Port Kelang/Kuala Lumpur

Decided once again not to go into Kuala Lumpur – a very long day with too many hours of road travel. Still very tired from travel and tomorrow we have a very long day in Phuket. Karen and David decided to go and went off in a taxi. Jan and Layne stayed on the ship. Julie suggested that we hop on the shuttle bus to Klang to a local mall. Why not? Well, it was just that – a mall- and one of the largest I have ever seen….puts our RI/Mass malls to shame. I thought that perhaps there would be some local flavor and souvenirs. Well, flanking the entrance were: Starbucks, Roy Rogers and McDonalds. Hah!

Well, we wandered around a bit and came on an unusual place where we noticed a fish tank with one poor tiny shark going round and round…then we saw another tank filled with tiny fish. A girl came over and invited us to put our hands in the tank. Why not? The fish immediately swarmed around the fingers and proceeded to groom them. It tickled! What a hoot! It was a fish foot therapy establishment. Ross and I booked a half an hour. Julie demurred. We took our shoes off, showered our feet, sat on the teak floor and leaned back against leather banquettes. We immersed our legs into the tanks and immediately burst out laughing – it tickled so much. I am not sure how much dead skin our little friends consumed, but it was very relaxing indeed.

The major focus of fish foot therapy is skin exfoliation. The concept is that you soak your feet in a warm pool teemed with tiny hungry ‘doctor fishes’. Doctor fishes are scientifically known as Garra rufa and are natives of Turkish towns, Sivas and Kangal. In 2006, the inch-long fish, sometimes called reddish log suckers, started turning up in hot springs in Japan and Croatia The fish were imported by China, South Korea, Belgium and the Netherlands. Next, inexpensive “fish foot therapy” was being offered in shopping malls and department stores in Japan, South Korea and Singapore. Now the fish spas are spreading throughout Soon Southeast Asia, although Kuala Lumpur seems to have the most. The warm temperature of the water ensures that nutrients do not survive. This means the ravenous doctor fishes eats away dead and scaly skins softened by the warm water, revealing soft, pink, smooth and healthy skin underneath. People with psoriasis and other skin disorders have for decades flocked to outdoor hot springs near Kangal, Turkey, where the minnow-like Garra rufa fish naturally breed and feed. The species of carp, which have no teeth, painlessly nibble away humans' dead skin. (Internet)
We’d had enough of the mall and went back to the ship for lunch and an afternoon of relaxation, followed by cocktails and another hilarious dinner (the phantom 7th and 8th persons never showed up – I don’t think they exist!). Early night in preparation for our long day tomorrow.