Port Klang, Malayasia
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Our ship pulled into the dock at 8:00am. What a beautiful
port! A white British style building accented
with a red roof ….the native birds were
singing in the morning sunshine. What a delight to see the green lush land that
lay around it. The sun was a red ball of fire.
This was such a sharp contrast
to the ports of Vietnam. We knew this
day was going to be a grand adventure before we even got started.
Larry and I took a bus to Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia. What a gorgeous city! Luckily we missed the
everyday commuting traffic since we were visiting on a weekend.
So cool....motor bikes had their own travel lanes on the highways
.
Our first stop
took us to the King’s Palace.
What a grand entrance!
We weren’t allowed in but were thrilled to get
pictures from the gate with the guards and their horses. In 1957, Malaysia became independent of
England. It mirrored it’s current government
somewhat after the mother land with a prime minister who officially runs the
government and an appointed king who serves every five years.
This is their 60th year of independence so they have had 15 appointed kings…that is a little different than the English gentry who are empowered by blood lines.
This is their 60th year of independence so they have had 15 appointed kings…that is a little different than the English gentry who are empowered by blood lines.
The mansion is quite stately (painted yellow
for royalty) with some beautifully landscaped gardens.
Found a great local artists.
Next we visited the National Monument in the Lake Gardens
that paid tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives during WWII.
A gallant
statue by the same sculptor of the famous Virginia Iwo Jima Statue was set
majestically among some refreshing water fountains as the days temps soared into the high 90's.
We were told that it rains a little every day. No wonder
the trees and gardens look so lush!
It was fun to see a
local group of children visiting the monument. Islam is the country’s main religion;
although, all have the freedom to worship as they please.
Next we visited the grounds of the National Mosque, a very
modern contemporary expression of the Islamic faith with a single 240 foot
minaret that towered over the multicolored umbrella like roof….so different
from the rounded white traditional mosque roofs.
Here a male calls for prayer five times a day to the community.
Across the street we were able to enjoy the old railway station. What an exquisite piece of old architecture!
This city understands the
importance of saving the historical past as it blends the new towering
skyscrapers into the present.
We enjoyed stopping at Independence Square. Evidence of
British rule was observable in the architecture of the Royal Selandor Clubhouse
standing on the field where National Day celebrations take place today.
Our final stop today was at the Petronas Twin Towers,
tallest attached twin towers in the world. What a miraculous modern
skyscraper….once the tallest building in the world.
Larry and I had visited Kuala Lumpur, called KL just like
Los Angeles is called LA, almost ten years ago. A brand new KL airport back then had just opened up and was one of the most modern we had ever
visited. We were amazed at it then and see Malaysia as a country in the works
of becoming one of Southeast Asia’s prominent treasures.
KL brings out the wild side in me..
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