We had already passed through Kuala Lumpur (better known as “KL”) twice, spending a night here when we arrived in Malaysia and spending two more nights on the town with David on our way to Melaka, but we didn’t really explore KL until the end of our Malaysia visit. Our first impressions were just how modern and clean the city felt, especially after three months in Nepal and India, and that the city wasn’t as big as we expected. Pictures of the city featuring the iconic Petronas towers, the Menara KL tower, and other skyscrapers leave the impression that the city is a metropolis, much bigger than the city of one million residents that it actually is.
KL is also cosmopolitan. The extensive and integrated transit system (with light rail, monorail, and trains) is quick and efficient, and most of the buildings are modern (no doubt due to the fact that the city has only come into its own over the last 20 years). The numerous malls, western chain stores, and fast food outlets offer a decent facsimile of many U.S. cities, however, step around the corner and you might find a Chinese street food market, a fruit vendor selling stinky durian, or an Indian trying to lure you into his buffet restaurant. In this, we could really feel the melting pot of Malaysian society, where Indian and Chinese descended Malaysians coexist with the Muslim Malays. It was not uncommon to see an Indian parade blocking the traffic outside a Hindu temple, while only a few blocks away, in a shopping district, modestly dressed Malay women in headscarves are crossing paths with Chinese women in short-shorts and skimpy tops.
While exploring KL, we were underwhelmed by Chinatown, visited Merdeka Square, admired the Petronas Towers and enjoyed the A.C. of the huge mall at their base, and were awed by the views from the observation deck at Menara KL tower. We had a great time with our friends in this city and it made for a nice welcome to Southeast Asia.
Click on the photo below for our Kuala Lumpur photo album.
KL is also cosmopolitan. The extensive and integrated transit system (with light rail, monorail, and trains) is quick and efficient, and most of the buildings are modern (no doubt due to the fact that the city has only come into its own over the last 20 years). The numerous malls, western chain stores, and fast food outlets offer a decent facsimile of many U.S. cities, however, step around the corner and you might find a Chinese street food market, a fruit vendor selling stinky durian, or an Indian trying to lure you into his buffet restaurant. In this, we could really feel the melting pot of Malaysian society, where Indian and Chinese descended Malaysians coexist with the Muslim Malays. It was not uncommon to see an Indian parade blocking the traffic outside a Hindu temple, while only a few blocks away, in a shopping district, modestly dressed Malay women in headscarves are crossing paths with Chinese women in short-shorts and skimpy tops.
While exploring KL, we were underwhelmed by Chinatown, visited Merdeka Square, admired the Petronas Towers and enjoyed the A.C. of the huge mall at their base, and were awed by the views from the observation deck at Menara KL tower. We had a great time with our friends in this city and it made for a nice welcome to Southeast Asia.
Click on the photo below for our Kuala Lumpur photo album.
No comments:
Post a Comment