Too Brief a Trip to Malaysia
After two weeks in India Sean and I craved a break from the terrifying traffic, 100+ degree heat and constant crush of peddlers, beggars and people on the streets. We found respite not at an ashram, on the beach or even in the Himalayas. Instead we ended up decompressing in a completely different country, Malaysia.
A brief work assignment had brought us to the ultra modern and immaculate capital Kuala Lumpur. Although I had been a little skeptical about the destination — I had hoped to make it not to Southeast Asia but to Nepal on this journey — this city of two million quickly won my heart. With law-abiding drivers, 90-degree weather and subdued pedestrians KL provided us with both a figurative and literal breath of fresh air.
On our first day in Kuala Lumpur we wandered over to the verdant Perdana Lake Garden. Talk about a refreshing stroll! Number of Malaysians who accosted us on our 15-minute walk to the public park? Zero! Number of times that we jumped out of the path of deranged drivers barreling down the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic? Once again, nil!
Inside the tranquil garden we followed a well-marked, paved path to the KL Bird Park. The world’s largest free flight, walk-in aviary, the KL Bird Park housed over 5,000 birds and 50 different species. Ninety percent were indigenous to Malaysia. From the multi-colored lories and parrots to the milky white storks and pink flamingos all were spectacular to see.
High points of the KL Bird Park? Taking photos of the petite but plump conures, prancing peacocks and surreal hornbills. Watching Sean feed the bold lories. Watching a staff person feed fish to the yellow-billed storks. Sitting down at a cafe table and eating ice cream bars in the quiet and pristine park. What a pleasant and relaxing afternoon!
More bustling but no less pleasurable was the night market on Petaling Street. To reach this open air market, we took the subway to Chinatown and walked one block to the crowded, pedestrian-only area. There we found endless aisles of produce vendors, coffee roasters, shoe and clothing salesmen, tchotchke shops and Southeast Asian restaurants. Anything that you could possibly want, including exotic fruits, knock-off Fendi purses and miniature replicas of the Petronas Twin Towers, you could buy at the night market.
We couldn’t visit Kuala Lumpur without seeing the city’s most famous site, the Petronas Twin Towers. Until the Tapei 101 usurped them, the 88-story Petronas Towers were the tallest skyscrapers in the world. Although they’ve lost that title, they still remain the tallest twin towers in existence.
Our first glimpse of them came courtesy of the KL Tower, the world’s 4th tallest communications tower. From the KL Tower’s observation deck we could take in all of Kuala Lumper, including the nearby Petronas Twin Towers. Our next peek was from a cab during a storm. Tired of all the teasers, we finally took the subway to KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Center) and went into the Towers. As visitors can only travel to the skybridge on the 41st floor and as the Skybridge had reached its limit of visitors for the day, we stuck to the 6-level Suria KLCC shopping mall. Air conditioning, cafes, high-end stores – the Suria KLCC in the Twin Towers had it all.
Other great sites and aspects of KL? The Menara Kuala Lumpur or KL Tower was a neat spot. Situated high on a hill, it appeared taller the the Petronas Towers although, in reality, it’s not. Likewise, we relished the light, delicious cuisine, the iced beverages, clean and efficient railway system and slower pace of Malaysia. Granted, it’s not perfect — take a look at the headlines about the caning of a female, Muslim tourist or the country’s political woes — but for us a few peaceful days in Kuala Lumpur was exactly what we needed.
