Friday, September 23 – Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur.  Fabulous multi-national buffet for breakfast. Something for everyone, for sure. At 9 we set out for our city tour. It is a great city, with lots to see and do. At the King’s Palace, Istana Negara, we could only look through the fence since it’s only open 2 days a year for the public – Eid and the King’s birthday. We were able to pose with the guards. While Margo and I stood on each side of a mounted guard, the horse suddenly swung around and bit her. Luckily, it was through her blouse, so no direct contact with her skin. Shortly after, an Asian tourist was also bitten by the same horse. His companions immediately applied a traditional salve to his bite and gave some to Margo too.
Another stop was the National Monument, a dramatic, huge bronze statue in a beautiful setting. We walked and drove through a wonderful park, Perdana Botanical Garden, referred to as the “Green Lung of KL”. At the National Museum, Muzium Negara, we saw great exhibits representing the geological, social, military and political history of Malaysia.
At Dataran Square, Dataran Merdeka, we saw where the Independence Ceremonies took place at midnight Aug 31, 1957. We also admired the Royal Selangor Club (cricket) adjoining the square and the historic clocktower in the Sultan Abdul Samed Building across from it.
We saw many other sites as we drove – the National Mosque, the Jamek Mosque, the Petronus Twin Towers, the KL Railway Station, Menara KL Telecom tower. We ended at the Central Market, where we lunched at Old China Café. The surroundings there were very interesting – old furniture and screens, many lovely statues and other artwork. The food was excellent too – Chinese/Malay fusion. We then had about an hour to shop our way through the Market area. Nearly everyone bought something or other, big or small. Then back to the hotel for a rest and a swim in their great pool.
After a quick look at the Cocoa Boutique, we proceeded to the Saloma Theatre Restaurant for a (so-so) buffet dinner and a lively, colourful performance of several traditional Malaysian dances. The costumes were spectacular but the dancing was not near as good as we had seen on Borneo.

Photos 23 Sep