Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

Our family is staying in a condo, a large two bedroom, three bathroom apartment in an old, once grand building right smack in the middle of a very busy sector of old Kuala Lumpur.  Everything is dark mahogany and marble.  It is a different experience than our introduction to KL, where we stayed in a modern high-rise near the Petronas Towers, felt like we were in a futuristic city full of tall columnar buildings and malls.  Now massage parlors, street hawkers and hungry business owners scrap a living on our street.  KL is the first city in Malaysia that I have seen people panhandling and begging in the streets.

The famous street Jalan Alor, normal street by day, people and hawker stands by night, is the place we go to eat nightly.  We already have our favorites.  Chicken Satay, spring rolls from the Dim Sum cart, Fried ice cream, beer for $1 and Thai green curry.  It is an overwhelming mix for the senses.  A melange of no less than three pop songs, petrol fumes, charcoal smoke and a rotting whiff of Durian mixed with fish sauce.

 

On our second day we decided to go to Kuala Lumpur’s Bird Park, advertised as the largest free flight walk in Aviary in the world.  And it was impressive.  We walked on paths alongside exotic large birds and ducked our heads as they flew by.  It is 21 acres of verdant park, streams and waterfalls, home to 3000 birds representing 200 species.  The large birds seemed prehistoric up close, and a little bit dangerous.  As toddlers chased large storks and parents nonchalantly reached out to touch Cranes, I reflected on the differences regarding safety in the US vs Malaysia. After we got home Jack and Addie researched a bird of choice and created an informational pamphlet describing the characteristics of their bird—Jack chose the Great Horn Bill and Addie chose the White Pea Fowl.  I could not believe how blessed we are to have this outing be our field trip today.

Now, Goodbye Malaysia, Hello Vietnam.