We spend the majority of our time away from urban centers so city life is fun for us. We eat the foods we miss when we’re in more remote areas, we shop in huge international stores to replace or supplement our traveling gear and clothing, and we can take care of any medical needs. Penang is great for all of that, but the airport has no direct flights to the places on our list so it makes sense to spend a few days in Kuala Lumpur before moving on.
We returned to the hotel where we stayed before Sumatra. It’s clean and modern and with a pool at a very reasonable price, right in the middle of the shopping district. This time we had a peekaboo view of the Petronas towers. Well, one of them. If you look between the Park Royal and the black building you can see a sliver of one of the towers.
It took another day for us to finally make a decision on our next destination. It requires a visa, and nothing online assured us that we could make that happen within the week. Monday night found me laboring over the online evisa application which, for the first time ever, required information on our parents, and for the first time since French Polynesia, questions about our criminal history. (Spoiler alert: we have none.)
That done, we thought we should wait before booking a flight until our visa applications were approved. Meanwhile it was off to the nearby Pavilion mall. For the first time in our many trips here the main court was completely empty of decorations. A few days later they were all ready for Ramadan which begins the day we leave.
Of course we walked over to the Petronas Towers. We didn’t go to the top again (we did in 2018) and I’m kind of sorry we didn’t. We never know when we’ll be back in a favorite place again.
Jack of course had to admire the Formula 1 car in the lobby.
We always enjoy modern big city architecture.
Two days after submitting our visa applications we got our approvals. That put the gears in motion. We booked a flight and hotels for the first few nights. The rest we’ll do as we go along. I contacted a nearby clinic for vaccination requirements and we made two trips around the corner for shots because they can’t administer both on the same day. They also gave us recommendations on medications to take with us, so we stocked up at a nearby pharmacy.
The rest of our time we spent reorganizing our packing, watching YouTube videos for destination ideas and tips. And of course, eating.
And now it’s time to go. We’re excited, apprehensive, eager to throw ourselves into deep end of the pool and experience the rush of popping back up again.
I lost my comment! Oops.Thanks You for another wonderful share of your journey.
Love all of what you tell us.
The pics of mountain climbs, rural and urban centers are amazing. Like foods,too.
Hope your VISAs arrive soon. Do you go to an embassy.
? Decades ago, I had to send my passport to French Embassy for a stamp on my passport. I thought they would just send me a paper visa. Hahaha.
No new buildings in city. USS is newest!!! Presby and AGH have approval from PA to each build. Presby 18 stories behind current bldg. Not sure about AGH. Not looking forward to a “tour”.
Can’t wait to see where you pop up next. So happy that you are living the dream.
Just checking in to let you know how much I appreciate your guided (kinda) tour. Thank you so much.
I was so excited to see where y’all were going next and then a cliffhanger!! Thank you for sharing your adventures with the world. Always fun to read and the pics are wonderful!