Brian commented on the farms of trees all around as we landed at KLIA (the international airport). We later found out from our Taxi driver that they are palm trees and that they are subsidized by the government here to harvest palm oil- to create both cooking oil and "clean biofuel"- it is debatable as to how clean the fuel could actually be since the farms that harvest these trees have contributed significantly to deforestation of Malaysia and a significant reduction in the native trees that are quickly being replaced by the money making palms. This in turn has significantly altered the natural habitats and is threatening survival of rainforest animals including the orangutans.
According to our travel guide, over half a million people are involved in harvesting oil palm in Malaysia and while it has sometimes benefited communities through improvements in the surrounding infrastructure (building of schools, hospitals, etc), it has also had it's negative impact as well- forcing people off their land to make room for the palm farms and thereby decreasing production of other agriculture (i.e. fruit, rubber) and in some cases has polluted the water supply through use of industrial farming products, etc. Seems to be a very complex issue that at least this taxi driver was not a huge fan of. He went on to tell us that 50% of the palm farms are owned by the government- a government run by the same king for the past 55 years. He said, "people are ready for change" as the current government is "very corrupt" and he is hoping that this change will come on 5 May 2013 when they vote for a new prime minister (our visit is very timely...)
The drive to our hotel took about an hour...the landscape of palms slowly was gradually replaced by a more urban environment dotted with high rises with low lying clouds and overcast that the driver informed us was simply pollution. Not the best shot from the cab but you can just make out Petronas towers and KL building in the distance:
Dilapidated apartment buildings with clothes hanging outside windows and on tiny terraces to dry on every level soon morphed into modern glossy buildings with wide balconies and lush landscaped greenery. There were lots of large trucks on the road and surprisingly very few motorcycles- our driver told us that motorcycles really are not allowed to travel on the particular road we were on. He went on to say that you can have 3 people "maximum" on motorcycles in Malaysia and that everyone has to wear helmets (this is very strict compared to other Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam where helmets were rarely worn and if there were maximum passenger laws they were completely ignored). We drove on the left side although the driver sat on the right side of the car (felt strange!). They had something like EZ pass but he actually had to swipe his card out his window to get through the tolls...he taught us to say "thank you" in Malay (tarima ka-see- I am one step ahead having learned that already last night!). As we approached the downtown we were surprised at how lush and green the city was...there are trees that form canopies over the city streets complete with vines hanging down and everything.
We arrived to our hotel but we couldn't check in yet as it was only 11am and early check in was not available this "early". The space age check in process was pretty cool...glossy countertops were actually iPads underneath for all the documents to be signed. Barely any paper was exchanged!
We decided to change into our bathing suits and visit the skybar/pool while we waited...we were both craving hot showers like you wouldn't believe but the pool seemed like a close second. The upholstered couches lined the window seats all around the pool. It had a green house feel to it with large skylights- some open and some closed but was nice to not really have to worry about sunscreen. And check out the towers right behind me!
Brian was afraid to have alcohol as he was really ready to crash but the rose lychee martini just sounded way too good to pass up...it was absolutely divine:
We finally were able to check into our room on the 26th floor with a pristine unobstructed view of the towers. We showered for the first time in what-36 hours?! And it was everything we thought it would be! Our room is very nice- large windows and polished wooden furniture. Tons of closet space with a designated office/sitting area as well...we had no problems making a huge mess of it almost immediately with all our bags (and their contents) strewn about.
It was only 2pm and while we were exhausted we also didn't want to completely waste the day. We decided to check out the City Centre just outside of our hotel- a sprawling public park with beautiful trees, fountains and a large play area:
But as with any city park, along with enjoying yourself comes rules...and in this park's case- lots of them:
My personal favorite is #13 "no bathing in the toilet". I am pretty sure this rule was not being observed by one homeless man in particular. I was tempted to run off to the swings but Brian politely reminded me of rule #11 which stated that children over 12 and adults are not allowed to play on equipment meant for children. Also I found it amusing that throwing "sticks and/or stones" was also not allowed :)
We checked out the massive mall (Surias KLCC) just at the base of the Petronas towers...it is a serious 5 level monstrosity complete with domed ceiling boasting stores like Gucci, LV, Guess, Tag Heuer etc...any store you can imagine, you can be sure to find it here:
As turned off as we were of being in s shopping center that could have been in Anywhere, USA we ascended to the 4th level food court for what we thought was going to be authentic Thai cuisine. It felt promising when we were greeted by a woman wearing traditional Thai clothing who bowed for a "wai" and a polite "Sawatdeeka" but I was disappointed when my tea arrived...
Lipton, really? Halfway around the world for Lipton? The service was pretty bad which wasn't surprising after reading that Malaysia has pretty poor service standards in general. However, we were not expecting this:
What is this you ask? Well obviously it is s service bell...once pressed, it rings a bell at the desk and a robot like voice announces "table 10". Approximately 7 minutes later a man arrived with a notepad and an unfriendly demeanor to take our order. The red and panang curries were delicious though so we didn't really care.
Oh and this was my favorite part of their menu...the mocktail "Virgin Mary" highlighted in red for items that the chef recommends (also note drink entitled 'pussie foot' just below:
We found this store inside which reminded us of where our friend Wes would shop if he lived in KL :)
They really don't let you have any fun here...look at all the rules for the escalator:
And then we headed outside in the sweltering heat and late afternoon mist...where we saw a monk wandering along the pond:
And straight up could gape in the magnificence of the Petronas towers, named for the Petrona oil company:
It was only 4pm but being that it was 4am at home we had no problem heading back to our comfortable hotel room, drawing back the drapes and climbing into bed...for what would turn out to be 13 hours of blissful sleep...
Thank you to my friends Yetta Brinks and Patrick Most for sponsoring our first night here at Traders Hotel as a wedding present :)
- Posted from abroad using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia
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