Sizzling through Kuala Lumpur

By NELANDRI NARIANAN

Touchdown at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 7.30 am. The heat is already sizzling off the tarmac outside the cool airport terminal. It's still morning, visitors are told, it gets much hotter by noon - 35°C with 100 per cent humidity is the average.

Kuala Lumpur (or KL as it is commonly called) is Malaysia's capital - a modern metropolis and an old-world jewel steeped in the rich heritages of the different nationalities who call it home.

Its vibrant, heady melange of diverse cultures and people, breathtaking architecture, natural beauty and wicked charm pulsate at every level, making you feel as if you're travelling through at least four different nations simultaneously.

A unique marriage of cultures - Malay, Chinese, Indian and Thai - is evident throughout KL.

A typical example of this is the Malay wedding ceremony which incorporates elements of a traditional South Indian wedding - beautifully embroidered garments like saris and khurtas, flower garlands and intricate mehndi (henna) patterns on the hands of the bride.

In honour of the country's diversity, the Muslim Malaysian government has even declared public holidays to commemorate every auspicious day in the various communities, resulting in a whopping number of non-working days (my enquires into a possible position for journalist proved fruitless).

But perhaps the greatest display of the tolerance and acceptance of such diversity was the mammoth Chitrawarna "Colours of Malaysia" Festival which drew the international media to KL. The grand street parade had more than 4 000 performers representing every single Malaysian community.

Shopping is a major pastime in KL and my tour group needed little prompting.

Bargaining is the name of the shopping game everywhere in Malaysia, but never more so than in KL's famous Petaling Street, home to the Chinatown market which becomes a throbbing hive of activity after dark.

"Never accept the first price," our streetwise guide quipped. "Bring them down 70 per cent, then take out your purse."

Boy, what fun! Haggling over prices, comparing them to fictitious traders down the lane, churning out sob stories about how weak our money is in comparison to the Malaysian ringgit and walking away, with a downcast face, after declaring you just can't afford that silk top you would die for - only to be called back by a flustered trader and told: "Okay, just take it for whatever you have."

As for goods on offer, rest assured you can buy just about anything in Chinatown - famous-name watches, clothing, shoes, electronic equipment, etc. They may not be the real McCoy, but they look real enough.

Chinatown is also littered with sidewalk restaurants which, while not the most hygienic-looking, serve traditional Chinese and Thai fare at dirt-cheap (no pun intended) prices.

Word to the wise: get there early as the tourist crowds can become suffocating and tables scarce. Oh, and like the rest of Malaysia, be prepared to pay an arm and a leg for a beer.

Public transportation, a pleasure in KL, is available to whip tourists around the city 24 hours a day. Taxis swarm around but be sure to fix a fare before getting in. You'll find the friendly drivers can throw in a quick history and geography lesson into even the shortest ride.

The super-efficient underground rail system is a real treat - the trains, one every ten minutes, are always on time.

KL's most famous landmark is the Petronas Twin Towers. Like two flashy sisters dominating the skyline at 452m above street level, the glass towers are rooted by the Kuala Lumpur City Centre shopping mall - a must visit for shoppers with wads of cash.

Aside from being the tallest twin buildings in the world, the towers' other claim to fame was their celluloid debut in the Hollywood thriller, Entrapment, which starred Sean Connery.

One of the most fascinating things about KL, about Malaysia in general for that matter, is its low crime rate. As South Africans, it tooks us some time to adjust. We had to constantly stop ourselves from clutching our handbags and casting furtive looks at everyone within a mile.

Malaysians are also very big on nature. So much so that just on the outskirts of a bustling city like KL is a natural forest, overseen by the Forest Institute. There are also several gardens and a bird park in the city. Even the KL International Airport, with all its modern and technologically advanced trappings, is built within a forest.

If you feel the need for speed, a race down to the Sepang Formula 1 circuit, outside KL, will get your motor running. While we did not see Michael Schumacher whizz around the track (a girl can dream), we did get to watch Porsches put pedal to the metal.

Small consolation was being allowed onto the winners' podium. It was hilarious to watch German tourists get up to the top spot, pop the lids off their water bottles and spray the contents around wildly - like their hero Schumacher did with champagne on that very spot after winning the Malaysian Grand Prix in March.

Soon it was time to get away from the city and we head for the seaside town of Malacca. If history and antiques are your passion, this is your place. Architecture dating back to the days of the Portuguese and Dutch invaders are hallmarks in the city. The Stadhuys, built by the Dutch, and the A Formosa Portuguese fortress are probably the most famous landmarks.

Prize antique finds are a jump away in the well-known Jonger's Street vintage row.

Transportation is a delight in Malacca with garishly decorated trickshaws (motorised rickshaws), with flashing lights and blaring music, ready to whisk you around town.

Eye-opening, exhilarating and admittedly exhausting, Malaysia's fast-track life was a rollercoaster ride filled with one thrilling find after another.

TRAVELLERS' TIPS

Pack light clothing, it's hot.

Bottled water is expensive. Take your own if you can.

Don't be too concerned about currency - money- changers are always available to exhange any currency.

Take off your shoes when entering a Malaysian home or temple, it is a sign of respect.

Malaysian cuisine is a hotpot of exotic flavours and styles, and any visitor is sure to find a taste to savour.

Malay food is rich and spicy, with the use of hard spices, coconut milk and sugar. A favourite with Malaysians is nasi lemak, a rich dish cooked in coconut milk and served with anchovies, squid, eggs, cucumber and a chilli paste - guaranteed to put some hair on your chest (I skipped this one for obvious reasons).

An East Coast variant of this, also terribly popular, is nasi dagang, a dish made with fragrant unpolished rice and coconut and served with tuna fish curry. This one was certainly worth a try.

But my favourite Malay food remains satay - tender pieces of chicken or beef, marinated in the most delectable spicy sauces and grilled over a charcoal fire. It is served with peanut gravy, rice cubes, cucumber and onion.

Chinese food is much milder than Malay food. Always served with rice or noodles (even at breakfast), there are several different types to choose from. My favourite was Hiananese - the chicken was wonderful. Other choices include Cantonese, Hokkien and Hakka. These are all available in abundance in Chinatown.

Indian food in Malaysia is hot and spicy. The South Indian influence is very evident in the fiery curries. A curry-muncher of note, I admit feeling very at home tucking into this kind of fare in a tiny KL cafe. The good thing about the smaller Indian establishments is that, while you pay for just one dish, a whole array of extras like rotis, paratas, extra curries and a savoury are thrown in as a bonus. The result is a huge meal at very little cost.

In fact, for those on a budget, I suggest straying away from big restaurants and hotels when it comes to meals. The fare on the street is much tastier, less conventional and a whole lot cheaper. Just be wary of the really scruffy looking places and you won't up end up with food poisoning.

To top off a great meal, our guide suggested a taste of Malaysia's "King of Fruit" - the durian. Another word to the wise - unless you have a really strong stomach and are not put off by offensive smells, put this in your mouth with caution.

The smell: like rotten fish and stinky shoes rolled into one. The taste: can't really tell, too busy trying not to breathe. The after-effects: queasy, really queasy.

But seriously, Malaysians insist durian is an acquired taste and has a wonderfully cooling effect on the body - hence it is their prized fruit.

Mangosteen, the "Queen of Fruit" was at the other end of the scale. Soft, juicy and a tastebud sensation, we could not get enough of this fruit (and not only to kill the foul taste of durian).

- INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS (SOUTH AFRICA)