31.03 - Day 3 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tuesday 31st March
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Temperature Min 25 Max 35
16,062 steps
After a good night sleep there's still some residual jet lag that has us hanging on for breakfast to open at 7am. Everyone has their fill from the generous spread - even if we do have to keep an eye on Seb's chocolate consumption.
I had had the idea of visiting the Islamic Arts Museum which is a top reviewed attraction in Kuala Lumpur. However we admit it may not be as well received by an 8 and 11 year old.
We head in the same direction though in a Grab taxi for the Police Museum.
Billed by Lonely Planet as “surprisingly interesting,” Sienna’s post-mortem review is “it wasn't surprising we were the only ones there.”
The role of the police in Malaysia from the 1400s to the current day not hitting the same heights as yesterday’s Science Discovery Centre. A broad collection of uniforms by era, items and weapons seized from criminals - the latter in a separate lockup room.
Back outside in the now late morning sun we hide in the shade between armoured trucks planning our move down towards Chinatown.
Thankfully it is downhill though we’re all grateful for the first 7-eleven we come across for a blast of cold air con and a couple of flavored milks for Sienna and Seb.
Entering Chinatown at the south end of Petaling Street, we immediately stumble across some of the street art which has helped to make the area a drawcard.
Kwai Chai Hong alley is busy with budding photographers, whilst some of the art now contrast even more against the “wonky Skyscraper” (our description not the architects) of Merdeka 118 - currently the second tallest building in the world.
Aware of some fraying children, we stop for some chicken and rice at Butter Kaya before traversing through the market stalls of Petaling Street - all selling the same fake clothes / watches / luggage / perfume all manned by talkative / pushy salesman.
While Seb is knocking over a collection of handheld electric fans, I wolf down a peanut pancake from Apek Apam which is good news; the latter not the former.
I guide us into REXL, a cultural centre consisting of a cinema converted into small local shops dominated by a bookstore in the main Cinema Hall where a maze of boxed bookshelves have become an attraction in their own right. Thankfully it's not too busy to be able to enjoy it without tripping over other tourists.
Up in the gods we stumble upon Kara workshop, a small enterprise where you can design and make your own ring or have one made for you. For 50 ringgit, Sienna picks a design, width, material and then we watch for 15 minutes as a small rod of brass is heated, twisted, heated, shaped, hammered, soldered, sanded and polished for a unique keepsake.
Our final destination is the central market a few minutes away - a white and pastel blue Art Deco building though the inside is perhaps just a little too clean and polished as a market for us. A Grab runs us 15 minutes back to The Journal Hotel for a similar pattern to yesterday - pool, afternoon tea and card games.
A brief bit of shopping - obligatory football shirt for Seb before Sienna and I leave Kate and Seb to jump on the monorail to KL Sentral to meet Mema and Pawpaw arriving on the airport train having come in from Heathrow.
Whilst we wait we wolf down some chicken and rice, “I think this is now my new second favorite food” from Sienna, dumping soup for me, on the 4th floor food court.
We greet Mema and Pawpaw off their train around 7:30pm and escort them to their hotel, Aloft, in the Sentral station complex - which is huge. The mall could be from anywhere - Sephora, H&M, Uniqlo, M&S Food Hall, Lush, the list goes on.
It’s also from here that our train tomorrow to Penang will depart so allows us to scope that out. Sienna appreciates the pink bean bag and Mema and Pawpa’s room on the 29th floor and we check out the rooftop pool one floor above.
Mema and Pawpaw have made a concerted effort to pack light concede they still bought a litre of gin and Duty Free, so we pop to grab tonic water from the mall and ice from the hotel bar for a couple of G&Ts in their room whilst Sienna does some charades.
Suddenly it’s 10pm, so to avert the risk of turning into a pumpkin, Sienna and I hop on the monorail back to our hotel where Seb has continued to feel some side effects, most likely from drinking pool water mixed with the high humidity.