Day 868 More sights in KL, and plans for the new year

I fly out this evening, back to the cold, polluted
air of Beijing, but I can't think about that right now.
I had a tropical rain forest to explore!

I hopped another train to FL Forest Eco Park,
an 11 hectacre rain forest preserve right in the
middle of Kuala Lumpur.  It was free admission,
and the canopy walk was stunning.

The photos really don't do the place justice.

I wandered around on some jungle-y paths for a few
hours until I found this one that lead me to the park's
entrance.  Thankfully, I didn't encounter any vipers-
though I saw several warning signs for them. Yikes!

I made it out with just a few mosquito bites :)
Consulting the city map, I headed off on foot
to see a few more sights on my list.

About 30 minutes later, I made it to Masjid Jamek, KL's
oldest mosque. The red and white minarets are beautiful.

   

Sadly, I couldn't go inside, as the mosque is
undergoing a renovation :(

I love the 'onion' domes.

The mosque was built at the sight of the first settlers, where
the Klang and Gombak rivers meet.  It opened in 1909.

I love the contrasting architecture of the old mosque and modern skyscrapers.

I walked around to the heart of the city...

...Merdeka Square.  It was here that the Malaysian
flag was hoisted for the first time at midnight on
August 31, 1957. The large park area is now the
sight of public gatherings and the annual
National Day Parade.

Beautiful architecture all around.

I then made my way back up to Petaling Street...

...also known as Chinatown.

I wanted to visit another temple...

Chan See Shu Yuen was built in 1906, and was
the Chinese community's early place of residence
when they first immigrated to Malaysia.  It still
is a place of worship for the Chinese who live in KL.

Though I was in Chinatown yesterday, I went back because I
was on the search for this place- Sri Mahamariamman Temple.
(I have no clue how to pronounce that!)  It was built in 1873,
and is the oldest Hindu temple.

What is impressive about this shrine is the five tier gopuram (tower) that is
decorated with 228 brightly colored figurines from the Indian epic, Ramayana.

Believe it or not, I was hungry for some Chinese
food, so I ordered sweet and sour chicken,

...and enjoyed my late lunch with a view of the
Hindu temple in the background.

It was a leisurely 45 minute walk back to my hotel after lunch.
Rain clouds were beginning to roll in the city.  Notice the names
of the hotels in my neighborhood, Hotel Alibaba, The Golden
Palace, and my place- Simms Boutique Hotel- which was all
of $11usd/night, with breakfast included :)

Before the rain rolled in, I sat on the sidewalk to soak up the last of the warmth from the sun.  I think I am part reptile in that regard.  I will warm myself on a rock, or the concrete, with my face to the sun, anywhere in the world :)

I looked across the street, and there was a jumbotron screen across the way from me, with repeating scrolling commercials.  One in particular caught my eye.  It was an ad for a mental health agency, something you do not readily see in this part of the world.  Click on the link here to see the ad: https://youtu.be/2XkgDng7lJQ

It just felt like one of those 'signs from the Universe'.  If you followed the link, it begins with, "I'm not feeling sorry for myself. Depression is not a choice. It's like there's a cloud following me around, and I can't make it stop."  This semester, no doubt, has been very difficult, grieving the loss of my momma, and having to continue to do my job here (alone) in China.  I was in the throws of grief through October and November, and felt THIS CLOSE to a true clinical depression myself.  I dreaded the six week stretch of holidays from Thanksgiving to New Year's, but you know what?

I MADE IT.

2017 is officially here, and I pray I am beginning to round a corner in the grieving process.  I have much to look forward to in the coming months, beginning with Chinese New Year starting on January 20th. I will be flying back to the States on that date for some much needed time with Len, (and my daughter Ellen in Ft. Myers), where we will simply continue to settle in to our new home and new neighbors in south Florida. It is a much needed and long awaited month-long respite, for sure.

When I come back to school the end of February, I essentially only have nine teaching weeks left before the AP and Alevel exams commence.  My new friends and neighbors, Karen and Marci, will be here for a China visit the end of April through May 11.  Then my daughters, Emily and Ellen arrive the toward the end of May through June 4th.  Once they leave, Len arrives to ride out the remainder of the school year with me, and to help move me back home. Lastly, toward the end of June, my other bestest friend, Susan, and her husband and two daughters will be coming to China, too. You can bet that with all of those visitors, there are many travel plans in the making- I am beyond excited :)))

With all of this to look forward to in the coming months, it was time to take care of first things first. I changed from summer to winter clothes, slung my backpack on my back, hopped a train to the airport, and caught my flight back to Beijing.  I have less than three weeks to go to finish out this long drawn out semester, and then I am home free...at least for one month :)

Cheers to 2017, from the happiest girl in China!

Day 867 Hop on, Hop off in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Because I have the good fortune of working with people who are all world travelers, we are always in conversations around the coffee machine and the lunch table about where to go, where to stay, what to see, what to do, where to eat, and the very best 'off the beaten path' advice. Ever. It's always sound advice, too,  when it is coming from the 40+ nations that are represented in our faculty at BNDS. 

When Uwe, my South African friend, found out
I was going to Kuala Lumpur for New Years, his
advice to me was to take the Hop On Hop Off
bus to see all the major sights- from there I could
decide which ones I wanted to go back and explore
further.  So, that is exactly what I did- as did the
Austrian couple sitting next to me :)

It was such a beautiful day, it was perfect
weather to be riding around on the top of a
double decker bus with the wind in my face :)

This is Menara Dayabumi, the first modern
skyscraper built in the 1970's that resembles an
Islamic mosque. I bet it is beautiful lit up at night.

The old KL Railway Station which was built in 1910.

A beautiful monument which serves as a
cornerstone to the start of Lebuh Kampang...

...also known as the 'Little India' neighborhood.

Next stop, the National Museum...love their flag :)

This is Istana Negara, the National Palace, which was built in
1928.  At 12 noon each day you can watch the 'changing
of the guard' in all of its full regalia.
Just like Buckingham Palace, only different. :)

Next stop was Perdana Botanical Garden, which is a huge
green space that houses the gardens, a bird park, orchid
park, and the KL Lakes Gardens.  I decided to hop off
here so I could explore all of it and stretch my legs.
It was too beautiful of a day to not enjoy a lovely park.

I was interested in the KL Bird Park, because
the whole complex is a walk-in aviary; the
world's largest.  I hate to see creatures caged
for 'our' enjoyment, so I liked the idea that
all 20+ acres was under one giant net where
thousands of birds could freely move about.

I had to laugh several times as I was walking
in and amongst birds freely flying and roaming
about- this place would have been my daughter
Jennessa's worst nightmare- she hates birds!

Snacking on fresh papaya- yes, please!

 

Unbelievable colors; the photo doesn't do them justice

kissin' :)

 

I popped out of the bird park, bypassed the orchids, and took a walk
around the lake. It seemed like I nearly had the entire park to myself.

At one end of the lake, along a grassy knoll, I came upon
this group of people who were playing some sort of game
in the park.  I was intrigued, as the women and men were
separated, so I stopped for a spell to listen and watch them.

 

It was some sort of 'get acquainted game'. Each

person wrote their name on a balloon, then

quickly passed it around the circle.  When they

were told to stop, they had to find the owner

of the balloon they were holding.  They were

full of laughter and enthusiasm, and I couldn't

help but smile right long with them as I watched.

I crossed the bridge you see above, 

...and came upon this couple who was having their wedding photos taken.

As I popped out of the park, I was only about one km
away from the National Mosque, so I followed the signs.

The National Mosque's design is inspired by the grand mosque in
Mecca.  Its roof symbolizes the 5 pillars of Islam and the 13 states of
Malaysia.  The dome as the appearance of a partially opened umbrella
which symbolizes the aspirations of an independent nation.

Robes and headscarves are provided for lady
visitors, unfortunately I arrived just as it was
closing to the public for a three hour prayer time.

I was still able to walk around the parameter of the mosque...

...where I enjoyed different views of the city.

Knowing little about Islam (I didn't appreciate my World
Religions class 30 years ago at Anderson University), I
decided to go visit the Islamic Arts Museum.

... though I am a Christian, it seemed like
a good thing to do on a Sunday afternoon.

One can't argue The Prophet whose "love to others knew no bounds.
He showed compassion and mercy to his family and all people
regardless of their backgrounds and belief."  Sound familiar?

I loved the display of 11th-13th century pottery
with its turquoise colored glaze.  Turquoise was
my momma's favorite color.  It made me smile :)

My momma and I both would have
worn a dress similar to this- very bohemian!

I found a necklace for my momma, to compliment her dress :)

And I found a door for me- oh, how I love doors :)
These were Mamluk carved doors from the 14th century.
Who all must have passed through these doors?
 I can only wonder.

Each of the domes in the various galleries were works of art in themselves.

I loved the Architecture Gallery with the miniature models of
mosques and mausoleums from around the Islamic world.

An Islamic pulpit

I had forgotten there is an Islamic mosque in
New Mexico- I have been there!

While I waited for the Hop On Hop Off bus, I
bought a 'passion fruit' drink from a street vendor.
It was poured over ice, which looked delightful
on a hot, humid day. The taste?  Not so much.
It tasted GREEN.  As in grass clippings.
Nothing passionate about it- it landed in the trash.

We passed this beautiful blue mosaic tiled building.
I forget it's name, but it was a work of art, too. 

It looked like rain moving in, but it only amounted to a few sprinkles.

Ha! St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church!

KL Tower, similar to Beijing's CCTV Tower.

Met these sweet high school girls from South Korea,
who are in KL for a month on an exchange program.

Bukit Bintang is the heart of the shopping district.
The teens hopped off; I stayed on the bus, lol.
No, thanks!!!

Instead, I chose to hop off in Chinatown, at Sze Ya Temple.

From there, it was just a few minutes walk to Kasturi Walk and Central Market.

I watched an elderly Malaysian woman braiding flowers :)

And a man enjoying a fish spa at Central Market.

I found these wee little kittens in a flower pot.

After a day of walking and riding in the hot sun,
I freshened up at the hotel, then ventured back out
for dinner. I ended up at an Arabic restaurant,
ordering biryani chicken which was fabulous.
Halfway through my meal, I looked about the
place and conspicuously realized I was the only
female there- oops.  I may have committed
another cultural faux pas- stupid laowai :)

On my way home, I stopped at a convenience store to pick
up some snacks and bottled waters for tomorrow's adventures,
and I came upon this little treat.  For the second time today,
something GREEN ended up in the trash.  At least I tried :/

G'nite, y'all!