Flawed-Democratic Federation of Malaysia
Chinatown
Jalan Petaling 135
Bird Nest Guest House +60320311128 birdnest.ghouse@gmail.com
Adequate and clean double room with shared bathroom and wifi for MYR 35.- or US$ 11.10 per night. Very friendly, competent and helpful staff; excellent English.
Click below for an interactive road map of Willie's Bird Nest Guest House in Kuala Lumpur, which we would recommend, and for directions:Enjoying the preparations for the upcoming Chinese New Year of the Dragon (with the ubiquitous lion dance and dragon dance performances, any number of red lanterns and the gods of blessings, prosperity and longevity - Gong Xi Fa Cai!) and discovering a few new excellent pescetarian and vegetarian choices amongst Kuala Lumpur’s ever-changing restaurant scene: (i) Sakae Sushi’s superbly managed branch inside the Berjaya Times Square Mall +60321431163 (many thanks, Cloud, for your excellent service), (ii) the down-to-earth Indian-vegetarian Banana Leaf Curry House near Pasar Seni LRT Station and (iii) the up-market Chinese-vegetarian Restoran Wan Fo Yuan +60320780952 with the best mock pork ever (its texture: as slippery as genuine pork, its flavour: as piggish as genuine pork, its looks: as disgusting as genuine pork; absolutely sickening, but supposedly all made from pure and healthy Canadian soya-bean curd, so that we could listen once more, with a very clean conscience, to Reinhard Mey's song about the fact that A Pig's Dignity Shall Be Inviolable).
Picking up our 28-day tourist visas (validity: 90 days) at the chaotic visa service of the Embassy of Myanmar in Kuala Lumpur (from Chinatown: LRT from Pasar Seni to Dato’ Keramat for MYR 2.- per person and a Rapid KL feeder bus T 330 for MYR 1.- per person), exactly five working days after our application.
“If you look like your passport photo, you’re too ill to travel.”
Preparing for our upcoming trip to Burma aka Myanmar, a country which is allegedly governed by a particularly evil and corrupt regime (at least according to the democratic media of the Western welfare states), and rehearsing once more a few elements of our proven and pragmatic travel morals: (i) to stay away from any government thugs (e.g. the police, the military or any government-owned companies/hotels), (ii) to avoid the established tourism industry (e.g. book tours only and employ guides only if absolutely necessary or if mandatory, use public transport as often as possible), (iii) to buy from small businesses and at local markets (e.g. eat hawker food, sleep in family run places), (iv) to treat locals as equals and to expect locals to treat you equally (e.g. pay local prices, do as the locals do), (v) to distinguish between the map and the territory (e.g. control your own expectations, understand that openness is a two-way road and, last but not least, don't eat the menu in a restaurant).
Taking a brand-new yellow Aerobus coach from KL Sentral, the main railway station, to Kuala Lumpur’s International Airport (KLIA-LCCT) at Sepang (70 km, 1 hour, MYR 8.- per person), thereafter flying with Air Asia (“Now Everyone Can Fly”) in a worn Airbus A 320-200 from Kuala Lumpur’s LCCT to Yangon’s International Mingladon Airport for the all-inclusive air fare of only US$ 46.- per person, one way (including: [i] airport tax and fuel surcharge, [ii] “regular” luggage allowance [up to 15 kg] and [iii] Air Asia’s hated 8-Ringgit “convenience fee” [since we had used our credit card for the on-line booking]), changing in mid-air our watches from Malaysia Standard Time (GMT/UTC + 8:00 hours) to Burma Standard Time (GMT/UTC + 6:30 hours) and, eventually, after we had landed, flagging down a pick-up truck (lain ka, meaning “line car”) for the bumpy ride from the airport to Yangon’s vibrant downtown (MMK 2,000.- or US$ 2.50 per person): “Mingǎlaba, Burma, you country with probably the highest per-capita consumption of gold metallic paint in this world!”
Click below for blog posts about Chinese lion dance
27 Nov - 31 Dec 2013 Kaohsiung
01 Feb - 17 Feb 2013 Batu Ferringhi (Penang)
13 Dec - 17 Dec 2012 Hong Kong
27 Nov - 30 Nov 2013 Guiyang
05 May - 01 Jun 2012 Taipei
09 Feb - 22 Feb 2010 Chiang Mai
10 Apr - 14 Apr 2009 Singapore
Click below for a summary of this year's travels
2012 Map Konni & Matt
Visit the Konni & Matt Online Albums and order high-res travel photos
