|
The Bustling
Capital
Pubs, pimps and plenty to eat.
By kind permission of STEVE PAYNE -- The Toronto
Sun
|
Durian on
sale in a Kuala Lumpur Market.
|
Pictures by Laurie
Keith
ictures by Laurie Keit
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA --
It's 2 a.m. and El
Nino's is rocking to the rafters.
Run by a Colombian, jammed by locals and with a
Malaysian band playing outstanding Latin music, this
haunt is one of the city's favourite nightspots.
And if the idea of Malaysians dancing salsa sounds
wayward, think again. This is what life is all about
in this multi-cultural capital, where the ethnic
groups long ago melted harmoniously together.
Earlier in the evening, the vibrant scene at the
bustling Chinatown night market was equally worldly.
This market is the spot for copycat watches,
clothes, bags, videos, CD's and shoes.
You name the brand - Tag Heuer. Gucci, Rolex, Tommy
Hilfiger, Pony, Adidas. None of the retail giants go
unsullied as storeholders sell authentic-looking
fakes at incredibly low prices. I landed a $1,500
Tag Heuer watch for $25.
Even more of a steal were two "Nike"
Brazilian national soccer jerseys, copied
meticulously to the last stitch. The price? A paltry
$10 apiece. It's a few hours of firm, but jovial
bargaining on this market that builds the adrenaline
for haunts like El Nino's.
Rather than sap energy, this is a city that boosts
it like a vitamin shot.
"There's plenty of time to sleep when I'm
dead," I hear a travel colleague declare.
Even the prerequisite McDonald's, Hard Rock Cafe,
Planet Hollywood and traffic jams don't spoil the
ambience of KL, as it's consistently referred to.
Business is booming, office towers are close to
maximum capacity and the hotels, as good as any in
the world, are a bargain for tourists sensible
enough to stop here.
Take the Shangri-La, a 1999 Asian Hotel of the Year
award winner. At $120 U.S. a night it's a steal. A
similar five-star hotel in New York would bust all
but a millionaire's wallet. The in-house drinks
aren't cheap at $6 for a locally brewed Tiger beer
and $5 for an orange juice, but the facilities and
service are superb.
The fitness area, including Jacuzzi, sauna and pool,
offers an equipment array that would make a
professional sports franchise salivate. Throw in a
pub and a brilliant Filipino band whose three girl
singers knock the sexy spots off Jennifer Lopez and
life looks good.
|
An aerial
night view of Kuala Lumpur.
|
On the street, anything goes, in a very friendly
atmosphere.
At the end of Shangri-La's driveway on any given
night, for example, a jovial Chinese pimp offers up
a girl by the minute, hour or even overnight, the
latter at $200. In a friendly way, he grips the
shoulder of any passing man and he points
enthusiastically at two girls sleeping in rotation
in the back of a shabby, white saloon car.
"Plenty fun, plenty fun," shouts one as
she leaps expectantly from the back seat. She was
not unattractive either.
"No thanks," I say, "I'm just going
to the garage next door to get a bar of chocolate
because its cheaper than in the hotel."
"Plenty fun tomorrow," shouts the girl
whimsically, as her pimp gyrates through physical
motions to ably demonstrate what I'm turning down.
We go our separate ways, both laughing loudly. If an
encounter with a pimp is a pleasant experience, life
on the exuberant street's even more fun.
Street bars and coffeehouses are bursting at the
seams, music is blasting, beer is flowing, the
dancing is uproarious and the chatter - at high
decibels - incessant. Incredibly, service doesn't
suffer because of the crowds.
Bars, clubs and stores have so many staff that
drinks are ordered and returned in the time it takes
to get comfortable in a seat.
Even the bouncers show people to tables and stop to
chat. It's all a far cry from North America, where
doormen are as responsive as a brick and as friendly
as a starving pitbull.
Strangers say hello here and white faces prompt
genuine affection.
People aside, KL looks good. It has a magnificent
new international airport and downtown is dominated
by the fourth tallest communication building and
Petronas Towers, twin high-rises linked by a glass
bridge on the 44th floor. And there's a Canadian
link - one of the architects for the buildings was
Adamson and Associates, of Oakville.
One of the towers, which were featured in the movie
Entrapment, starring Sean Connery and Catharine
Zeta-Jones, was built by the Japanese, the other by
the South Koreans.
The Japanese offices are full, the Korean one
virtually empty. The explanation given is that the
Japanese are viewed as being just that little bit
cleverer.
|
Shah Alam
"Blue" Mosque in Selangor, Kuala
Lumpur.
|
Nothing malicious is meant by this and no one yells
racism or screams for equality. The preference is
just accepted. It's the same story with religion.
Malaysia is officially Muslim, but freedom of belief
is promoted.
Non-believers are welcome in mosques, as long as
shoes are removed. Gowns are supplied to visitors so
that men can over their legs and arms. Women must
cover their legs, arms and heads.
Talking of women, visiting females, it must be
noted, do complain about the quality of some of the
public washrooms, even those in ultra-modern
shopping malls. On at least one occasion a
travelling colleague was more content to "hold
it," rather than use a public toilet.
Men, it must be said, had no such complaints.
Eating here is a culinary delight. Criminally cheap
Chinese and Malay food dominates, but more expensive
western fare is easily obtained. A meal of red
snapper and chips at a Chinese sidewalk cafe brings
back particularly fond memories.
The revolving restaurant at Petronas Towers - it
takes 90 minutes for a round trip - even had soup
made from Durian. Durian is the king of fruits here,
but that's just half the story. This monster fruit
smells so bad that it's banned on public transit
(Canada's own Bombardier of Montreal built the
subway trains) and from most hotels and restaurants.
Many people view Durian as a delicacy. Others,
myself included, have a different opinion. I boldly
tried the soup version. Never again.
Durian is yet another twist in the Malaysian tale. I
love this country. Four times I've been here and the
call just gets stronger.
El Nino's better still be rocking next time I'm in
town.
For more information contact:
LTI Tours, 416 962 9661
Malaysian Tourism 1 888 689 6872
Malaysian Airlines 416 925 6670
|
|
|