Port Kelang - a day in Kuala Lumpur

National Heritage Museum

 We are off early in the morning - as soon as the ship is secure - to visit Kuala Lumpur. We have a one hour’s drive to reach the city. We are fortunate that it is Sunday, or it could take two hours to make the trip in traffic. Our first stop is the National Heritage Museum, which has four wings describing the early civilization, peoples of the area, the colonial period, and modern Malaysia. The exhibits are well done (and partially in English) but we have limited time to see them. We do get to visit the restrooms - which would normally cost money. Our guide has made arrangements for us, so we do not have to pay (the local currency is the Ringgit). Unfortunately, that means we should provide our own toilet paper and towels - which we don’t have. These are some of the adventures of visiting a foreign country.

Independence Square

Buildings on Independence Square

Jean Outside the Mosque

National Mosque

Our next stop is Independence Square, where Malaysia celebrated its independence in 1957. We have photo stops at the National Mosque (no time to visit). The Mosque can hold 8,000 worshippers - our guide insists it can hold 15,000. She may be right - if everyone is standing. We are shown the nearby railway station - with its exotic, Moorish style. We stop for a picture of the Petronas Towers - once the tallest building in the world, now the tallest twin towers in the world. We walk to a market for shopping. It seems no tour is complete without shopping time. We are given stickers that allow us to visit the rest rooms without cost - again no toilet paper or towels. Finally we go to lunch at a local hotel. The meal has a little bit of everything - and the restrooms are free and do have toilet paper and towels.

Shopping in Malaysia

Our last stop before returning to the ship is the KL Tower (a communications tower) which is the 6th highest in the world. Because it is on a hill, it actually looks down on the Petronas Towers. By now the views are hazy, but still spectacular. There is a 360 degree view of the city, with its many modern high-rise buildings.

Petronas Towers in the Haze

We are back at the port by 5:00 PM, and on the ship by 5:30 PM. We sail almost immediately for Penang, as we continue up the West Coast of Malaysia. From there, we plan to visit an orangutan sanctuary in the morning tomorrow.