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February 14, 2006
A day in Kuala Lumpur
This is my third time in Kuala Lumpur and I am staying, semi-luxuriously, at the New World Renaissance Hotel in downtown near the Petronas Towers. It is also beside the Pakistani embassy, which is really pretty. A taxi takes me there for 10 Malaysian Ringgit, about US$3.75, for a five minute ride which I now realize is a total rip off. Once I arrive at 5am I discover that they won’t let me check in until late-morning. I am so beat from the journey that I agree to a full nights charge just to get some more sleep. It was worth the extra 245 Ringgit (US$65) and a mistake to take a bus that was arriving that early.
Waking up at 10am was good, rather than sleeping all day. My time in KL was limited to just 30-some hours, so I quickly set upon a walkabout of town. First stop was Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) where the Petronas Towers are located. These pair of buildings are one of my most favorite illustrations of modern architecture at its best.
At 1483 feet (452m) tall, the tallest building in the world at the date of its completion [1998], measured to the highest point. However, the Sears Tower in Chicago still has the highest occupied building floor, more than 200 feet higher than the highest occupied floor of the Petronas Towers. -- www.greatbuildings.com
There I roamed around inside the shopping mall, had lunch (Caesar salad and veggie pizza) and took some photos. Apparently you are not 
supposed to take photos as I discovered after lunch. When taking this picture of the ‘no pictures’ sign a Malaysian woman approached me and we spoke for a while. Very friendly—offered to take me out to dinner with her sister (who was going to university in Zurich) and grandmother.
Later I walked down to the Indian district for some photographs, then Medeka Square which in the heart of the old Colonial District. There was even this old establishment placed called the Royal Selangor Club where the British used to toss back gin and tonics, run their empire and other old school stuff. I snuck up and took a picture…half expecting to be intercepted and arrested. There were lots of interesting bits of architecture around that are up in the photo gallery now.
My few hours of walking around in failing flip flops started to take their toll on my feet, so I headed back for the hotel, slept, ate, and slept again until the next morning. I checked out about noon and took a 75 Ringgit “Taksi” to the Kuala Lumpur International airport for my 115 Ringgit flight to Macau on Air Asia’s 15:20 AK52, a barebones Boeing 737-300.
Posted by stu at February 14, 2006 04:41 PM
Comments
no, i didn't. a) there were little alarm bells ringing in the back of my head, and b) i was just to beat to do anything social...just wanted to chill out in the hotel room that evening.
Posted by: stu at February 15, 2006 04:11 AM
Hi there, I've been reading your blog for a while now and your little blurb about meeting the Malaysian woman in KLCC intrigued me. Was wondering if you did go for dinner with them..
My Irish friend who was recently in KL as well, was approached by a Malay man and his daughter at KLCC, who told him that his other daughter is planning to study in Ireland. They wanted him to meet her mother/his wife as to placate her that Dublin is indeed a safe place to stay (and how much it would cost, etc..). He willingly went with them and found out that it was a scam to convince tourists to cheat with them at the casinos in Genting Highlands! (you share your winnings with the guy who deals the cards/and gave you the signals).
Posted by: cayce at February 15, 2006 03:23 AM