Wednesday, June 1, 2011

On the road again... Adelaide ---> Melbourne ---> KL


2011 has already been a pretty interesting year for me. I spent the first few months in Sydney, chasing after a girl. Staying in Manly was fantastic (see photo below!) but in the end she got away so I decided to pack my bags, grab a one-way ticket to Europe and let the chips fall where they may.


My immediate plans involve hiking, biking and backpacking in Ireland, Germany and Czech Republic. Although my long-term plans are still pretty vague, I'm going get an apartment in Berlin for a month (from mid-July) and then try to do the same somewhere in Ireland and see which I like better.

Despite being away from Adelaide often over the past few years this trip feels somehow different. Maybe the uncertainty of not knowing when I'll be back is playing a part or maybe I'm just getting old, but I feel a lot more sentimental about leaving my hometown, friends and family than I expected. Despite what all the people say, Adelaide really is a lovely town. You should really check it out some time!



My AirAsia flight departed from Melbourne so I stopped over there for a couple of nights, checked that Hermie was still alive and received a last minute pep-talk from TheGasman and friends. The only problem with eating out in Melbourne is that it sets the bar unrealistically high - other cities' restaurants just can't compete.



Going from Melbourne winter to Kuala Lumpur, where every day is 32 degrees and 100% humidity, wasn't easy. When I walked into my hostel the guy at the desk asked me if it was raining outside - fortunately he never got close enough to smell me.

I've spent quite a bit of time in KL over the past couple years and it feels a bit like a home away from home for me now. This trip I ate plenty of delicious food, met some cool people and had a couple of great nights out - the perfect start to my trip.



While wandering around the Chinatown markets with some crazy Norwegians (is there any other kind?) I was able show off my legendary bartering skills. I showed some interest in a flat-cap and initially the price was set at RM35 (A$10). I offered RM10, walked away at RM12 then turned around to reconsider. On closer inspection I found that the cap was slightly damaged and didn't quite fit properly. The price was reduced to RM8 then RM5 before the seller finally give up and offered to give cap to me for nothing. I politely decined. :)

No comments: