Kuala Lumpur

I arrived to Kuala Lumpur (or just KL), the capital of Malaysia, just before midnight. Since I had heard that most of the cheap accommodation would be found from the China Town, I took the last sky train to the district. A train trip across the city was something different than the jungle train. Silhouettes of skyscrapers were sticking out everywhere. I tried to count them, but lost the count after half a minute. At least more than a hundred. The most notable were the shiny Petronas Twin Towers, which were reaching to the clouds like a double bladed dagger.

A light rain made streets slippery. Although it was midnight, China Town did not sleep. KL never does, they say. Cockroaches, rats, cats and homeless drug addicts on the street. Cleaning patrols brushing dirty and littered streets. People sitting in restaurants, eating, laughing and drinking beer. Mostly Chinese, but also Westerns, Indians, Malays and Africans. The district was perplexedly different compared to the ultra-modern districts I passed by the sky train.

KL is a fascinating city. Although only two million people is living here, it has got probably more skyscrapers than the whole Europe in together. It's an ultra-modern metropol. Something more fancy and tech-freaky than London, Paris or Berlin in Europe. On the other hand it has got the Asian twist. The buzz of traffic. The easy-going slightly chaotic atmosphere. This is especially true in the immigrant districts such as China Town and Little India. Business districts such as KL City Centre and Golden Triangle are more controlled, clean, full of skyscrapers and huge shopping malls.

KL is the first metropol, I have liked since the visit to Rome. It never sleeps. Maybe that's why it looks so beautiful at night. Some photos with legends:
Petronas Twin Towers at day.
A visit to the sky bridge in Petronas Twin Towers.

A shopping mall selling only electronics.

KL City Centre park.
River side close to Little India.

Report from the jungle trek is following later.