Muddy Confluence

Another day exploring the streets of KL, but this time we were out the door by 7.30am in an attempt to beat the heat.

We caught the monorail and metro to the city centre and arrived just before 8am, with the peak hour crowds. The area around the train station transforms in the morning into a temporary food court, as stalls pop up to feed the arriving workers with sandwiches, rice, drinks and the national dish, Nasi Lemak (rice, sambal, cucumber, egg, peanuts and dried fish, wrapped in a banana leaf).

We spent most of the day exploring the area around Merdeka (Independence) Square, where the national flag was first raised in 1957.

Kuala Lumpur (literal translation, muddy confluence), was built where the rivers Klang and Gombak merge. Along these rivers the locals once bathed, washed laundry, and buffaloes wallowed. Crocodiles were also sunning on the banks, prompting the British Administration to offer rewards to capture them, dead or alive. The capture of a crocodile measuring 15 feet would return $15.00 Straits Dollars in 1912. Looking at the rivers today, it's difficult to imagine.

We returned for a late afternoon swim, before tea in the local food court (nasi lemak of course, $1.66 each)Read more