Kaula Lumpur

December 8, 2017

We went sight seeing in Kuala Lumpur.

Our first stop after breakfast was the Kuala Lumpur radio tower (1381 ft) to take in the view of the skyline.  From here there was a 360 degree view of the city, including the twin 88 floor Patronas Tower (1483 ft).  At the top of the K.L. tower they provide several clear boxes with glass floors.

The K.L. tower sits on a site that is relatively green forested hill with open space and even a camping area.  We were happy to discover on our path that one of the ways down the hill was a suspended canopy walk.

We walked through Little India, past the old train station,  and the large city mosque to the tropical bird aviary.

Kuala Lumpur is a great city for eating and shopping.  There are at least 66 large shopping malls.  When we first arrived by train in the city and walked through the station to the monorail, we were walking THROUGH a four story mall complete with Christmas trees, carols, and a photo with Santa display.

There are still numerous cheap, tasty, food hawker areas where they are cooking up regional dishes.

Some popular hawkers have gained more credibility by moving into shopping mall food courts, complete with nice furnishings and wait staff.

Ahhhhh...The hum of the city!  The backs of many buildings are filled with individual air-conditioning units, resulting in cooler air for some inside, and a loud drone and added heat outside.  Ahhh..."economic progress!"

Travel Day, Ipoh, Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur

December 7, 2016

We woke early and began our travel day by walking to the ferry port.  The ferry (free returning to the mainland) delivered us almost directly to the train depot in Butterworth.  The ETS intercity electric high speed train is one of the smoothest fast trains we have ridden, traveling at up to 140 km per hour.  The train station completed 1917.

The development in infrastructure in peninsular Malaysia is apparent, as is the GDP per capita that is three times that of Indonesia.

We stopped for the afternoon at the city of Ipoh, the capital of the state of Perak.  It was a economic center of a major tin mining area. Many colonial buildings and shop houses dating back to the early 1900s still remain.  Malaysia experienced a major disruption to its tin mining and rubber production during the Japanese occupation during WW11.  The city contracted economically, but it also escaped the high-rise building craze experienced by other cities.

A number of interesting murals have been painted on the walls here.

Ipoh is also a popular branching off point for tourist visiting the tea plantations of the Cameron Highlands.
Two of the mosques in town.

1968

1898

In the late afternoon we boarded another train to Kuala Lumpur.
On the back of the free tourist pamphlet they make sure to remind you that drug trafficking is punishable my death.

George Town, Penang

December 5 & 6, 2017

After leaving Malaysian Borneo, we flew to Penang Island on the upper west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

Penang island developed into a prosperous trading port for the East India Company in the late 1700’s with present day Georgetown as it’s capital.  Georgetown is popular amongst travelers because of its rich mixture of history, colonial architecture, cuisine, and the fact that it is compact and manageable on foot or bicycle.

We stayed at a hostel that was converted from a traditional clan house, and many of the original shop houses have remained intact in Georgetown.

Historically, Georgetown, like Malacca, and Singapore, created opportunities for European colonists to build their wealth, but it also created opportunities for other migrant groups like the Hakka Chinese to establish themselves on the peninsula.


We toured a large, ornate mansion that belonged to one of the very successful Peranakan captains, Chung Keng Quee.  It has been restored and turned into a museum.  (A home of this magnitude represented the excessive wealth of a very few amongst many who had immigrated to Penang to work.)

Attached to the home was also a personal temple.

Georgetown is also known for its art scene, and popular murals.

One of the places that is recommended tourist attractions are the clan jetties (piers) which were continually expanded to house more members.  We especially enjoyed the use of 5 gallon buckets as concrete forms for new pylons. 

Don't worry, Anthony already is known here.