FRIM is a forestry reserve on the borders of Kuala Lumpur. So the other day Bernice and I went there to see the wildlife, the forest and the Canopy Walkway – a rope bridge about 30 metres off the ground with views of FRIM and beyond.

Being in the forest is an unusual feeling for a city dweller like myself. Even though there’s a large area of preserved woodland near my hometown in London I spent regrettably little time in it. Not to mention that this is tropical forest and so is drastically different. It’s amazing the amount of vegetation that can be squeezed into every conceivable crevice and square inch and, although the forest is peaceful, it’s also very loud! The sound of all the insects in parts can be quite deafening.

Isn’t it amazing though how nature always keeps the ability to make you still, if you give it the slightest chance? It only takes a few seconds of stopping and listening to the forest to stop the rush and bustle of the mind, and to help you realise that we are only a very small part of what’s out there, not to mention how brief our existence has been. It reminds you of your real place in the world, and humbles you I think.

Well, having recovered from dehydration sickness plus a sneakily tacked on nasty throat infection, it’s back out to exploring various bits of Kuala Lumpur.

 

 

 

Unfortunately this means that our hosts have seen probably rather more of us than they expected! Fortunately we haven’t had to pay a hostel for the priviledge of staying in and being ill, and I’ve never been so grateful for cable T.V. than last week!

 

So this week we took our first ‘proper’ bus trip out of KL to a small, sleepy village called Gombak to visit the Orang Asli museum. The bus was truly knackered and squeaked and rattled over every single imperfection in the road – and believe me there’s many. All the same this just added to it’s charm, along with the fat, sweaty, smiley bus driver. This may sound a bit sad, but it was really exciting to get our first ‘locals’ bus way out of the city. The bus took over an hour, and we got to see many different neighbourhoods on out way out.

 

The Orang Asli museum is a museum about the indiginous tribes and peoples of the Malaysian peninsula (known collectively in Malay as ‘Orang Asli’). It’s a well presented and laid out museum with lots of interesting information about how many of these people are still alive, how they have intereacted with modern Malaysia, what their lives and customs are and what they’re up to now. It’s worth a visit and as already related, the trip there will take you far out of KL which is interesting in itself.

 

So after that trip to rural Selangor we eventually ended up at the Mid Valley Megamall the same day. Oh man, is that place a Megamall. It’s absolutely huge. Not only this, but the Megamall is also flanked by a couple of other malls in Mid Valley. It makes Lakeside, the Trafford Centre etc. look like your local chavvy shopping centre! 

 

We were there trying to buy silk sleeping bags. Now, we’re in a flamin’ hot country. There’s no way that you would ever want to use a sleeping bag here, even if you were camping. So we visited lots of camping type shops and departments. Could we find one? Could we my arse! Not only that, but silk here is very expensive. To buy the material and have the bag made will not cost much less than buying them in the UK!

 

So here’s a word to the wise – all those books that tell you that you can get your silk sleeping bags in South East Asia for 5 USD or whatever are obviously talking about everywhere else other than Malaysia!