March 06, 2016 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Wow – we were very impressed with Kuala Lumpur the two days we’ve been here. The city has grown and developed into a major metropolis rapidly over the past 45 years since Jim visited here (in 1971). It’s now a big, modern and well-planned world-class city.

We docked at Port Kelong, an enormous, busy cargo port. The port has a modern passenger terminal with a few shopping options and free Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, it’s about a 1-hour drive from the port to downtown Kuala Lumpur. But that didn’t stop us from taking advantage of our time here.

The first day in port (March 6) we signed up for a 5-hour shore excursion titled, “A Glimpse of Kuala Lumpur.” The second day, Jim set off with a small group on an 8-hour “Heritage Walk through Kuala Lumpur.” We’ll review the first day in this posting and then cover Jim’s walking excursion in the next posting.

Of course, two hours of the excursions each day were spent on a motor coach “commuting” into the city from the port and then returning. Luckily we had very modern and comfortable coaches both days and, once out of the port, the “coach commander” (as he was called) drives along excellent toll road highways.

As we approached the city, we saw many brand new high-rise apartment and condo buildings – in some cases, entire villages of these buildings. There are actually two types of new high-rise buildings, according to one of our guides. Some are government buildings for low income families. These are smaller apartments, without balconies. Privately built buildings have apartments ranging from medium size to extreme luxury units. Our tour guides told us that many of the groups of these high-rise buildings have their own stores and markets, to encourage people to not drive into the city for shopping. There are also free bus services into the city to encourage people to commute using public transportation.

Some introductory material: Kuala Lumpur is the Capital city of Malaysia. However, with all the modern growth in the city, most government administration buildings have moved out of town and are now located in Putrajaya, 20 miles outside of the city. We found that the Kuala Lumpur region has a population of approximately 7.2 million. This includes 1.7 million living in the core city of Kuala Lumpur and 5.5 million in the suburbs (which includes Putrajaya). On working days, the number of people in the city (including commuters) is 3 million. Our tour guides told us that the population of the entire country of Malaysia is now 31 million.

As you probably know, Malaysia is located on the Malay Peninsula, with Thailand to the north and the city of Singapore at the southern end of the peninsula. To the west of the peninsula is the Strait of Malacca, which separates the Malay Peninsula from the large island of Sumatra (Indonesia). The Strait of Malacca is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, connecting the Andaman Sea of the Indian Ocean (at the north end) with the South China Sea of the Pacific Ocean (at the south end).

We were amazed with the number of ships we saw as we cruised through the Strait on our way north to Kuala Lumpur -- at one point we counted more than 60 ships on just our starboard side of the Serenity. This is the shortest sea route between three of the world’s most populous countries – India, China, and Indonesia. We were told that 50,000 vessels transit the Strait every year. About 25% of the world’s sea cargo (including 50% of the oil shipped around the world by sea) goes through the Strait of Malacca.

Getting back to Malaysia – It is an ethnically, racially, and culturally diverse nation. There are three main groups of people: Malay (44%), Chinese (43%), and Indian (10%). The primary religion is Muslim, but all religions are allowed. We were told that the Malaysian people in Kuala Lumpur celebrate all religious holidays together. Colonizers originally came here to be tin miners in the 1850s, and then later to establish rubber plantations. Our tour guides said that now they are most proud of their auto production (Proton cars), petroleum, and palm oil products.

Malaysia obtained their independence from Great Britain in 1957. They are still a member of the British Commonwealth. There’s been strong growth, especially since the early 1990s. We saw an extraordinary number of tall skyscrapers, luxury hotels, and giant shopping centers. Building cranes are working on new growth all over the city.

Highlights of some of the sites we visited today included the National Monument -- a 50-foot tall bronze sculpture paying tribute to soldiers who gave their lives during the two world wars and those who died defending their country during the communist insurgency (in the 1950s). The same artist created this monument and the Iwo Jima Monument in Washington, D.C.

Next was the National Mosque (Masjid Negara), which was built in the historic center of the city in the mid-1960s, but it looks quite modern. We were told that this mosque is Southeast Asia’s largest, can hold 15,000 worshipers, and has a minaret that rises to a height of 240 feet. It’s “dome” has the appearance of a partially opened umbrella. We did not go inside the building (maybe because we didn’t have time to do that).

Next to the National Mosque is the Old Railway Station and the National Railway Headquarters buildings, which were completed in 1910 and 1917 respectively, across the street from each other. Both have a mixture of impressive Moorish and Gothic architectural elements. A newer, modern Central Station has taken over most of the functions of the old station, although it is now only a stop for commuter trains.

At the center of the Colonial District downtown is Merdeka (Independence) Square, which is the site where the Malay nation hoisted their own flag in August 1957, celebrating their independence from British rule. A very tall flagpole (close to 312 feet high) is at one end of the square. At the other end is a large open, grassy field which was used by the British colonial powers as a cricket field. The Royal Selangor Club, a Tudor-style structure still remains. Across the street is the impressive Sultan Abdul Samad Building, with its copper domes. We’ll write more about Merdeka Square in our next posting.

Tonight, a local group of performers were invited on board ship to present a cultural show in the Galaxy Lounge featuring traditional Malaysian dances and costumes. Especially noteworthy were the colorful costumes. All of us greatly enjoyed the show.

More tomorrow about Kuala Lumpur (including photos of the more modern parts of the city), along with some of the events that have taken place on board Serenity recently.

Jim & Ginny