KualaLumpur, Maylasia

The photo above is sunrise over the port this morning. I was up early due to sore legs and hips. I went on the tour today but decided to skip tomorrow’s tour in Lankawi, Maylasia. I will spend the day relaxing and resting my legs. We had a nice tour of Kuala Lumpur today. The name sounds so exotic to me, so I wanted to see what it was like. We had an hour’s bus ride into the city from the port. We went first to the National Museum. It had 4 exhibit rooms of different periods in Malay history. We stopped in one room to watch a video about Malaysia gaining their independence from England. It was in the 1950’s but I don’t remember it. It was a peaceful turnover.
‘From the museum we went to the Taj Mahal of Maylasia. It was the old post office-a very elaborate building with interesting spires and a cupola on top.. From there we walked a couple blocks to the Mafjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samed mosque. When it was being built, they didn’t want the usual minaret on top. So they built one that resembles a closed umbrella. The dome over the top resembles an open umbrella. We were told the reason but neither of us can remember! It was a very warm walk in the sun from the post office to the mosque. On the way we saw the second tallest building in the world. It is still being completed. It is surpassed by a building in Dubai.
‘From there we went to a square called Independence Square. It was built by the British. The first thing they built was the cricket field. Then they decided they needed a clubhouse. Only later did they build any government buildings. Guess the had their priorities straight-game, gin and tonic, then business!

Next we went to a Memorial to soldiers and wars. The president of the country liked the Marine memorial in DC. It’s the one with the soldiers raising the flag on Iwo Jima. So the president contacted the sculptor and commissioned him to build one for their country. You can see the similarities. It’s a beautiful monument with pools, water features, a pavilion and the statue overlooking the city. Bunny and I managed to find the little outdoor cafe and bought ice cream bars. It was a great lunch, along with the apple we got from the tour guide. Our last stop was a photo stop to photograph the Petronas towers it’s the tallest twin buildings in the world. It was made famous in a James Bond movie with Sean Connery. Seems like a long time ago. We had to get out of the bus on a busy street, walk a block to a triangular area between three streets. We all snapped away at the building. Then a trek back to the bus with a busy street crossing..

After our hour long ride back, I just had enough time for a quick dip in the infinity pool. It was very refreshing. Bunny texted me that I had a call letting me know they were ready for me in the spa for a pedicure. So I went to the spa in my bathing suit and cover up. I got a towel from the spa and sat in the chair for a little pampering.
We had dinner tonight with Beryl and Ben, our Canadian friends. We went to Manfredi’s, the specialty Italian restaurant. The food and company were excellent. Then we went to the show at 9:00. It was a man from New Zealand. He was pretty good singer.

photos: museum, post office, mosque, Independece Square, monument, tower and 2nd tallest building.