Week in Kuala Lumpur

This past week I spent a week in Kula Lumpur, Malaysia. I never thought that Malaysia would be a country that I visited so soon but the flights were cheap and I am very happy I went. My friend and I headed to the airport after class and boarded our Air Asia flight 3:10pm. It felt strange being back at the airport. The flight was about two and a half hours and we were lucky to have been seated in an exit row, so there was plenty of leg room. Before arriving, I did not know anything about Malaysia besides the fact that it was a predominantly Muslim country. After landing in KL we passed immigration and took a car to the hostel we were staying at. KL is a huge city that has a nice skyline. The city is known for its diversity, as it is highly populated with Malay, Chinese, and Indian ethnicities. The first night, we walked around a lot and ate some Indian food, which was fantastic. The weather in KL was a lot hotter than Chiang Mai, but it was much easier to breathe because the air quality was not so bad. We basically walked the whole city within the week and saw all of the main attractions. We walked to the KL tower and looked around in the "Chocolate Paradise store". The KL tower is one of the main attractions and "Chocolate Paradise" is a famous store that sells all different types of Malaysian chocolates, which we were allowed to taste for free. We visited the city forest and walked the canopy walk. This is a small forest reserve in the middle of the city where there is a long canopy walk where you can see the bustling city from the peaceful forest escape, it was very cool. We also visited the National Mosque and ate a rabbit burger nearby. It was my first time eating rabbit and it may have been the best burger I have ever eaten. Malaysia also has great mango juice that I bought very frequently while I was there. We also took a trip to the botanical gardens, where we saw a few wild monkeys swinging in the trees. We walked the whole Eco-Park, which was very beautiful. It is a huge park of green space that is situated in a corner of the city which seems like a total getaway since it is so quiet. I liked how you are able to see the skyline of the city while walking the park. Near the hostel was another chocolate place where I bought a chocolate espresso with coconut milk. The food and drink of Malaysia may have been my favorite part of the trip. We ate a lot of Indian food, and I tried many things I never ate before such as stingray, which I am a big fan of now. We also visited many malls, including one next to the Patrona Towers where almost every store was top notch designer and there were Lamborghinis parked outside. We took the subway to the Batu Caves, which are massive and allow you to tour inside and climb hundreds of stairs to the top. There were monkeys everywhere in the area and they come really close to you, not frightened at all. It was super cool to be within touching distance of the monkeys as they play with each other and try to steal food. The Batu Caves were definitely a highlight of the trip and a must see for anyone visiting KL. One evening we went to a famous rooftop bar in the city where customers have to buy drinks on the main floor before being able to take the elevator to the roof. The rooftop bar was very cool since it was open and we were able to witness the sun go down over the top of the city. The views were amazing and being on top of the roof, on top of the city seemed so surreal. We sat next to two brothers from Amsterdam who left their job to travel throughout Southeast Asia for 6 months. It was interesting because that was actually there last night of their trip and their last stop was on the rooftop in KL before going home the next morning. We visited many open markets throughout the city and tried a lot of different street food that was being sold everywhere. On Saturday our plan was to stay a night at an island off of Malaysia. We planned on taking a train, bus, and ferry to get there but we ended up getting lost on the subway, forcing us to switch plans. Since we missed our stop, we ended up in a small town called Seremban, where many people don't see tourists. I was wearing a Malaysian soccer jersey that I had bought the night before and we passed by a youth soccer practice so everyone was excited and happy to see tourists. We spent the day trying the food and touring a mall before going back to KL. Although our island plans didn't succeed, it was really nice to see a local town in Malaysia. The last day on our trip we walked the street passing markets, shisha lounges, restaurants, and local stores. Our last stop was at KLCC park, which is a very nice park water fountains, people walking, restaurants, and a panoramic view of the whole city. We spent our time at Delirium, which is a famous brewing company located all across the world. We bought cherry beer that was the best thing on the menu but very cheap in Malaysia. It was an awesome experience that topped off my stay in KL. Our flight out was the next morning at 6:15 a.m, so we left the hostel at 4 a.m. Arriving back in Chiang Mai, we went and got some food before going home. I spent the whole day sleeping since I didnt sleep the night before. In conclusion, Malaysia was a very cool country that I am so happy that I got the chance to visit. I am not sure that i will ever return, but i would definitely be happy to since I enjoyed my time there very much. I am now planning more trips that are cheap and convienant for the days that I do not have school. I am researching places to budget travel to and I have a few destinations on my mind. It is crazy that midterms are next week and Mrch is approaching. I am enjoying this experience so much and now that I got the chance to leave Thailand, I am so curious to explore more!

Quick Update

Right now it is 3:37 A.M and I am laying on on the bottom bunk of the bed at the “Step Too” Hoste in Kula Lumpur Malaysia. My friend from USAC and I boarded our flight at 3pm after class today and we landed in KL at 7pm. KL is one hour ahead of Chiang Mai. So far I really like the city and it feels great to be outside of Thailand for a while and experience more of Asia. It is very very different. Malaysia is a majority Muslim country with a heavy Indian influence in the culture. We checked into our hostel earlier then headed out to walk a street market, eat food, and experience some of the KL nightlife. It was definitely a fun first night here. I am really tired so I am going to make it short but I will be uploading pics of my time here and continue blogging. Never would I of thought I would be in the capital of Malaysia 🇲🇾, but here I am. This has been the best opportunity to experience the best of the world and see countries I never thought I would.

Weekend In Chiang Rai

This past weekend was a blast! I went on a 2 day trip to Chiang Rai, along with 4 other people. We visited famous sights such as the Blue Temple, Black Temple, White Temple, and the giant Buddha statue. The Black Temple featured many animal bones and different animal skins and the White Temple had interesting depictions of demons and people climbing from "hell". We stayed at "Get Hi Hostel" in Chiang Rai which is located in the city center right in the middle of the walking market. We explored the market and tried out different street food along the way. The market had a lot of bugs to eat and I also saw an open cricket crate that was ready for frying. It was really cool to see and try! We ended up eating at an outdoor restaurant where a live Thai band was playing at. Chaing Rai is definitely a more laid back city where there is more of a blend of cultures. At the hostel there were other travelers who were there as well and I met a really cool guy from France and we sparked up a conversation, first about basketball, then we started talking about many other things. One of the many things I love about traveling is getting to meet really nice people from all over the world who share the same interests as you. Even though you may never meet that person ever again in life, its a beautiful feeling to be able to have a conversation, sharing each other's stories and plans, while traveling around the world. My next trip is planned and booked for February 22 to the 25. My friend and I are heading to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! I'm definitely excited for the experience and for some fun activities during this trip. As much as I like traveling alone, I have the opportunity to be traveling with new friends and create awesome memories around the globe!

Getting Ready To Travel

This past week has been really relaxing. I decided to start working out at the gym closest to my apartment, which I really like and will be buying a one-month membership to there on Monday. Last Tuesday I decided to use the city bikes and I cruised around town all day. I bought two more school shirts, which I needed. I also went to another gym, before walking by the mall and seeing the Chinese New Year celebration. Tomorrow morning I am leaving on a 7 person visit to Chiang Rai, which is a city outside of Chiang Mai. I will be staying at a hostel overnight while visiting multiple temples and the street markets. I am looking forward to seeing more of Northern Thailand! Also, below are some pictures from the bike tour.

The Countryside

Yesterday was the most exciting experience that I've had in Chiang Mai this far and definitely one of the best activities I have done in my life. I had never been mountain biking before so I took that chance and said: " Why not try it in Thailand?". I decided to book a tour through "Trailhead", a reputable mountain biking tour in the area, who has multiple tours and trails that people can experience. Not being an expert mountain biker, I decided to book the tour that was labeled as the "easiest". I decided to take this one because it took place in the Mai Rim district, a rural and countryside part of Thailand, which I really wanted to see. It's safe to say that I did underestimate the effort in mountain biking at first and it took me a while to get used to it. I started my day off by taking a car to the tour office in the Old City of Chiang Mai. At the office, I was given a free cappuccino while I waited to depart. Joining me was an older couple from Germany and a woman from Tawain. We boarded the van and set off with our two local guides. We first stopped at a waterfall and took some time to walk around it and take photos. It was not a super large waterfall but it was enclosed in large caves and rock which made it spectacular. After the waterfall, we departed to the starting point where we were fitted for our bikes and began the ride. The terrain throughout the ride varied from the pavement, rocks, dirt, and both uphill as well as downhill. The weather was beyond hot and the rural landscape made the sun scorch more. As one of our guides led the way, the other drove behind us in the van, carrying water and supplies. The other three people on the tour were always far behind, as I was the only one who stayed with the front guide even though it was pretty tough! The scenery and views throughout the tour were absolutely breathtaking, as we biked past coffee and tea plantations, bean farms, rice paddies, local villages, schools, and the mountainous background. It took some time learning how to operate the bike and switch the gears, but my guide helped a lot and was very friendly. Both guides were very supportive, funny, and organized the tour very well. We stopped for multiple breaks and they gave us some snacks and drinks. There were many stray dogs in the mountains, as well as spiders and an enormous snake that crossed the bike path. Towards the end of the tour, we biked through a suburban area where we stopped at a temple and were given fresh coconuts before we boarded the van and headed to lunch. We biked for approximately 5 hours and it was one of the best experiences I've ever been a part of. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant where we tried a variety of Thai dishes that were delicious. Finally, we were dropped off at the office and I made my way home. The Flower Festival was occurring in the city so I decided to walk around and buy food before heading to my apartment. I found a really good vendor that sold large Chinese chicken spring rolls and Kao Pad Moo, which is fried rice with pork. After eating I decided to walk the 1 hour home because the weather was so nice and I enjoyed seeing more of the city. As I am currently making more plans, I most definitely want to go mountain biking again and would love to go through the same company, perhaps booking a more challenging trail next time. Communicating with the locals has become a lot easier since I have learned the basic phrases and words. Tomorrow after class I plan on signing up for a local gym membership so I can go there every day to stay in shape. It's crazy to think that I have almost been in Thailand for a month now! I am loving being here and I am eager to experience more!