One
of our main reasons for coming to Malaysia was to visit with an old
colleague of Karen's whom she had met while working at the Chicago
Board Options Exchange. We also had a little time on our hands while
the details of the Jordan job were hammered out, and both of us tire
quickly of the beach scene. We knew very little about Kuala Lumpur, but
what we found might just be the nicest city that we visited in
Southeast Asia. With a remarkable balance of greenspace and inspired architecture,
coupled with forward thinking transit systems, Kuala Lumpur
leaves you with the distinct impression that for cutting edge urban
planning America is going to have to face east. Another thing that
struck us about KL, and other cities in Southeast Asia for that matter,
was the conspicuous absence of beggars or homeless. It leaves one
questioning what has gone wrong at home.
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Of
course the most commanding view on Kuala Lumpur's skyline is the
stainless steel clad Petronas Towers. There is hardly a spot in town
where the towers escape your view.
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Before
Petronas was built the tallest structure in Kuala Lumpur was KL Tower.
At 1381 feet, KL Tower is more than twice as tall as Seattle's Space
Needle. Although the Petronas Towers are more than a hundred feet
taller, KL Tower's vantage point from on a hilltop leaves them seeing
'eye to eye' as the photo at right shot from the observation deck at KL
Tower indicates.
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Kuala Lumpur
has a nice tourist bus similar to one that we had been introduced to by
the president of a Brazilian biker group in Curitiba. In addition to
the towers, it visits such tourist attractions as bird, orchid, and
butterfly parks, as well as museums, mosques, and national monuments.
Above
the gate of the Istan Negara, or National Palace, is flanked by both
cavalry and infantry (below).
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At any of the
more than forty attractions you can get off the bus and pass some time.
Your ticket is good for 24 hours and buses pass every half-hour during
the daytime. The Orchid Park pictured above and below is part of an
enormous
city park that also houses a butterfly park, and the world's largest
outdoor aviary--The Kuala Lumpur Bird Park.
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Ideally
positioned about midway on the route, Lake Titiwangsa (left) makes a
great place for a lunch break. Malaysia is a predominately Muslim
country, and in addition to visiting the National Mosque at right you
can also visit the nearby National Museum of Islamic Art.
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The highlight
of our time in KL though was the time we spent with Salma and her
beautiful family. On this day they took us on a hike that traverses the
jungle canopy. It's hard to believe that this amazing spot is just a
few minutes by car from downtown KL. The town is actually visible in
the photo below.
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The
suspended walkway is fun for young...
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...and
old alike.
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There
is a lot more to be said about this amazing town but for now I'll end
with
two of our favorite signs from Kuala Lumpur's backstreets.
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