chinatowns Archives - Splinter's Paradise

Day 8: Kuala Lumpur: The Batu Caves and the Menara tower

January 3, 2014

I coordinated with Michaela to depart the hostel at 8:30 am for the Batu Caves, and later in the evening, I planned to visit the Menara Tower. On that day, a German named Elio, employed at a software company handling diverse projects, joined us. Leaving the hostel, we headed to KL Sentral. Kuala Lumpur’s mass rapid transit system struck me as amusing, reminiscent of children’s toys. To pass through the gates, you use these small blue plastic toy coins. Additionally, changing lines requires a new card or coin, which I found a bit inefficient. An interesting cultural note: public…

Day 3: Chinatown and Orchard Road

December 28, 2013

Embarking on a cultural adventure, I planned to explore Singapore’s Chinatown and Orchard Road today. My day began a bit later, around 10 am, with a modest breakfast at the hostel. Engaging in conversation, I met James, a 28-year-old Australian entrepreneur in architecture, currently on a Southeast Asia journey en route to Vietnam. His primary goal, however, was to celebrate New Year’s Eve with a friend in Singapore. It seemed many backpackers shared a similar motive for being in Asia during this time. Inviting James to join Yen and me on our visit to Chinatown, I was delighted when he…