Text 10858, 70 rader
Skriven 2014-03-14 22:32:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: malaysia 324
====================
The monorail gets a bad rap for cost effectiveness, but by
big city standards it's okay, and it does move a lot of
folks quickly through the franticly busy city center. We
wanted to visit the Badan Warisan Malaysian Heritage Center
and its Rumah Penghulu, a village headman's house from
Kedah, rescued from ruin and lovingly restored on the
center's grounds, where it is one of the city's secret
treasures (despite thousands of people driving past it
every day). Warning: the mapping programs have various
opinions as to where it is. On this occasion, Google Maps
has it right; on the other hand, it has misleading data
for the Royale Chulan Hotel right across the street.

You offer a donation of 10 MYR apiece, and you are issued
bug dope and a guide, in our case a well-informed young lady
from the office with almost perfect English. She seemed
to be more focused on the history and function of the house
rather than its interesting craftsmanship; maybe that's just
how she sized us up. Her description of the customs and
governance from the turn of that other century were quite
informative. As we were halfway through the house, Lilli
started feeling a little dizzy, so we cut the tour short and
went back to the air-cooled office, where we were given
water and cookies; we received conflicting advice from the
concerned nyonyas in the building as to whether cool or
warm water was indicated for the revivification process. We
ended up with cool. To amuse us during our rest, we got to
watch a well-made video about the restoration project.

It was suggested that we get a cab back to the hotel, but
Lilli didn't want to do that; our guide suggested a shortcut
back to the monorail that would keep us within a few yards
of civilization, food, and air conditioning at all times.

This took us up past the Pavillion and then Starhill, so I
suggested we duck into the JW Marriott to cool off and maybe
have a beer. I started reminiscing about this bar that I'd
liked ah, ten, fifteen years ago, and I wondered if it was
still there, and just for giggles we wandered around the
bowels, and there it was, slightly reoriented and refitted,
but still serving beer and snacks at fairly reasonable cost.

Sentidos Tapas is the name, if you're ever on Bukit Bintang
and in need of a beer.

There was a happy-hour special on Tiger beer, but it was
half an hour before time when we sat down. The girl said
that she'd give us the happy price, though, about half off
if you get three or five or something. To go with, I ordered
garlic prawns, which were long in coming, and when they came
much more what you might get at Jumbo Seafood than the
gambas al ajillo I was envisioning; still very tasty and
satisfying, also a pretty decent deal, though not such a
bargain as around the turn of the millennium. Lilli got a
most unusual tapas: Hong Kong-style black pepper sirloin
chunks, exceedingly black and peppery and done medium. They
were comfortably recognizable as beef, though, and welcome.

We left well fed and lubricated and not too much poorer.

It was rush hour in spades when we took the monorail back to
the station and the hotel. They had pushers at the station.
Not that kind of pushers.

Back to the lounge for late refreshments.


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