Aren't We Courteous?

I'll finish the trip summary even though I'm home and enjoying reverse jet lag here in the Lou. After I left MF in Ko Tao, I went on to Ko Samui. I did not have any motion sickness during my long catamaran commute this time, and spent one night in Charlie's Huts on the Chaweng (schwing!) coast of Samui. It was uneventful, I was attacked by hungry mosquitoes or maybe just one that was stuck with me under my mosquito net in my bungalow. Its a week later and I still look diseased on my lower legs where the Samuin pest left 40+ marks for me to scratch on the duration of my travels. Thank God for the mystery Japanese potion that relieves mosquito itching. I'm all out, Mark said he shipped some home and I plan to use it and perhaps invest in it. Its a miracle!
I went on to Krabi and then to Ko Lanta. All three of these destinations- Samui, Krabi, and Lanta can be summed up with the same adjectives- quiet, beautiful beaches, crystal clear water, picture-perfect scenery, and pretty darned boring beyond that. It was not tourist season in the west so things were very quiet and only a few staff members were around the bungalows I was in. I had a little freakout time as my ATM card was rejected by the machines in Krabi and then in Lanta, and I was down to my last tiny bit of cash. It amounted to about $7 US, credit cards are accepted nowhere in southeast Asia so I was sweating. I planned enough to get to the next city- Trang- and didn't eat for one day. I thought if I could get to the train station in Trang there should be a suitable ATM and if not, at least I'd be in some slightly bigger city where I could attempt to somehow access my bank account.
I got to Trang and the card worked! I filled my pockets with cash, had a big meal and bought some gifts. Then I caught a bus to Hat Yai and from there to Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia. According to Lonely Planet, Hat Yai is where men from Singapore, Malaysia, and other Asian countries go to "get laid". Its a huge male tourist destination despite having no striking scenery or any landmarks. Go figure.
I caught a bus there to KL. I was feeling comfortable with my money, my timing and the fact that I'd finally picked up a few gifts for some friends. We came through customs and all the checkpoints after dark, I had been told this bus reached KL at around 7 AM so I'd have the morning hours to hunt down a place to stay and some food. I fell asleep, and was awakened by all the passengers exiting the bus at 3 AM. THREE IN THE MORNING. I had been chatting with a Malaysian guy at a rest stop and he woke me up. Downtown KL at 3 AM is what the Bronx looked like at 3 AM, only cleaner. Every single thing is closed, dark, and sealed up. I realized in talking to my new Malasian friend that no Thai money is accepted there and the ATMs were all closed for the night. So again, I am stuck with no money in a place where credit cards are as valuable as gum wrappers.
The Malaysian, Siva, told me he lived in the outskirts of KL and was going to just grab a hotel room for a few hours then head out of town. He told me to come with him. So I look at this objectively: new country, unknown city, no money, total stranger telling me to come to a hotel where I know I cannot pay. The guy was friendly, did not assume I'd share a room with him, but still! Then, like an angel, a man walked up with a flier for a guest house!! The guys says, are you two together? Do you need a place to stay- in English! He tells me the house is a block away and is free for the first night as long as you stay at least one more.
I bid Siva goodbye and followed the guest house guy into a hostel in the heart of KL and the perfect location for exploring the city. It also had hot water and AC, my first of the trip. I slept until the morning daylight, then went trekking around KL. I loved it. I know I'm a city person, but this reminded me of that all over again. KL was sort of a clean New York City, a smaller Shanghai, and sort of Chicago-esque. The diversity there, and I assume in most of Malaysia is also unusual for Asia. There are Indians, Middle Easterners, Malays and other natives, lots of Chinese, and many black and white people of all backgrounds. Malaysia is a Muslim country, the first I'd been to. Many of the women wear headscarves, and alcohol is pretty scarce, but this was all I noticed about the Islamic influence. Apparently there is much of that influence over the architecture too, but I'm not well versed in architecture or Islam so it was really lost on me. I went up in the KL Tower, not Petronas which are the highest twin towers in the world and the second highest buildings in the world, and took some great photos. I wandered around all day, seeing Chinatown and some major shopping districts, some beautiful architecture and an urban rain forest (the only one in the world). I saw the stadium where Malaysians proclaimed their independence from Britain, and the home of the royal family who are mostly ceremonial leaders. I enjoyed the city immensely and have never met friendlier people. Many Malays speak Enlish and all signs are in both English and Malay. On the monorail, there was a huge sign on a window over 4 seats that said (in Malay and English), "These seats reserved for elderly, pregnant ladies, and disabled people. Aren't we courteous?"
Indeed.
After a 50 hour journey through KL, Stockholm, Newark, Times Square, Long Island, Chicago, and finally Lambert International in St. Louis, I came home.
I'm unpacking in my new place, very slowly but surely. My Cardinals have clinched and today I somehow squeezed through the online ticket system and ensured that many Fingerhuts will see many playoff games again. My jet "lag" has actually manifested itself in extra hours that I am wide awake. I have not yet used an alarm clock since arriving at home, despite some early morning commitments and I've done crazy, non-Lynn things like waking at 6:30 and walking the dog, washing screens and scrubbing the bathtub before showering and getting ready for the day. Usually that time would be spent sleeping, hitting snooze, then scrambling to brush my teeth and get out of the house in 15 minutes. I wonder if this will last? I don't mind, it'd be nice if the need for sleep remains low until I am completely unpacked and settled in my new place, which I love.
My latest journey is over, the adventure complete and now I'm certain I can handle solo international travel. There were moments of loneliness, and lots of "someone else needs to see this!" times, but it sure beats never going anywhere at all. I'll take solo trips over no trips for the rest of my life. It's kind of empowering. I recommend it.
'Til later...