Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur for the heritage junkie

Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks goes on a walking tour of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in search of built heritage. Here's what to see and do if you've only got a day!

Twenty-four hours. This was all the time I had on my third trip to the Malaysian capital. Take out 10 hours of rest in between and what can you do in the city with fourteen hours? Quite a lot.

First , an overview of the cityscape. If you're not the type who'd wake up at 5:00 a.m. to queue up for the skybridge at the iconic Petronas Towers, then the next best thing is to head-off to Menara KL or KL Tower for an unobstructed 360 degree view of of the city. Spend an hour or so to admire KL's iconic buildings 421 meters above the street. Looking from above, I realized that Kuala Lumpur is (thankfully) not an oversized megalopolis but rather a small city which dreams big. The views are really inspiring.

Entrance to KL Tower  is RM55 (approximately P760.00) and includes a choice of simulated F1 ride or pony-back (ala Baguio) on the street. I chose the former.

Our bearings in order, we then revisited historic heart of the city in Merdeka Square. This area has been spruced up with most of KL's iconic colonial buildings all looking as stately as the last time we saw them.

Don't miss the area's latest attraction: the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery. This small museum takes you through the history of KL from a state to national capital. You won't miss this as it is housed in a beautifully restored 114-year old buillding (just look for the I heart KL outside). This facility also has information booth with loads of brochures and maps. Be sure to get the Kuala Lumpur Walks and Tours Map (free). Across the street is the National Textile Museum (free admission) that is also housed in another heritage structure.

For more local color, we walked to the city's Chinatown along Jalan Petaling to visit the Sze Yah Temple (Taoist) and Sri Maha Mariaman Temple (Hindu).

And of course, I late lunch at the food court of the famous Central Market which was a welcome break from all the walking.

Here's a tip, if the heat and your legs start taking their toll on you, head for a Hindu temple to get some peace, quiet and maybe a quick nap. These shrines are really a place for religious contemplation as they are sanctuaries the weary body. Remember to take off your shoes!

Capping off, we headed to the Lake Garden district to visit the (25 min walk or a taxi ride) Mesjid Negara (National Mosque) and admire its very bold and modernist 1960s architecture. The compound is very refreshing with fountains around. Visitors are allowed to go in provided there are no services. Nearby, the Islamic Arts Museum is another worthy stop on our cultural circuit. This was actually the reason why we stayed a day in KL and we're glad that the facility was open on the day we visited.

Feet weary and stomach grumbling, we chowed down 10 sticks of satay, a mid-sized oyster omelette, a bowl of fish ball soup and a can of pop at the famous hawker street Jalan Alor.

A day well spent in KL!

P.S. We found out the KL has a similarity with Manila in the way that taxi drivers never use the meter. Take heed and bargain well!

Save the old GSIS Headquarters!

Here we go again! News is circulating that the GSIS Building, built between 1952 and 1954, is set for demolition. Time to bang on the doors of Manila City Hall for them to implement the law!

Update (07/25/2012): The GSIS Building will be incorporated with the new Hall of Justice of the Supreme Court. We thank the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and the Supreme Court for this development.

Update (07/11/2012): We just received information that engineers from Manila City Hall had written the owner of the GSIS Building ordering its demolition. In a few days, we remember the Jai Alai tragedy. We should not let it happen again! Archt. Dominic Galicia informed us, "Reliable reports say that there are renewed and very serious pressures to demolish the old GSIS headquarters building behind Manila City Hall. Only the attention of media and the general public can save it, by reminding Manila City Hall that the Heritage Law, Republic Act 10066, protects this beautiful landmark."

Former GSIS Headquarters (Photo from Paulo Alcazaren)

Here is an appeal from Archt. Dom Galicia of the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) and ICOMOS Committee on 20th Century Heritage:

We are hearing reports that Manila City Hall has given the OK to demolish the old GSIS Headquarters building on Arroceros Street designed by Federico Ilustre. The Heritage Law states that it would be a crime to demolish a structure of this vintage, which is older than 50 years, without permission from the NCCA. Considering the cultural value of this structure, that permission is not likely to be forthcoming. See the attached photo from Paulo Alcazaren's archive.

It's abandoned and needing repair, but still a beautiful, elegant and intelligent response to climate and site, eminently suitable via adaptive reuse for whatever new purpose comes to bear.

On the heels of February's demolition of the old Meralco Building on San Marcelino and, soon after, the Laperal Building on Claro M. Recto, this first half of 2012 could live in patrimonial infamy, in spite of all the strides being made with Manila Central Post Office and Escolta.

Please write Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim at mayorlim@manila.gov.ph. Let him know that the old GSIS Building can be saved via adaptive reuse. It is also important that you cc: your email to hcs_secretariat@yahoo.com. HCS will help make sure that the Mayor sees your message.

Remember the Jai Alai!

HCS members checked Wikimapia. And lo and behold, the GSIS Building is labeled as SM Manila's Annex!

Note: We have yet to confirm who has plans for the property. We were told that the owner as of early last year was the Supreme Court. They had swapped the Jai Alai property with the GSIS Building and that they plan to build their Hall of Justice. Isn't it ironic if another heritage building is torn down for the same purpose?

Another piece of information comes from Wikimapia and that it will allegedly become an annex of SM Manila. If the GSIS Building is torn down to make way for another SM building, that will add to their crimes against heritage which includes the demolition of the San Lazaro Hippodrome (now SM San Lazaro), YMCA (now SM Manila), Pines Hotel (now SM Baguio) and the many pine trees they massacred to build the mall, Emilio Aguinaldo College (now SaveMore Sta. Ana) and the Benguet Building of National Artist Leandro Locsin among many others.

More photos of the GSIS Building in SkyscraperCity.

Singapore: Skyline and Marina Bay at night

One of the most spectacular images of Singapore is the Singapore skyline at night. The best views of course are those around Marina Bay. And there are many ways to enjoy Marina Bay at night.

The first would be on foot. You could actually walk the entire length from Merlion Park, passing through One Fullerton, Clifford Pier (Fullerton Bay Hotel), Customs House, the Promontory, Marina Bay Sands, Art and Science Museum, the Helix Bridge which connects to Marina Promenade and Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay and back to the Merlion via Esplanade Bridge.

Another option would be a night cruise on the Singapore River where, aside from Marina Bay, you'll also get to enjoy the different buildings from various periods in Singapore's history along its banks.

But my personal favorite is from way up there of course! And you can take the Singapore Flyer or go to the top of Marina Bay Sands for a grand view of the Singapore skyline, which is what we did. We had drinks at Ku De Ta, a restaurant and bar on the roof deck.

Note also that there is a really nice evening Light and Water Show in front of Marina Bay Sands. Images are projected onto three large fountains in front of the amphitheater. Show times are: Sunday to Thursday (8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.) / Fridays and Saturdays (8 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.).

How to get to Marina Bay
There are several MRT stations that you can take to Marina Bay. Raffles Place Station is closest to One Fullerton. Bayfront Station is below Marina Bay Sands. Marina Bay Station is also close and is located near the Promontory. Esplanade Station is closest to Esplanade (City Hall Station is an alternative). While Promenade Station is closest to the Singapore Flyer.

Thank you to the Singapore Tourism Board and Agatep Associates for their valuable assistance during my trip!

Singapore: Hawker food at Jalan Tua Kong Lau Lim Mee Pok, Old Airport Road Food Centre & 126 搵到食 Dim Sum

Hawker food is an integral part of any real visit to Singapore. While there are some hawker centers that are popular with tourists, the locals can point you towards the 'famous' ones. During my recent visit, my Singaporean friends took me to many popular places to eat. Among them were Jalan Tua Kong Lau Lim Mee Pok, Old Airport Road Food Centre and 126 搵到食 Dim Sum Restaurant in the Geylang area.

At the Jalan Tua Kong Lau Lim Mee Pok at the Bedok Shopping Complex, we had Crispy Deep-Fried Yong Tau Foo and Mee Pok (麪薄) with fishcake, minced meat, pork slices and fish balls of course!

Since I'm a fan of satay, we drove over to the Old Airport Road Food Centre, one of the best hawker centers in Singapore, where you can get some really tasty satay from Chuan Kee Satay. You can get Pork Satay, Chicken Satay and Mutton Sattay here for SG$0.50 a piece.

I had also been craving for Char Kway Teow which we purchased from Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow which starts at SG$3 a serving. Char Kway Teow is a personal favorite, especially the one with cockles.

My friends ordered Big Prawn Noodle from Albert Street Prawn Noodle which starts at SG$5 a bowl.

For dessert, we got Tau Huay (豆花) at 51 Soya Bean. Note that they also have Durian Bean Curd which I was told is really good too.

Then there's Geylang, which is a famous and infamous for a lot of things, hawker food included. We visited 126 搵到食 (Wen Dao Shi) Dim Sum Restaurant, another 'famous' place for dim sum. Aside from the address number, the Chinese characters actually read wan tou sek (found something to eat) in Cantonese, and thus sounds like 126.

From pork buns and dumplings to chicken feet, they definitely serve really good dim sum there. Thanks again to my SSEAYP batchmate Ong Han Chong and wife Diana for the treats! More food posts to follow.

Jalan Tua Kong Lau Lim Mee Pok
306 Bedok Road (Simpang Bedok)
Bedok Shopping Complex

Old Airport Road Food Centre
19 Old Airport Road

126 搵到食 Dim Sum Restaurant
126 Sims Avenue (near Geylang Lorong 17)

Malaysia: Mount Kinabalu for the non-mountaineer

Last year, I made it up to Low's Peak of Mount Kinabalu, which at 4,095 meters, is called the rooftop of Southeast Asia. This year, Ivan Man Dy joined the Pinoy Mountaineer Mount Kinabalu Expedition 2012. And congratulations are in order because he successfully made the ascent to Low's Peak. Here is his advice to non-mountaineers:

At 4,095 meters, Mount Kinabalu is one of the highest mountains in Southeast Asia. It is not the easiest mountain to climb especially for an urban rat and non-mountaineer like me. And the only reason why I even dared to scale this wonder is because I love highland weather and certainly, this mountain and her scenery did not disappoint. So how did we survive? Here are some tips to conquer Kinabalu if you're not a seasoned mountaineer.

1. Tone up your leg muscles. We haven't had a major hike for a long time but all our daily steps conducting tours for Old Manila Walks may have made our legs ready for this climb. We asked some first-time Singaporean climbers if this was their initial ascent. They said yes and added it was also to be their last. Do not even attempt this climb if you have never scaled a mountain. Wrong mountain to choose!

2. Join a tour group. It's much more fun especially if the group gets along well (this is a hit or miss). But also, it makes a lot of things easier. Logistics are taken care off, food is prepared, tips shared, camaraderie formed. To the budget traveler, this might be less than ideal (and pricier perhaps). But for any climber, the convenience and security is godsent. There was even a pre-medical check before the ascent (Watch out for Pinoy Mountaineer Mount Kinabalu Expedition 2013).

3. Go 5-star (if budget permits). And by this I mean, splure a bit and make it easy on yourself. Invest on a good pair of shoes. Buy (or rent) a mountain stick or trekking pole. These are things that you'll be glad you have when you start feeling the pressure. And yes, get yourself a porter (RM8 or roughly Php110 for every kg). Even if you are only carrying 5kg to the top, that will feel like 20 as you start your ascent. Pack light to save and leave the weight to your porter guide!

4. Go slow. There are points when you start huffing and puffing and questioning yourself if you can make it. Don't rush, remember, there are probally some people slower than you. Charge up by eating good trail mix (chocolates and peanuts go well with each other). Drink water. Take a few minutes rest or even siesta (I did) in the trail stops. Stop and smell the roses. Just make sure you reach the base camp before dark and be sure to rest really, really well!

5. It's a long way up. And down. Yes, you made it up. Now is equally the challenging part of going down. Essentially, you start your ascent to the summit (approximately another 840 meters up, this like climbing to Tagaytay from the lowlands but higher) at 02:00; then are expected to be back down for breakfast in the base camp by 10:30. Then you begin your descent to the starting point and may reach it at 17:30 hours depending on your speed. So for Day 2, that's more than 12 hours of ascent and descent in one day. Be prepared for this!

All in all, it was very challenging climb. The highland weather was perfect, views were stunning and the buffet-style food, lovely. If you can stand walking 8.7 kilometers up and two days worth of leg muscle pain (don't forget to bring muscle pain killers), then this climb is absolutely worth it, even for an urban rat like me.

To get updates about next year's Mount Kinabalu climb, e-mail info@ivanhenares.com. Here are photos from last year's Mount Kinabalu climb in the Ivan About Town Facebook page.