Another lazy start to the day followed by breakfast at 09:30 after which we had a rest in the hotel room and I continued to read my book.
At noon, or maybe a bit later, we went out into the heat and found one of the two rivers which meet in Kuala Lumpur and from which the city's name is derived. It was a muddy canal. We then risked life and limb scrambling up the side of a dual carriageway, following the locals' example. At the summit we were amazed to find the side of the road became a path, wide enough to walk on! We passed the national mosque and the huge mass of people and parked motorcycles to Merdeka Square, facing which are a couple of very attractive buildings. At the top of Merdeka Square, situated in front of the national museum is the tallest flagpole I have ever seen, supporting the largest flag I have ever seen flying. It was extremely hot and sticky as we progressed to the Friday mosque, situated right by the conjunction of the two muddy rivers. Many people were present at the mosque, praying. We walked back through Chinatown and with the surprising lack of restaurants we ducked into a chain coffee shop for a snack and refreshing drink. Then Ian took a look into the Lonely Planet guide to distinguish where the Chinese restaurants in Chinatown are, then frogmarched me round the block in the hunt for the elusive eateries on the way back to the hotel.
As we walked through Chinatown this afternoon I was nearly taken out by a motorcyclist, none of them seem to have any regard for pedestrians!
Back in the room we rested, fell asleep, and woke to a lightening and thunder storm, revealing that the huge Malaysian flag at Merdeka Square could now be seen from our window given the now present wind, and that the streets below flood quite easily.
When the rain stopped, after a game or two of bao, we walked to the bus station to check out procedures for tomorrow. It was a crazy place, full of people, hot and sticky. Luckily, after enquiring across the road as to the price of a bus ticket to the Cameron Highlands, we won't have to wait in the bus station, our bus leaves from across the road.
Dinner was a Chinese meal at the The Old China Cafe in Chinatown. It was very nice too. On the way back to the hotel we bought some cans of lager and smuggled them up to our room for evening consumption.
Copyright 2003 Helen Fuller. All rights reserved.