I awoke about 6:30 and was just finishing the morning rituals when I heard the Muslim call for pray. Malaysia is where the Islamic and Chinese world meet and it's lovely.. I went down to breakfast and found the hotel offered Chinese, Japanese, Western, and Malay zones to the buffet. The range of fruits was amazing: jackfruit, dragon fruit, guava, pineapple, several types of watermelon, and at least three other things I have no clue about. Similarly there are some veggies here that are new as well as a few odd mushrooms. Chicken Redang and Squid in chilli sauce, dim sum (considered a breakfast food here) and congee, and grilled and smoked fish rounded the options out from the normal eggs, sausage and bacon (all beef and chicken), and breads. 

I continued to try to get the laptop running before hitting the gym for a workout and then took a half-day tour of Kuala Lampur, the meeting of muddy rivers.  Lisa, the guide, took us to the normal tourist sites and also to see chocolate being grown and batik being made. I will get photos up later as the laptop and the blackberry are now totally non-functional.

We started out seeing the royal palace, which is bright yellow. Malaysia considers of 13 states and the federal areas, 9 of which

have Sultans. They rotate being the high king, to use the western term, in 5 year terms. It's a constitutional monarchy and as the offical religion is Islam, the kings, the prime minster, and the deputy prime minster must be muslim. Socially it seem very different from the Middle East.  Some women cover but in brightly colored silk or cotton robes and haribs, others wear western dress and a head covering, and  the non-muslim women seem to favor mini-skirts, shorts, halters, and tee shirts. The current prime minster is pushing the idea of one Malaysia with a mix of  people, all worthy of respect so you see this large 1 all over the place.  

Next we visited the National Museum of Malaysia, which covered the prehistoric to the modern eras. Malaysia's tin mines were an

early sources of wealth and both bronze and pewter work continues until today. As both copper and tin are mined here, the number of bronze cannons is perhaps unsurprising.

After that, we drove by the National Mosque at the junction of the two rivers that give the city its name,



visited Independence Square



and saw the old British Selangor Club and St. Mary's Anglican Church, the Old Train Station, and the two towers which are now the tallish buildings in the world. 



We then visited a chocolate factory and plantation where chocolate is grown and made by a Malaysian who trained in Belgium and



(It really is a fruit; the bag is to protect it from insects.)

also a studio where hand drawn Batik is done.

 

Finally we ended the day by visiting a Taoist temple and wandering around the grounds.



Dedicated to the three goddess, it has both a large shrine to the goddess or buddha of mercy



and if you want thru the moon gate,



a smaller one in the garden



I couldn't resist doing my standing stake in from of the statue of Lao-Tzu



and finally the view for the top of the temple:



Back at the hotel, I met up with the local staff for dinner at a local pizzeria. Then we started setting up for tomorrow's seminar.

WOD: Dumbell Complex - AMRAP 20 minutes 20# DB - Snatch, PP, SHSwing, Snatch 10 reps each side.