é o caos... é o caos...

arte de rua em macau...

o portuguese settlement...

foi deslocado do centro para uma área mais distante e menos acessível... e embora ainda se encontrem algumas pessoas por malaca orgulhosas das suas raízes portuguesas e dos conhecimentos culturais e arquitectónicos que por lá deixámos... chegando-se ao portuguese settlement... é-se invadido por uma absoluta desilusão...

na minha modesta opinião... não vale a visita...

o bairro chinês...

e do outro lado do rio...

a praça...

á espera de alguém que pare...

Afonso Henriques, Rei de Portugal...

NOta: para mais informações sobre a Malaca Portuguesa... podem consultar...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_Malacca

Fortaleza...

Malaca...

banhada por mares outrora navegados por Portugueses... a um par de horas de autocarro de Kuala Lumpur...

o que resta da "portuguesa" Porta de Santiago...

Batu Caves...

Não acreditem no vosso guia book... Não vão de táxi para as Batu Caves!!!... Serão "roubados" descaradamente... e existem autocarros, que apanham perto do Central Market, e que vos deixam lá muito perto por uma bagatela... ; ) ... até porque chegando ao local... percebem que tem o seu interesse... mas está longe de compensar"alguma"fortuna...

Outra coisa a ter em atenção... cuidado com os macacos... são engraçados e tal... mas... têm mau feitio... pelo que não pisem nenhum risco territorial... corre também o rumor de que alguns são "carteiristas"... por isso... cuidadinho!!

"Batu Caves is a limestone hill, which has a series of caves and cave temples, located in Gombak district, 13km north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It takes its name from the Sungai Batu or Batu River, which flows past the hill. Batu Caves is also the name of the nearby village. The cave is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, dedicated to Lord Muruga. It is the focal point of the annual Thaipusam festival in Malaysia and attracts over more than 1.5 million pilgrims, making it one of the largest gatherings in history. Batu Caves is said to be around 400 million years old. Rising almost 100m above the ground, Batu Caves actually consists of three main caves and a few smaller ones. The biggest, referred to as Cathedral Cave or Temple Cave, has a 100m-high ceiling, and features ornate Hindu shrines. To reach it, visitors have to climb a steep flight of 272 steps. At the base of the hill are two more cave temples, Art Gallery Cave and Museum Cave, both of which are full of Hindu statues and paintings. Many of the shrines relate the story of Lord Murugan's victory over demon Soorapadam. A 42.7m (130 feet high) high statue of Lord Muruga was unveiled in January 2006, having taken 3 years to construct. It is the tallest Lord Muruga statue in the world."
texto in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batu_Caves
but photographs: "Views from KL" - took by Olga Tavares

Pormenor...

do Sri Mahamariamman Temple, fundado em 1873, e o mais antigo e mais rico Templo Hindu de Kuala Lumpur...

Once the world’s tallest building...

as Petronas Twin Towers... são uma visão... principalmente à noite... quando viram memoráveis "estrelas" terrestres...

as visitas à skybridge são free... mas limitadas... pelo que as filas de esperançosos visitantes começam cedo... tipo 7h da manhã... e depois das 10h-11h é bastante provável que todos os lugares já tenham sido distribuídos... : ( ...

"The Petronas Twin Towers (also known as the Petronas Towers or Twin Towers), in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are the world's tallest twin buildings. They were the world's tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004 if measured from the level of the main entrance to the structural top, until Taipei 101, (...), took over the record.

These towers, were designed by Cesar Pelli, an Argentine-American architect, (...). The 88-floor towers are constructed largely of reinforced concrete, with a steel and glass facade designed to resemble motifs found in Islamic art, a reflection of Malaysia's Muslim religion.

In an unusual move, a different construction company was hired for each of the towers, and they were made to compete against each other. Eventually the builders of Tower 2, (...) won the race, despite starting a month behind Tower 1, (...).

The towers feature a skybridge between the two towers on 41st and 42nd floors, which is the highest 2-story bridge in the world. The bridge is 170m above the ground and 58 m long. The skybridge is open to all visitors, but free passes (limited to 1700 people per day) must be obtained on a first-come, first-served basis. The Skyway is closed on Mondays. Visitors are allowed to go only on the 41st floor as the 42nd floor is used only by the tenants of the building.

Below the twin towers is Suria KLCC, one of the biggest shopping malls in Malaysia, and Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, the home of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.
Outside the building is a park with jogging and walking paths, a fountain with incorporated light show, wading pools, and a children's playground."

texto in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petronas_Twin_Towers
but photographs: "Views from KL" - took by Olga Tavares

Merdeka!!

e aqui tudo começou...

"Prior to independence, Malaya was a British colony. When Malaya's independence, to be attained on 31 August 1957, was approved by the British Government in 1956, the first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman announced it to the public in Malacca at what is today Dataran Pahlawan.
On the evening of 30 August 1957, crowds gathered at what was then known as the Selangor Club Padang (Field) to celebrate the historic event. As the clock on the State Secretariat Building (today's Sultan Abdul Samad Building) struck 12 midnight, the crowds, led by Tunku Abdul Rahman, shouted "Merdeka!" seven times. The Union Jack was lowered and the flag of the new country was raised to the strains of the national anthem, Negaraku. The Selangor Club Padang is today known as Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square). The next day, the official handing over of power by the British was held at Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium).
The country was renamed Malaysia on September 16, 1963, when Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak joined the federation."

texto in: http://wikitravel.org/en/Kuala_Lumpur

but photographs: "Views from KL" - took by Olga Tavares

Grafitti...

Kuala Lumpur...

"KL has grown from a small sleepy village to a bustling metropolis (metro population 6.9 million) in just 50 years. With the world's cheapest five-star hotels, great shopping and even better food, increasing numbers of travellers are discovering this little gem of a city.

Founded only in 1857 as a tin mining outpost, Kuala Lumpur is fairly new as far as Malaysian cities go and lacks the rich history of George Town or Malacca. After rough early years marked by gang fighting, Kuala Lumpur started to prosper and was made capital of the Federated Malay States in 1896. Malaysia's independence was declared in 1957 in front of huge crowds at what was later named Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium), and Kuala Lumpur continued as the new nation's capital. The economic boom of the 1990s brought KL the standard trappings of a modern city, bristling with skyscrapers and modern transportation systems. Like most of Malaysia's big cities, about 55% of Kuala Lumpur's population is of Malaysian Chinese descent."

texto in: http://wikitravel.org/en/Kuala_Lumpur

but photographs: "Views from KL" - took by Olga Tavares

a China ficou por uns tempos de lado...

Kuala Lumpur, KL, capital da Malásia foi o destino que se seguiu...

mas o melhor mesmo...

são as massagens tradicionais tailandesas.... hmmmmmm... o paraíso do tacto... existem vários casas de massagens... com preços razoáveis... a variar à volta dos 7euros/h... e por acaso tivemos sorte e encontrámos um lugar bem no centro da cidade... em Sukhumvit... que se revelou bem agradável... bem relaxante... bem higiénico... e as massagistas... (porque gostámos tanto que repetimos a dose... eheheh...)... sabiam exactamente o que faziam... pelo que...

ahhhhh... nada como pressionar os pontos certos... da forma certa... para transformar a dor numa fonte de prazer inexplicável... hmmmm...

e se puderem... escolham a versão de pressão a quente... que no fundo... é uma massagem feita com a ajuda de uma almofada de ervas aquecida... e que é simplesmente... fenomenal...

a sério... é uma experiência imperdível...

agora... o segredo está na sorte de encontrar o sítio certo... ; ) ...