2 days in Kuala Lumpur

January 19 to 22, 2020

Population: 7.8 Million

We arrived in Kuala Lumpur (KL) after a hectic bus travel. The road from Cameron Highlands is long and winding, and Naema could not handle it. She was sick the whole way and it took her some time to recover (even felt sick in the taxi that took us from the bus station to our hotel). The bus station is huge and it feels like an airport.

We met Amelle and Mehdi in our hotel. They came here directly from Georgetown and had already spent a few days there (and would stay for a few more days after we left).

The hotel was nice, clean and comfortable. Compared to the last few ones we had been to, this one felt like a nice upgrade. To be fair, nowadays clean sheets and quiet place feel like luxury. 😃

Kuala Lumpur is a very big city and, in our opinion, doesn’t really have the vibe, charm or personality that other big Asian cities have (being Saigon, Hanoi, Bangkok or even Singapore). KL has multiculturality and diversity though. Again, like in Georgetown, it is a mix of Indian, Chinese, Malay, Muslim and Arab communities (and food 😉).

Petronas Towers

The city is also very modern and famous for its Petronas towers. We didn’t go at the top but spent an afternoon at the KLCC park and playground nearby (and from where you can take the best pictures).

Masjid Jamek of Kuala Lumpur

This is the oldest mosque in Kuala Lumpur, located at the confluent of the Gombak and Klang rivers, which is actually where the city of Kuala Lumpur was founded by the first settlers.

We took a very instructive (and free) guided tour with Reda, a French-Moroccan who immigrated here a few years ago and learned a little bit of history and religion.

Bubble of History: Kuala Lumpur means "muddy confluent" in Malay; kuala is the point where two rivers join together or an estuary, and lumpur means "mud".

Botanical Gardens

We went there with Amelle and Mehdi and spent a nice afternoon. The place is gigantic with colorful and odorant tropical essences, captive deers, and a planetarium designed as a mosque.

Food

To my (our) great pleasure, our hotel was located near a Middle-Eastern restaurant that serves Lebanese food. And not any lebanese food but some zaatar pita (that we call Manouche in Lebanon) and labné (Lebanese yogurt) that I was craving. We came back 3 times (2 breakfast and one dinner). Pure happiness!

Music Store

One of the most difficult things for me while traveling is that I miss playing music a lot, especially the guitar. I always carry a harmonica with me, it's convenient and fun to play, but playing the guitar is a complete different feeling. Every time I find a guitar in a hostel, a bar or a store, I try to play a little but the instruments are not always in good shape or not good quality so not a very enjoyable experience for the player. In Kuala Lumpur, I've been lucky to find the biggest music store in Asia. I spent an hour there, enjoying playing some of the nicest guitars and amps... and it felt so good!

For us, Kuala Lumpur will not go down in history but was a stopping off passage between the Highlands and Melaka.

Coralie took advantage to see an orthopedic specialist at the Prince Court hospital because the knee pain is still there. Unfortunately, the prescribed MRI could not be done there because of lack of availability but she went away with a potential diagnostic and a referral letter for a fellow doctor in Melaka, our next destination.

Salah