The Malaysian "Jalan-Jalan" (Part 1): The Basics of Kuala Lumpur

Prologue:

- After the school announced that we would be having a whole week off for the Holy Week, I immediately booked tickets to Malaysia (while the Cebu Pacific promotion was still going on). My family told me that they wouldn't want to go anywhere for the Holy Week, and they even told me that I could go have a vacation if I wanted to. I chose Malaysia because it's such a common place to visit for Filipinos who want to travel; Malaysia is near, and so plane tickets to Malaysia from the Philippines can be cheap, and because of the ASEAN agreement, Philippine passport holders do not need a visa to enter Malaysia (for 14 days).

- I also realized that I needed to boost my knowledge of Southeast Asia, since it is region that the Philippines is part of, and my work/field requires me to have an in-depth knowledge of all things Asian. Though Southeast Asia is a region I'm quite familiar with, most of the pieces of information that I have are based on books and artifacts that I have seen in museums worldwide; I have traveled to some places in Southeast Asia (click here and here for Bali, here for Brunei, here for my Siem Reap-Saigon trip, and here for Bangkok), but I think that I still lacked more personal experience with major areas in the region -- Malaysia (particularly Malacca) being one of those major areas. I've actually been to Malaysia ten years ago, but it was a half-day side trip to Johor Baru from my short vacation in Singapore; Johor Baru is the Malaysian sultanate closest to Singapore. Since that half-day tour to Johor Baru did not really give me a deep impression and experience on Malaysia, I would normally just tell people that I had not been to Malaysia, (If I had the time or if the conversation flow allows, that would be the only time that I'd tell people about my brief Johor Baru trip.)

- Since I had nowhere to go for the Holy Week, I booked myself a 10-day vacation in Malaysia. I realized that this was the first time that I had booked a plane ticket for a purely-vacation "alone" trip. I had gone to some places for vacation purposes, but they were with friends or family, and all of my "alone" trips abroad were mainly because of delegation trips or academic conferences. To add to the excitement, my friend Nathalie who was temporarily based in Malaysia for work during the trip welcomed me to stay in her condo during my days in Kuala Lumpur. (I am writing this now after coming home from Malaysia; Nathalie also came back to the Philippines for good a few days after I came back to Manila.) Of course, I had no choice but to sleep in the living room, although my makeshift bed was comfortable enough. The most important thing was that I was allowed to use the air-conditioning as Malaysia was unforgivingly burning hot during my trip there. This meant that I could have some time to hang out with Nathalie, especially on the weekends when she wouldn't need to go to work.

- Since this was a purely leisure trip, I literally "jalan-jalan"-ed in Malaysia. "Jalan-jalan" comes from the word "jalan" which means "to walk," and doubling the word means "to take a walk (leisurely.)" Of course, knowing me, my version of jalan-jalan is quite fast paces as I wanted to see as much as I could during my limited time in Malaysia.



The trip:

- March 18-20. Friday to Sunday.

- I arrived in Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 (KLIA2) around 5:30 in the afternoon, and stayed at the airport mall to do some leftover work while waiting for Nathalie and her work-friend to come and fetch me from the airport. Nathalie and her friend Tin arrived around 7 in the evening, and off we went to the nearby Mitsui Outlet Park so Nathalie and Tin can do some shopping. We ended quite late in the evening, and from Mitsui to Nathalie's place took around an hour. The airport (both terminals) is located in the far south of Kuala Lumpur, and it takes around an hour;s travel between the airport and the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Nathalie's place was located in the Hartamas area, near the new/current Istana Negara (King's Palace). While the area seemed a good quiet break from the busy Kuala Lumpur Center, the only concern I had with the area was that it was difficult to use public transport from that area; it was far from the metro trains and the only way to get to the city center was through private car or cab.

Finally in Nathalie's place.

- On my first full day in Kuala Lumpur, I took Nathalie to Bestari to have a traditional South-Indian breakfast. Bestari is a known 24-hour South-Indian-style eatery in Kuala Lumpur; one branch was conveniently located below Nathalie's condo. It was Nathalie's first real experience of Indian food, and I'm glad that she liked it; Nathalie wasn't too adventurous when it comes to food, but since she knew that she could trust me when it comes to cultural stuff (especially Indian stuff,) she agreed to try Indian food. Nathalie had an idli thali, while I had a thosai thali.

Nathalie was happier after eating her thali.

- After having a light but flavor-packed Indian breakfast, we headed to one of Kuala Lumpur's most historical areas - Merdeka Square. Merdeka Square or Dataran Merdeka (literally "Independence Square") used to be a lawn for playing cricket by the British during the British colonial rule in the 1800s. The buildings around the square, mostly inspired by Mughal (Islamic-Indian like the Taj Mahal) and moorish architecture, used to be office buildings used by the British as well. However, the square was eventually named "Merdeka Square" since it was the place where the British flag was lowered and replaced by the Malaysian flag after Malaysia became independent in 1957.

- The most prominent building is the Mughal-style Sultan Abdul Samad Building, which housed several government offices since the British era, before eventually becoming the building for the Ministry of Heritage, Culture, and Arts. The structure reminded me of the Presidential Office in Taipei (click here for my trip ti Taipei, to compare the buildings.)

Sultan Abdul Samad Building.

Victorian Fountain/Queen Victoria Fountain/

The fountain and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building.

- I initially wanted to take a photo with the Sultan Adbul Samad Building, but the position of the sun did not make the photo nice, so Nathalie and I decided to visit the old-offices-turned-museums that surrounded the Merdeka Square. Most of the museums around the square are free of charge, but some like the KL Gallery would charge a small museum entrance fee.

- We first visited the National Textile Museum, which was built in 1905 and originally a railway office, and the Music Museum (formerly known as the National History Museum), built in 1888 as a bank. I noticed that museums in Malaysia are quite small, so visiting a lot of museums in a day is quite possible, especially for someone like me who likes learning from the various exhibits in museums.

National Textile Museum.

I ♥ KL!!

This is how Malaysian batiks are made. It's a beautifully laborious process.

Iban-tribe-style beaded marik empang. 

Various tengkolok.

Indian saree wrapped Malaysian style.

Malays and Chinese.

Indians and orang asli.

Various ethnic groups in Malaysia.

Different head gear.

Former Museum of History, now the Music Museum.

Malay-style fiddle.

Indian veena.

Large drum used for the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

It's such a huge drum!!

Gamelan.

- We visited the KL Gallery after the two museums (all of them right beside each other,) thought I felt that the KL Gallery has a far less impressive exhibit than the other museums. The museum store, however, had good and reasonably-priced sophisticated souvenirs that cannot be found in local bazaars or markets.

KL Gallery.

Such an amazing wall.

- After visiting the KL Gallery, we spent some time in Merdeka Square to take photos with the Sultan Abdul Samad Building since the position of the sun was better. Of course I had to wear something nice, so I quickly wrapped a sampin over my baju melayu, and put on a tengkolok on my head.

Indian flag.

Sultan Abdul Samad Building, KL Tower, Petronas.

Mandatory photoshoot.

With Nathalie.

With a part of the Royal Selangor Club behind me.

Sultan Abdul Samad Building in all its glory.

- We later went to Masjid Jamek (Jamek Mosque) which is right behind Merdeka Square. Masjid Jamek, built in 1909, was the national mosque of Malaysia before the current Masjid Negara (National Mosque) was built. Visitors who wish to see the mosque must dress appropriately; those whose clothes violate the dress code (ex. women without head covers, men or women wearing shorts, etc.) will be lent a free robes so they can go around the mosque.

Inside the mosque.

Nice ceiling.

Moorish-Mughal style mosque.

Little Red Riding Hood.

Jamek Mosque.

Nathalie was happy to have removed her robe.

- Nathalie and I spent some time looking around Masjid India Bazaar after visiting Masjid Jamek. Masjid India Bazaar sold regular everyday things like modern clothes and accessories, so we decided to head to Petaling Street, or Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown. Along the way, we saw a Bharanatyam performance in the middle of the street; I think they had some sort of Indian event. What better way to add color to my day than a random cultural performance, right?

Bharatanatyam performance.

Such grace.

Old buildings that line Petaling Street or Chinatown.

The iconic gate, just like in most Chinatowns around the world.

- After having lunch in Chinatown, we walked more along store-lined Petaling Street (most of which sold Chinese things/trinkets that can be found in any Chinatown,) until we reached Chan See Shu Yan or the Green Temple. Chan See Shu Yan, opened in 1906, is one of the biggest Chinese Buddhist temples in Kuala Lumpur, and is the family shrine of several clans.

A treasure of Chinatown.

Right by the door.

Plenty of Chinese lanterns.

Ming and Qing style temples usually have elaborate roofs and window carvings.

See those carvings?

Such detail in one panel.

With  the Chinatown gate at the other end of the street.

- Next, Nathalie and I dropped by the only Hindu temple within Chinatown, the Sri Mahamariamman Temple. I still have no idea why it is located within the vicinity of Chinatown; even stranger, possibly by coincidence, the Sri Mahamarimman Temple in Singapore is also located in the heart of Chinatown, not Little India. This Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur is also one of the oldest mandirs, being built in the late 1800s.

South-Indian Hindu temples are known for their towering roofs with plenty of deities guarding the temple. 

- During our visit to the temple, I gave Nathalie a crash course on the Hindu deities; I think she was overwhelmed. A Hindu wedding also just finished by the time we went there, so we were able to see nicely-dressed Indians, and elaborate rangolis (pictures made from powder) on some parts of the main hall.

Elaborate peacock-themed rangoli.

Shiva carving.

The roof from inside the temple compound.

Shiva's family.

- After leaving the temple, we walked along the street to visit the Sin Sze Si Ya Temple, another Chinese temple from the late 1800s. Historically, this temple was where leaders of the Chinese community in Kuala Lumpur held meetings to come up with important decisions for the community, partly because of the good feng shui of the temple.

Sin Sze Si Ya Temple.

The temple was quite small, but it's said to have good feng shui.

- Less than five minutes away from the Sin Sze Si Ya Temple is the Central Market, or Pasar Seni. What was originally a wet market in the late 1800s is now a vibrant (and sometimes overpriced) souvenir market. Batik products, keychains, clothes, local snacks and candies, and other handicrafts can be found in Pasar Seni. The best part? The whole market is air-conditioned.

Time to shop!!

I like its interior. Made me want to buy everything -- if only all of the items being sold we cheap.

- Nathalie and I shopped for a few souvenirs before heading to Berjaya Times Square in Bukit Bintang. Berjaya Times Square is a multipurpose building - it has a mall, indoor amusement part, hotel, and condominium. We both strolled around before meeting my friend Kavitha and her boyfriend Muhad for dinner in the mall. I met Kavitha during my world-peace forum in Korea in 2014 (click here to see my trip to Korea in 2014.)

- Nathalie and I went back to her condo to have some time to rest, and for me to fix some of my things. The next morning, Nathalie accompanied me to see the new/current Istana Negara (National Palace) which was conveniently located beside Nathalie's condo. I told her that she should feel privileged for having the Malaysian king as her neighbor.

The new/current palace.

Foggy morning.

This is from the back of the palace. I also realized that a better photo would be from a higher ground.

- Nathalie later accompanied me to Brickfields, also known as Kuala Lumpur's Little India, for the late morning to early afternoon. However, before proceeding to Little India, we first went to the Thean Hou Temple on top of one of the hills in Brickfields. This Hainanese temple was built in the late 1980s, with its grand and detailed architecture as its main appeal to visitors.

Seems to have some Tang/Ming-dynasty influences.

Mandatory photo.

You'll get lost in all the red lantern.

Saw this small gazebo (??) and knew that I had to have an impromptu photoshoot with Nathalie as the model.

The necklace and the fan are mine by the way.

What are you lookin' at.

- We both walked to Little India afterwards, first visiting the Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple in a quieter part of Little India. This Sinhalese temple, built in the late 1800s, houses not only prayer halls, but also Buddhist relics collected from different Buddhist countries or countries with a high number of Buddhists in the world. My experience in this temple was priceless, since it was the first time that I experienced a specific kind of Buddhism that once flourished in India before it was driven out of its own birthplace some millennia ago.

The iconic Buddhist arch.

A Sinhalese monk doing some blessings.

Reclining Buddha.

Buddhist relics from Cambodia.

Buddhist statues from Thailand.

Statues from India.

Relics from India, Sri Lanka, and China.

These tiles are really made to be stepped on, as they are found on temple/shrine entrances.

- Finally, the rest of the late morning to early afternoon was spent in the main "Little India" of Brickfields (along Jalan Travers to Jalan Tun Sambanthan.) I had to buy myself some Indian kurtas and an Indian saree to be used in my Asian history classes, or in case my mom wants to use it. Finally, I introduced Nathalie to Northern-Indian food for lunch before going back home.

Nathalie trying on the saree that I had bought for my mom.

Nathalie says it's quite heavy.

How to know you're in Brickfields Little India: the colorful arches and the peacock-feather motif street lamps.

A landmark in Little India - elephants and peacocks at the roundabout.

Behind the fountain with the elephants and peacocks, a Sinhalese Buddhist arch can be found.

Nathalie was hiding because it was hot.

Northern Indian cuisine -- more yogurt in the sauces/curries (while South Indian curries have more coconut milk.)

- For the late afternoon, I had to go to KLIA2 (via KLIA Express from KL Sentral Station) to catch my domestic flight to Penang, one of Malaysia's historical treasures, and dubbed as a food heaven by many Malaysians and tourists. (Don't forget to click here for Part 2, here for Part 3, and here for Part 4!!)