C & C globetrotting around the world…

We left Chiang Mai on our first AirAsia flight. We were happy when we checked in our big backpacks and they only weighed 10kg and 13kg respectively. Destination: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Malaysia is a multi-ethnic society of Malay, Chinese and Indians. This mosaic is mirrored in the religious sphere, with Malays being Muslim, Chinese being Buddhist-Taoist-Confucianist while the Indians are Hindu. It is very interesting to see how these three very different cultures coexist here. Most of the people speak their own language plus English and Malay. It’s nice to be in a country again where you can actually have conversations with a taxi driver. We haven’t had this since Cambodia and it adds so much more to the experience when you can discuss things and aren’t getting just a smile with a “yeees”.

Kuala Lumpur is a very young city. In 1857, Chinese prospectors looking for tin landed at the meeting point of the Klang and Gombak rivers. They called the place “muddy confluence”, Kuala Lumpur. The local sultan appointed a proxy (Kapitan China) to control the rowdy Chinese and he is regarded today as the founder of KL. The town of wooden houses burnt down in 1881, so the British made plans to rebuild it and demanded the houses be built of brick. Today that neighbourhood is known as “Brickfields”. Since then, the city has grown to a world city of 1.5 million people. KL, as it is commonly known, is not only the capital of Malaysia, but also the cultural and economic centre of the country.

The city has a modern look and the metro system is new and nice, but it’s also a bit strange. It’s the first time since China that a city has a metro system. Here in KL they have several systems that coexist, some run even parallel but are not connected to each other nor can you use your ticket from one metro company with the other. At least there is public transportation.

Our CS host, Vern, is a Malaysian Chinese who grew up in KL. He is very educated and smart, so talking to him was extremely interesting, as we gained lots of valuable insight into Malaysian society. He also introduced us to local food. One of the special dishes is “Banana leaf rice” served in Indian restaurants. You get a banana leaf on the table in front of you and a huge pile of rice. Then you get served various vegetables and salad and a curry sauce on your rice. With this you can choose some meat, be it chicken, mutton or fish. You eat with your right hand, which was a totally new experience for us. The food was delicious, and with practice it will be easier to eat.

Down-town, we went to the Petronas Towers and took some pictures at night, as they are nicely illuminated. The towers were the highest in the world until 2004, when Taipei 101 overtook them. Opened up in 1998, the towers rise 452 meters above ground and are the headquarters of the national oil and gas company Petronas. They are 88 stories high (a lucky Chinese number) and are built in the shape of a octagon, which is a Muslim symbol. The bridge connecting the 2 towers is on the 41^st floor and can be accessed by visitors. Apparently when the plans were designed, construction was supposed to take 5 years. However, the politicians wanted the structure to be ready in 4 years and outsourced the project. One tower was given to a Japanese company, the other to a South Korean one. The competition between the 2 countries and the 2 companies led to the towers being built within the 4-yr time frame.

Kuala Lumpur is our hub in the area, so we will return here 2 more times. We will then explore this metropolis in greater detail.