Malaysia,
March 12-13, 2007
Leaving Vietnam we soon arrived in Port Kelang Malaysia, the gateway to the most exotic city of Kuala Lumpur. On the hour ride from the port to the city center we stopped at the famous Blue Dome Mosque to marvel at its beautiful gardens and vast space! The mosque holds over 24,000 people….and its blue dome is spectacular.
Soon we found ourselves in Kuala Lumpur, known as the “Garden City”….aptly named because of its vast open green spaces of luscious parks and outdoor spaces. We enjoyed a visit to the National Monument, designed by Felix de Weldon, who also designed the Iwo Jima Memorial in Washington, DC. And surprise! Surprise! This monument looks amazing similar!
A visit to the Lake Garden gave us a chance to enjoy a colorful and noisy bird Park, a serene Butterfly Garden, and an Orchid Garden…nature at its best.
Whisking past the glorious white Kuala Lumpur Railway Station we marveled at the Moorish design from 1910….what a total contrast to the National Mosque which is adjacent. This very contemporary building, with it’s umbrella-shaped dome summarizes my feelings about KL…old vs. new….tradition vs. new thinking….fascinating!!!!
We became acutely aware of the British influence when we visited the polo fields of the old Royal Selangor Club, St, Mary’s Anglican Church and the former British Secretariat, now known as the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, currently the seat of the Supreme and High Courts.
Without question, the highlight of the day was a visit to the 88 story Petronas Twin Towers. Malaysia is rich in oil and this major company’s headquarters designed by Oscar Pelli is proof enough. Made entirely of stainless steel and glass, the towers soar to the sky in a rather geometric and symbolically Islamic manner. Another example of how architecture can capture the spirit and vibrancy of a culture. Seeing that building was reason enough to come to KL!
My next day was spent in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. Penang comes from the modern Malay name Pulau Pinang, which means “island of the betel nut tree”….the capital city is Georgetown. The island of Penang is connected to the mainland by the Penang Bridge…over five miles long and apparently the fifth longest bridge in the world.
Our adventurous day in Georgetown began with an exhausting climb to the largest Chinese Temple in South East Asia…Kek Lok Si Temple. Since our visit fell just a few days after the end of the Chinese New Year’s celebrations, we were lucky to see the temple bedecked in thousands…and I do mean thousands of colored paper lanterns….yellow and/or red….all hanging above us like a canopy of floating clouds. Couple that sensory overload with the chants of crimson-clad monks and you can imagine the feeling. How spectacular the place must look like at night with each of those lanterns aglow with the small votive candles they protect…it must be beautiful!
From the Chinese temple we visited the Thai Buddhist Temple of the Reclining Buddha…allegedly the fourth largest reclining figure in the world! Surrounding this impressive figure with his gold body and pearl fingers and toes I was fascinated to see the hundreds of small glass-enclosed mausoleum cases holding beautiful urns. The front of each case hosted a photograph of the deceased as well as the birth and death records….and each was protected and blessed by the reclining Buddha….very moving!
Across the street we were lucky to see yet another Buddha…this time the Standing Burmese Buddha. Religion certainly plays a major role in this part of the world and it was interesting to see the contrast of the Muslims in KL and the Buddhist in Georgetown.
A long ride around the island gave us a chance to see the growth of elegant high-rise condos going up all along the beautiful beaches. We enjoyed yet another beautiful butterfly park before stopping at a small fruit stand to sample a variety of local fruits and vegetables…including the famous Betel nut leaf. I was particularly interested in seeing a nutmeg fruit. I never knew that nutmeg had a pulpy and apparently sweet fruit about the size of a large plum surrounding the seed. The seed is encased in a husky skin which is dried and ground into the spice known as mace…and then the left over seed is the actual nutmeg. Some of our group sampled the Dorian fruit…the stinky fruit!....others tasted one of thirty different varieties of bananas that are grown on the island….all in all an interesting stop!
Returning to the ship we passed countless factories where thousands of computer and IT equipment are made. These factories have provided much need jobs for thousands of Malays and contribute to the overall feeling of wealth and prosperity we experienced in this exotic port and country!
March 12-13, 2007
Leaving Vietnam we soon arrived in Port Kelang Malaysia, the gateway to the most exotic city of Kuala Lumpur. On the hour ride from the port to the city center we stopped at the famous Blue Dome Mosque to marvel at its beautiful gardens and vast space! The mosque holds over 24,000 people….and its blue dome is spectacular.
Soon we found ourselves in Kuala Lumpur, known as the “Garden City”….aptly named because of its vast open green spaces of luscious parks and outdoor spaces. We enjoyed a visit to the National Monument, designed by Felix de Weldon, who also designed the Iwo Jima Memorial in Washington, DC. And surprise! Surprise! This monument looks amazing similar!
A visit to the Lake Garden gave us a chance to enjoy a colorful and noisy bird Park, a serene Butterfly Garden, and an Orchid Garden…nature at its best.
Whisking past the glorious white Kuala Lumpur Railway Station we marveled at the Moorish design from 1910….what a total contrast to the National Mosque which is adjacent. This very contemporary building, with it’s umbrella-shaped dome summarizes my feelings about KL…old vs. new….tradition vs. new thinking….fascinating!!!!
We became acutely aware of the British influence when we visited the polo fields of the old Royal Selangor Club, St, Mary’s Anglican Church and the former British Secretariat, now known as the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, currently the seat of the Supreme and High Courts.
Without question, the highlight of the day was a visit to the 88 story Petronas Twin Towers. Malaysia is rich in oil and this major company’s headquarters designed by Oscar Pelli is proof enough. Made entirely of stainless steel and glass, the towers soar to the sky in a rather geometric and symbolically Islamic manner. Another example of how architecture can capture the spirit and vibrancy of a culture. Seeing that building was reason enough to come to KL!
My next day was spent in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. Penang comes from the modern Malay name Pulau Pinang, which means “island of the betel nut tree”….the capital city is Georgetown. The island of Penang is connected to the mainland by the Penang Bridge…over five miles long and apparently the fifth longest bridge in the world.
Our adventurous day in Georgetown began with an exhausting climb to the largest Chinese Temple in South East Asia…Kek Lok Si Temple. Since our visit fell just a few days after the end of the Chinese New Year’s celebrations, we were lucky to see the temple bedecked in thousands…and I do mean thousands of colored paper lanterns….yellow and/or red….all hanging above us like a canopy of floating clouds. Couple that sensory overload with the chants of crimson-clad monks and you can imagine the feeling. How spectacular the place must look like at night with each of those lanterns aglow with the small votive candles they protect…it must be beautiful!
From the Chinese temple we visited the Thai Buddhist Temple of the Reclining Buddha…allegedly the fourth largest reclining figure in the world! Surrounding this impressive figure with his gold body and pearl fingers and toes I was fascinated to see the hundreds of small glass-enclosed mausoleum cases holding beautiful urns. The front of each case hosted a photograph of the deceased as well as the birth and death records….and each was protected and blessed by the reclining Buddha….very moving!
Across the street we were lucky to see yet another Buddha…this time the Standing Burmese Buddha. Religion certainly plays a major role in this part of the world and it was interesting to see the contrast of the Muslims in KL and the Buddhist in Georgetown.
A long ride around the island gave us a chance to see the growth of elegant high-rise condos going up all along the beautiful beaches. We enjoyed yet another beautiful butterfly park before stopping at a small fruit stand to sample a variety of local fruits and vegetables…including the famous Betel nut leaf. I was particularly interested in seeing a nutmeg fruit. I never knew that nutmeg had a pulpy and apparently sweet fruit about the size of a large plum surrounding the seed. The seed is encased in a husky skin which is dried and ground into the spice known as mace…and then the left over seed is the actual nutmeg. Some of our group sampled the Dorian fruit…the stinky fruit!....others tasted one of thirty different varieties of bananas that are grown on the island….all in all an interesting stop!
Returning to the ship we passed countless factories where thousands of computer and IT equipment are made. These factories have provided much need jobs for thousands of Malays and contribute to the overall feeling of wealth and prosperity we experienced in this exotic port and country!
No comments:
Post a Comment