Yesterday, we took the KL Highlights tour. We departed the pier and drove along the modern highway to Kuala Lumpur. We had an energetic guide whose name was Ning. We soon learned that because it was a Friday, two of the stops would be closed—the Blue Mosque and the Hindu temple. In addition, Friday afternoon is the worse traffic of the week, and we believe it.

Anyway, we stopped at the “Blue Mosque” – the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque, one of the country's most beautiful structures for a photo stop. The Mosque has 470-foot minarets, which are the world's tallest.

Leaving the Mosque, we continued on to the Sri Kandaswamy Kovil Hindu Temple. This huge temple is one of the most prominent Sri Lankan or Ceylonese Tamil temples in Malaysia, and has become a popular tourist attraction in Kuala Lumpur. The temple architecture is believed to have been inspired by the Nallur Kandaswamy Temple in Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

We also visited Thean Hou Temple. This striking, six-tiered temple is regarded as one of the biggest Chinese temples in Southeast Asia, and is home to the patron Goddess Thean Hou of the Hainanese community.

We also made a photo stop will then be made at the King's Palace, or Istana Negara.
Then we went to the National Monument. Designed by acclaimed sculptor Felix De Weldon, this 50-foot-tall bronze monument was constructed in 1966.

Your tour will conclude at Independence Square, you will see the 328-foot flagpole marking the spot where the Malaysian flag was hoisted on August 31, 1957, to commemorate the country's independence from British rule.

Because of traffic, again we had to quickly shower and change for our dinner with the General Manager Franck Galzy and the Simpsons and the Kneedys. We knew Franck, and he is a great dinner companion. Unfortunately, he had hurt his neck but was a trooper and contributed immensely to the overall evening. Six of us had the freshly caught sea bass in an Asian sauce as our main course, and it was very good.

-----------------------

Eugene