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Day 66 1st Feb
I roll out of bed to use the loo.... I've no idea of the time but I can see its light outside... opening the huge curtains just a little for a peak allows light to crash onto the room announcing that the day has begun......
We head down to floor 3 for breakfast... It's a huge eating area filled with noise.... Chairs scrap across the tiled floor and the noise from a hundred people going about there breakfast compete with each other to create a continuos assault on your ears...
The foods is however very good and there everything you can imagine on offer...
With our cornflakes consumed we head outside and get hit with a wall of heat..... Everywhere is air conditioned in the hotel and it's been a while since we were outside so it comes as a bit of a surprise when the hotel doors power open and you feel the temperature suddenly jump 15 degrees....
Kuala Lumper is so far removed from anywhere else we have been on this trip that we are a little lost.... I'd excepted Malaysia to be wealthier, but the contrast between other capital cities like Bangkok, or Hanoi and here in Kuala Lumper is immense.... There worlds apparat from each other and we don't really know where to start....
Having walked for a few minutes we stop and look at the map... Neither of us really know where or what to do in this huge modern city but eventually a decision is made... We are going to walk to the Botanical Gardens.... The Botanical Gardens are on the outskirts of the city's busier areas and sit next to China town.... We'd spoken about going to China town tomorrow night, so not wanting to spoil the surprise of the place we chose to walk around China town today.... The heat is relentless and we are heating up..... We stop in and grab ice creams and water... Keen not to have a repeat of dehydration again.... On the approach to the Botanical Gardens area we pass a number of interesting buildings..... The first being Kuala Lumpars central train station.... It's a large Indian looking building... It's mainly white with four large spiral staircases on each corner with large domes on top.... It very impressive and Indian looking.... It has a small gardens area at the ends of the platforms which are meticulously cared for. I read a small information plaque about the station...
It was built in 1886 and had an English designer and engineer.
From here we follow the road passed the National Mosque... It's an immaculate building with lots of flowing water from a lovely modern looking stainless steel leafed fountain. There's trimmed green bushes that line a footpaths around a general open area, but most noticeable of all is a huge spike that must be nearly 70 meters tall that stretches out the top of the mosque into the sky..
We continue along the road passing an enclosed bird park, a Islamic Museum, and the National Planetarium that has a replica of Stone Henge before arriving at the Botanical Gardens... We enter and wonder.... The birds sing, and fountains flow in the large central lake and it's not long before we've found a large Walnut tree. It trunk is two and a half meters wide and around 1000 years old.... The base of the tree trunk forms the back of a circular seat that rings the tree, we sit and relax in the shade... Shiree drops off to sleep and I spend some time studying the map... After spending plenty of time in the gardens we leave in search of a "National Monument"
It's easy to see on the map, but due to recent road changes it takes us a while to locate...
We find its grounds first with lush green gardens filled with sculptures made of stainless steel or granite... We come across a shop and have a ice cream in the shade.... Then we have another one !! It's so hot !!
We wonder off in the direction of the monument, following a path that leads us through some trees and brings us to the rear of a large C shaped arrangement of domes that the monuments within... The whole area is beautifully clean, there are pools of water and fountains with a large bronze flag carrying monument in the middle.... The monument is to commemorate Malaysia's fallen solders....
It's a very nice place, but the suns unbearable heat is getting to the little one and we have to leave.... We walk down a tree sheltered path to a road and grab a taxi back to the hotel....
Once back in our room, with body temperatures back in the normal range again we go to bed.. We are both tiered and sleep for an hour before having to get up for a trip i had booked from back home... Once up again we grab a taxi and take it to the Petronas Towers... The Petronas Towers are visible for miles around.... They look impressive during the day... There made using lots of high polish stainless steel which gives them a silvery looking colouring all day, and combined with the tapering upper floors gives them the appearance to two large bullets pointing into the sky. They are the highest linked twin towers in the world at 452 meters high... Our tour allows us entry to the "linking" sky bridge on the 43 floor and then up to the 86th floor.... The view from the sky bridge is really good.... It's a double layered sky bridge linking both floors 43 and 44 of both buildings... 43 is restricted for "tour" use only and 44 for "employes"
The tour start time was 19.15. By the time we arrive in the sky bridge visibility is still perfect, but by the time we leave, ten mins later you can see it beginning to darken outside... Dusk is well on its way....
We're back in the lift and up to floor 86 now.... This involves using two lifts as the building narrows, so by the time we're in floor 86 its dark outside.... It's perfect.... Just as I'd wanted when I plan it.... We get to see both day and night views...
There are two more floors above floors 86, but there maintenance rooms for the window cleaning equipment, so we are pretty much at the very top.... It's certainly a very long way down.... The guild informs us that the two towers are built by different companies.... One by the Japanese, and one by the Koreans, but once a get him on his own I learn that there both built by both.... Using Japanese mechanical building understanding with Korean construction workers.... The sky bridge weighs 750 ton and is not actually secured to either tower allowing them to move independently of each other in wind.... Up to 73cm.....!
We have twenty minuets up here and fill the time easily taking photos of the surrounding areas.... We've also noticed an area we'd like to visit tomorrow and located our own hotel.... Being up so high allows us to look down on all the cars that move around the city like ants.... All following the one in front until the routes blocked... People are to small to follow.... The buildings colour changes when nights falls as hundreds of lights shine on all the polished metal turning the whole building white..... It's barely noticeable from inside, but the huge bulbs are clearly visible shining bright...
Once back in the ground we take plenty of photos before heading back to the hotel in a taxi..... We are both knackered and call it a day.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuala_Lumpur_Railway_Station
http://www.klbotanicalgarden.gov.my
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Monument_(Malaysia)
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petronas_Towers
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