Where in the World Is Kuala Lumpur? World Part 4

Destination: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Date: March 2012

Bailey & Clay on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
March 2012

As many of you have been reading about our most recent cruise adventure around the world here is the next installment.... Where in the World is Kuala Lumpur??

Kuala Lumpur was hard to get excited about since I knew so little.  Someone in our group said it had been mentioned in the movie “Entrapment” with Catherine Zeta Jones but that’s all this city really was to me... a name.   We had heard it was about an hour bus ride to get to the city from the port and none of us wanted to get on any tour buses after the previous day in Singapore.  So we knew we needed to find an alternative mode of transportation.

Trent negotiating with our taxi drivers
 Kuala Lumpur March 2012

Once we got off the ship we were able to take a shuttle bus over to a nearby mall and figure out a plan on how to get to Kuala Lumpur.  Trent is our best taxi negotiator and so he was able to find three drivers that would take our group of sixteen to the city, drive us around, and bring us back at the end of the day for only $16 per person.  That was a smoking deal and so we all jumped in the cabs and headed out.  

A sign on the side of the taxi that we had just "haggled" a price with the taxi driver
Tip#1 Just because it says no haggling that is 99% untrue
March 2012

So far our taxi experiences had been great and always in very good cabs that were clean and smelled good.  We were lucky again only this time our driver also had on American top forty music playing and so it felt like we could have been in any US city cab.  

Our first stop in KL was at the Petronus Twin Towers the tallest twin buildings in the world
March 2012

Driving to the city it looked a lot like the states.  The infrastructure of the roads were good and there were even plants along the medians in the highways.  Some of the buildings next to the freeway were very dirty and from the open windows we saw clothes flowing from the window sills.  It was evident that there was no AC’s, or clothes dryers, but in all it looked like we could have been in any big city in the USA.  

The Petronus Twin Towers that stand 88 stories high
March 2012

Our first stop was the Petronus Twin Towers in downtown Kuala Lumpur, a big financial hub for the people.  We wanted to go up to the connecting walkway between the towers and have a better view of the city.  However, when we got to the Petronus buildings we were told all 800 tickets that they sell everyday had been sold and we would be unable to go up.  This was disappointing because we saw online that ticket sales only go on sale everyday for that day, in the morning at 8:00am, and can’t be purchased online.  However, we were told many cruise ships purchase big lots of these tickets for their cruisers that go on their excursions and so we were out of luck to go to the top of the Twin Towers.  No matter how much negotiating with the guards they were unable to help us with our plight. 

The New Kings Palace, KL Malaysia
March 2012

Once we got off of the freeway we went over to the new Kings Palace.  It was beautiful and not much to see since we could only go as far as the gates, much like visiting the White House in the US.  But since we were there we started taking pictures.  In a short time a few of the Indonesian women that were taking pictures in front of the palace, asked if Bailey could be in one of their pictures.  

Bailey posing with some of the Indonesian tourists who wanted to capture a picture of her "yellow" hair
March 2012

Of course we agreed and soon a tour bus of Indonesians were asking to get their photos taken with her and with all of us.  Clay didn’t like them pulling and tugging on him to get him in to the photos exactly like they wanted and so soon he realized that being “famous” was not for him.  We posed for about 25 pictures and finally were released laughing from our little experience with fame.

We couldn't stop laughing when we realized the Indonesians really wanted pics with the kids
KL Malaysia, March 2012

Our taxi driver was waiting for us, as promised, and took us to the central market to do some shopping.  The market place was air conditioned and had great bathrooms that were clean and tidy but cost .40 rinngit about 10 cents in US dollars.  The man collecting the money for the use of the bathroom then gave me two tissues to use as toilet paper while in the stalls.  It was interesting to say the least.  There were three types of toilets to use.  Two were holes in the floor, 2 were just the porcelain pots that you could hover over and there was one American looking toilet.  I was glad the locals would pass this one over and go to the others so I was able to walk right in.

Our kids loved finding missionaries every time we got off the boat
Posing with the "R's" and missionaries from Utah near Chinatown in KL
March 2012

Again we ran into the LDS missionaries and we were excited that one of them knew one of the members of our group "D.M" (though "D.M." wasn’t with us at the time.)  One missionary was from Lindon, Utah and the other was from Farmington, Utah.  What a small world!  Across the street from the Malaysian Market was Chinatown and again we had a great time going through the deals to be had.  

Looking at Chinatown in KL
March 2012

Good friend whom I will call Mary Poppins (since everything you could ever want or need on a trip, is found in that purse of hers) and Bailey, sporting her Singapore pants, just outside the Malaysian market
This smile is what makes me love traveling with Mary Poppins  so much
March 2012

This was a much more fun experience since all the products they sell can be displayed and back rooms are not needed (like in NYC).  We were able to see all the purses, jewlery, sunglasses we could want.  We only had about 30 minutes here and I’d wished we hadn’t spent time at the more expensive Malaysian market but we still bought Oakley sunglasses, more iPhone cases, purses, roller bags, a back pack,  & umbrellas.  In all I think we spent $150 US dollars but we had so much fun doing it.  It was seriously one of my favorite places to shop during the entire trip.  I thought India would be better so I was a little reserved with my spending but when the entire trip was over it probably had the best selections combined with the best prices.  If only I'd known!!!

So happy to get cleaned up after a long day site-seeing and shopping
Aboard P&O Cruise ship Aurora
March 2012

Our time was running out though and our faithful cabby was waiting so we loaded up our booty and started our one-hour trip back to the boat.  We ended up paying our driver a hefty tip for his well planned out day.  We rolled back onto the boat to get some laundry done, and shower before our dinner, and get started planning the next days adventure in Pengang.

Don't be afraid to send me your travel questions.  I would love to hear about trips you have planned, or ask me of any places I may have been.  That way I can get a post up if I've been there!  I appreciate all of your kind words and happy and safe travels!!