KL offerings

Kuala Lumpur is a bustling city. People come from all over to vacation, especially from the UAE. While in the hotel lobby I saw so many Emiratis I thought I hadn't left Dubai. KL is a cosmopolitan Asian city that is very modern.  I was a bit disappointed because it's authenticity, or local culture, has been seemingly diluted with the influx of globalization: shopping malls with Gucci, Chanel, and Zara, McDonald's on every corner, and an influx of migration from all over the world. The sidewalks, unemcumbered by on and off ramps for any unfortunate travelers requiring wheelchair assistance or parents with strollers, are nearly nonexistent due to nonexistent urban planning, spilling over with residents and tourists.

McDonalds in Kuala Lumpur is 24 hrs!

In terms of things to do, there wasn't a lot. Our group was also very large so our options were limited. The top two things to do in KL are eating and open air reflexology parlors (ancient Chinese massage technique involving the correlation of pressure points on feet, hands and back, to the health of your internal organs and overall health) I indulged in both, especially in the latter - amazing after a long day pounding the uneven pavement. What KL does have is a nice night atmosphere. You can dine al fresco at one of the hundreds of restaurants (almost all halal!), have a cup of coffee under the illuminated Patronas towers, drop a coin in a fountain  (ever notice how much Arabs LOVE fountains?), or see one of the many street acts performing 'Look how odd I am in full body glitter...take a picture with me for a dollar acts.  There were also sword swallowers, fire jugglers, and the third-world sad practice of displaying extreme physical deformity for handouts. 

John Wall at Patronas Towers!

I guess I had expected a more "Asian" feel when I ventured to Malaysia. I'm not even sure what that means but what I had done was underestimate its development and commerical attraction.