24 Hours in KL

With the advent of Facebook, the line between the real and virtual world appears to be thinning real fast. Some complain about how fake it can get, with people lying about their statuses & locations, not to mention their details. Cut to the real world. Does every person you speak to tell you the truth? You get the point. With experience we learn to differentiate between the truth and the lies. Or maybe we don't but we probably don't care. Atleast FB allows us to make choices on what 'friends' we want to listen to. 

I've friends who have visited Kuala Lampur, I've seen pictures that they have posted on their FB pages and somehow I believed that KL was a tourist destination worth a visit. When I booked my flights to India a few months ago, I was flying via KL and saw it as my chance to take a peek. It surprised but didn't worry me that none of my friends I was talking to, in the real world (for argument sake we'll call it the real word and FB world), had been to KL or ever wanted to. I was flying there anyway, so I would check it out.

A fellow-worker who had made a trip to India along the same route as mine gave me tips on what I need to know. It made my life a hell of a lot easier once I got there, I must admit. What seemed like a long while after I landed, I finally arrived at my hotel. It thrilled me to no end to see that KL had a nightlife. At 9PM, I walked around the city. The teeming streets, the numerous pubs and the KLCC shopping centre that was open till late tickled my senses. Where I come from, everybody shuts shop at 5PM. 

The Petronas Twin Towers that the Malaysians tout as their tourist hotspot looked fabulous with the night-lights. I was raring to check it out in the morning. If you are big on malls, you will love the Suria KLCC mall. I am not. It was okay. What struck me most while I was at the mall was how the elevator worked. It took forever for the lift to come down 4 floors. Yet, people would rather wait than take the stairs. I was to find out, by and by, that it is the way the Malaysians function. Everything takes it's time. A lot of. People fritter away time like they have lots of it.

Don't let the picture of the Twin Towers fool you. While it makes a magical picture from the outside, it really is a couple of office buildings. People work there. It was built by the Petronas oil company and has become an iconic sight due to it's unique construction. The public can go to the balconies connecting the two buildings on the 42nd and 86th floors, for a price. The price is not so high in terms of the cost of the ticket but it is in terms of time. If you must visit, you probably could try their online ticketing system. Since KL is a city without much of a view, I found the effort fruitless. You might try their KL Tower instead, for it's cheaper.

You will see signs everywhere asking you to keep an eye on your things, so it is easy to believe that thievery is common there. I escaped that but found the Malaysians mostly hospitable instead (not counting the vagabonds on some streets). Their language sounds rather rough for someone who understands not a word and doesn't sound easy to pick up. It might have been a good idea to have learnt a few words beforehand, I figured. I took a chance with their local cuisine at my hotel and found it delicious. If you shack up at the Concorde, try their House Noodles with prawns.

My short stopover didn't allow for much other than that part of the city but I did read about the Cultural hub in KL which might have been good for someone who loves to experience different cultures. All said and done, I must admit that KL is not a tourist spot. It might be enjoyable for a short stay, though. They seem to have an  nightlife that you must try, a fair bit of culture and some other attractions that could keep you occupied in your daily life (viz Petrosains Science Centre, Batu Caves, etc). As for me, I will catch up on the rich culture if work took me there but otherwise, Malaysia has been crossed off my list and marked as done. 

I wish I'd seen this before I took off: http://www.travelintelligence.com/travel-writing/24-hours-kuala-lumpur