Christmas Shopping in KL

I had such a fabulous time in Vietnam, I really want to go back. I think that Gap Adventures are one of the best tour companies I have ever booked with - and they're not even a tour company! They were just brilliant, and the people on our tour were lovely.

But even though I had really enjoyed myself in Vietnam, I was really looking forward to the next few days in KL. Just to be on my own again, not having to worry about dealing with anyone else - that's what I was looking forward to. And I still had a load of Christmas shopping to do!

KL is one of Asia's shopping meccas. I would have to say that after Singapore, it would be my favourite Asian place for shopping - the sheer variety and size of the department stores, the cheap price of the Malaysian Ringgit - its just fabulous. And as I had done a bit of sight seeing already last time I was here, and as I still had more presents to get - I was anxious to drop my bags off at the hostel and get cracking!

But getting to the hostel was an interesting experience. I got the train from the airport no worries, and arrived at KL Sentral - and then the fun began. Because whilst the last time I was in KL (only a few weeks earlier) all I had was a backpack and a day bag, now I also had another duffle bag, a suit bag, a new day bag (full to the brim) and my backpack was considerably fuller (and consequently, heavier). I had more bags than hands - so I had a backpack on my back, my day bag on the front, suit bag suspended from the day bag, and I was carrying the duffle. It was quite impressive.

With this rather fetching ensemble I attempted to get a taxi. Not a problem, but I only needed to go a short distance (in fact only 2 stops on the tube) - and they wanted something like 50 ringgit ($15 AUD) for the privilege - paid in advance - as that was the minimum fare or something. So I girded up my loins and braved the tube.

Which was perfectly fine, except that at the end of the journey (it was only 2 stops after all) I had a bit of messing about to do to find the way out - and then quite a walk to the hostel. About 10 minutes or so - but with heavy luggage, it might as well have been 10 hours.

Once I arrived at the hostel I checked into my room - which was a single room, allegedly airconditioned (yes I had splurged the extra few dollars for the privilege) - but in fact was a broom cupboard with a window fan that blew the outside, airconditioned air into the room. Hmm. We'll see about that.

I dumped my bags and headed straight back to my favourite department store - Suria KLCC at the Petronas Towers. Straightaway I was off for a Starbucks and a hunt for Barbie... especially as, being a tourist, I was entitled to a special discount card at select stores.

I particularly liked Suria KLCC because of the beautiful Christmas decorations - don't get me wrong, the other stores had them too, but maybe because of its location, or the fact this was the first department store I found in KL, or I don't know why, but I thought their decorations were the best. And they had live carolling as well. Kind of puts us to shame, that they can have live carolling in a Muslim country, yet us, in our so-called Christian country, won't play them for fear of upsetting the Muslims. Madness.

Anyway, In the end I ended up spending pretty much the two days wandering about this department store and quite a few others, looking for Harry's General Grievous, a barbie for Miss M, gifts for Beck, Mel, Mum... everyone basically. It was really good though - I had a fabulous time. I was most impressed when I happened upon Uniqlo outside one of the department stores! And I had many an enjoyable latte at Starbucks...

Suffice to say that clearly the shopping was good, because my bags were even more bulging when I left. I had now added to the collection a plastic shopping bag full of Barbie house for Miss B - so when I made my way to the airport, I was well and truly overladen. And surprisingly the airline let me get away with it - even though they were the pocksie Air Asia (which can I just add, I would never fly with them again). I guess they were ok, but if you didn't order your meal when you bought your ticket - or even a blanket or a pillow - you just couldn't get one. And at the time I didn't see the point in renting a pillow - not until I discovered that the flight was not full, and I had a whole row to myself - except it was a 2 seat row, and I just could not get comfortable!

The other problem with AirAsia is that they fly in to Coolangatta. Firstly, they lost my bag. Literally. Which was quite annoying as I met a cute guy on the plane and he had offered to drive me to Brisbane - but when my bags got delayed, he just left without me. And the annoying thing was no one from Air Asia would help me find my bag, or would give me any information. In the end I begged a baggage handler to go out back and just double check that the duffle bag, with ALL of my Christmas gifts in it, wasn't out there. Lucky I did - because it was!

Eventually I made it through customs (that takes an eternity also), and then began the very lengthy, and very arduous, task of making my way home via bus and train... which took almost as long as the flight...