One more day in KL

At the end of my 3 weeks in Malaysia, I returned to Kuala Lumpur (KL) to catch the long flight to Amsterdam.  Since I only got to see one hornbill in the wild (the rhinoceros hornbill is the state bird of Sarawak, Borneo), I decided that the Bird Park would be a good place to get a look at some of these fabulous creatures up close.  I'm glad I did.  Though pricey, the KL Bird Park is not only "The World's LARGEST free-flight open air aviary", it is beautifully landscaped and houses a great collection of tropical birds.  Here are some highlights:

Yellow-billed stork

Western Crowned Pigeon

Rhinoceros Hornbill on the left 

Parrots

Storks

Black-headed ibis

The National Mosque (Masjid Negara) is not far from the Bird Park.  At various times of the day, when it doesn't interfere with the call to prayer, tourists are allowed to visit.  Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter the main prayer hall, but we were allowed to wander around most of the public areas after being issued head roomy lavender robes (burqas) and head scarves (hijab).

Somehow I look photoshopped, don't I?  The fans were absolutely necessary.  It's freakin' hot in those garments,

The mosque wasn't terrifically beautiful or ornate - in fact, the white tile was a little too public bathroom for my taste, but it was a sort oasis of calm in the middle of the city.

Malaysia was my first predominantly Muslim country and I had been interested or, more accurately, totally fascinated by the different hijab, burqa (head to toe robe) and niqab (facial veil - only seen worn by tourists (from other countries?) at the Bird Park) fashions that I had seen.  I  deemed it unreasonably cruel for these women to subject themselves to so much fabric in temperatures that exceeded 33C/91F and 100 percent humidity.  I could barely stand to wear long shorts and a t-shirt.  Imagine wearing a full-length, black robe with full facial coverage with only your eyes showing in these conditions.  Of course, the guys could wear whatever they wanted - often shorts, sneakers and t-shirts.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The posts might get a little confusing right now with Sheri reporting from Malaysia and Michiel still enjoying the hospitality of the US Antarctic Program at Palmer Station.  Hope you don't lose the thread!

Arriving in hot, humid, tropical climates is always a shock after the ice.  I never seem to remember how difficult the transition is, but at least the temperatures in Kuala Lumpur are only about 90F/33C  :)

I planned a couple of days in Kuala Lumpur on the way to Borneo in order to see the city and acclimate to the heat.  I ended up doing a full day of sightseeing followed by a half day in the air conditioned room.  I discovered that I could have limited my time in KL to just that one full day.  Like many Southeast Asian cities, KL is all about shopping - perhaps because the malls are air conditioned and comfortable or perhaps because there isn't a lot else to do in the heat.

For me, the highlight of KL is the blend of architecture, from Dutch and British colonial to Hindu to Islamic to Chinese, there is an incredible blending of styles.   Malaysians seem obsessed with having the biggest whatever - the tallest flagpole, the largest bird park, the largest mall, etc., etc.  Though it is no longer the tallest skyscraper in the world, the Petronas Towers structure (which houses a......you guessed it....a giant shopping mall), is a stunning addition to the KL skyline and a lovely building, especially at night.

Earlier in the day, I strolled around the historic (though nothing in KL is much older than the 1850's) district, Merdeka (Independence) Square.  It has the tallest flagpole (99 meters) in the world, a British colonial-era men's club (it still functions as a men's club),  the oldest mosque in KL, and Mughal-style (neo-Moorish) governmental buildings and old railway station (love these!)

Merdeka Square and it's huge flagpole

Mughal architecture

Luckily, the public transportation options are plentiful (monorail, free buses, trains, taxis) and excellent, so one never has to sweat too much to get around.  Walking can be a challenge, with many bottomless sidewalk holes but it's not too difficult to find your way once you get oriented.

The main neighborhoods of Kuala Lumpur reflect the mixture of cultures living here:  Chinatown, Little India and the rest - Malaysians.  There is definitely a feeling that this is a predominantly Muslim country, with most Malaysian-descent women wearing head scarves and full length sleeves.  The call to prayer is heard throughout the day from the many mosques in the city.  In fact, the prayer times are even posted each day in the newspapers (even in the English-speaking newspapers).

Interspersed around the city are colonial-era structures like Dutch-gabled row houses and Victorian fountains and a tudor-style men's club.

Railroad Station, Telecom and Petronas towers in the background

 After all of the walking around, the most natural way to end the day is to have the dead skin of your feet eaten off by little fish...at least that's what you do if you're a tourist in Southeast Asia.