Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Pam and I have left Taiwan! I have been accepted into a Masters program in London and Pam has acquired a full resident work visa (which was no easy task) and will be looking for an elementary school teaching position. We'll arrive in London mid January. Between now and then we'll be in Australia for their summer -- warming up as much as we can before entering into London's winter.

On our way to Australia we have stopped for a short visit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We found the food to be fantastic and the city diverse and beautiful. I was pleased to see so much forestry remaining throughout such a big modern city. Right in the center we hiked a hill trail that led to a giant observation tower.

There is so much Indian culture present in Kuala Lumpur which commands your attention via bright colors and pleasing smells of religious incense. We tasted some of the most delicious and unusual Indian food we’ve had. Our favorite meal was served on banana leaves with three different kinds of vegetables and a monster pile of white rice. I noticed the server portion according to how much he thought you could eat. Of course he'd be happy to bring out more if needed. We ordered two types of curried chicken, a tin of chutney was available to pour over your rice, and all of the goopy goodness was intended to be eaten with your fingers. We LOVE pulled masala tea. It tastes like Christmas. Much like Bangkok, or even more so, there was a strong contrast between wealth and poverty. Some of the modern buildings were spectacular up close in person.