The National Mosque of Malaysia (Masjid Negara)

My interest in learning about other cultures and religions has increased notably since we started living abroad. When I researched the top attractions in Kuala Lumpur, I found that a visit to the National Mosque – Masjid Negara in Malay – was among the top ten.

The mosque is not always open to tourists. There are set days and times when non-Muslims can enter. I arranged for us to go on a Wednesday before noon. The sprawling compound has a capacity of 15,000 people. Situated approximately twenty minutes outside the city center, it is a beautifully maintained artistic symbol of this Islamic country. It is surrounded by charming gardens and lush greenery.

We could feel complete serenity upon stepping foot on the property. It was such a peaceful and calm atmosphere, even with other visitors wandering about the facility. Since my body was not fully covered I had to wear one of the long purple robes with an attached hood which is similar to a burka, except for the exposed face. You also have to remove your shoes at the entrance. I had no socks on that day so I went barefoot. I am usually extremely hesitant to go barefoot in any public venue and always make sure to carry a pair of socks in my purse. This time I forgot but it was not a problem. The floors along with the entire mosque were impeccably clean. The cool stone floors made my feet very comfortable.

We wandered around the large mosque and admired its stunning architecture. It was amazing in its simplicity. I was able to disconnect with any prior thoughts running through my head within minutes of entering. I immediately felt a peaceful and spiritual connection brewing inside of me despite being a non-Muslim. The atmosphere could easily bring that out of any visitor. Douglas and I admired the Main Prayer Hall from behind the glass doors since it was only open to Muslims. Directly outside the prayer hall was a station with an abundance of literature to provide information about the Islamic faith. The station was managed by a friendly elderly Islamic woman who spoke with us at great length about Islamic culture and practices. She was more than happy to answer all of our questions and encouraged us to inquire more.  

We did not stay for more than an hour, but being there was a beautiful experience. Although I am a proud Christian, there are pieces of different religions that I adore and have unconsciously adapted into my way of life. Our deepest beauty is not found from the mirror in which we view alone; it is found in the mirrors of all that is good around us.

Happily being fitted into my gown.

The clean atmosphere only added to the serenity of the mosque.

This display showed the Quran in many different languages, even Vietnamese.

Children's classrooms below

The Makam Pahlawan is the burial place for many Malaysian leaders and politicians.

Kuala Lumpur Bird Park

One of Malaysia’s most popular attractions and the world’s largest free-flight walk-in aviary: these were the words I read that sold me on adding this park to our itinerary. Anyone who knows me at all knows that I have a strong dislike and fear of birds. I absolutely hate seeing those things fly anywhere near me. I am convinced I must have been scarred from growing up in New York City – pigeon capital of the world! It’s already clear to see that this may be my most sarcastic entry yet. 

Yes, I knew that I was setting myself up for absolute failure. This park was a heart attack waiting to happen, but I knew Douglas would have a blast. His southern roots have not departed him, so he is always happy to do anything involving nature and the outdoors. And so the KL Bird Park made it on the list. We happened to go on a rainy day which only made my tolerance of free-flying birds that less tolerable. Despite the fact that this was the world’s largest free-flight walk-in aviary, I failed to realize that there would be actual birds flying around us until the day of our visit when some random bird almost smacked me with its wing. I’m pretty sure I spent most of my time there walking hunched over trying to stay as close to the ground as possible.

We saw so many birds that day I was sure to have nightmares that night. I’ll admit some were beautiful…from a distance. I was most attracted to the more colorful birds and my favorites were the ones covered in a light and deep blue. I don’t know their names though.

I clung to Douglas’ arm that day and not because I adore my husband. Whether he liked it or not he was there as my protector from any bird that flew in our path. It also worked in my favor that it was raining because I used my umbrella as a shield. Side note:  no normal person would share in my experience at the Bird Park. Therefore, do not let this entry discourage anyone seeking to fill their thrill of admiring an array of various birds. Back to my reality…We were not even thirty minutes into the park and I had already seen enough, but Douglas was like a little kid in there. You could see the amazement all over him. I pulled it together for his sake and his sake only.

As we neared the last turn in the park before making our way back to the entrance, we approached two very large peacocks standing directly in our path and blocking the only way out. As we were about to walk around them, I jumped and so did Douglas. Those birds were ready to attack each other! One snipped at the other and the other snipped back. They circled each other for minutes that seemed more like hours as we waited and prayed that the path would clear. Every few minutes one bird would flicker its wings as if it was going to jump on top of the other. This stare down was worse than any human one I’d ever seen. I was seriously afraid. And wouldn’t it be just our luck that there were no other tourists in sight! I felt like I was in a bad movie. Show me an exit please!

Douglas suggested several times for us to walk down a steep grassy hill to avoid crossing the birds’ path. I didn’t feel any better about walking down that hill than I did about the birds. That was a stumble and a tumble waiting to happen. I was not about to get to the bottom landing on my bottom! I was willing to wait it out for as long as it took or until a staff member came to break up the fight. That is what staff members are there for, right?

After several more minutes passed, I saw that we could go back and walk down another trail that would bypass the birds. We quickly made our way around. When we looked back, those birds were still facing off! Definitely not your average encounter while at a bird park…

The most exciting moment of our vacation had to be when we reached the exit. I was beyond ready to leave and glad to have checked that experience off my list. I can safely say that if another country decides that they want to open the world’s largest anything-having-to-do-with-birds, you can count me out!

This had to be one of the scariest birds we saw. It seemed to never move but always looked like it was about to.

Two owls.

So happy...

I think this flamingo was trying to catch a fish.

The ostrich was actually clapping its beak on the fence wire seemingly trying to escape. It was not successful.

This bird was one of my favorites, beautiful and very respectful of my personal space.

Douglas wanted me to take a picture with the bird. This is as close as that would get.

 

We saw the peacock at full plume for all the wrong reasons!

Let's go woman!