Sunday, February 8, 2009

Muddy Confluence



Hi there! Today, we took off in Malacca at around 9 in the morning and drove for a short 140 km up the highway to Kuala Lumpur. I navigated again and was focused like a laser beam on the roadbook so I don't get us lost again and it worked. I have the hang of it now. 

This city, deriving its name for two apparently muddy rivers that join here, is the ueber-modern capital of Malaysia. It is a very young city having been founded in 1850, but has come a long way from its origins as a small tin mining village. 7 million people live in this metropolitan area now and much like in Singapore (maybe even more so) there is high-end development going on everywhere. The cityscape looks like a result of a competition of who can slap the most glass and stainless steel onto a building. The difference between here and Singapore is that Kuala Lumpur sits at the edge of the Malaysian mountains. It is visually very interesting to see tall buildings nestled into this hilly topography. And it is hotter here than at the shore...95 degrees today. 

Since we got here at 11 am this morning already, we had a lot of time checking out the Petronas towers and relaxing at the hotel pool. I was floating around in the pool here in-between the skyscrapers, listening to the Athan, the prayer call, coming from the city mosque, which reminded me that I am not in just another metropolis, but in a far away place. 

Our stop here will be the last luxurious one for a few days. Tomorrow we are off to the Cameron Highlands, an apparently very beautiful tea-growing highland north of here. I'm looking forward to being in nature.

Hope you are all well!


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