On the first day at KL, TSH and Diva stayed on board the Silver Spirit but on the second day, they took an excursion. 1.5 hours to drive from the port to the city, followed by a tour round the Old Palace of the kings. The new one is supposedly much more palatial but this was a very attractive building inside and out, despite most of the contents having been removed. There were lots of photos of the kings with foreign rulers - Yasser Arafat in pride of place in the entry hall. Elizabeth and Philips (sic) in an upstairs corridor.
There were many glimpses of the famous twin towers, although these are now dwarfed by many more modern constructions. The US embassy is closely overlooked by a high rise block which has been rented by the US government to preserve the security of the embassy.
The guide related how rice (and other staple goods) is normally imported from China but because of the virus it is now coming from India. The price has quadrupled, which must have a large impact on the local people, many of whom appear to be quite poor.
The walking tour round the traditional houses did not involve a reconstructed tourist area - the group walked round the busy Muslim residential area, including an external view of the mosque - no entry for tourists on Fridays. Local people's lunch was interrupted as the guide explained the street food, with strict instructions not to eat any of it. Diva was not happy with the number of local animals prowling around. There were some local schoolboys eager to practise their English and the guide cruelly told them that we were there to buy their houses. In the Muslim area, even very small girls wore head scarves, although this is optional in other parts.
TSH saw two steam engines, probably British-made, outside the railway station but the coach was moving too fast for him to take photos.
TSH and Diva had their temperatures taken (again) on entry to a KL restaurant for a buffet lunch. 36.4 and 36.3, so still healthy.
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