14 Feb. Kuala Lumpur
Cloudy skies had moved in and threatened rain, which
would detract from experience of taking a boat back from Taman Negara. I went by
boat anyway and enjoyed the ride again; hardly any rain fell. From the pier I
had a pleasant ride by bus over the hills and back to central Kuala Lumpur. This
time I would have six days in the city to see the sights and walk around the
neighborhoods. I would have been happy to stay again in the Jalan Tebing 633
Residency highrise, but it wasn’t available for all the nights I would be here.
So I had booked a room at Charisma Hotel through Airbnb, which worked out to
US$16.48/night, cheaper than the normal rate, but I had to pay the Malaysian
tourist tax of RM10/night, which is charged at hotels but not private rooms. The
room was fine, and located in a mainly Chinese area. Nearby at Restoran
Vegetarian Yuet Sum Hin (Jalan Changkat Thambi Dollah) I had a very tasty
claypot beancurd, crispy spring rolls with brown rice, and a pot of jasmine tea.
15 Feb. Kuala Lumpur
Public transport has improved since my last visit
with the multiple lines better integrated. A monorail station was closest to
where I stayed, so I headed over and took it to the northern end of the line
near Titiwangsa Lake Gardens. Here I went for a long walk in the large gardens,
then turned into the National Visual Arts Gallery http://www.artgallery.gov.my.
The gallery had organized a big show called the “Kuala Lumpur Biennale 2017”
with the theme “Alami Belas/Be Loved.” Works by many artists had a lot of life
and diversity. I then took the monorail line to its other end, and got to sit
near the front where I could watch the driver at the controls. The monorail is a
bit slow and creaky compared to the sleek light rail trains, but has character!
At the KL Sentral terminal I had just a short walk to MTR 1924 (69 Jalan Thambi
Pillai) in the Brickfields neighborhood. I was too late for lunch and too early
for dinner, so had a flavorful snack of boonda soup and masala dosa plus a sweet
lassi and masala tea.
16 Feb. (Chinese New Year) Kuala Lumpur
Rides
on the monorail and a light rail took me north to the KLCC station near the base
of the famous Petronas Twin Towers. The architecturally splendid Suria KLCC
shopping center
https://www.suriaklcc.com.my/ here had been decorated to the hilt for
Chinese New Year. People were taking selfies like mad. But because this would be
the year of the dog, and Muslims consider dogs unclean, the Chinese had to be
diplomatic and largely avoid using canine images in public areas. After a stroll
through the shopping center, I emerged into hazy sunshine and walked around the
fountains and park next to the Petronas Twin Towers.
Next I wandered
through a part of older Kuala Lumpur that has many colorful shop houses. The art
gallery Lostgens’ had a show of contemporary artists and I got to meet a few of
them. Lots of gods inhabit the towers and shrines of the Mahamariamman Temple,
founded in 1873 and the oldest Hindu temple in Malaysia. It honors the South
Indian form of the goddess Parvati.
A little farther north I stepped
into the incense-filled Sin Sze Si Ya Temple that dates from 1874 and is the
oldest Chinese temple in the city. I ended up in an Indian area near Masjid
Jamek, where I headed into Sangeetha Veg. Restaurant (65 Lebuh Ampang) for a
Punjab thali along with a lime soda and masala tea.
17 Feb. Kuala Lumpur
My favorite museum here is the Islamic Arts Museum https://www.iamm.org.my/
(RM12), a beautiful structure of domes and spacious halls filled with treasures
from the Islamic world. Detailed models show many of the most famous mosques
fill one area and splendidly decorated Qurans and other manuscripts fill
another. Other halls display diverse art and crafts from India, China, Malaysia,
and other nations.
In the evening I headed for the heights—KL Tower!
https://www.menarakl.com.my/index.php At 421 meters it’s claimed to be the
seventh tallest telecommunication tower in the world and the tallest in
Southeast Asia. Admission is pricey, but I got a discounted online ticket for
the Observation Deck (276 meters) at RM40 through Klook. I then walked around
the circular deck to watch the city landscape transform as day gave way to
night. The Petronas Twin Towers with their gleaming stainless-steel highlights
looked especially attractive among the forest of skyscrapers. For dinner I
headed to Brickfields for a very tasty South Indian meal at MTR 1924.
18
Feb. Kuala Lumpur
Today I took in art at the large public gallery ILHAM
www.ilhamgallery.com/ that’s two
light rail stops east of the Petronas Towers. It hosts visiting shows, and most
works on display tended toward the abstract.
Back in the center, I went
to the onion-domed Masjid Jamek near the confluence of the Klang and Gombak
rivers. Nearby, waterfalls pour off the roof of a curious black structure called
the ‘Countdown Clock’ that photographs visitors and posts the images on large
panels.
Next I strolled west to see the large St. Mary’s Anglican
Cathedral, then turned south along the vast Merdeka Square, site of Malaysia’s
declaration of independence in 1957 and flanked by grand buildings. At the south
end of the square I stepped into KL City Gallery, full of colorful historic
exhibits, with the most impressive a sound-and-light show centered on a huge
model of the city.
With the day nearly over, I walked a few blocks east
of Masjid Jamek to a branch of Saravana Bhavan (26 Leboh Ampang) for a fine
South Indian ‘Special Meals’; it’s across the street from the Sangeetha, where I
dined two days ago. Soon after I returned to the metro, a rain shower fell, but
I was safely inside. I got off the monorail at Berjaya Times Square, said to be
one of the largest shopping malls in the world with more than 1000 retail shops.
The cinema had the new movie Black Panther (RM15.50), which I was curious to see
after having read enthusiastic reviews. And the movie delivered with lots of
stories, action, exotic-looking sets, and elaborate costumes.
19 Feb.
Kuala Lumpur
I headed back to the Petronas Towers area to meet creatures of
the water at Aquaria KLCC
http://aquariaklcc.com/. I had bought the RM48 online through Klook. A tank
full of piranha, looking innocent enough, greeted visitors at the start. The
electric catfish wouldn’t win a beauty contest, but the lion fish would. Asian
small-clawed otters would win a cuteness competition. Many anemones and corals
live here too. A tunnel led through an ocean aquarium with sharks, rays, sea
turtles, and many kinds of fish. Divers entertained audiences.
Lastly I made
a quick visit to the four big halls of the National Museum (RM5) to experience a
bit of the nation’s history and culture. Then I returned to Saravana Bhavan for
another ‘Special Meals.’ I’ve enjoyed the visits to Kuala Lumpur, and it’s a
place I would like to return.
Back to beginning of Southeast Asia Backpacking Jan.-April 2018