Hanging around in Johor Bahru

Well this is definitely one of those weeks that will go down in the memory banks and no doubt be regurgitated as an interesting anecdote at some future time – most probably after a drink or three –
“do you remember that whole week we spent in that city in Malaysia just waiting for the next boat to leave … couldn’t swim cause the pool was full of little weeing kids … on top of a weird shopping mall….ate heaps….had a massage …. had a haircut….stingy with the bath mats….kept flooding the bathroom….only white face for days….Tesco’s downstairs… only people buying alcohol….rediscovered two minute noodles…?”.

After another epic 600 km train journey we have arrived in Malaysia’s second largest city – Johor Bahru. The plan is to hang here for a week before crossing back into the more expensive Singapore where we will be catching our next cruise ship that will land us in England.
We are currently staying in the 868 room KSL hotel above the KSL shopping mall. Its one of those older style Asian malls with a huge amount of nail salons and hair dressers. The smell of durian fruit and fish curry permeates every corner. Downstairs there is a Tesco’s supermarket which has become extremely handy in providing us with those everyday staples such as Tiger beer, chocolate biscuits, noodles and as we don’t get a gourmet buffet here – muesli for breakfast. We are staying on the 23rd floor and its become a ritual to toast the sun setting over the city with a Tiger beer in hand.

Today we broke with routine and treated ourselves to a “Royal Massage Package” – a 1/2 body scrub ,1/2 stream room followed by 1.5 hour massage. Normally reticent in participating in anything like this – Darryl was at first hesitant. It was only to alleviate back pain that he agreed to come with me. A commitment he would have thrown to the winds if I had told him beforehand about the little paper undies he  would have to put on.
Everything in the hotel is dark, you can barely see into the restaurants, the corridors are so dimly lit as to be trip hazards, our bathroom requires a torch. We have noticed that since leaving Australia we have not seen one female room attendant – from the boat until now – every room attendant has been male.
Friday will see us heading back over the border to Singapore where we plan to do some 50th birthday celebrating before boarding our next ship Saturday morning.