We came alongside in Port Kelang and joined a Princess tour to Kuala Lumpur. The distance between the bustling city and the port was about 30 miles but it took us 1.5 hours to drive there due to the traffic. We thought it might be safer to be on a Princess tour to assure that the ship would wait for us, should we have problems getting back to the ship on time.

Malaysia’s population is 34 million, of which 9 million live in Kuala Lumpur. The government is modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system, and the legal system is based on common law. The head of state is an elected monarch, chosen among the nine state rulers every five years. The head of government is the prime minister.

The country’s economy was once heavily reliant on agriculture and primary commodities but is now driven by the services and manufacturing sectors. Kuala Lumpur, the capital, serves as the cultural, financial, tourism, political and economic center of Malaysia.

Our first stop was to the famous Batu Caves. The complex is a mogote with a series of limestone caves, formed more than 400 million years ago. It consists of a complex cave system of 20 recognized caves including four large cave systems with multiple inter-connected chambers. Used by indigenous peoples for protection, the caves were rediscovered by Chinese settlers in the 1860s. A Hindu temple was resurrected 1891 to honor Marugan, the son of Shiva. Initially, the hill was climbed on foot to reach the shrine. In 1920, wooden steps were installed to enable the pilgrims to reach the temple and in 1940, 272 concrete steps were installed.

While the climb was not difficult, the heat and humidity made it uncomfortable. Inside the caves were a smattering of religious iconography and a small temple, with flashing lights. It seemed a bit touristy which was disappointing.

Our second stop was the Royal Selangor Pewter factory; the world’s largest and foremost manufacturer of high-quality pewter, founded in 1885. Using a durable alloy of 92% to 97% tin, most of which is mined in Malaysia, it offers handcrafted tableware, gifts, and collectibles. We had a tour of their prized pieces, and then went to the factory floor to see pieces being made. The craftmanship was impressive.

We had a buffet lunch at Capri by Fraser, followed by a visit to the National Museum of Malaysia. While there were many exhibits and artifacts, there was no tour and it was impossible to see the most significant items in the short time allotted. While we enjoyed the day, it felt a bit rushed and much of it was taken up dealing with traffic.

Tommorow: Penang, Malaysia