Unfortunately the day started out with an overcast sky. Not great for photography, but being an eternal optimist, I silently prayed for blue skies and bright sunshine later in the afternoon. Alas, it was not to be, as you can see from the photos.
Here's my inner city tour in pictures.
Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman or Batu Road where Globe Silk Store still stands. All quiet and deserted. A people-friendly street with broad sidewalks and benches. |
I love bridges for many reasons. Here's the first one at Maju Junction where Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman (Batu Road) meets Jalan Sultan Ismail (Treacher Road). |
Turn left on the bridge and you are connected to Jalan Raja Laut (Broadrick Road) further up. |
Turn right and you go towards Jalan Ampang. I decided to take this direction. |
It was a long walk to the monorail station at the end of the bridge. A scary thought flashed through my mind. What if I encountered a couple of guys here out to cause trouble? |
I got off the bridge and walked towards Jalan Ampang. Many of the city streets have covered walkways like this one. Several massive construction projects along the way. A building boom? |
Took the shuttle bus near Concorde Hotel. It goes to Bukit Bintang. These shuttle buses are a blessing to city commuters. Check the maps below and try out Go-KL. It's FREE! |
Clean and bright, as all bridges should be. This leads to Pavilion, Malaysia's award-winning mall. |
Walking towards the 'back' entrance of Pavilion along Jalan Raja Chulan (Jalan Weld) |
UTC probably stands for Urban Transformation Centre (Pusat Transformasi Bandar) I was stopped from taking photographs as I stood outside the building. Wonder why? Of course, I didn't bother to enter. |
This bridge across Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (Foch Avenue) gets my vote for the filthiest overhead bridge in the city, no thanks to the foreign blue collar workers who have made this downtown area their shopping haven. For more pictures, go to 'Foreign invasion of downtown KL'. |
The bridge reeks of urine and is littered with used bottles, cans and old newspapers. On normal days, beggars line the sides. This man probably spent the night here sleeping on pieces of cardboard. |
Beggars and vagabonds are a familiar sight in Kota Raya (Chinatown) and Pasar Seni (Central Market) areas. Take care of your valuables, and be on the alert for pickpockets. |
The Klang bus terminal of the old days is gone. The new terminal is nearing completion. Work is in progress on the MRT station nearby. Long line of mostly foreign workers waiting to board the bus. |
The link bridge at Pasar Seni LRT station. At the far end, you can either turn right or left. |
Turn left, and you can walk all the way across the river to the old railway station along Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin. Anyone knows the old name of this street? |
The bustling Pasar Seni area, teeming with people and traffic seven days a week. |
This time I took the left turn to KL Convention Centre. Going straight would take me back again to Pavilion. I decided to skip Bukit Bintang as the sky looked threatening. |
This part of the bridge leading to KLCC is fully air-conditioned and well-lit. You can go to all these places listed on the signboard (starting from Wisma UOA on the signboard below). |
Avenue K, opposite KLCC, is getting more than just a face-lift. Hopefully with big names like Starbucks, H&M and Popular coming in as tenants, Avenue K will see a reversal of fortune. |
At RM15 million, this is probably the most expensive link bridge in the city built by City Hall and the Intermark. It was opened in late March 2013. |
The bridge boasts up and down escalators and is equipped with bright lights as well as six CCTVs. Guards are on sentry duty from 7am to 10pm daily. Pedestrians feel safe using this bridge. |
I reached home after an entire afternoon exploring the sights and sounds of Kuala Lumpur. How much did it cost me? Did I meet the challenge of spending not more than RM10? Well, yes and no. Let me explain.
I made a huge mistake when I stopped for lunch at Food Republic, Pavilion. As I had a tight budget, I chose to eat simple - a plate of rice with some long beans and a small fish (see photo below). I estimated it would cost no more than RM8. When the cashier told me my plate of food cost RM17.50, I could only stare at her in disbelief. The breakdown: RM12 for the fish, RM3.50 for the beans and RM2.00 for the rice. What a rip-off!
If I consider the fare alone, I had spent well below my limit of RM10. So how much was my total bus fare? Brace yourself as you won't believe this - a paltry RM2.50. If I had not been so forgetful and had brought along my warga emas card, it would have cost me only RM1.40! And if I had eaten a RM7.90 bowl of laksa for lunch, or better still, had my lunch in Pasar Seni or Chinatown, I would have spent less than RM10 in all. Lessons learned.
Here some tips for those who would like to do a similar walkabout in the city.
- Bring a hat and an umbrella. Blue skies can change to thunderstorms within minutes.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes or sandals.
- Make sure you have a large bottle of water. The weight will offload as you drink along the way. Stay hydrated.
- Carry minimal stuff, only essentials and pack everything either in a backpack or a sling bag (across the shoulder). This keeps your hands free to take photos, and your belongings more secure. Just remember to swing your bag to the front when in crowded places.
- Take your toilet breaks at the shopping malls and LRT stations along the way. Shun other public toilets like the plague.
- Be on the alert for pickpockets, especially in downtown Kota Raya-Chinatown area.
So there you have it. It is possible to do a tour of the city on a shoestring. There are covered walkways, pedestrian crossings and link bridges that makes it safe and convenient to walk along the city streets. It also helps that shuttle buses provide free transport within the main city areas.
All in all, my little trip covered KLCC, Ampang Park, Pavilion, Chinatown, Kota Raya, Pasar Seni and Masjid India. If I had wanted, I could have included Bukit Bintang (Sungei Wang, Lot 10) and Dataran Merdeka at no extra cost.
If you have any queries about my city walkabout, do send me an email at seniorsaloud@gmail.com
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