We had a fabulous time in Malaysia - a much needed respite from the land of sand. What a contrast in nature - it was just green wherever you looked - the hills covered in rainforest jungles, vegetation everywhere - down all the medians, sidewalks and roadsides. Beautiful, big trees gracing every street, and parks all over the place. It was just what we needed.
Our first two nights were spent in the Genting Highlands, in the interior of the country. We were surrounded by mountains and rainforests. Our hotel was perched on the top of a mountain and the clouds swirled all around us. We took advantage of two very long cable cars that showcased tree ferns, bamboo hundreds of feet tall, orchids and azaleas, as well as all varieties of massive trees. We had a chance to wonder around a Chinese temple, filled with pagodas, temples, sculptures and the biggest buddha I have ever seen.
That was the pleasant part of the trip. The not so nice part was that we had been booked into a hotel complex that must be the largest in the world - 10,500 beds to accommodate 30,000 Chinese visitors per day to the only Casino in Malaysia, together with a very large amusement park for all those not parked at a slot machine. There were times when we felt we had joined an ant colony - the place buzzed with noise, people and kitch. The driver who transported us there said that Malays call it the pigeon coop - and that's kind of what it felt like. The flow of people never stopped. We had some memorable giggles along the way - we had to pick our way carefully through menus that were very Chinese, but loved the Starbucks cafe where we had umpteen cups of very good coffee. Also, saw a man actually smoking right under the no smoking sign, and just loved the sign that warned guests not to cook in the rooms and not to bring durian (an evil smelling fruit that is very popular, finding its way into everything from soup to chocolate). Apparently some people can't leave home without it. 
We then spent four nights in Kuala Lampur, or KL as the locals call it, at a fabulous hotel called Grand Millenium. Very posh and luxurious. The trip included a city tour which we took on the first day and it was great to see all the sights like the King's Palace and changing of the guard, the National Monument commemorating the war they won against communism. Over the next few days we took ourselves off to Petronas Towers during the day and at night - really spectacular building: and we went up the Menara Tower - 4th highest in the world. We went to the National Mosque - of course, as a woman I had to be covered so I wore this delightful purple gown thing with my hijab that I had brought with me. We also went to the National Museum and the Islamic Art Museum - have to say that Doha is much more elegant. We also walked ourselves silly in the Lake Gardens and Bird Sanctuary, Chinatown and Little India. We had a driver who took us to pewter, batik, and chocolate factories. High tea at a Colonial English Hotel was a welcome relaxation in very peaceful surroundings. The Aquarium at the KL Convention Centre was a wonderful sight - we were so impressed.
We had two very good trips outside the city - one to the Batu Caves which has become a Hindu shrine where we walked up 272 very long steps into the cave. The weather was normal for KL - hot and humid - so we took our time. The cave itself was ginormous - much bigger than anything we have been in before, including Cango Caves (although it is much smaller in size - just two compartments really). Our second trip was to the Straits of Malacca to the Kuala Selangor river delta at night. We stopped along the way at a sanctuary for silverleaf monkeys and to view a colonial lighthouse. After that it was dinner at sunset at a local river restaurant - so everyone had a can of something to drink, and no salad (been there, done that). However, we were pleasantly surprised with the dinner - crab, prawns, and local fish - very tasty. Hygiene left much to be desired: I watched the dishwashers squating amongst hundreds of plates on a bare cement floor, frantically dipping them into an iron bucket overflowing in grimy water - oh, I just didn't need to see that! - thank goodness it was at the end of my meal. Then we took a short ride down to the river where we boarded flatbottom, small rowboats in the pitch dark. Our boatswain gently rowed us downstream where we gazed in wonder at a colony of millions of fireflies blinking like Christmas lights on every bush alongside the river. It was spectacular! 
Have to say we had a wonderful time. The food was great, the bed was comfortable, and the sights were memorable.
Way to go Megamart!
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