Muddy Confluence - The Roughly Translated "Kuala Lumpur"

  Alas, I've returned from my Malaysian adventure in Kuala Lumpur and have found that the only thing to change in Sakon Nakhon has been the year.  But while this slumbering town remained untouched by the flipping of calendar pages, Kuala Lumpur was much more sprightly.  Easily the most vastly sprawling city I've ever been to, I was fortunate enough to have spent four action-packed days amidst its crowds and festivities.  There was no surprise that the Petronas Twin Towers (previously the world's tallest buildings at 1,483ft. [currently the 8th tallest]), the Kuala Lumpur Tower, and the Putrajaya Bridge would be three obvious epicenters of New Years' fireworks and admirers.  What I was taken aback by was the the diversity of the Malaysian population and the harmony amongst this massive throng of locals and tourists.  Never would I have imagined experiencing such camaraderie between millions of people.  There were no confrontations, no drunken displays of idiocy, no issues involving law enforcement.  And Kuala Lumpur is a true international city, composed of a population that is 47% Muslim, 34% Buddhist, 12% Hindu, and 5% Christian.  All of whom were getting along splendidly, at least during my time there.  Tourists from Australia, Thailand, Japan, China, France, Germany, and South Africa were littered throughout the crowds, identifiable by their spoken languages.  Then there were my friends and me, left to represent the United States.  My white skin and tall frame was met with smiles and "hello" where ever I ventured.  Sure, I was probably viewed as someone who was very wealthy (HA!) due to the enormous influence of oil there and the businessmen that it brings in, but I'd like to think that the overwhelming politeness was genuine.  The people were truly great.

The Petronas Twin Towers

  On New Year's Eve night, it was the fireworks that took center stage.  One would think that the show would have been an overly-opulent display of the most grandiose proportion but honestly, I felt it underwhelming.  Perhaps due to that exact presumption.  What was remarkable was the way in which the fireworks were viewed.  By 11:45 PM there were hundreds thousands of vehicles parked on the highways.  Literally just parked.  Imagine the Super Dome shooting off fireworks while 90% of the cars on I-10 simply stopped to watch.  With smart phones held high, people exited their vehicles to video the show.  Car horns blared and shouts of "Happy New Years!" rang out in every direction.  How miserable was it to be one of the few who were actually attempting to go somewhere?!

Notice all of the vehicles stopped on the lower and upper levels of the 

highway and all of the people casually standing around.

  All of this took place within my first few hours of being in Kuala Lumpur.  The following days resulted in sight-seeing, phenomenal experiences (like seeing the oft-visited Batu Caves, a sacred Hindu sight), and my personal highlight – the cuisine.  Oh the food!  More on these to follow.

I Left My Mark On Kuala Lumpur