32 hours in Kuala Lumpur
Kingsley and Simone had an overnight work trip to Kula Lumpur so his girlfriend (perhaps soon to be fiance?) Lisa and I decided to tag along and check out KL together.
Kuala Lumpur literally means "muddy confluence" which in many ways is a perfect metaphor for the city. East and West, Muslim and Christian, traditional and modern, a little bit of everything.
Non-metaphorically the name fits as well. KL is fairly chaotic and not quite as clean as Singapore. That being said, I sometimes wonder if I will ever find a country that will compete with Singapore in the "organized and clean" category...
Typical street in the city. Shop houses on the ground floor, apartments above.
laundry on the clothes line + pigeons = disaster waiting to happen
Durian Fruit stall which sold the biggest Durian fruit I have ever seen, at least I think that's what they were...
Of course being in a Muslim country, we saw lots of Mosques. Traditional Islamic dress is visible on the street as is the latest western designer labels.
Petaling Street is the heart of Chinatown in KL. It's bustling market that never sleeps and sharp bargaining skills are a must. Lisa is a much better bargainer but I was able to pick up a few tips from her and I think I improved as we shopped our way through the market.
Shopping till we almost dropped left us famished so we found an Arabic rooftop cafe for a merenda (Italian word for afternoon snack). The Arabic Restroran served such wonderful food we couldn't help but go back the next day and order the exact same thing... I would highly recommend this place if you are ever in KL.
The Arabic Coffee House and Restoran located on Jalan Bukit Bintang road
Petronas towers- which use to be the tallest towers in the world until 2004 when it was surpassed by the Taipei 101. The towers are 1482.9 feet tall.
After only 32 hours in the "muddy confluence" I am aware that I really only scratched the surface of this fascinating city. But my excitement at returning to the structure and safety of Singapore made me think perhaps this is one of those destinations best explored in small doses.
Labels:
Malaysia,
Travel Adventures
:) I remember when Glen and I were at varsity he went with his construction management class to the far east. It was when the Petronas towers were under construction so it was a big deal. He said the craziest part was that the scaffolding was made of bamboo tied together!!
Fascinating place Lynn. You certainly have been exposed to a myriad of cultures.