Our next stop on the Kuala Lumpur trip was a visit to the Kuala Lumpur Tower which in Malay is called the Menara Kuala Lumpur...
From Batu Caves, we returned to KL Sentral from where we hopped onto the Monorail to take us to Bukit Nanas Monorail Station, from where the Menara KL is a short hop away...
The monorail ride was quite uneventful, it was our first on a monorail. As we got off at Bukit Nanas, a drizzle started. Undeterred we walked down to Menara KL.
Selamat Datang...
We bought our tickets at the ticket counter and we were informed that the open deck was closed because of the rain. However, the observation deck was open...
The Menara KL was constructed in the early 1990s. Those were the heady days, the days when South East Asian nations had emerged as economic "Tigers" and their economic success was regarded as model for the rest of the developing world, including India. (It is a different story that by the end of 1990s, the economic experiment floundered, and I wonder whether Malaysia really recovered from excesses of the 1990s!)
Construction of the Menara was completed March 1995 and was inaugurated by the visionary and outspoken Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr. Mahatir Mohammad, in October 1996. The Menara is the 7th tallest freestanding tower and is used for radio and television transmission purposes. The antenna that reaches a height of 421 metres while the roof of the pod stands at 335 metres.
We bought our tickets - they cost us 32 Ringgit a piece and we headed towards the elevator lobby...
Intricately designed, the arch into the elevator lobby is distinctly Islamic in design and is similar to the arches in Iran and Central Asia...
The main lobby is decorated with exquisite glass-clad domes that sparkle like giant diamonds. These domes were designed by Iranian craftsmen from Isfahan...
Spectacular indeed...
A view of KL city centre area...
The clouds in the sky inhibited a clearer view of the sunset...
Right in middle is Dataran Merdeka or Independence Square. This is where the Malaysian flag was raised for the very first time, upon Malaysia's independence in 1957. The 100 metre high flagpole with the huge Malaysia flag is truly impressive!
A giant AmBank billboard...
The air was quite misty...
And there she stands in her splendor - the Petronas Twin Towers...
We can't our eyes off her...
"We gotta wait here till the sun sets to see the Petronas illuminated!"
The architecture of the Petronas Twin Towers is distinctly Islamic...
Waiting for the sun to set...
A clearer view of Dataran Merdeka
Awards given to Menara KL on display...
The lights finally come up...
Isn't that pretty...
Waiting for it to get a bit darker...
It seems others in the observation deck had similar ideas and were waiting for darkness to set in...
Now that is pretty indeed...
KL is all lit up...
Finally we decide to head back to our hotel at KL Sentral...
Modest in comparison to the Petronas, the Menara does look impressive...
A drizzle started, smudging our camera lens...
Goodbye, Menara!
But in 5 minutes or so, the skies cleared up and we could see the moon, as we headed to Bukit Nanas...
On the way we got another glimpse of the Petronas...
Appears as though the Petronas is studded with diamonds...
Hap Seng Star - a Mercedes Benz showroom - Chinese and Indian control mid-sized companies in Malaysia...
A Bukit Nanas, we rush to board the waiting monorail that will take us to KL Sentral, where we hope to hearty warm meal...
1 comment:
The views look awesome from the flight.
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