Day 10 - Kuala Lumpur

We wake early and are greeted with one of our favourite scenes... the Petronus Twin Towers from our room on the 23rd floor of Traders Hotel. 

Shopping starts at 10am so at this early hour there are only cleaners and morning joggers and walkers below in the park and the front of KLCC.

We have some chores to do so we get ready and head for the Gobo Chit Chat restaurant at the hotel where we'll have breakfast. Wendy and Jan will know how busy this place gets in the mornings and it is packed with people from all over the world. I'm after some Pho but the closest I get is noodle soup so I go with Roti Chennai instead... not as good as Ben or I make but it will do for now.

It's then onto the hotel buggy and across to KLCC. As usual it is busy and there is always a lot of people out the front taking photos of the towers. The fake watch sellers are absent ... seems the cops or security are doing their job.

First job is to get sims for our mobiles at Maxis and it proves to be an ordeal as usual. A long line of other travelers wanting to get a sim aqnd only one slow-working guy serving. Here's a tip for anyone wanting a sim card here... head out to the Maxis office at CapSquare, about 10 minutes away by cab, and there is an office there with no waiting.

Now we are "on the air" again I can let everyone know our mobile numbers and check in with Ben and Rahmat. Ben is having car problems but Rahmat invites us to dinner with his wife Zai and their friends Zol and Sharifah tonight. Jalan Alor will have to wait Jan! 

The rest of the day is taken up with Liz looking at the shops (seen one you seen 'em all I reckon!) and I head over to Times Square to chase a lens for the 40D. By 4pm we are done so we grab a nap before Rahmat picks us up at 8:15. He's been battling horrendous traffic to get here to Traders and the situation is compounded by the arrival of a Police-escorted motorcade which flashes past our hotel... we thought Rahmat hadput it on specially for us but it was probably just another VVVIP (they don't just have VIPs here... they are VVVIPs!)

Anyway, Rahmat and Zai pick us up and we navigate the traffic to the Lala Restaurant where Zol and Sharifah have claimed a table for us. They have all been here before so we let them order the dishes which we share and meanwhile the stories tall and true start emerging. At one stage I thought we would have to recussitate Zai she was laughing so much. Ian, you know what it's like when we get started! We took a few shots for posterity and Rahmat and Zai drove us back to the hotel... it was almost 11:30pm. 

What a fabulous evening we had. Rahmat and Zai were wonderful hosts and at first meeting them, Liz immediately fell in love with Zai's infectious smile and happy nature. They chatted away like old friends while Rahmat and I gave Ben no mercy as we compared notes. Zol and Sharifah were great too and we must have all had a good time because they invited us to a Brazilian restaurant for dinner tomorrow night. 
 
 

Twin Towers at night from outside our hotel.