Kuala Lumpur – Shining City of Malaysia

My writing spot in the mall

Night in Chinatown

As I write this, I’m sitting next to a giant terracotta figure in a nice mall in the Chow Kit area of Kuala Lumpur, one of the prettiest cities I’ve been in yet in Southeast Asia. Malaysia has taken a tad of getting used to because of its distinct multi-culture, dominated by Muslim sensibilities. Oddly, it is the most different from the other countries I’ve visited and at the same time the most westernized in its infrastructure, especially Kuala Lumpur. 

This is a city of sparkling new sky-scrapers, an ultra-modern mono-rail system and highways that look like they are also brand-new or nearly so.  However, I spent six days in their wonderful Chinatown, where very little is modern. If it wasn’t for the designer apparel for sale in most of the vendor stalls along the streets, this could be a throw-back to the 60s. 

Lion dancer performs before an excited crowd

View from KL Tower

Today is my last day here in KL (as the natives refer to it) and I feel like I got a good, intimate look at the city. I rode the mono-rail, the free city bus and the tourist Hop-On-Hop-Off bus. I walked a few streets in the Chinatown area and discovered two temples; one was my first Hindu temple, an amazingly beautiful building (if not as elaborate as the Buddhist temples I’ve seen far and wide). I rode the elevator in the KL Tower to the observation deck 250 feet up and looked out over a hazy maze of giant buildings. I couldn’t perceive the pollution from the street and it’s nothing in comparison to cities I my own country.

Lovely old buildings are revered here too

I spent 6 nights in a perfectly pleasant hotel in Chinatown, but changed to a dismal dump because I thought I should expand my horizons and didn't know it was a pit. But the change did get me next to the Quill City mall, which has provided me with good meals, a movie and a bunch of experiences talking to locals during my hardship. I'd insert smiley face here if this wasn't a super-serious blog.

The Bird Park – Aviary – was something I couldn’t resist but probably should have, however, again  you don’t know until you know. It was very much like my disappointing experience in the Chiang Mai Zoo. Not many varieties of birds led to the same feeling of being cheated. 

Inside the Hindu temple

The transportation hub KL Sentral

There truly are at least 20 other things to see and do here, which I didn't get to. Just observing such a gorgeous, well-designed city is a real treat. So, I’m off to Melaka next, taking a host of memories with me. 

If you get to Southeast Asia, make your way to Kuala Lumpur! You won’t be disappointed.

Cheating on Penang

Loading on the ferry

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while now but shame kept getting the better of me. You see, I really did cheat on Penang Island. 

Plantar fasciitis had already begun to get the better of me and so…once I got on the Hop-on-hop-off tourist bus I only got off long enough to finally have something to eat. Otherwise, I stayed on the bus not getting off to “see” the tourist attractions. I know…shame on me.

Another ferry and the view

But, I have to tell you that this was one of my best days. It started on the ferry to Penang (I was actually staying in Butterworth, thinking Penang would be too busy for me. Not a valid concern) which was 1) incredibly cheap at $.30 for the ride over and free for the ride back 2) a great view of the island from offshore and 3) I love a boat ride.

Next, I met a taxi driver on the ferry and he convinced me to take his cab to the nearest HOHO bus stop – a mistake because the nearest stop is right outside the ferry terminal. However he took me to Fort Cornwalliis, which had just recently been taken off the route (I’m sure he had no idea) and I had a great time walking the interior, getting my picture taken in prison and having the best coffee of my trip yet at a little café inside the fort. 

Fort Cornwallis

Let me tell you a bit about that coffee. I like my coffee with 3 sugars and 3 creams – sweet and light – so I doctored the cup they brought me but the color did not change – at all. I thought ‘Oh, no!’ but I found the taste was just right – luxuriously rich. Shows what we think we know isn’t always what is.

The start of the beach leg of HOHO

So next I was off to the post office to mail my postcards from Hai Long Bay (back in Vietnam) and that took a bit of walking, then trying to find the nearest HOHO bus stop was an exercise in futility as the taxi drivers hate it (it’s recently been inaugurated) and misdirected me each time I asked. I finally had to get a taxi to take me to the nearest stop – which it wasn’t – and then, at last, board the bus. Yay!

From here it was nothing but great. I did both tours – the city (Georgetown) and the beach – in one day. Saw lots of a beautiful city – entirely livable even for Westerners – and a glorious beach route. However, the beaches that are accessible to tourists are small, unless you stay at one of the big hotels – Holiday Inn, etc.

A beautiful residential section

I highly recommend this method for at least an overview of the city. If you’re healthy, there are plenty of stops to get off and enjoy.

So – in conclusion – a big thumbs up for Fort Cornwallis (and the coffee), the ferry (whether you need to or not) and the HOHO bus (which cost 45 ringgits for the day – equal to $9.45 – for a 24 hour pass).

My bes beach shot

Malaysia continues to make me happy!

Travels with Ian

Ian, my new friend.

Many people, even the residents of Ipoh, Malaysia, questioned why in the world I’d want to spend time in this “small” town of 700,000. One young hairstylist commented, “There’s nothing to do here.” Since Ipoh is not a typical tourist destination, I understood what he meant, but often people are blinded by familiarity.

One amazing mural

Fortunately for me, not everyone feels that way. A very interesting young man, Ian, loves his hometown and spent four hours with me over two days proudly showing me what it has to offer… a lot. I’ve been having problems with plantar fasciitis in my left heel, so trudging through several of the attractions was off the table, but he took me to see some of the things your average tourist wouldn’t see. This is just the type of experience I’m seeking in my travels.

Kek Lok Tong temple cave

Ipoh is a town made rich in the 1920s and 30s by the mining of tin. Fortunes were made but the industry has long since seen its heyday. There are still wealthy people here, some from the riches of their mining history; the lovely residential areas with their tree-lined streets and decorative light posts that center-divide the thoroughfares giving evidence of that fact.

The garden beyond the cave

Ian drove me through the Old Town, weaving through the back streets to show me some of the murals Ipoh is famous for, treated me to an iced white coffee (also something for which the town is noted) and included a ride into the hilly countryside to see temple caves, the most outstanding of which - Kek Lok Tong - burrows through the mountainside and opens into a tiny valley that has been transformed into a Japanese garden. It was awe-inspiring and deserves more time and attention than we could give it that day.

Concubine Lane

Day two was a lunch date at a well-known café on the infamous Concubine Lane and a trek to the deserted grounds of the Iskandar Polo Club, which hugs a limestone hillside. I really loved the watercress and roasted pork over rice - an incredible flavor - however, arriving at a verdant polo field (I’ve never seen one before) and strolling over to the pond where the only other people were fishing in the shade of a towering cliff of limestone was the treat of the day. Here I could picture coming to fish myself or simply sitting in the quiet for hours on end.

To say I had a satisfying tour by a true local is to understate the experience. I had two days of adventure with a generous and intelligent guide who took me on out of the goodness of his heart. My deep thanks to you, Ian.

Watercress and roasted pork - YUM!

Lunch at Restoran Wong Koh Kee

Another fabulous mural!