Mr. P Climbs KL Tower (well sort of...)

It seems that every city I have been to so far has a special place where you can take in how the city looks from way up high.  Kuala Lumpur is no different.  In among the Bukit Nanas Forest (a tropical jungle in the middle of the city) stands the KL Tower (also known as the Menara Tower). 

Surrounded by tropical plants and monkeys swinging from branches, the
KL Tower is tucked away from the noise of the city below.

At 421m tall the KL Tower provides some pretty impressive views of all the neighbourhoods around Kuala Lumpur.  While up on the observation deck you can see caves, jungles, palaces, mosques, skyscrapers and even tiny little houses (quite the interesting mix).  All these buildings come together to make Kuala Lumpur a very special city.  Also, from high up you can see that Kuala Lumpur isn’t a huge city.  Just over 100 years old, it is a new city (just like Toronto) and it is still growing and getting bigger every year.

Look at all the different buildings you can see spread across Kuala Lumpur.

The KL Tower isn’t just for tourists.  Muslims also use the tower as an Islamic Falak Observatory and from here look for the crescent moon that marks the start of the month of Ramadan.

Now  sure, 421m is pretty tall, and the KL Tower is the 18^th tallest tower in the world, but can you guess what tower is the 2^nd tallest at 553m?  I bet you can.

A School Like Mine

While hiking through the jungle, I came across a little village tucked up away from the fast flowing River Kwai.  This village is home to several Mon families who live between the border of Burma and Thailand.  The Mon people have their own language, their own cuisine, their own culture and of course, their own tiny village in the jungle.



What is that village building hiding behind the bushes?

One of the buildings in their community is the village school.  It was neat to explore how this school is the same as our schools, and how it is different.

The classroom where boys and girls from the Mon Village come to learn.

The open air design, with no walls, means that the weather can really affect daily classroom routines.  Wind and rain can interfere with learning, and during rainy season sometimes classes are cancelled (also because the teacher, who uses the river to get to work everyday, can't make the journey).  Even though the building might not look like our school, the desks, the chalkboard, and the posters hanging are all clues that this is a classroom.

The play structures are all made of metal, but look very similar to the playgrounds we see around our neighbourhoods.  If you were a student at this school what play structure would you want to use at recess?

I bet this see-saw is a favourite with the children of the village.

These monkey bars and slide are some of the play structures the children use.

The biggest difference are the bathrooms.  There aren't separate indoor boys and girls bathrooms, instead there is one little outhouse that all the students use when they have to go to the bathroom.  There is no running water at the school, so a bucket of water is brought in everyday so hands can be washed, and the toilet can be flushed.

In need of some repair, this is the school's outhouse.

After looking at these pictures can you make a list of all the similarities and differences between your school and this village school.

Special Breakfast Guests

While enjoying my breakfast in the jungle I heard a loud trumpet sound in the distance.  "Hmmm...could it be?" I thought to myself.  "No, it couldn't"...Oh, but it was...two elephants had joined me for breakfast.

These two elephants are no ordinary elephants, they live in a village in the jungle.  Almost like farm animals, they have been trained by their owners and are used to do work around the village, just like an ox would be used on a farm.

Taking a bath in the river.

Every morning the elephants come down to the river for a bath, some breakfast (pineapple and watermelon peels are their favourite) and a potty break.  Getting to feed them, stroke their trunks and see them up close was special.  It isn't everyday that you get to have breakfast with elephants.

The elephants are always eager to start eating their breakfast.

Photo: Laura Muir

Elephants are important animals in Thailand where they are a symbol of royal power (it is believed that kings would ride elephants in battle).  As you explore the country you will see elephant sculptures around temples, palaces and government buildings.

A statue of an elephant outside a cave in the jungle where a Buddhist monk lives.

If you could have breakfast with any animal, what animal would you choose?

These elephants stand strong and proud at the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

I Am Here - Kanchanaburi, Thailand

I am in the middle of the Thai jungle sleeping on a river raft, so I don't have any electricity and won't be able to use my computer to keep you posted on my adventures.  I promise to tell you all about the River Kwai and Kanchanaburi once I get back into the city.


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