On the Bus in Kuala Lumpur

I’ve always said that travel was an adventure, but as to getting there

Petronas Towers

being half the fun…in this case, not so much. Our adventure began with an announcement from out pilot, ‘We have a mechanical issue and we’re landing in Tokyo rather than Hong Kong’. What followed was several hours of bus rides, getting into a hotel room and ‘making do’ with toiletries they provided, finding our luggage, hunting for the next plane, and finally getting to our destination too late to make the first excursion I had planned. However, I was grateful that the pilot made the choice to take care of the mechanical issue rather than flying to Hong Kong with a plane full of people who had been exposed to human waste for more hours than absolutely necessary. So once I was in Kuala Lumpur, my plans had to change, and that’s absolutely what’s expected when one is having an adventure.  I first wrote about KL in 2014 (see Flying around in Kuala Lumpur); I learned a lot more about it on this trip.



Kuala Lumpur is officially Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, and nicknamed KL. It is the national capital of Malaysia and its largest city

Hibiscus

with a population of 1.73 million (as of 2016). The name means ‘muddy confluence’ and it may have gotten that moniker from the Sungai Lumpur, although it’s the Sungai Klang that flows through the city and meets the Gombak River to form the confluence. There is even an argument about who actually named the city: it may have been the people living in the area or the Chinese tin miners working near the settlement. In any case, tin mining played an important part in the development of the city.






As with small towns that were poised for rapid economic growth, KL had

Kun Yam Thong Temple

its social and political issues. Chinese and Malay settlements grew along the east bank of the Klang River with the Chinese mainly around the commercial center of what is now Market Square; and the Malays, Indian Chettiars, and Indian Muslims in the Jalan Tun Perak area. Back in the 1800s in rural areas, sanitation was a rare commodity so the town had more than its share of diseases; because of its location there was a constant threat of flooding; and because palm from thatching was used as building materials, fire was a likely visitor. On top of these problems, the town was pulled into the Selangor Civil War, mainly because of the need to control the revenues from the tin mines. The outcome of this was that KL was burned to the ground. And to make matters worse, the tin prices dropped followed by an outbreak of cholera (not, of course, related to the price of tin, but certainly not helping the situation). Finally, in 1879, the price of tin began to recover, and people came back to rebuild the town. In 1880 KL was named the state capitol but floods and fires were back in 1881; the town seemed to be alternating between success and failure. But in 1882 Yap Ah Loy and Frank Swettenham finely got the setting stabilized and the town began to grow. In 1884 Swettenham, as the British Resident, required that buildings be made of brick and tile to reduce flammability, and that the streets widened to decrease fire risk. Kapitan Yap Ah Loy, in the meantime, significantly increased access in the city by linking up tin mines with KL. Shortly thereafter, in 1886 the railroads came to town, linking Kuala Lumpur and the town of Klang; rapid growth was the result. Having more growth necessitated the formation of a Sanitary Board in 1890 that was responsible for sanitation, road maintenance, lighting the street and other infrastructure upkeep.

Although the tin industry was the economic underpinning of KL, the auto industry required another product. The demand for car tires in the late

KL Tower

19^th and early 20th centuries led to the development of rubber industry, making KL a boom town by increasing the population from 30,000 in 1900 to 80,000 in 1920. Chinese businessmen such as Loke Yew had, to a large extent, run the commercial activities of the city; now they had to make way for the arrival of foreign planters, businessmen, and companies. Kuala Lumpur had become an international city. But of course, things did not go smoothly. World War II arrived on January 11, 1942, in the form of the Imperial Japanese Army. During the occupation at least 5,000 Chinese were killed, and thousands of Indians were sent as forced labor to work on the Burma Railway where many died. Although the war ended in 1945 with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there was still fear that the Malaysians would not be free. During the Malayan Emergency, which began in 1948, the Malayan Communist Party soldiers started attacking economic centers, police stations and workers. The attacks caused ‘emergencies’ because if Malay had been at war the insurers of the rubber plantations and tin mines would not have paid off. Communist sympathizers were moved into ‘New Villages’ with clean water, good housing, education and medical attention, thereby separating them from the insurgents. Eventually peace was restored with the first municipal elections in KL held in 1952. By 1957 the Federation of Malaya gained independence from Britain, becoming Malaysia in 1963. And one would hope that things would remain calm, but on May 13, 1963 the Malaysian Malays rioted over their socio-political status. This led to the promotion and prioritization of Malay economic development over that of the other ethnicities.

The Hop on/Hop off bus was my transportation of choice for my first couple of days in KL. Although it wasn’t particularly hot, by Texas standards, it was extremely humid. The humidity and the layout of the city suggested that riding was a better choice than walking. I purchased a two day pass and wished I had gotten three. Luckily I had visited the Petronas Towers, Butterfly Park, and Orchid Garden previously; I also chose not to stop at any of the shopping places except for the Central Market. However, I still didn’t get to see everything I wanted; that just means that I’ll have to return to KL, again.

L to R: Jamek Mosque, Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, National Mosque

Sri Maha Mariamman is the oldest Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur. It was built in 1873 by K. Thamboosamy as a private place of worship, but it was opened to the public in the 1920s. It’s not for from the Central Market so I strolled on over to take a look. To go inside all you have to do is take off your shoes. However, just as I got there a service was beginning, and although I could go in, I did not; the outside is impressive enough.

Built in 1909, the Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque is the oldest mosque in the city. The architect for this lovely building was Arthur Benison Hubback, an Englishman. When you visit this site you are at the heart of KL, the confluence of the Klang and Gombak Rivers. This is probably my favorite building in KL simply because of the mix of styles: Islamic, Moorish, and Mughal.

The National Mosque is a very contemporary structure with more white marble that one can imagine. I was pleasantly surprised at how cool the building was; the marble seems to mediate the heat. The gardens are nice and well kept, as are the fountains. Having been in the mosque in Istanbul, I actually expected more decorations in the prayer room. While this is a pretty place and well worth the visit, I was a bit disappointed. I had a great time laughing with the woman who was handing out robes. Several young men in shorts wanted to be wrapped up as the women were, with their heads covered; the woman doing the draping saw me smiling at the procedure, grinned and rolled her eyes as she got them attired more appropriately.

L to R: Dataran Medeka, Malaysian Tourist Center, Sultan Abdul Samad Building

Merdeka Square, or Dataran Merdeka, is an important place in the history of Malaysia. This site is very near the spot where, on August 31, 1957, the Union Jack was lowered and the Malaysian flag was raised. This signified Malaysia’s independence.

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building has a great clock tower, so of course I have a dozen pictures of it. Again, the architecture of Arthur Benison Hubback is what first caught my eye; it is Moorish. It was the center of British government for KL after its completion in 1897 and later for some of the courts of the Malaysian government.  

The Malaysian Tourist Center is a pretty set of buildings that was a great place for the final ceremonies of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). The buildings are colonial era and although it was once surrounded by a six acre rambutan (a medium-sized tropical fruit tree) orchard. There are still some very nice gardens and nice places to sit or to wander. There was a nice chocolate shop on the grounds that I had to spend some time perusing – and of course taking a bit of this delicacy home.

L to R: National Palace, Karyaneka, Central Market

One of the places I was most anxious to see was the Karyaneka, or Malayan Crafts. This store/museum has handiwork from all around the area. There were little booths that would let you try your hand at making batik, painting, and doing a bit of carving. Although I was particularly looking for batik fabric, I saw some amazing ceramics, carvings, and home furnishings.

I visited the Central Market twice. My first stop over was to see if this was a good place for spending some quality shopping time. There were lots of vendors outside of the building, but the merchandise inside seemed to be of better quality. There were also several places for a snack when our frantic purchasing frenzy wore us out. The area began as a wet market (fresh food and fish) and has evolved into separate stores selling relatively local goods. Although we still couldn’t find a batik fabric store, we did find clothing, hand-made baskets, weavings, wood carvings as well as souvenir stores. It was a lot of fun to wander through and even more fun to pick up odds and ends for folks back home.

Istana Negara is the National Palace, but it wasn’t always a palace. It was once the home of Chinese millionaire Chan Wing; during World War II it housed the Japanese Governor. Set in some lovely gardens, it was built in 1928 overlooking the Klang River and was eventually used as the residence of Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia. Tourists can’t get beyond the outer gates, so my best advice is to find out if your bus is going to have a rest stop for the drivers at the palace. Get off just long enough to take a few pictures then get back on the bus; there are restrooms, but no other facilities and this is NOT the location of the Royal Museum.

L to R: Headstones, Skulls, Dragon, Rosewater Ewer

The National Museum was interesting. It was begun in 1883 by the British and eventually was turned over to local oversight. There was lots of history to try to absorb. The displays were well done, particularly the ones that focused on the early residents of the area; the remains of Perak Man are about 11,000 years old, while the remains of Perak Woman dates back 8,000 years. There are also examples of wood cloth, ceramics, metal work, costumes, armor and weapons, jewelry, and other artifacts. The gift shop wasn’t what I expected and I was a bit disappointed.

While the Hop on/Hop off bus had lots of places to see associated with the ride, there are many other tours and places to go. For information about my rating system, see Reading the Reviews and then stay tuned to the next blog for more about this fascinating city.

Where we stayed:

Four Carrots

Double Tree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur (348 Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, 50400, Malaysia, +60-3-21727272) was what you’d expect from

L to R: Bedroom, Barb in bath

this type of hotel. The room was lovely and the bathroom was good, except for two things: there was a huge glass window that looked into the bathroom, and there was a ‘rain shower’. Rain showers are a pain simply because they are a conduit for cold water to dump on your head when you least expect it. Thankfully, there was a curtain that dropped over the window on the bathroom. 

Shinagawa Prince Hotel (4 Chome-10-３０ Takanawa, Minato, Tokyo 108-8611, Japan, +81 3-3440-1111) ‘Set in a modern high-rise opposite Shinagawa train station, this polished hotel is 4 km from the Tokyo Tower

L to R: Bedroom, Bath

and 10 km from the bustling Odaiba island.’ And we were there long enough to use out courtesy toiletries, get a couple of hours of sleep and get back on the bus. The rooms were comfortable, and clean, as was the bathroom. This is a huge facility so getting from one place to another takes time and a sense of direction. The staff were a bit overwhelmed when 500 passengers from our plane descended upon them, although we were in several buses so we arrived in waves. Perhaps they respond a bit better to fewer people, but we waited in line for an hour or more before getting rooms. They did route us away from the normal reception area so that we weren’t clogging up the lobby, however, there were no signs and few if any people to guide us to the correct area.

What we ate:

Four Carrots

Makan Kitchen in the DTH (348 Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, 50400, Malaysia, +60-3-21727272) was a delight. This is where we had

L to R: Noodles, Nasi Lemak Kukus

breakfast every morning and where I had lunch one day. Breakfast is a huge buffet with Western and Asian delicacies along with coffees, teas, and juices; what did surprise me was the lack of variety of fruit – apples, citrus, and melons only. For lunch you can either go through the buffet (different selections than breakfast, of course) or order from the menu. I had Nasi Lemak Kukus that was so flavorful that even though the chicken came on the bone and with skin, I ate nearly the entire piece. The staff is lovely, paying attention to your needs, and chatting with you as time allows.

Secret Recipe in the Central Market (Jalan Hang Kasturi, City Centre, 50050 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,

L to R: Chicken salad, Tea

+603-2274 6824/+603-7806 1555) is, ‘A home grown chain of café cum bakery serving & producing high quality cheesecakes, variety of baked desserts and fusion food.’ The food and service were very good. I thought at first it was going to be ‘fast food’, but it is actually a rather nice, casual eatery with attentive waiters and well prepared food.

Three and One-half Carrots

Cafe Restaurant 24 (4 Chome-10-３０ Takanawa, Minato, Tokyo 108-

Top L to R: Steak, Salad
Bottom L to R: Soup, Rice

8611, Japan, +81 3-3440-1111) is inside the Shinagawa Prince Hotel and is probably not the place I’d choose to dine, again. The food and service were okay, but we didn’t get a choice of food since we were using the airline voucher. There was much too much of everything except for the corn soup, which was the best dish they served. According to other passengers, if we had visited one of the other eating establishments, we could have selected from a menu.

Three Carrots

M Station Coffee and Company (Perdana Botanical Gardens, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) is a place to

Top L to R: Store, Coffee
Bottom: Bun

get a quick bite next to the National Museum. The young ladies who run the place are quite nice and do a good job of taking care of patrons. I had a very nice little blueberry bun with cream and jelly along with a glass of iced coffee. It wasn’t the traditional coffee I expected, but it was tasty.

Two Carrots

Axis Lounge in the DTH (348 Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, 50400, Malaysia, +60-3-21727272) is sometimes a nice place to go for an adult

L to R: Wine, Shrimp

beverage or just to sit and read a book. However, the bar is the designated smoking area and the lounge simply reeks at times. The waiters for this area are pleasant and very attentive. One night they were out of the normal snacks so we said we’d take cookies instead. We teased with the waiter enough that he actually broke a cookie into smaller pieces, put it in a bowl, presented it to us then said, ‘But don’t tell anyone! I’ll get in trouble!’ He was a lot of fun. I did try some of the bar food, fried shrimp – awful doesn’t even begin to describe the salty, soggy, shell-laden mess. On the last day there, as I was waiting in the lounge to head for the airport, I had to completely leave the area because of the amount of cigarette smoke.

L to R: Lychee, Nibbles

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