Good Morning Kuala Lumpur!

The National Mosque (Masjid Negara) is the equivalent of the National Cathedral in Washington DC. A few obvious differences, starting with the lack of pews, shoes, and Christians. It is a glorious building, but not the kind of soaring one I expected, as in a cathedral. It is open to the public technically but in practice they prefer Muslims. So I wore the cap and carried prayer beads but of course fooled no one with my light skin. My experience was one of tranquility. It was not prayer time so men were praying privately and quietly.

Unlike a cathedral, the emphasis was on the horizontal plane. I felt compelled to face forward not up. Inside the mosque, stained glass did provide a warm glow of light. Outside of the main hall was a massive overflow area. In contrast, it felt very cool. Very relaxing. Long strips of blue stained glass fell on the cool marble below making simple but wonderful designs-- and the overall experience was one of cool. It felt and looked cool.

It is sitting on about five acres of beautiful gardens with clean, cool marble underfoot (remember--no shoes), reflecting pools, fountains and a tall modern minaret. It has a bright blue jagged rooftop, designed in the shape of an eighteen-pointed star, symbolizing the 14 states of Malaysia and the Five Pillars of Islam. The roof looks a bit like an umbrella which symbolizes the aspirations of an independent nation. Near the mosque is the Makam Pahlawan (Heroes' Mausoleum), which houses late Malaysian leaders.

Petaling Street is the main drag of Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown district, which is not far from the hotel). It starts off slow, and when I walk through Chinatown in the morning it is sparce and quiet. By mid-afternoon it is jumping and by night it is a mob scene. In the evenings, it is a crazy bazaar with a lot of local products, such as batik but it also has a lot of imported Chinese items, from knock-off watches, designer knock-off clothes and purses, and Addidas to a man making coffee and another making coffins. And of course lots of pirated Video CDs of the movies being shown in the US, Hong Kong, and China. There is no shortage of things to eat, since there are lots of dim sum shops and wet markets.

Tucked away off of one of Chinatown's narrow side streets is Sri Mahamariaman Temple. In some ways it reminded me of the National Mosque in that it was a place of cool tranquility despite the harsh heat. The temple itself is something of an arresting sight, because inside it is this ornate and beautiful place of serenity in the middle of a crowded bustling and frankly a little dirty street.

Built in 1873, it is the most elaborate Hindu temple in the country. Its gate tower is embellished with ornate sculptures of Hindu deities and its floors and walls marbled with Italian and Spanish tiles. This is the country's oldest temple and it occupies an important place in Hindu religious life. Inside, many Hindu worshipers offers prayers to the four-armed goddess. Of course you have to remove your shoes before entering the temple. About halfway inside, I ran outside remembering how many poor people were right outside and I went back to grab my sandals and carried them with me. Although I felt guilty, the thought of being in the middle of Luala Lumpur without shoes kind of freaked me out.

It is considered the most elaborates Hindu temple in Malaysia. The smape of the temple resembles a human body lying on its back with the head facing west and the feet pointing east. The tallest structure in the temple is the "gopuram" (tower) that is corresponding to the feet of the human body, and is the threshold between the material and spiritual world. The dramatic pyramid-shaped gate tower is decorated with depictions of Hindu gods sculptured by artisans from southern India.

It is nicely decorated with features such as intricate carvings of Hindu deities, gold embellishments, precious stones and hand-painted motifs depicting stories from early Hinduism. Italian and Spanish tiles cover the walls of its interior. The temple also houses the tallest Hindu silver chariot in Malaysia that is kept in a vault. It is brought out once a year during the Thaipusam celebration for the procession from the temple to Batu Caves.

And again, it remains hot -- about 90 degrees in the middle of the day. I finally started apreciating the difference between 80 and 90 degrees. And every other day, at late afternoon or early evening it just pours. Mental note: look up "Monsoon Season." Cause this is it!

I'm having fun and meeeting very interesting people who are eager to show me around.

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