Kuala Lumpur - Chapter 15 - The Final Chapter

"The time has come, the walrus said"......

Time for us to return from the tropical heat to the more temperate Welsh weather. 

Our arrival back in KL was a bit like coming home - the recognisable sights from coach window on the journey in from the airport and managing to hit the rush hour in our taxi from KL Sentral Train station to the hotel, seemed all too familiar.  Taxis 3 - Us 4 - one cheeky chappy offered to take us to the hotel for 48 ringgits - we actually paid 13!

The Grand Millennium is every bit Grand - ultra modern and right in the heart of the shopping district but no sign of the Arsenal team, although the hotel is full of Arabs.   We had had a little correspondence with the hotel prior to our arrival as we had asked for a late check out due to our flight home departing  at 2315 , so we didn't want to hanging around the airport.  The hotel initially wanted to charge us but when we pointed out that their web site advertised a late check out,  they agreed with our view - so we were pleased to discover that on arrival, we had been upgraded to an Executive Business Suite! 

Cocktails and canapes done we headed out to the hawker stalls in Alor Street - once again the smells, sounds and general bedlam were all consuming - barbecuing food, frying noodles, grilling fish and the stink of their local fruit, Durian, what a mixture!  We splashed out and had 2 bottles of Tiger beer with our chicken, fish, prawns and noodles - Friday night take aways from the May Far won't really be the same now!  The last time we ate here witnessed begging on a different scale - there's a little man who has no legs who gets pushed along on a shopping trolley by a man with a withered arm - the "wee man" is wired up with a microphone and as he is pushed he sings along to a backing track  of the latest Chinese medley hits - very popular amongst the locals!  Sure enough they were still here although they'd acquired a female backing vocalist - obviously getting popular!

Our last day has consisted of shopping, eating and drinking - a change I suppose from swimming and reading!  China Town was our port of call - Petaling Street to be exact - a place where you can buy absolutely anything - and we did - Lacoste polo shirts, Gucci sunglasses, Quicksilver T shirts and Hugo Boss Lap top bag - spent up and laden down like a couple of mules, we returned to the hotel for a lounge by the pool and a chill!  All that remains is for us to pack, eat and check out and then head off to the airport.  Taxis 3 - Us 5 - managed to beat one down from 140 to 80 ringgits!

It's quite surreal sitting here, watching the late afternoon traffic build up Bukit Bintang as the sun sets over the Petronas Towers and watching live golf from Royal St Georges in Kent! And finally, waiting at KLIA for our flight, I have just paid 35 ringgits for a glass of beer - daylight robbery!  Ah! Well all good things must come to an end!

Thank you for reading!