K M Cheng-Travel Journal: Malaysia (Covid-19 National Recovery Phase 4 - My Staycation No 13 to Kuala Lumpur City Center) Saturday Nov 6 2021 Part 1

River of Life, Kuala Lumpur - Gombak River & Jamek Mosque
(The Starting Point Leading To The Birth of Kuala Lumpur City in 1857)

Sultan Abdul Samad Building (1894), Kuala Lumpur
(An Iconic & Historic British Colonial Building)

Royal Selangor Club (1884), Kuala Lumpur

" Sometimes the small pleasures in LIFE are the sweetest "

" My Staycation & Jalan Jalan (Walkabout) free & easy solo visit to Kuala Lumpur City Center on Sunday Nov 7 2021, traveling by Rapid KL LRT train ride from SS15, Subang Jaya > Pasar Seni & return; my 13th outdoor trip after a National Lockdown (Movement Control Order / Emergency) imposed by the Malaysian Government on May 6 2021 due to a spike in Covid-19 cases, a National Vaccination campaign is currently being implemented by the Malaysian Government (phase 1 started in Feb 2021, as at Nov 4 2021, a total of 22.4 million individuals or 95.7 % of the adult population in Malaysia have completed their Covid-19 vaccinations), Selangor (my home state) is now under National Recovery Phase 4 (NRP4) starting from Monday Oct 11 2021 hence the Malaysian Government has eased restrictions allowing individuals with vaccination certificate or card for inter state travel, dine-in restaurants, hotel accommodation & homestay, outdoor sport & activities etc "

Total expenses incurred: Rm1.90 x 2 = Rm3.80 (US$0.90 Senior 50% discount)

Light & Shadow Play in Kwai Chai Hong, Kuala Lumpur

Thank God It's Saturday (TGIS) today ! The Deepavali (Festival of Lights) holiday has just ended ! Out of curiosity, I paid a visit to Kuala Lumper City Center in the late afternoon / evening as it has been quite awhile that I have not done an evening visit to downtown Kuala Lumpur (KL) city - no thanks to the Covid-19 & also partly my past visits to KL City Center normally happened in the early morning till mid-day (to avoid the scorching sun) so that I could return home & take a power nap in the afternoon & also to watch my favourite CCTV 4 Chinese civil war movie series (13.45>05.15) !

There was no John Travolta style Saturday Night Fever mood in downtown KL (including Chinatown & Central Market area). My Covid-19 screening / body temperature check recorded a 36.4C (thank god no feverish sign) when I checked into the SS15 Subang Jaya LRT station so it was a great start & everything looked normal (but act New Normal ie mask on, observing social distancing etc) for this evening outing. But business on the ground does not look that rosy in KL City Center ! At 19.30 while taking a slow evening stroll in Petaling Street (Chinatown), it turned out to be a rather quiet affair, ie visitors & shoppers were very much lacking, gone are the migrant workers manning the souvenir stalls, a number of stalls had begun to close their businesses earlier, eatery stalls too had fewer customers ... clearly Covid-19 pandemic is still haunting locals, preferring to stay home rather than doing an outing during the weekend ! Hopefully the forthcoming Christmas festive season will lift the spirits & bring more life to this vibrant city of Kuala Lumpur !

Likewise in other parts of KL City Center, a number of the nightlife entertainment spots, bars, discotheques etc had closed shops & frankly we are not sure when these businesses will restart & regain their glorious past ! In the busy & bustling Bukit Bintang area, where are the "night owls" & "midnight cowboys" usually hanging around in elite clubs, roof top bars, discos, laid-back lounges, night markets, terrace bars, pubs ... now that Kuala Lumpur is in the National Recovery Phase 4, will KL nightlife shines again & packed again with party goers, beer drinkers & merry makers come this Christmas season ? Is it the right time to reset, refresh & rejuvenate this year end ? Bringing back the spirit of John Travolta Saturday Night Fever & make KL nightlife vibrant & lively once again in all the spheres of our daily LIFE ?

John Travolta Saturday Night Fever Mood
very much lacking in Kuala Lumpur City Nightlife
due to the Covid-19 Pandemic since March 2020

Ha ah ah ah stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Life goin nowhere ! Somebody help me, yeah ! I am stayin' alive !
You know its alright, it is okay, I'll live to see another day !

The start of my Rapid KL LRT train ride from SS15, Subang Jaya > Pasar Seni, Kuala Lumpur & return (16.45>20.45); the distance from Subang Jaya (my home place) to Pasar Seni (Central Market) is approx 21km (one way).

Travel Highlights:

1) Medan Pasar (Market Square), Kuala Lumpur City Center

2) River of Life, Kuala Lumpur City Center

3) Dataran Merdeka (Merdeka Square), Kuala Lumpur City Center

4) Royal Selangor Club (1884), Kuala Lumpur City Center

5) Kuala Lumpur City Gallery (1898), Kuala Lumpur City Center

6) Sultan Abdul Samad Building (1894>1897), Kuala Lumpur City Center

7) Kasturi Walk, Kuala Lumpur

8) Central Market (1888), Kuala Lumpur

9) Petaling Street (Chinatown), Kuala Lumpur

10) Kwai Chai Hong (Little Ghost Lane), Jalan Panggung, Kuala Lumpur

1) Medan Pasar (Market Square), City Center Kuala Lumpur - this area stands at the confluence of the Klang & Gombak Rivers, where Kuala Lumpur started ! The center of the original township established by Yap Ah Loy prior to 1882, lined with old heritage buildings, the art deco Clock Tower was erected in 1937 in commemoration of the coronation of the King George IV !

Art Deco Clock Tower (1937)

Pre-War Old Heritage Buildings

2) The "Brain" - an interactive fibre art installation inspired by the neurons in the brain & the concept of connectivity surrounding us, in front of Loke Yew Building or behind the Central Market.

3) Loke Yew Building, Jalan Makamah Tinggi, City Center, Kuala Lumpur - old Kuala Lumpur landmark, located at the West Bank of the waterfront, next to River of Life.

4) River of LIFE & Cultural Walk, Lebuh Pasar Besar, City Center, Kuala Lumpur - the area where the Gombak River joins the Klang River, one of the most iconic parts of Kuala Lumpur, located near Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad, the oldest mosque in the city. Voted as one of the Top 10 Best Waterfronts by UK's Independent, very scenic at night ! My last visit to River of Life & the surrounding was in Feb & June 2020 and Oct 2018 (all were day trips) !

5) River of LIFE by Night (19.30>19.45), scenic & ideal for an evening stroll along the River of LIFE !

6) Kuala Lumpur City Gallery (1898) - information hub with souvenirs & art for sale, maps, cultural exhibits & gift making workshop

7) Perpustakaan (Library) Kuala Lumpur - the main library of Kuala Lumpur, the other 9 branches are located in various parts of Kuala Lumpur

8) The Royal Selangor Club (1884) - a social club in Kuala Lumpur, founded in 1884 by the British who ruled Malaysia, located next to the Dataran Merdeka or Independence Square

9) The Cathedral of St Mary (1895), Jalan Raja, City Center, Kuala Lumpur - the cathedral of the Diocese of West Malaysia of the Anglican Church of the Province of South East Asia, it is the Episcopal see of the Anglican Bishop of West Malaysia & the mother church of the diocese.

10) The Old High Court Building (1909), Merdeka Square, City Center, Kuala Lumpur - this 2 storey building has a Moorish exterior with 4 towers !

11) National Textile Museum (1905), Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin - located adjacent to the Sultan Abdul Samad Building in Kuala Lumpur

12) Sultan Abdul Samad Building (1894>1897) - a late 18th century building (Moghul architecture) located along Jalan Raja in front of the Dataram Merdeka & the Royal Selangor Club in Kuala Lumpur

13) Sultan Abdul Samad Building (1894>1897) - evening & night scene (19.00>19.45), magnificent looking !

14) Dataran Merdeka (Merdeka or Independence Square), Jalan Raja, City Center, Kuala Lumpur - a historical landmark, formerly known as Selangor Club Padang & was used as the cricket green of the Selangor Club, it was here that the Malaysia's flag was raised to replace the Union Jack on 31st August 1957 (The Independence Day of Malaysia), Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia's 1st Prime Minister then proceeded to read the Proclamation of Independence, which culminated in the chanting of "Merdeka" seven times with the crowd joining in !