Malaysia
March
18, 2013 - A whirlwind of events over the last few weeks
flipped my reality around and firmly put riding around the world
by motorcycle on the back burner. In short order I found myself
in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland and Beatty, Nevada.
After visits with a number of friends, some time in Death Valley
and a few quiet walks around Stanley Park, it was time to hop
over to Asia. Kuala Lumpur didn't disappoint. As elsewhere in
Asia, a lot of daily life takes places on the street. Endless
food stalls selling unidentifiable goodies made up for the
searing heat and humidity.
Malaysia is certainly different from more northern Asian countries. Muslim, Buddhist, Christian and other faiths intermingle and seeing a distinctly East Indian Hindu guy walking hand in hand with a Muslim girlfriend is not an uncommon sight.
New construction is slowly metastasizing throughout the city, with remnants of how it used to be still visible here and there.
One of the first visits was to the Petronas Towers, once the tallest buildings in the world, and still quite impressive.
A walk around town resulted in visits to the butterfly park and the Islamic Arts Museum.
The Islamic Arts Museum in particular was a worthwhile visit. The architecture was understated but refined.
How small do you want your Koran?
The main hall.
The bikes are still in container jail, with an expected parole date of March 19th. Our shipper on this end has never before received vehicles from abroad, so it promises to be interesting and a "learning experience" for all involved.