Arrival in Malaysia

Yesterday was one of those days when I really wished I wasn't travelling by myself, weird how that happens right after I leave a group travel and was looking forward to the alone time! As soon as I got to Kuala Lumpur, I picked up my bags and headed to the nearest atm so I could get money to take the train into the city center. For some reason, that atm did not work, and when I went to try again, Bank of America shut off my card due to security concerns (I didnt know this at the time). I tried every single ATM in the arrivals area of the aiport, meanwhile getting harrassed by taxi drivers. Finally, I found 30 us dollars in my purse (from Cambodia, thank goodness they use that currency) and changed that money at the money exchange so I could get the train and then sort it out at the hotel.

Get to the city center, and I have no idea where I'm going from there (I should have done more research in Bangkok). A lady at a tourist info place gives me directions to the monorail, I didnt understand them, ended up walking around for a while with my really really heavy second bag (the vitesse one) for a while until I figure out the monorail is across the street. Lug my stuff over there (long walk when your bags are heavy and its 30 degress celsius). I hand my money to the ticket guy, he wont except one of the bills because it was ripped, I received it ripped from the train station machine at the airport, so I was really mad about that. Get on the train fine and to my stop fine. I refused to take a cab from the monorail stop because I could tell it was close to the hotel (although wasnt sure how close) and I didnt feel like haggling with cab drivers, especially because I didnt have a lot of money left, and wasnt sure when was the next time i could get cash. I used the map the tourist info lady gave me and found my way to the hotel after a walk that seemed like it took an hour. In all I think it took 10 min (would have taken 5 if I didnt have that gosh darn heavy duffel bag...why did I refuse to leave those books behind!?). I arrived at the hotel sweating profusely. Check in went fine, since they didnt charge me anything yet. I quickly changed my sweaty clothes and rushed to the Pertonas Towers shopping area (just up the street) to see if those ATMs would work better. No luck. I tried looking for a place where I could use skype to call the bank, again no luck (when I went back later that night, I found a place without even looking!). I headed back to the hotel and decided I needed to use the hotel phone to call the bank because I wasnt going to survive here with no money and so I just needed to bite the bullet on their international calling fees. Thankfully, I was not put on hold at all, although I did have to talk to two different people, they sorted out the issue and unlocked my card. Woo hoo.

So that night I ventured back to the PT shopping area (which is AMAZING...every single store in the world that you can think of...Top Shop, Marks and Spencer, Zara, Mango, Gap, Polo, Luis Vuitton, Coach, Gucci...EVERYTHING). Had dinner and then decided to treat myself to a movie. I saw What Happens in Vegas, which was actually really interesting to see in Kuala Lumpur because there were parts so obviously edited out due to their decency standards. Also, it was funny to hear what the audience thought was hysterical, and recognize that in more Western cultures, there would have just been a little chuckly from the crowd and not much more.