Malaysia

Street Life

Kuala Lumpur

0 min 59 sec

Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur or K.L. as the locals call it is a clean modern city thronging with busy city dwellers and bustling street life. I had only gone there this trip because I wanted to apply for a Chinese Visa. I again rented an apartment, this time in a brand-new twin 60 story tall condo complex. My room was on the top floor and I am quite certain that out of the 40 rooms on that floor mine was the only one occupied.  My balcony looked directly out across the city to the Petronas Towers, once the tallest building in the world.

 

- Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur

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- kuala lumpur

- food

- George Town

- Penang

After spending many weeks island hopping and diving off the southern islands of Thailand, I traveled by bus across the South Thailand peninsula and then a train from the city of Hat Yai to the Malaysian border.

Six hours . after an interesting afternoon, I boarded a second train to the to the ferry terminal that takes you to the mythical of Penang and the fabled city of George Town. (See story below

George Town People

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George Town Places

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A little passport intrigue

After spending many weeks island hopping and diving off the southern islands of Thailand, I traveled by bus across the South Thailand peninsula and then a train from the city of Hat Yai to the Malaysian border.

When I departed the train at the border crossing, I accidentally dropped my passport off the station platform, and it landed four feet down and under the train. I calmly waited for the train to pull out.  Two hours later, the train pulled out and I retrieved my passport. I ended up being the only person at the station and at passport control.

I wanted to switch from my US passport to my newly acquired Italian passport, I attempted to enter the country of Malaysia using my new passport but the stamp for Thailand was in my Us one. When thry finally realized that I was waiting in an empty line, a passport officer took my Italian passport, looked confused when he did not find a Thailand exit stamp and walked away.  Twenty minutes later a senior officer appeared, flanked on either side by two heavily armed security personnel.

I explained why I was standing there two hours after the train had left and that I Wanted to start using my new Italian passport. So, we made a deal.  I would use my American passport with the Thailand visa stamp in it, and they, ‘Malaysia’, would in exchange give me a two-month visa instead of the customary one month. They are very reasonable people, the Malaysians.

Two hours later I boarded a second train to the to the ferry terminal that takes you to the mythical of Penang and the fabled city of George Town. 

Barry + Dall-E