The Tourist

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With Malaysia always having been a holiday destination to mainly visit family, many tourist attractions have been overlooked, by my immediate family and I. I concluded this was the perfect time to change this trend.

My cousin, Naz, kindly offered to be the guide in Kuala Lumpur. It made a change seeing him in the morning daylight because we both usually went to bed shorty before, in the early hours, to wake in the mid afternoon. The first stop was the National Mosque. At first glance, the mosque is not anywhere near as impressive as the blue domed mosque in Shah Alam. Unusually the mosque had no dome but a circular fan-like structure, much like a lampshade. I assume this is to make it look unique to the rest of the grand mosques in Malaysia.

Before we went in, Naz had to put on a Death-Eater like robe since he was wearing shorts. Who is the tourist now?! Inside was a different story. As we walked up the stairs, we advanced into elegantly open-plan pillared hallways with gleaming white marble floors. Beside the hallways was the only minaret, within a pool rowed with fountains. At the far end of the mosque were the Prime Ministers' tombs. Since Malaysia only became independent in 1954 there were only a couple but they were beautifully decorated. A peaceful area where reflections of the circling water could be seen on the white angled ceiling. We stayed here for around an hour listening to an Islamic follower recite the Qu'ran in song. This is all we could hear as well as the calm splashing of the fountain water. It was a lovely place to be and made so by its clever design. The mosque was very cool and breezy, despite it being a roasting day outside, without using air-conditioning. Furthermore, the mix of sunshine and shadow made the mosque deliberately photogenic. I could have stayed here all day if I didn't have so much to see.

Close by, we dropped by the National Monument signifying the respect for the people who died for Malaysia's Independence. With the Malaysian flag completely still, the statue looked very American because the crescent moon and star were not visible. Still, this did not take away the significance of the statue.

My childish side needed to show itself, so we went to the Aviary. It was no ordinary aviary because it heralded itself being the largest free-flight walk-in aviary in the world. Pretty impressive if you know what is means. The complex was very impressive. Towering nets were constructed to allow the birds to roam free without escaping. Colourful, majestic and intriguing are just a few words to describe these wonderful creatures. Storks casually strolled around the paths apparently un-phased by the excited tourists; flamingos chilled on one leg with only their bodies visible; hoards of of various parrots flocked around people who had some feed; emus and ostriches paraded their enormous figures around their pen with their surprised looking faces; trained large-eyed owls and cunning looking hawks posed for photos; flappy ducks drifted along with the fish; peacocks paraded and some with more feathers than others and finally the dazzling hornbill invaded the aviary restaurant for some leftovers of spaghetti bolognese and watermelon juice. Top notch!

Down the road was the Butterfly Farm, so it was rude not to go. The variation of butterflies was staggering plus some other critters showed themselves too. Photographing the butterflies was a struggle. They tended to remain on a flower or leaf for a second or two, making it tricky to get a good snap. We also noticed particular types of butterfly, which were the most visually striking, tended not to stick around at all. The cliche "patience is a virtue" was so appropriate. After some close calls I eventually got some nice ones (which you can see in the gallery). I am definitely enjoying this photographer malarky!

A short visit was made to Medeka Square, where the National Parade is held every year. The grassy area, which used to be where the British historically played cricket matches, also houses the fifth tallest flagpole in the world, at ninety-five metres high. On the road-side of the area is the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, classically British in design, now used as a courthouse. A quick dash was made to KLCC, before the heavens opened.

KLCC is the area where Petronas Towers are situated. At the base is an enormous shopping centre, which is my worst nightmare. I was stuck inside until the rain stopped but on a more positive note, I bought some nice headphones. The rain subsided and I was now able to see the towers. Even though I had seen them several times previously, they are still awe inspiring every time. Whoever designed this place is a genius! Even if they are no longer the tallest, they have to be arguably the most exquisite. Sublime by day, magnificent by night. Great way to end a superb day.

The further my touristy journey, the next day Naz showed me around Melaka, with my auntie and uncle. It is easy to spot that Melaka is no ordinary Malaysian town. It has Portuguese and British influence, where much of it has a  classical European flavour. It could be seen in the form of traditional Western European style churches and shop districts, painted in the typical orangy-pink shade. 

The first stop was the replica Sultanate Palace. The original palace was burned down by the Portuguese and was reportedly ten times the size. Considering it is pretty large today, the original would have been gigantic. It is now used as a museum but still it provides a good sense of majesty. It also is built in a Malay style, which has always been a favourite of mine.

On top of the neighbouring hill is a ruined church. It is open to the elements and has the best panoramic view of the coast, over the town. The local Holiday Inn spoiled some of the view, by being tall and cumbersome Very bad town planning indeed Melaka but on the other hand, the view was still pretty special. 

Penultimately, my family and I had a boat trip down Melaka's historically significant river. If there was no river there would be no Melaka, even though the river is only tiny. Winding around this river really showed how nice Melaka really is. The influences from various cultures are plain to see in ever changing architectural districts. 

To conclude the day, we had a walk down Jonker Street. This is the China Town of Melaka. Being Good Friday, it was choc-a-block with various tourists.  I bought some Facebook flip-flops for myself and a couple of gifts. The range of goodies one could buy was incredible including old old wooden ships 😊 and lovely looking night lights. We only got halfway before we got tired so went for a well earned Nando's to put the cherry on top.

Backpacking approached. Thailand was the destination and on my lonesome once more. Not too sad to go because I as previously mentioned, in the last post, I will be back again in two months. Bring on the sun, sea and sand!

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