Spontaneous KL

I made a mistake...

I didn't plan ahead!

flying into Malaysia

I knew that my visa was going to expire soon, but I planned on renewing it after we returned from our trip to Udon Thani.

I just forgot to check the calendar, and realized while we were on our vacation that my visa was due to expire on the weekend, meaning that the immigration office would be closed.

a cloudy morning in the air

I had to book a last-minute ticket for a visa run, and ended up buying the cheapest flight I could find for the next morning, which took me to...

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!

the airport monorail

I actually really like Malaysia. I didn't necessarily feel happy about having to spend the money on a visa run, but KL is a cool city, and I'm always happy to visit.

It turned out that the first night I was there was actually the night of an important Hindu festival called Thaipusam! Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated in Kuala Lumpur to honor the Hindu god Murugan. Devotees undertake a procession carrying ornately decorated structures called kavadis, which symbolize burdens they have overcome or seek help to overcome. The procession culminates in a climb up the steps of the Batu Caves temple, where offerings are made and prayers are offered.

I arrived in the evening, so I wasn't able to make it to the caves to witness the procession, but the night sky was alive with the cracking of colorful fireworks from the city's numerous Hindu temples.

Thaipusam festivities in Kuala Lumpur

What makes Kuala Lumpur - and indeed Malaysia as a whole - so interesting is how diverse and multicultural it is. Due to its long history as a British colony and a part of the Raj, Malaysia is now home to three main ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese, and Indian, each with their unique language, culture, and traditions.

The Malay community, which makes up the majority of the population, is predominantly Muslim and has a significant influence on the country's politics, culture, and customs. 

a beautiful mosque in Kuala Lumpur

The Chinese community, which is primarily Buddhist, celebrates Chinese New Year, the Mooncake Festival, and Qing Ming, the festival of ancestral remembrance. The Indian community, which includes Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs, celebrates Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, Thaipusam, and the Tamil New Year.

a Malay-Chinese neighborhood in KL

The Indian community, which includes Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs, celebrates Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, Thaipusam, and the Tamil New Year.

the roof of a colorful Hindu temple

This also leads to an amazing food culture... Malaysian food is some of my favorite in Southeast Asia!

The Blog of Michael Desrosiers: Eating Well in Penang

Kuala Lumpur (called "KL" by those cool enough to do so 😎) is technically the capital of Malaysia, although it's actually sort of a confusing situation.

KL and nearby Putrajaya are both cities in Malaysia that have served as the country's capital at different times. Kuala Lumpur is the largest city in Malaysia and was the capital until 1999 when the government moved the administrative center to Putrajaya, a planned city located south of KL (which I visited a few years ago when I paid a visit to the breathtaking Pink Mosque).

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

KL remains the cultural, economic, and financial center of Malaysia. On the other hand, Putrajaya was built to be Malaysia's new administrative center, with the intention of relieving congestion and overcrowding in KL. It is a planned city with modern and sophisticated architecture, spacious boulevards, and abundant green spaces. Putrajaya is home to many government buildings, including the Prime Minister's office, ministries, and other government agencies.

Today, KL is an incredible mix of old and new, with historic colonial architecture butting up against glistening skyscrapers and megamalls. (In fact, the Petronas Towers in KL were once the largest building in the world from 1998-2004). 

The Blog of Michael Desrosiers: Kuala Lumpur

Today, they are no longer the tallest building in KL... That distinction goes to the brand-new Merdeka PNB 118, which can be seen all across the city (picture on the left).

I spend three nights in KL, which meant I had two days to explore the city. Unfortunately, since I hadn't exactly planned to take the trip, my work schedule was full and I only really had the mornings to go out and do stuff.

minarets of the mosque

I still made the most of my time, taking long walks and admiring the unique and colorful architecture of the bustling and modern city. I did a few really fun things (which you will read about in an upcoming post or two) and had some nice food and amazing coffee.

I'll be writing about my brief visit to KL in the coming days, but I did want to share an interesting story that a taxi driver told me.

As we drove past a very fancy luxury mall, the driver (who was from Melaka, and very proud of it!) pointed out the window to a beautiful whitewashed concrete gate.

"That used to be the gate to a prison during the British colonial times", he told me in perfect English. "But during the Second World War, the Japanese turned it into a prison camp."

"It is haunted", he pronounced, matter-of-factly. "If you walk in the mall late at night, you can hear the crying and the screaming of the prisoners. When they built the mall, they left the prison gate up as a reminder of what happened there."