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 Port Klang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 11


Arrived here this morning at 7 am.  Once again the skies were cloudy and full of rain, humidity high.  But we soldier on despite the heat!  

George did a tour to Malacca and I chose City of  Gardens.  Left the port at 8.00 am for the long trip to KL as the port is a long way from the city.  First stop for me was at the Butterfly enclosure, very nice but not as active as the one in Penang,  maybe due to the earlier arrival.  From there we visited the Bird Sanctuary, a huge enclosure right in the botanical gardens area of KL.  KL is such a beautiful city, I love it and it is so much more developed than when I was last here.  Several years ago!  

The bird sanctuary was good, lots of interesting birds as well as the emus, peacocks, cassowaries etc. 

Lunch followed these tours and when we came out of the hotel after lunch the sky had opened!  Can’t remember the last time I saw such rain!  Our guide was great and as we’d been promised an hour or so in the mall under the Petronas towers we kept her to her promise.  She dropped us at the convention centre and we were able to walk along a series of arcades in order to reach the shopping centre without getting wet!  But an hour in a shopping  centre like that is like a kid with 2 seconds  In a candy  store - impossible!  

It might all sound trivial but having been on the ship for as long as we have it’s really important to have a bit of retail therapy other than roadside stalls and expensive diamond and pearl government stores where we’ve been sent on the odd occasion!  No-one wants to buy a pearl necklace or a diamond ring in 15 minutes! Or at all!!!!

Anyway, such worries are so trivial!!! 

My bus got back to the ship as planned but G’s tour from Malacca was almost an hour late due thunder, lightening, really heavy rain and traffic.  As a result we were late leaving but can surely make up the time as only going down the road to Singapore! 

We had planned to have dinner with two ladies from Toronto that we met in Phuket - managed that and had a really nice evening.  Turns out Lisa worked as a flight attendant and trainer with Air Canada for 30+ years! 

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you much about Kuala Lumpur - some  of you will have been here at some stage.  It is located in west-central Peninsular Malaysia, midway along the west coast tin and rubber belt and about 25  miles east of 

the port.  The city comprises a mixture of modern and traditional architecture such as glass and concrete skyscrapers and beautiful mosques.  The 1483 foot Petronus Twin Towers are among the heighest in the world and were designed by the Argentine-American architect Cesar Pelli.  

Most people getting off the ship in the morning - I think 64 originals since Istanbul still on!!!! So tomorrow night it’s back to ‘where do you come from’ etc!!!!  Even the cruise director is getting off! 

Till tomorrow, M XXX

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