The first stopping point in this adventure was in Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia...and what an amazing experience it was! On arrival, I realised that (apart from not being in Kansas anymore) the heat and the humidity may in fact collapse my lungs without warning. The air was so heavy, and the heat, simply overwhelming. We jumped into a 'limo' after making our way out the main doors, and into the Bintang district of KL...so much traffic, so many people...
Given that it was quite late in the evening, we promptly checked in to the Royal Bintang Hotel, and ordered some grub, which was the first introduction to Malay cuisine. Room service sent up a plate of Nasi Lemak, and although a traditional breakfast dish, was sooo good...fresh cucumber, rice, an onion and tomato based chutney with marinated chicken and half a boiled egg and dried anchovies on the side...scrumdiddily indeedily... For the next few days I managed to consume (one too many) nasi gorengs, cuttlefish crackers, pork buns from KL's China town market, roti, vegetables and marinated chicken, a range of Halal dishes, authentic 'restoran' dim-sum of shark-fin, crab, prawn and pork, chicken curry noodles, Char Kwai Teow, seafood laksa, and the delicious Longan drink sweetened with lychees and coconut. Although we bi-passed the tanks of snails, frogs and eels, if I was to return someday, you never know...but I digress...
On our first full day in KL we decided to do a walking tour of KL, which started by taking the train from Bintang station to the Masjid Jamek mosque, the oldest in KL (Nb: we managed to use the KL underground train and monorail throughout our time in the city, and it was really impressive! Again, poo to you Connex!) The Mosque sits on the confluence of the Gombak and Klang Rivers. In view from the riverside was the classic 1930's art-deco-style Oriental Building, the former sessions and Magistrate's Court, City Hall and the Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad. Not far from here we walked along the Tudor-style Royal Selangor Club (reeking of the colonial influence) and visited St. Mary's Cathedral. St. Mary's, cooled by the ceiling fans, was perhaps the most humble Cathedral I have yet to have visited, but indicative of the country's Islamic influence. From here we walked to the renowned markets in Chinatown, passing the bright yellow shuttered windows with antiquated iron grill gates and beautiful dutch gables of the Sin Seng Nam restaurant. Chinatown and Little India were fantastic- the aromas, action, atmosphere and people! And it was somewhere here that I realised it was official...I was falling for South East Asia.
After we left Chinatown, we visited the beautifully red, Buddhist Tze Ya Temple, alive with candles, colour and incense. From here we made our way to KLCC station, which is at the base of the Petronas Twin Towers. Our final destination for the day was Carcosa Seri Negara, another colonial building that was a residence of a former British high Commissioner, which has now been turned into a luxury hotel, for High Tea. Hmmmmm....despite my disgusting humidified hair, bad clothes and sweaty-betty-self (next time I'll be working out my Country Road card and finding a local hairdresser and beautician before stepping into such a place), it was divine...if you want to skip past more food hooey, skip to the next paragraph...unlimited Earl Grey tea, egg and cucumber sandwiches, salmon buns with walnut bread with cream cheese, rhubarb crumble, creme brulle, chocolate and banana tarts, walnut bread to start (yeah...) which was followed by plain and fruit scones served with cream and jam, and concluded with strawberries and cream cheese. Yep, told ya. The food (and my obsession with it) was out of control. Then it was time for home, and pool time. Always get a hotel with a pool in KL. Always.
Every night we managed to hit up the bar in the Lobby for a standard cocktails...although consuming a local bottle of Red Bull followed by about ten dirty martinis one night made for an interesting time...each night we were serenaded by Rakim- also known to us as DJ Happy Dude- who would start his set with classic tracks like "Jump Around" and "I See you Baby", and then break out his synthesiser and head-set mic and roll out unforgettable ballads like "Wind beneath my Wings" and Enrique's "Hero")...on the Red Bull night, he even shared with us his repertoire of magic tricks. He somehow put out a burning cigarette butt in the palm of his hand, and then made it disappear. What a pro- step aside Gob Bluth! Gold, I tells ya! (I have his business card, so if anyone's interested, I'll forward you on his details) I believe that it was also on this night, we needed to make a quick stop at the local Quickie-Mart close to The Royal Bintang when I saw my first 'free-range' monkey...I use the term 'free range' loosely, as the monkey was on a leash, with a nappy on, and being forced to sit on it's owner's shoulder. The poor little thing just wanted to escape the cameras and crowds, and was scolded and smacked by it's 'carer' when it tried to find some solace, and rest it's weary head on his friend the python's back. Heavy.
On the day before we headed off, we decided to finally give into the locals harassing ways, and have a Fish Spa, and to be honest, I wish I'd done it sooner. The fish spa process involves putting your feet into a pool of fish who come to eat the dead flesh from you feet...at first just looking at the fish freaked me out, and the sensation was sheer madness, but like with all things of such nature, after a little while, you kind of get used to it...and the end result was superb.
Given that it was quite late in the evening, we promptly checked in to the Royal Bintang Hotel, and ordered some grub, which was the first introduction to Malay cuisine. Room service sent up a plate of Nasi Lemak, and although a traditional breakfast dish, was sooo good...fresh cucumber, rice, an onion and tomato based chutney with marinated chicken and half a boiled egg and dried anchovies on the side...scrumdiddily indeedily... For the next few days I managed to consume (one too many) nasi gorengs, cuttlefish crackers, pork buns from KL's China town market, roti, vegetables and marinated chicken, a range of Halal dishes, authentic 'restoran' dim-sum of shark-fin, crab, prawn and pork, chicken curry noodles, Char Kwai Teow, seafood laksa, and the delicious Longan drink sweetened with lychees and coconut. Although we bi-passed the tanks of snails, frogs and eels, if I was to return someday, you never know...but I digress...
On our first full day in KL we decided to do a walking tour of KL, which started by taking the train from Bintang station to the Masjid Jamek mosque, the oldest in KL (Nb: we managed to use the KL underground train and monorail throughout our time in the city, and it was really impressive! Again, poo to you Connex!) The Mosque sits on the confluence of the Gombak and Klang Rivers. In view from the riverside was the classic 1930's art-deco-style Oriental Building, the former sessions and Magistrate's Court, City Hall and the Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad. Not far from here we walked along the Tudor-style Royal Selangor Club (reeking of the colonial influence) and visited St. Mary's Cathedral. St. Mary's, cooled by the ceiling fans, was perhaps the most humble Cathedral I have yet to have visited, but indicative of the country's Islamic influence. From here we walked to the renowned markets in Chinatown, passing the bright yellow shuttered windows with antiquated iron grill gates and beautiful dutch gables of the Sin Seng Nam restaurant. Chinatown and Little India were fantastic- the aromas, action, atmosphere and people! And it was somewhere here that I realised it was official...I was falling for South East Asia.
After we left Chinatown, we visited the beautifully red, Buddhist Tze Ya Temple, alive with candles, colour and incense. From here we made our way to KLCC station, which is at the base of the Petronas Twin Towers. Our final destination for the day was Carcosa Seri Negara, another colonial building that was a residence of a former British high Commissioner, which has now been turned into a luxury hotel, for High Tea. Hmmmmm....despite my disgusting humidified hair, bad clothes and sweaty-betty-self (next time I'll be working out my Country Road card and finding a local hairdresser and beautician before stepping into such a place), it was divine...if you want to skip past more food hooey, skip to the next paragraph...unlimited Earl Grey tea, egg and cucumber sandwiches, salmon buns with walnut bread with cream cheese, rhubarb crumble, creme brulle, chocolate and banana tarts, walnut bread to start (yeah...) which was followed by plain and fruit scones served with cream and jam, and concluded with strawberries and cream cheese. Yep, told ya. The food (and my obsession with it) was out of control. Then it was time for home, and pool time. Always get a hotel with a pool in KL. Always.
Every night we managed to hit up the bar in the Lobby for a standard cocktails...although consuming a local bottle of Red Bull followed by about ten dirty martinis one night made for an interesting time...each night we were serenaded by Rakim- also known to us as DJ Happy Dude- who would start his set with classic tracks like "Jump Around" and "I See you Baby", and then break out his synthesiser and head-set mic and roll out unforgettable ballads like "Wind beneath my Wings" and Enrique's "Hero")...on the Red Bull night, he even shared with us his repertoire of magic tricks. He somehow put out a burning cigarette butt in the palm of his hand, and then made it disappear. What a pro- step aside Gob Bluth! Gold, I tells ya! (I have his business card, so if anyone's interested, I'll forward you on his details) I believe that it was also on this night, we needed to make a quick stop at the local Quickie-Mart close to The Royal Bintang when I saw my first 'free-range' monkey...I use the term 'free range' loosely, as the monkey was on a leash, with a nappy on, and being forced to sit on it's owner's shoulder. The poor little thing just wanted to escape the cameras and crowds, and was scolded and smacked by it's 'carer' when it tried to find some solace, and rest it's weary head on his friend the python's back. Heavy.
On the day before we headed off, we decided to finally give into the locals harassing ways, and have a Fish Spa, and to be honest, I wish I'd done it sooner. The fish spa process involves putting your feet into a pool of fish who come to eat the dead flesh from you feet...at first just looking at the fish freaked me out, and the sensation was sheer madness, but like with all things of such nature, after a little while, you kind of get used to it...and the end result was superb.
All in all KL was a well-wicked introduction to South East Asia, and it has inspired me to return, and return I shall.
1 comment:
Oh my god! Fish sap! I might try to recreate that at my local Lake Narracan!
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