Do not eat Beef Bacon or Processed Chicken Sausages

With eardrums threatening to burst every time the child in front of calls out (in usual childlike fashion no idea of decibel volume) I sit writing this entry into my journal on the bus, as luck would have it Greg and I have obtained the best seat in the house just over the back wheels you can imagine the writing in my journal is a little crazy...Greg and I are sitting like Zombie's a) because we have been up for almost 24hours and b) because Greg has set a world record for getting sick on a trip who gets sick at the god damn stopover....well Greg actually.

Our stopover in KL has largely consisted of bus trips like the one I am currently on we worked out that we have been in KL for about 11 hours and have spent 6 of those on a bus if you ever wondered why Airlines offered stopovers its because they put you in a hotel somewhere near Mars and no where near a major city or even the airport. Hotels that are apparently 4 star that serve Beef Bacon and processed Chicken sausages for breakfast, but really can we blame the hotel who eats processed meats in a foreign country - well Greg actually !

How can I describe KL - well travel is all about the relatively of a place to home.
I will reference it to Sydney, KL is like the drive from Home Bush along the M4 right through into Parrmatta along the river, only much for greener and lush along the road, both naturally and through planting and maintenance. I have to admit that I was largely disappointed in KL, it is a very modern kind of city very much like Sydney, however there were two big differences a) you can't extract the charm of KL in a day and this can easily be done in Sydney and b) the people that we encountered were profoundly unfriendly. From the airport staff at 4am who looked like death either wishing for their own because they had to work or ours for disturbing their slumber (I understand I myself have wished the unkind death of those that called into Cellarmasters at 1 min to 11). I also think the fact that we are Australians would not have made us all that appealing to them thanks Mr. Howard!

I have to be fair though I have only been here for one day and a rare day when Oz's favourite son was sick. However the more I think about it there are some charms that I have noticed about KL mainly observations from the Bus where I spent most of my time, Greg and I call it a bus tour of KL. Well having spent so many of hours on the bus I did notice that KL has excellent roads 8 lane highways link up the outer suburbs to the city making the journey into the city when not hampered by traffic relatively easy. We stayed in Seremban about and 1 hour from the city, which easily turned into 1 and a half to 2 given the traffic. Easing some of the traffic here however are the many bikes and scooters that line the roads and the government has catered very well for them, they have their own lane on some roads, and special access through tolls from what I could see they don't have to pay a toll, they are also provided covered shelters for parking, and special undercover stations for when it rains and quaint little signs along the road point them out. The riders are mainly men and tend to wear their jackets backwards to stop them bellowing with the wind. Last note on the roads the traffic lights here count down so you know when the light is going to change which was cool but did not really serve much of a purpose as our driver took them more as a casual suggestion than a road rule.

For the short hour that we actually managed to get of a bus and into KL, we walked around the area near Central Market much like China Town lined with stalls and their workers, calling out and pleading for you to view their wares. In Australia this usually inspired terror in me and has me walking around the world to avoid them, but their lyrical calls and easy smiles were charming in their own way, and their calls and our responses had a flow. Walking through the counterfeit markets was pretty standard fair until I got to the meat market where about 10 chicken were lined but on a low stage held down with wire around their feet but standing calmly and gracefully despite the chaos around them and their eminent fate.

Our only concession to tourism and to photography in KL was to visit the Chan ancestral home that acted as a safe haven, community centre and shrine for ashes of members of the Chan family, built in the 18th century it was constructed using no nails which greatly interested Greg, I would say because of his recent run in with a nail gun that saw a split in his thumb.

The overall picture for readers of short stories

Hi everyone

Well we have arrived in Chennai and have been here for about 3 days (I think), know that I am becoming a traveler because I am already losing track of the days. But first things first let me start with our flight and stop over in KL. I write this stuff in my journal and then edit and transfer only interesting bits to the blog so they are mostly written in first and as if I am there writing at the time, which I usually am, but sometimes my tense slips back and forth- for those grammar, tense and spelling nazi's out there...I am very sorry

Getting on a jet plane

So our faithful servant err (sorry India has affected me already).. sister Joey saw us of f at the airport, in standard style Joey not drop was shed you see Joey does not cry not a tear not for soppy movies, not for sweet ads, not for children being cute or for her brother (otherwise know - really only to himself as Australia's favorite son) leaving the country she did pull out a tissue but alas not need really !

Through to customs and no worries despite the loads of pills (prescription) and the WOMAD's (weapons of mass distraction) that I was carrying IPOD, book, magazine, and journal and still I was bloody bored...yadda yadda yadda hours later and we were in KL. KL was mainly a journey of bus trips and toilet trips for more on this refer to blog entry - Do not eat beef bacon and processed chicken sausages.

Then a day of bus trips and toilet trips and we were boarding the plane for Chennai, one cold towel and I mean cold - like a hot towel only cold, a couple of propaganda postcards features images of the plane we were one, a weird meal consistent of odd combinations of food, curry & rice (well maybe not that odd), apple & mint & coconut (2years old), gluggy white stuff (still have not obtained origin or exp date of this food source) a tub of yoghurt plain - needless to say I didn't much and neither did Greg.

Our arrival in Chennai was at 9.30 at night and we were out of the airport by 10.00 quickly whisked into a cab and packed of to our hotel. None of the touts, none of the bag grabbing or harassment, we were at the hotel showered changed and ready for bed before we knew it.

Of course this is the edited version for all your would be travelers to make it sound easy for specifics and tid bits you will have to read on.

Missing you all...believe it or not

Love T and Greg