Today was already a red letter day before we even left the ship, as it marked the halfway point of our around the world cruise. 137 days down, and another 137 to go. Royal Caribbean calls this the Ultimate World Cruise, and I can’t argue with them. We’ve had an amazing four and a half months, seeing and doing things I never dreamed of, and we’re only halfway. I know where our itinerary says we’re going from now until September, and if the second half is anything like the first half our days will be filled with surprises and adventures that we can’t even guess at. The one thing I know for sure is that this trip has been incredibly enriching, and I think it has made me a better person. Tomorrow we begin the second half of our journey in Penang, Malaysia, and after that we’re off to Sri Lanka, India, the UAE and Africa, with more to follow. I can’t wait, and I fully intend to continue sharing my experiences in this blog, and I hope you’ll continue to follow along. Seeing your comments on Facebook has been part of the fun, so keep them coming.
Today, though, was about our visit to the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, and it didn’t disappoint. In fact, my expectations were far exceeded, and this will go down as one of those special days that I’ll remember long after this cruise is over, so let’s get into it.
Kuala Lumpur is a big city, with 8.8 million residents, and it’s also a tall city, with more skyscrapers than all but seven other cities in the world. It’s inland though, so we docked at Port Klang, near the mouth of the Klang River, and boarded our tour bus for the hour plus ride to the city. I must say, and this mattered, that our bus had excellent air conditioning, which we greatly appreciated every time we climbed back aboard after one of our stops. It’s really hot and humid here, and anything more than a few minutes outside left us soaked with sweat.
Our first stop in the city was atop a small hill called Robson Heights, where we visited the six tiered Thean Hou Temple, a Chinese temple dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu. The temple is one of the largest in Southeast Asia, and the design combines elements of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. I thought it was absolutely gorgeous, and I took a lot of photos. One tip if you ever plan on visiting religious shrines in Asia—many of them require visitors to leave their shoes outside, and women are also asked to cover bare shoulders and knees. Most such temples are happy to loan women appropriate wraps, though sometimes at a small fee.
From the temple we headed downtown into the heart of the city, where we made a photo stop at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak Rivers, where we had a good look at the Jamek Mosque, which was Kuala Lumpur’s primary mosque until the government built a state mosque in 1965. The mosque looks kind of Moorish, with a couple minarets figuring prominently in the design. I would like to have gotten a closer look, but it was time to get a look at a more modern and much taller building.
Merdeka 118 is the world’s second tallest building, exceeded in height by only the better known Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Its sleek design and spiked peak are really eye catching, and you can see it from all over the city. We didn’t get particularly close to the building, but we really didn’t have to. Still, as impressive as Merkeda 118 is, I didn’t even find it to be the most impressive tower in the city. More on that in a moment.
First, though, it was nearing lunchtime, and after a motor circuit of the city’s old town we were dropped off near Chinatown and given some free time to shop and grab something to eat. We were more interested in exploring than in using the time to eat at a sit-down restaurant, so we picked up something a a nearby 7-Eleven and ate as we walked. By the way, 7-Elevens are everywhere in East Asia, and are a good option for a quick snack and drink if you’re on the move. It’s always fun to poke around in a Chinatown, and while we’ve visited several during this cruise I never seem to tire of it. There’s always a lot of activity and energy, and it’s just plain fun to plunge into it.
After lunch we made a photo stop at the tower that impressed me even more than Merkeda 118. Actually, it’s two towers, twin connected towers that were the world’s tallest buildings when they were completed in 1998. I’m referring to the Petronas Towers, massive identical 88 floor skyscrapers that are connected on the 41st and 42nd floors by the world’s highest two floor sky bridge. Unlike Merkeda 118, which is almost elegant, and knifes into the sky, the Petronas Towers are a pair of mighty rocket ships ready to blast off into the cosmos. Supposedly we didn’t have time to go inside, but I dashed in for a quick look at the bottom floors, which house a high end shopping mall. The lobby was really cool, with a Petronas Formula One race car hanging overhead. We’ve seen a few really tall buildings on this cruise, including Taipei 101 and the Lotte World Tower in Seoul, but so far I think the Petronas Towers are my favorite. I say so far, because the incredible Burj Khalifa is still ahead of us when we get to Dubai.
But enough about skyscrapers, because we had one more stop ahead of us, and it was sensational. I’m talking about Batu Caves, a Hindu temple built into the side of a mountain and on into a gigantic high ceilinged natural cave. The view as we approached the temple from the parking lot was worth the trip, even if we had gotten no farther, as we found ourselves facing an enormous golden statue of Murugan, the Hindu god of war. Murugan stands at the base of a wide set of exactly 272 steep, multicolored, steps that end at a large cave opening, and the combination of Murugan, the steps and the cave opening made for quite a wow factor.
Clearly we couldn’t come all this way and not climb the steps to see what was inside the cave, so up we went. It really is quite a climb, and the steep, narrow, and damp concrete (I think) steps required our full attention, but sweating profusely, we made it to the top. And man, were we rewarded. Entering the cave, we stepped down into the largest, highest ceilinged cave chamber I have ever seen, and in the middle of it sat a colorful Buddhist temple. The cavern was well illuminated, with a few smaller displays also tucked into the corners, and the overall effect was beyond impressive. I never even knew Batu Caves existed, but now I’m comfortable in saying that it’s worthy of inclusion on anyone’s bucket list. It’s that good. Hopefully my photos will at least give you a feel for its magnificence.
Batu Caves are located north of Kuala Lumpur, and to get back south to our ship at Port Klang we had to go around the city, which was interesting, because we took an elevated toll road bypass that was high, and I mean really high, above the city and surrounding countryside. This elevated four lane skyway went on for miles, and I can’t imagine what it must have cost to construct it. Finally we descended to terra firma, and were back at the ship a little less than ninety minutes after leaving Batu Caves.
As I wrote above, this was a really good day, and I’ll leave Kuala Lumpur with fond memories. We’re not done with Malaysia yet though, because tomorrow we’ll visit the island of Penang, which promises more interesting experiences. I’m really looking forward to it, and will be back to tell you all about it. See you tomorrow.
Exterior of the beautiful Thean Hou Temple.
More of the temple. It was really pretty.
Closeup of a couple dragons.
This truly was one of the most beautiful temples we’ve seen in all of Asia.
The ceilings were wonderful too.
Smiling Buddha inside the temple.
Beautiful shrine inside the temple.
The grounds were also decorated with shrines and statues.
One last image from the temple grounds.
This is the confluence of the Klang and Gombak Rivers in downtown Kuala Lumpur. Between them is the Jamek Mosque. This was the primary mosque in Malaysia until the government built a national mosque elsewhere in the city. Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, but the country is very tolerant of other religions.
Nice spot for a photo of the intrepid travelers.
City street in downtown Kuala Lumpur. Many of the older buildings have a lot of charm.
Merkala 118 is the world’s second tallest building. You can see it from everywhere in the city. I like the sleek design.
I grabbed an ice cream bar to fortify me for the plunge into Chinatown.
Formal entrance to Chinatown.
Pretty reminiscent of other Chinatowns we’ve visited, but always fun.
These are the mighty Petronas Towers, the world’s tallest buildings when they were erected. How about that sky bridge on floors 41 and 42.
There was a Buddhist temple just down the street from one of our stops. I love how ornate and colorful they are.
On to Batu Caves. This is the sight that greets you when you arrive. Those steps are no joke.
What do you think? Was this one taken before or after we climbed up and down those steps in the blistering heat?
Did I mention the monkeys? They’re everywhere here, and quite larcenous if you’re carrying food. I call this photo monkey in the middle.
Inside the cave. Unbelievable.
The main temple inside the cave.
Statues in one corner of the cave.
Another small shrine inside the cave.
Start Back down. The view of the city from up there was wonderful.
Like I said, there were monkeys everywhere.
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