First stop was the Sultan Salahuddin Afdul Aziz Shah Mosque. I was looking forward to visiting the "Blue Mosque of the East" as it seats, or is that kneels, 25,000 people as I have visited such grand places of religion such as Notre Dame Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Nidarosdomen. That was until Larry informed us because we aren't Muslims we aren't considered to be clean and so are not welcome inside. The bus pulled up probably half a kilometre away and we had five minutes to jump out and take photos. Very disappointing. There was quite a bit of traffic in the area.
Pretty busy roundabout in Malaysia.
Blue Mosque of the East in a picturesque setting.
It's putty in my hands - every tourist has to do this.Next stop was an old (Wikipedia tells me that construction started in 1981 however) Chinese temple by the name of Thean Hou. It was quite lovely with all the statues of the animals from the Chinese zodiac and I even had my fortune told. Yu-Jin wanted to place some burning incense in the bowl but burnt himself on a piece that was already there. Downstairs they had souvenirs for sale. And a good selection. We wanted to buy Yu-Jin a Petronas Twin Towers statue but as we were going there later in the day thought that the best deal would be had there.
Nice highrise apartments.
Thean Hou Temple.
Inside Thean Hou Temple.
The Boy finding out his fortune.
Similar hairstyles the monks and I.
It's not all highrise apartments.
My fortune.Off to a hotel for a buffet lunch. It was actually a good way to meet other travellers as we were forced to sit next to other people. Spoke to Rod and Maz from the Gold Coast. Third stop for the day was Dataran Merdeka - Independence Square. This is the spot where Malays cried out for independence from Britain and were granted it. There is a 100m flagpole and that was pretty impressive.
The 100m tall flagpole at Dataran Merdeka.Fourth stop of the day was the 421m high KL Tower which had an observation deck at 271m. I love going to the highest place in a city and looking around. The view from the tower was pretty spectacular and worth a visit.
Sprawling metropolis that is Kuala Lumpur.
Petronas Twin Towers from KL Tower.
Look closely to see the 100m tall flagpole at Dataran Merdeka.
A special police force is required just for pesky tourists in Malaysia.
KL Tower.Finally we visited the Petronas Twin Towers. They were quite, well, awesome. And to think that they were constructed from stainless steel. We did some frantic shopping at Suria KLCC. Yu-Jin wanted to go to the toilet and went to a pay toilet where it cost RM2 (two Malaysian Ringit) which is approximately A$0.80. There was a stall nearby which was advertising for a sales marketing person for RM5.50 after one month probation. The shopping wasn't bad - so many department stores. Six stories of them in all. Outside we were viewing the lake and some guy came up and asked if I wanted to buy a Rolex. The most disappointing aspect of the shopping was discovering that the best, and cheapest, range of souvenirs were at the Thean Hou temple.
Petronas Twin Towers.
Petronas Twin Towers go straight up.
Lake and garden at rear of Petronas Twin Towers.
I'm wearing the Petronas Twin Towers like a jetpack.
You get the idea just how tall the Petronas Twin Towers are.Back at the bus and Larry couldn't find the driver. It started to rain. Larry checked the other buses. He rang the driver but no answer. After some ten minutes huddled together in the rain the bus driver woke up, inside our bus, and opened the doors for us.
Back on board the ship and Yu-Jin wanted to go to child care. They had a computer, TV and games. I read the paper and then went for a walk around deck. We had a BBQ tea on deck 8 and were joined by two Malaysians who'd just joined the cruise and were finding it difficult to find a table to eat at. They were Mr Ng and Mr Tan. Yu-Jin went to child care after our meal whilst we attended the gym.
1 comment:
Wow lucky bastard. Thanks for sharing. Annette
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