It was great to see my parents after such a long time away from home. It was also nice being able to show them Hanoi; a city which I fell in love with and called my home for a short while - I felt like a local.
It was after a few days in and around Hanoi and a return visit to Halong Bay that I left Vietnam, with my parents, and flew south to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Taking a cab into the city we all start to feel it’s taking a lot longer than last time we were here. It took us a while to remember we never actually flew in or out of Malaysia but entered via train from Singapore and left via train into Thailand and then to Bangkok.
My memories of the oppressive heat returned - somewhat welcoming as a change from the cool north of Vietnam, but soon turned aggressive as it sapped all your strength and energy. Every day was breaking forty degrees with humidity in the high eighties - there was little relief from shade or breeze across much of the city unless you find an air conditioned shopping mall.
We visited the giant Buddha and cave systems at Batu where we got to see monkeys, spiders and, now realise what the Bat in Batu is all about, large bats. Whilst the monkeys ate whatever they could steal from passing tourists we dined on curry in a local restaurant, opting for cutlery instead of hands unlike the locals.
We were staying in the Price Hotel, not far from the Petronas Towers. My dad fell ill last time we were here - something he ate - so he didn’t get to see much of the town. Now we could make up for lost time and revisit those places we saw before and some we missed out on. It was a great opportunity for me to retake a lot of photos from the city, after having my laptop stolen a few years back these were the only photos I had not backed up.
Staying in a large business city had the added benefit of some fantastic western food so we treated ourselves to the relief of good quality pizza, pasta and wine.
Bellissimo; Italian food, how I’ve missed you!
We hiked around town in the baking heat until the tropical rains collapsed upon us, like clockwork at 4:30pm. We visited the Chinatown markets. We explored the alien feel of a winter-time, Christmas grotto in an air-conditioned mall in summer-like temperatures.
KL was a short trip for my parents. It was an emotional departure when my parents had to leave for Hong Kong. When I left home initially, months earlier, saying goodbye felt so much easier, I was going on an adventure - I knew I’d see them soon - but now it felt all the more permanent. It is true what they say, that absence does make the heart grow fonder. I tried to hold in some tears, as did my parents.
I spent the remainder of the day enjoying the comforts of free internet and five-star services at the Prince Hotel before returning to my backpacker life at the Reggae Mansions Hostel on the other side of town.
All my Malaysia pictures are over on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/14859193@N07/sets/72157638630561214/