On Thursday I moved from Malakka to Kuala Lumpur … and immediately started exploring the surroundings and (once I had my transit card) also further around town. With temperatures well above 32°C/ 90°F and humidity > 70% this turned out a sweaty undertaking.

On Thursday I stayed local, making my way over to Bukit Bintang and then on to the Petronas Towers, followed by a nightmarket dinner and the (not-so-surprising) realization that there is very little Malaysian craft beer, with me ending up with a Vietnamese IPA.

As my shorts were still drying from a handwash and I had to do with long trousers anyhow, I decided to cover some places of worship on Friday. I kicked it off at the Buddhist Thean Hou Temple – complete with great views over town. From here it was to “Little India Brickfields” and its Hindu temples. A short monorail ride got me over to China Town for the Petaling Street Market and then over to the Central Market (which – other as the name suggests is simply a tourist market: souvenirs, handicrafts and food). After a short walk I found myself at the confluence of the two rivers and in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Mosque – with Independence Square just around the  corner. I made my way back to Bukit Bintang for an early dinner and some more nighttime views.

On Saturday I took things easy and made  it essentally a museum day – starting with a guided tour in the National Museum, followed by a visit of Malaysia’s excellent Islamic Art Museum.