes qui le vivent un peu plus ''de l'intérieur''. Apres avoir avalé un café glacé sur la terrasse d'un ''starbuck'' ou d'énormes rats défilaient tranquillement in the dark, we separated because it was time to go to sleep.
Sunday morning was our last day of travel. Actually, he floated in the air a subconscious feeling of end of something. The weather was gloomy, but hot and heavy. Leaving our hotel, we saw orange cones separating the lanes, police and lots of riders: it was the KL marathon! The tourist bus that we had planned to take being stuck in traffic, so we changed our plans, starting on foot. Luckily, the city of KL is''small''. It is relatively easy to walk on foot to tour the center. The first stop was on''Merdeka Square,''the main square and whence came the marathon and the nearest cricket club in the city. Then we went along major arteries and everything was closed, forcing Sunday morning. Finally, around noon, the activity has started full swing. The streets were filled and the stores opened. We enjoyed the air conditioning of the latter to escape us a little about the scorching heat that has prevailed outside. On the way back, we made a stop at Masjid Jamek Mosque'',''the oldest in the city. Once dressed in big coats (Sylvie and me being in shorts et en t-shirts), nous avons pu nous promener dans ce lieu tout aussi agréable que paisible. En fin d'apres-midi, nous sommes finalement rentrés vers le quartier chinois. Le soir, nous sommes allés manger dans la rue: porc grillé pour Sylvie, poulet et canard pour moi. Puis, a 21h00, nous avions rendez-vous avec Céline et Maud (les 2 filles rencontrées aux ile Perhentiennes) qui étaient dans le meme hotel que nous et qui partaient elles aussi le lendemain (mais pour l'Indonésie!). Tous les 4, nous sommes donc allés prendre un verre (et meme un peu plus) au ''reggae bar'' tout proche de notre hotel. Assis sur la terrasse en sirotant des bieres, nous avons refait le monde, avec cette fois-ci un semblant de début de constat de ce que nous avions vécu au cours des 10 derniers mois. C'était notre derniere soirée a Kuala Lumpur, notre derniere soirée en Malaisie, notre derniere soirée en Asie... notre derniere soirée de voyage!
Ce lundi matin, le réveil fut un peu étrange en se disant que la date du jour (29 juin) était la meme que celle inscrite sur les billets d'avions qui nous rameneraient au Canada. Mais notre vol ne partant qu'a 23h45, nous avions toute la journée devant nous. Apres avoir déjeuné, nous sommes donc partis prendre le bus touristique a 2 étages qu nous n'avions pas pu prendre la veille a cause du marathon et des embouteillages qu'il occasionnait. A bord, nous nous are installed on the rear platform, the open air, for better appreciate the beautiful day while enjoying the view of the places we passed. After seeing the procession of the King who came to his palace and be awarded by the Central Station, we went down to the bird park. This unique location is a bit over 3.5 hectares entirely covered with a gigantic net. Inside the home to thousands of exotic birds, each more beautiful and more colorful than the others. For a few hours, so we strolled new in this environment or the heady feeling was just the same as we felt a few days ago when we were surrounded by thousands tropical fish amidst the crystal clear waters of the islands Perhentiennes. The fish were turned into birds. The coral trees. At midday, we attended a show featuring peroquets who performed all sorts of pranks like counting, biking or even speak. Equally funny and impressive.
After this great experience, we took the tourist bus to complete the loop and down in Chinatown. Storms broke out in the rain and that we arrived at our hotel. So there is justice somewhere: from the rain, it's always a little less sad than from under a bright sun!
arrived at the hotel a little late (we had to leave the room for 4:00 p.m., but we got there at 16:15!), We quickly took a shower and closed our bags down before the reception. We then had to do some shopping before going to eat one last time in the noisy environment and greasy street restaurants. To conclude our trip, we dived for the last time our chopsticks into a rice topped with grilled pork, chicken and duck. 19h00: departure time had struck!
continued ...
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