Petronas Towers and Batu Caves

Last Thursday I returned to Detroit from LA and took this picture from the airport parking lot of a frosty foggy dawn. After 30 hours of travel I was in KL on Tuesday and both the scenery and temperature were different.

I spent my last night in KL with colleagues at the Sky-Pool Bar at the top of the Traders Hotel. As you can see the view was pretty good.

I always swing by the Towers when I'm in KL.

They look like Soviet era rocket ships and are among my favorite structures in the world. I've even walked across the bridge on a private tour and have documented that here.

I also spent a sweaty couple of hours at the Batu caves which sit just on the edge of the city. It takes 45 minutes to get there if the traffic cooperates.

These scenes are nothing new. I've visited this Hindu shrine a couple of times in the past though there was little going on when I went on Tuesday.

It was hot and humid and the 200 steps up into the caves were a bit tough for this jetlagged body.

The steps leading up to the caves are not only used by people.

Thieving, aggressive monkeys consider them a conveyor belt of food bearing tourists.

They're not shy to snatch bags, bottles or anything else they feel may contain something edible.

I'm writing this from my hotel bed in Bangkok having arrived in the late afternoon.

I'm very tired.
Here until Saturday and then its back to KL for 24 hrs and then on to Melbourne.

I have got to get some sleep.
Love to all

T

Walking across a bridge 42 stories up at the Petronas Twin Towers

I had a pretty buzzy day yesterday.
I had an appointment with Malaysia's national oil company, Petronas and finally got to go up one of the towers. We were given a "VIP" tour and as such went across the bridge linking the two structures (42 stories up!). Tourists can get tickets free of charge but need to queue up as early as 7 am to get one of the 400 released every day. The bridge is a double-decker with tourists on the lower level and VIPs like moi strolling in luxury up top.
First a quick few facts :

• 88 stories
• 452 meters tall
• The sky bridge connects the towers from the 41st and 42nd floors, is 58.4 meters long and 170 meters above street level.
• 29 double-decker high speed elevators in each tower travel 8.5 meters per second. Ok thats "only" 5.795mph but sounds faster in FT per second! (It feels fast anyway.).
• 77,000 square meters of glass
• 180,000 cubic meters of concrete
• 39,910 tons of steel
• Each tower weighs 300,000 tons
• 399,750 square meters of space

All pretty impressive.

The Towers are one of my favorite buildings in the world. When they officially opened in 1989 they stood as the undisputed, tallest buildings in the world. That crown now rests with Taipei 101, but they're still the tallest "Twin Towers".

Though beautiful during the day, they really come into their own at night. I got some awesome shots on an earlier trip and you can see them here .

I was with a couple of colleagues on this visit one of whom pointed out that we'd made the trip to the Petronas Twin Towers on 911.

That's it from KL.

I head for Singapore today where I'll be all week.

Stay well .

T

1950's Soviet Rocket ship architecture

I love The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and I take pictures of them every time I make it here.
They briefly held the title of tallest free standing structures in the world before Taipei 101 arrived on the city ego building scene.
I think they look like old style Soviet Rocket ships.
Actually, I can't really recall seeing old style Soviet rockets, so its probably safer to say they remind me of what I think such things look like.

I really like KL. It has all the glitz of a major city with just a hint of the grittiness and sleaze that makes a place interesting. In that respect it beats Singapore hands down.

I haven't had much time to take pictures or post on this trip.

I'll try and get some time clear tomorrow morning.

I'm back to HK for the weekend and then head for the Middle East on Tuesday.Stay well

T