Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Monday, April 25, 2011

Our flight was delayed an hour, but with a 5 hour flight, what’s an hour.  We had no problem getting through immigration and customs… then out to baggage claim to collect our luggage.  TI had arranged for a car and driver to pick us up and they were there… patiently waiting for our arrival. 

The climate is tropical and from the moment we stepped off the plane it was quite evident.  The heat and humidity was there to greet us ‘welcome’.  We no longer needed our jackets that had felt good when we left the crisp morning (about 55 degrees F) in Shanghai. 

Malaysia has a very strong British influence so they drive on the opposite side of the road.  It was really startling when the driver got in on the right side of the car and suddenly it dawned on me the steering wheel was on the right!!! DUH!!!  It was about an hour into the city center, but the drive was beautiful. 

A little info:  Kuala Lumpur, or more popularly known as ‘KL’, is Malaysia’s capital city and one of Asia’s most dynamic cities.  Kuala Lumpur is situated midway along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, at the confluence of the Klang and Gombek rivers. It is approximately 35 km from the coast and sits at the center of the Peninsula's extensive and modern transportation network. Kuala Lumpur is easily the largest city in the nation, possessing a population of over one and a half million people drawn from all of Malaysia's many ethnic groups.  This bustling metropolis is melting pot of races and cultures.       

                                       

The ride into the city center was a collision of old and new.  We could see high rises and landmarks of modern marvels and yet sitting stately next door were buildings displaying proudly its old architecture.  There are lots of new roads and buildings under construction.  It is a busy city.  There are several train systems that run overhead.  There is a 9 km monorail too.  Lots of public transportation here to choose from, so getting around will not be a problem.

When we arrived at the Crowne Plaza it reminded me of being in the Caribbean where the lobby of most hotels are not really air conditioned and it has that smell… cannot really describe it, but anyone that has been there knows it.  It is that tropical smell and feel.

After getting settled, we ventured out to find a place for dinner.  A short walk from here, we found a shopping area with a wide variety of restaurants with plenty of cuisine to choose from.  We opted for Michelangelo’s, an Italian place.  It has been a long time since I’d eaten good Italian… and oh my… this food was so mouthwatering delicious. 

We even had dessert and it tasted just like I expected it to taste.  In Shanghai, nothing is really sweet and the texture is just not the same.  After trying a few desserts, we have decided to ‘not’.  We have ice cream, but nothing else.  The creme brulee I had last night… well let’s just say it was soooo wonderful I was sad when it was gone! 

As we were finishing our meal, Michael and I both agreed… it was so great to be able to order food that tasted like what we expected it to be and that we could actually order in English and be completely understood.  It is such a little thing, but it is huge when you live in a country that no one really understands you.  Our Mandarin lessons are going well, but our vocabulary is so limited… and they talk really fast…it is frustrating most of the time.

Back at the hotel and time for bed… one thing that is the same… the beds are hard as rocks.  ARG!!!

This morning we were awakened to the sound of chanting over the loud speakers in the city, calling the Muslim people to prayer at 5:45am.  There is a very large presents of Muslims in KL.  Lots of the women are covered, some just their heads and others completely.  Last night I saw a woman dressed in black and the only thing you could see were her eyes.  She was wearing a niqāb.  That is Arabic for veil; it is a cloth which covers the face, worn by some Muslim women as a part of sartorial hijab.  I cannot imagine all that fabric in this heat and humidity.   And… as I write this, I am hearing the same chanting coming through the windows again this evening.  I am not sure how many times a day this happens, but this is MY first experience to actually hear it. 

I was kinda slow getting going this morning.  I had not spoken to the kids in a couple of days, so I Skyped with them for a while and was able to wish them a Happy Easter.  Bailey chimed in the back ground that I needed to come home… now… that Easter was not the same… nothing was the same.  I miss them to!!!

One bonus here… Facebook... so I posted a new status.  It was great to see what everyone has been up to since our social networking blackout!!  I also helped Marcy by posting the last four blogs entries she had not had time to do.  It was nice to be able to read and browse things that are off limits in China.  Once I finished my browsing, it was time to get myself ready and get out seeing what KL has to offer, or at least get out.

First stop was the friendly Starbuck’s for a coffee and find an ATM to get some Ringgits (RM).  Ringgits are the currency of Malaysia and I figured I best have some money in my pocket.  Little did I know that just getting some money would take a great deal of time!!! 

I enjoyed my latte and blueberry muffin while I thumbed through the handful of brochures I had collected at the hotel.  We had purchased a map in the gift shop last night, so I was set.  All I needed to do was plot my day and the rest of the week.

There are 3 ATM type machines just around the corner from the Starbuck’s so I am thinking life is going pretty well.  That was my first mistake… it was not as easy as I thought it would be.  I tried all three of the machines and not a one of them would work for me. 

But the best part about this mess… I met a wonderful lady and her husband from Melbourne, Australia.  We stood there and chatted for about an hour.  Michael had been so worried about me wandering around by myself… which of course is craziness, but I love him for it.  But he needs to worry no more, I will be joining Val and Mark and the elephants tomorrow.  So we will be doing an 8 hour tour to the Elephant Orphanage Sanctuary also known as the Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Center.  I had actually put that on my list of things I wanted to do while I was here, so this is going to be wonderful.  These are lovely people so it should prove to be better than I could have hoped for. 

But back to the money search!!!  I finally found a real bank.  I waited in line for my turn only to find out that they could not help me because my card does not have a chip on it.  Then she sent me to another bank... and then to another… are you starting to get the picture?

Maybe a little back story is in order… when we left the US we did not think we would need our ATM card to our bank accounts.  Clearly we were not thinking ahead about going to a country that would not use RMB’s as its currency… and the first one…that would be Malaysia.  So to make a long story short, we have to use the credit card and get a cash advance using the card.  We calculated what we needed monthly in RMB’s that are deposited in a China account.  But certainly not enough for vacations and such… and we thought, how silly of us, that we could use our international credit card for a good portion of our spending… WRONG!!!  Note to self… never ASSUME anything when it comes to money and what or how much you might need.  Short answer… when the kids come… they are bringing our ATM card so when we go to Australia and New Zealand in November… we can get cash to convert. 

Being my Father’s daughter, the thought of the outrageous interest rate on a cash advance just appalls me.  So trying to avoid this travesty, I overpaid my credit card so that I was carrying a credit balance… hopefully it will ‘x’ out the interest since it is paid before it hits the account… or at the very most, no more than the minimum.

So back to the hunt for a bank… well I finally found one… and got Ringgits.  Unfortunately, this little expedition ate up a big portion of the afternoon.  So I ducked into a KFC and got a snack to tide me over until dinner.  Did not want to eat so late, but needed at least a snack.  After all that… I just walked back to the hotel.  And just in the nick of time, because the bottom fell out of the sky and rained cats and dogs.