… also known as KL. The capital of Malaysia, KL is bursting at the seams, a blend of old British colonialism and modern technology. The country is ruled by a rotating group of Sultans; each rules for five years before the next Sultan’s turn. The country’s main export used to be tin; however, the tin mines are now mostly closed, and the land used for new towns and cities. Malaysia has a “My Second Home” project, which encourages foreigners to buy property under very favorable terms, contributing to a building boom. But it’s hot and humid year round …
Our first stop was the new King’s Palace, an ornate structure, guarded by mounted horsemen with unfazeable horses! The timing was perfect to see the changing of the guard. Independence Square with its huge flagpole commemorates the fight for independence – and is a cricket field!
A brisk walking tour took us through Jalan Petaling, a busy and crowded street market. It was morning, and vendors were setting up shop when we arrived.
We passed a Chinese temple, and stopped at a Hindu temple. As luck would have it, a Hindu procession passed us as we left.
We stopped at Sin Sze Si Ya Temple, the oldest Chinese temple in Kuala Lumpur. Burning incense is important to the faith, and temple workers busily rolled incense packets for the faithful. Looked like they already had more than enough …
Indoor, air-conditioned Central Market was next. It was about 95 degrees and 95% humidity outside, so this was a really welcome respite. And I learned how to use my singing bowls for space clearing …
Now mid-afternoon, the bus dropped us famished sightseers at Traders Hotel, near the iconic Petronas Tower. After a few pictures, we consumed a Malaysian buffet lunch with gusto! The yellow watermelon was fabulous!
The final stop was the Selangor Pewter Factory, where we watched a woman rhythmically tap twice in each spot and then rotate the cup, to produce the following result:
It was a very full day!
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