To balance out our experiences from the first half of our trip, in which we explored the glitz and glamour of the Golden Triangle (or what I had begun referring to as "New Town" for sake of convenience) on this day we ventured forth into Old Town, the western chunk of the city containing the majority of KL's historical landmarks, old neighborhoods and big portions of its cultural heritage. While wandering around Old Town it was not unusual to find ourselves surrounded by buildings of Moorish architecture and Muslims in hijabs going to prayer only to cross a street and suddenly be swallowed up by Chinese markets selling foods that definitely were not halal.
We started the morning at old Kuala Lumpur Station and from there walked to the nearby National Mosque. We had to borrow robes to enter, but mine was fairly comfortable and not as hot as I had expected (I can't speak for my girlfriend; while it was acceptable for me to wear only a robe, she had to wear a robe and a hijab). Once inside the mosque we were greeted by an atmosphere of calm and serenity. Some Muslims were busy praying, others were laying down on the cool tiles and taking naps. A kindly Muslim woman approached my girlfriend and I and offered to answer any questions we may have had about the Islam faith, and didn't even make any strong overtures to convert us. It was a refreshing change from the aggressive Christian missionaries I run into in Korea.
Next we went to Merdeka Square, the site where the British flag was lowered for the final time and the flag of Malaysia hoisted. We toured a museum celebrating the history of Malaysia, saw some unique miniatures of the city and the man who makes them, then walked around the square itself before heading north to an Indian neighborhood. It was around this time that the heat was getting too much for us, so after walking through a bazaar my girl and I found a tiny neighborhood diner that looked clean enough and popped in for some food.
The restaurant itself was a mini-adventure; it was buffet style, but you still had to tell the staff what exactly you wanted. It wasn't until after you had sat down with your plate of food that a different staff member would walk by, see what you were eating, write it down on a notepad and hand you a bill that you would take to the front to pay when you were finished. My girlfriend went to get her food first while I sat with our bags, but when she returned she was so flustered from having such a difficult time ordering that she insisted I have the same experience as her and refused to give me any tips before sending me in blind. I actually didn't encounter any of the trouble she did, as the man standing behind me in line was friendly enough to translate to the lady spooning out food what I wanted. In the end our meals were delicious (I had a plate of curry and tandoori chicken) and after eating and walking through an Indian fabrics store (out of curiosity) we walked back south, passed by an Indian mosque, and journeyed into Chinatown (stopping for some more Indian food and coffee along the way).
KL's Chinatown reminded me of Hong Kong's, though on a smaller scale. It wasn't nearly as crowded or vast, but we still received plenty of attention from hawkers attempting to sell us bootleg goods. It was fun to browse, and I ended up buying a cheap pair of sunglasses. For dinner we got Chinese street food: BBQ pork and duck with a side of rice. This part of town was one of the very few I saw openly selling pig meat, and reminders that Malaysia is a Muslim country were everywhere in the forms of signs and posters warning which products were not halal.
Feeling satisfied with our long day, we grabbed a taxi back to our accommodations. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing by the pool and eating our non-halal Chinese pork jerky and drinking our non-halal, overpriced beers.
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