The Moroccan Pavillion

It was time for Pinky to leave Malaysia and fly back home to Bangkok. It was a little early for her flight, so on the way to the airport we stopped in at Putrajaya, the new "second capital" just outside of KL which is now home to the Legislative and Judicial branches of government. While KL remains the official constitutional capital and the seat of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (the constitutional monarch whose five-year term rotates between the sultans of the nine states in Malaysia which are ruled by hereditary monarchs), Putrajaya was planned to help relieve congestion in the city.

Putrajaya is extremely peaceful and quiet. Though it's very close to Kuala Lumpur and right on the airport express between KL and the airport, it really feels like escaping the city.

We stopped in at the Moroccan Pavilion to pass the time before heading on to the airport.

The Moroccan Pavilion is located inside the Putrajaya Botanical Gardens, and our driver dropped us off right at the front gate. The pavilion is an incredible landmark. Part art installation, part architectural showcase, the pavilion was designed to reflect traditional Moorish architecture and was built to signify strong diplomatic ties between Malaysia and Morocco.

Every piece of the pavilion was made by hand using traditional construction, artisanal, and architectural methods, and it took more than two years to complete.

Skilled craftsmen were brought in from Morocco to work alongside local Malaysian artisans, using techniques that had been passed down for centuries.

It was such a cool building, but unfortunately, it's only open to visitors for a short window every day. We weren't able to go inside to look around, but the courtyard and grounds were open, and we could freely walk about and explore.

It was sad to say goodbye at the airport, even if it was just going to be for a few days. Pinky had to get back to work, and I was going to be a little lonely for the rest of my time in Malaysia. I was just hoping that the Thai embassy would process my visa quickly so that I could be back home soon.

I love traveling, don't get me wrong! I know it's kind of lame for me to be complaining about what is essentially an international holiday. It's just the stress of waiting for the visa to process that makes it less enjoyable than it should be. In any case, I was hoping that all of my paperwork would be in order and that I would be able to cross the border back into Thailand after the weekend.