DISCOVERING KUALA LUMPUR - PART IV

DISCOVERING KUALA LUMPUR – PART IV
By Doods A. Amora, PEE

In both ancient and modern times, man’s compulsion to touch the skies is manifested in the many shrines & monuments spreading out across Planet Earth today.

From the biblical Tower of Babel to New York’s Empire State Building, Chicago's Sears Tower, Kuala Lumpur’s PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS, lately Taiwan’s Taipei 101, and the future’s BURJ of Dubai; we are looking at all of them as the signatures of man's attempts at scaling the heavens.

And who can ever erase the memories of the World Trade Center Twin Towers, once the world’s long-reigning supreme edifices leveled down within minutes in the 911 attacks…?


SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2007:

At 9:00 o’clock in the morning, with hearts throbbing vigorously, we found ourselves in real face-to-face with Malaysia’s ultimate monuments, the PETRONAS TOWERS. Famed as the essence of the modern Malaysia, this is one big reason why I came. For a Kuala Lumpur visitor, it is mortal sin not to pay homage to this world icon.

THE MANY FACES OF THE PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS

1) Note the Bluish-Gray Color of the Towers

2) Note the Shades of Violet in the Towers at Dusk

At close range, in both engineering and design, the Petronas Towers succeeded at showcasing Malaysia's past and future, embracing the country's heritage while proclaiming to the world its modernization. The end-result is a monument that is not only Malaysian, but will forever be recognized with Kuala Lumpur.

“Satu Warisan, Satu Matlamat” - “One Legacy, One Destiny”, as the huge front signage says - lifting the fervors of what a nation should be!

3) The Towers in Stainless & Blue Colors

Judging on its might and magnitude, the towers appeared to be two giant sentinels guarding the gates of the entire land from harm. Hospitable to what’s good coming in, but hostile to threats to the homeland. Spiralling through the skies, the towers seem to act as the gateway to a proud present and a vision of an assuring future…

They are a people’s dignity indeed. So entrenched are these mirror sentries in the Malaysian psyche, that it is now unimaginable if the majestic presence of the Twin Towers weren't part of the Kuala Lumpur skyline. In other words, take out the Petronas Towers from the map and things in Malaysia will never be the same again.

Since 1998, they've become a national icon, its images keep popping up in the most likely and unlikely places - on the National Geographics TV programs or on the big screens of cinema houses to paper weights and home decors.


OUR DATE WITH A WORLD ICON

Converging at the Photo Plaza (as they call it), a spacious fountain-garden park fronting the towers, we were about a hundred souls of different colors and origins - Americans, British, Dutch, Germans, Egyptians, Indians, Greeks, Indonesians, Koreans, Chinese, Mid-Eastern people, other nationalities and of course us, Filipinos. Reminiscent to the Tower of Babel, we spoke diverse languages, even amongst us Filipinos; one group was speaking in Ilonggo, while another group in Ilocano. But with same wavelengths of pleasure, we spoke to be understood – all awed in utter admiration.

4) The Towers in Transformation from Blue to Gray

We stayed in the Photo Plaza until noontime – taking hundreds of pictures, in any angles. Under the scorching tropical heat in a cloudless sky, we braved our eyes into looking straight at the pinnacles of the twin buildings against the glaring background of the blinding sun.

Then we noticed the multi-hued magic of the towers as the sun and the clouds ushered changes in their tempers. Depending on the radiance of the skies as the clouds switched course, the Towers’ ambiance tauntingly varies from stainless steel to silver, from silver to blue, from blue to gray… from gray to black! It’s like a gaudy stage show gradually shifting moods in colors. And it’s not man-made script; it was but an enchantment from the heavens…

But this time, unlike Babel, wala kaming pakialaman sa isa’t isa, (unmindful to each other), we posed for picture-taking in whatever stances we could think of. As if superstars in a movie-film shooting, we frolicked within the fabulous fountains, laid down our backs on the concrete walkways just to have us framed within camera peep-screens with the towers visible up to the apex of these wonderments.

5) The Family with The Towers in Gray

Unabashed of our excitements, we never hid our glees as we attained personal glories to be with one of the man-made wonders in the world. As if a cue, other tourists mimicked what we did. Naughtily glancing and smiling at us, - they also danced with the fountains’ rhythm, laid on their backs to take full pictures of the towers and shouted at the top of their voices. Then, we shook hands with each other, as if we were long related friends united under the mantle of the Petronas Towers.

6) The “Movie Stars” Frolicking at the Fountains

But then I realized, it is not within my powers to conquer her. The 1.6 billion dollar 88-storey marvels each at 452 meters high (1,483 ft) meeked me to the lowest degree. No matter how I tried to imagine, even in my wildest dreams, the Petronas Monument would always be there – its magnificence transcending through the hearts and eyes to behold!

7) The Petronas Towers in Black

Gliding my thoughts back to my own country, the Philippines’ tallest building is the PBCOM Tower (Philippine Bank of Communications) completed in Y2000 & is located in Makati City. With 55 storeys at 258 meters (848 ft) high, PBCOM Tower is listed as today’s 93rd tallest skyscraper in the world. I imagined if the PBCOM Building were in Kuala Lumpur, it should have been the fourth tallest structure in Malaysia; 635 feet short of the Petronas pride.

At a glance, Kuala Lumpur's 10 tallest skyscrapers are the following:

1) PETRONAS TOWER I: 452 m (1,483 ft), 88 storeys, Y1998
2) PETRONAS TOWER II: 452 m (1,483 ft), 88 storeys, Y1998
3) MENARA KL TELEKOM TOWER: 310 m (1,017 ft, 55 storeys, Y2001
4) MENARA MAYBANK: 244 m (799) ft, 50 storeys, Y1988
5) EMPIRE TOWER: 238 m (781 ft), 62 storeys, Y1994
6) MENARA MAXIS: 212 m (696 ft), 49 storeys, Y1998
7) BAGUNAN AMFINANCE: 210 m (689 ft), 50 storeys, Y1998
8) BERJAYA TIME’s SQUARE: 203 m (666 ft), 48 storeys, Y2003
9) MENARA MUTI-PURPOSE: 198 m (650 ft), 40 storeys, Y1994
10) MAJU TOWER: 196 m (643 ft), 50 storeys, Y2002


WORLD’S TALLEST BUILDINGS

The Petronas Twin Towers were the world's tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004, measured from the level of the main entrance to the structural top - the height reference used by the US-based Council on Tall Buildings & Urban Habitat (CTBUH).

In 2004, Taiwan’s Taipei 101, measuring at 508 meters (1,667 ft) to the top of their structural components (spires included, but not antennas), took over the record. The Petronas Twin Towers however, remain the tallest twin-buildings in the world.

8) Taiwan’s TAIPEI 101 – Now the Tallest in the World

9) Burj Dubai, The Tallest in the World by 2008 - Dwarfing the Other Skyscrapers

But Taipei 101’s reign will be short and brief. By 2008, the Burj Dubai, said to have an ultimate height of 693 meters (2,275 ft) will be the tallest skyscraper in the world. Today, even at its unfinished state, Burj Dubai has already reached 585.7 meters at 141 storeys and has already surpassed Taipei 101, its developers say. There is speculation that, spire included, the final height could be more than 800 meters, as hinted by its owners but still are keeping structural details secret.

At the outset, it is worthwhile to have a look-see on today's top-ten significant skyscrapers in the world, as follows:

1) TAIPEI 101, Taipei, Taiwan: 508 m (1,667 ft), 101 Storeys, Y2004
2) PETRONAS TOWER 1, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: 452 m (1,483 ft), 88 Storeys, Y1998
3) PETRONAS TOWER 2, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: 452 m (1,483 ft), 88 Storeys, Y1998
4) SEARS TOWER, Chicago, USA: 442 m (1,451 ft), 110 Storeys, Y1974
5) JIN MAO BUILDING, Shanghai, China: 421 m (1,381 ft), 88 Storeys, Y1999
6) INTERNATIONAL FINANCE CENTRE, Hong Kong: 415 m (1,362 ft), 88 Storeys, Y2003
7) CITIC PLAZA, Guangzhou, China: 391 m (1,283 ft), 80 Storeys, Y1996
8) SHUN HING SQUARE, Shenzhen, China: 384 m (1,260 ft), 69 Storeys, Y1996
9) EMPIRE STATE BUILDING, New York, USA: 381 m (1,250 ft), 102 Storeys, Y1931
10) CENTRAL PLAZA, Hong Kong: 374 m (1,227 ft), 78 Storeys, Y1992


Note that eight of ten tallest skyscrapers today are sitting on Asian soils. As an Asian myself, I am proud of them.

But then, seen in different light; these again manifest modern man’s mimicry to Babel.


THE PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS IN FOCUS

"The Petronas Headquarters should be a building that would identifiably be Malaysian, and of world class standards that Malaysians could specially be proud of," said the Petronas Chairman at its conceptualization. Thus the designs of the Petronas headquarters not only had to fit the strict criteria of being uniquely Malaysian and aesthetically pleasing, they also had to be efficiently functional, with optimal maximization of space. As the designers recalled, “it was a tall order for many reasons, not the least being Malaysia has no home-grown architectural style that can be easily translated when designing a skyscraper”.

According to the designers, "the project was in a way a challenge of the century. Not only would it be the world's tallest towers as its owners envisioned at the time, but to have two of them side by side. The 88-floor towers were constructed largely of reinforced concrete, with a steel and glass facade designed to resemble motifs found in Islamic Art, a reflection of Malaysia's religion. Because of the depth of the bedrock, the buildings were built on the world's deepest foundations. The 120-meter foundations required massive amounts of concrete."

10) THE PETRONAS TOWER, this time in Stainless & Blue Colors

Completed in 1998, the Petronas Twin Towers are a striking glass-and-steel combination with floors based on an eight-pointed star. The Towers were designed to symbolize strength and grace using geometric principles typified in Islamic architecture. The buildings include a “curtain wall” of glass and stainless steel sun shades to diffuse the intense equatorial light; a double-decker elevator system with a sky lobby transfer point on the 41st floor to accommodate the thousands of people who use the complex daily. The towers are also joined at the 41st and 42nd floors (175 m above street level) by a special feature 192 ft-long (58.4 m) double-decker skybridge - linking the two sky lobbies and facilitating the movement between the two towers.

11) The Sky Bridge at 41st Floor – Connecting the Two Towers Together

The lack of steel and the huge cost of importing steel necessitated on the cheaper but radical design of super high-strength reinforced concrete. High-strength concrete is twice as effective as steel in sway reduction; however, it makes the building twice as heavy on its foundations as compared to steel building. Supported by 23-by-23 meter concrete cores and an outer ring of widely-spaced super columns, the towers use a sophisticated structural system that accommodates its slender profile and provides 1,300 to 2,000 square meters of column-free office space per floor.

But implementing the designs into reality was a different ballgame. In an unusual move, different construction companies were hired for each of the towers, and they were made to compete against each other. Eventually the builders of Tower 2, Samsung Constructions (the Construction Division of Samsung Corporation), won the race, despite starting a month behind Tower 1.

Tower 1, built by Hazama Corporation, ran into problems when they discovered the structure was 25 millimeters off from vertical.

12) Across the Petronas Towers id the MENARA MAYBANK at 244 m, 50 Storeys – The 4th Tallest Skyscraper in Malaysia

On the other hand, the shopping mall (Suria KLCC) beneath both towers was constructed by Alabama based Bill Harbert International.

Today, Tower 1 is fully occupied by the Petronas Company and a number of its subsidiary companies. Tower 2 is being occupied by PETRONAS' associate or affiliate companies and other world renowned multinational companies.

13) Doods & Mimi in a "Dramatic Dialogue" at The Photo Plaza

THE “WHICH IS TALLER” CONTROVERSY

It is worthwhile to mention that in 1974, Chicago’s SEARS Tower dislodged out New York’s World Trade Center Towers in height supremacy although each were constructed with 110 occupied floors. Then in 1998, the PETRONAS Towers only at 88 occupied floors (22 storeys less than the Sears Tower) grabbed the honors as the Tallest Buildings in the World. Note the SEARS Tower and the World Trade Center’s roofs and highest occupied floors substantially exceed the height of the roof and highest floors of the Petronas Twin Towers. The Sears Tower’s antenna on top of the buildng is about 250 feet (76 meters) taller than the Petronas Twin Towers’ spires. Needless to say, this triggered the height controversy.

14) THE PETRONAS TOWERS AT NIGHT

However, in accordance to Council on Tall Buildings & Urban Habitat (CTBUH) regulations and guidelines, the antennas of the Sears Tower were not counted as part of its architectural features. On the other hand, spires are considered integral parts of the design of buildings, to which changes would substantially change the appearance and structure of the building, whereas antennas may be added or removed without such consequences.

The Petronas Towers hence, surpassed the roof of the Sears Tower by 10 meters.

15) Inside the Six-Storey K L City Centre – A First Class Shopping Mall within the Petronas Tower Complex

THE SURIA KLCC

Having touched and embraced the pillars of the Petronas’ pride, it was now time for us to explore the SURIA KUALA LUMPUR CITY CENTER (SURIA KLCC), a six - storey open-to-the-public world-class shopping mall which is a part of the Petronas Tower Complex.

The SURIA KLCC is a first class shopping arcade & mall, with complementing restaurants and a science museum. It is also the home of the famous Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.

16) Another Shot at Kuala Lumpur City Centre Shopping Mall within the Petronas Tower Complex

Being the most modern Shopping Mall in the country, shopping is expensive in the Suria KLCC. All the top brands of electronics, shoes, gems & jewelry, wardrobes, suits, and clothing are there – all high class, no second class. Feeling our pockets threatened I recalled James Bond’s movie theme song “For Your Eyes Only”. We decided to take our lunch in one of the restaurants while shopping would later be done somewhere else.

But then, the Mall itself offers a legendary lagoon with dancing fountains multi-colored during the night time. After the lunch break, we promenaded the park and again, the picture-taking resumed.

17) The Famed Lagoon at the Back of Kuala Lumpur City Centre

At 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon, we roamed around Kuala Lumpur in search of more sights to capture. The Monorail Transport System (said to be Malaysian made), the locally crafted Proton cars which filled 90% of KL’s streets, the high rise buildings, the parks and the people were all ingredients of the fundamental taste but contemporary Malaysian.

18 & 19) Another Shots at the Fabulous Lagoon Located at the Back of Kuala Lumpur City Centre

Then we found Sungei Wang and the other inter-connected malls where we shopped to our delight. In a nearby Lu Yat Mall, it was there that I bought a new laptop for my wife and a professional digital camera at very reasonable price at PhP 15,000 to PhP 20,000 less compared to if purchased in the shopping malls of Cebu City, Philippines.

20 & 21) Typical High-Rise Buildings of Kuala Lumpur

22 & 23) Another Shots at the Typical High-Rise Buildings of Kuala Lumpur

24) The Monorail Transport System of Kuala Lumpur

25) Typical City Street of Kuala Lumpur

All exhausted at 8:00 PM, we need to be back to the hotel. Kitty had to prepare herself for a 1:00 AM rendezvous with the rest of the 14-man crew of the Airbus 330 that will bring them back in a flight to Doha, Qatar.

The next day after, it would be our turn to fly back to Cebu.

(To be continued…)

DISCOVERING KUALA LUMPUR - PART III

DISCOVERING KUALA LUMPUR – PART III

By Doods A. Amora, PEE

THE MORNING AFTER (Friday, Oct 26, 2007)

A clear beautiful Friday morning finally came and we were all ready for the day. We were joined by Noralyn, a Filipina from Manila who was once a TV commercial model and Sharmaine, a beauty from Sri Lanka. Like my daughter Kitty, Noralyn and Sharmaine are now functioning as Cabin Crew of Qatar Airways.

Kitty then announced that she would be treating us to a surprise respite in a cool breezy place called Genting Highlands.

“Highlands…? You mean, bukid, bundok?” I asked because opposite to my intentions, my own map was to go direct to the Petronas Towers and conquer her. But this time it’s not for me to complain. Kitty was the ‘secretary-general’ pre-arranging our itinerary and the ‘finance officer’ paying for the bills in this trip. Besides, the trip package & tickets had already been purchased the day ahead.

(From Left to Right): Sharmaine, Kitty, and Noralyn)

We were seven then, so we needed two teksi’s to bring us to the Central Station.

We hurried as we needed to catch the 9:30 morning bus to the highlands; otherwise, the trip would be ruined. But a second taxi was difficult to find in such peak traffic hours in a financial district, so the four of us, puro bagong salta, went ahead.

The taxi driver, sensing that we were first-timer tourists and knowing that there’s a bus to catch, pulled out his bag of tricks. Acting as a tourist guide, he gave details on what we saw along the way, what the landmarks are all about and the important edifices & personalities in Malaysia.

We realized he did not flag down the meter and when prompted, he said, “Walang problema”, nag Tagalog, pa! When we reached the Central Station, he concluded for RM20 (a favorite figure among taxi drivers in KL). A brief debate ensued but we gave in, anyway. It was not good for our health and the bus on schedule was already beckoning us. The bus, this time was more important than the taxi driver.

Charge to experience… this will never happen again, we promised. Later, we were advised that before taking a free-lance taxi, it should be made clear whether flag-down or un-metered. Para bagang sa Manila, e, “contrata”?


THE BUS RIDE TO THE MOUNTAINS

Starting off from the KL Sentral Station (KLSS), an air-conditioned 44-seater Luxury Coach brought us up to so-called Skyway Station in the mountains of Gohtong Jaya, some 60 kilometers away from the city. We understood that from the Skyway Station, we needed another ride, this time on a Cable Car to reach “Genting Highlands – the City of Entertainment”, our destination for the day.

Malaysian Hi-way Going to the Mountains: Note the Terraces-like Hillsides

The forty-minute all-climb bus ride was a total comfort - no sweat. With no sleep in the previous day, I was tempted to invoke dreamland but not so with the sceneries I feasted along the way.

The Highway: Again, one of the first things I noticed was the road network. On a clear day, I had much better views on them and to think that we were climbing up the mountains, I anticipated the technology of the urbanities to be waning, as we would go deeper into the countryside.

Another Sample of the Malaysian Hi-way Going to the Mountains

But I was wrong. While spreeing up to the mountains, I saw the same quality roads uniformly in asphalt gray until we reached the Gohtong Jaya Skyway Station.

Still bump-less, flawless… and the hillsides ripped-rapped with concrete complete with water flow control to prevent landslides, very much similar to what I found in the outskirts of Hong Kong.

The Typical Malaysian Hi-way

But in Kuala Lumpur, they made it like rice terraces. And they made staircase-like concrete waterways right on the natural concentrated route of sliding waters, in effect as I imagined, making waters from the hills seem to look like miniature cascading waterfalls down to the open storm drain at the sides of the road. And there were several hundreds of them, I thought.

Then the forest…: In Kuala Lumpur, motoring to an authentic forest only takes 10 minutes. In fact, within the urban Kuala Lumpur itself, real centuries-old forests can be found within the city. The Malaysians must have preserved them as integral parks in the metropolis and I realized how high their esteem towards Mother Nature is. Something like harmoniously blending mother earth with man-made frailties, so to speak.

Malaysian Hi-way Going to the Mountains. Note the Real Centuries-Old Forest Being Preserved.

And flower garden parks too, beautiful tropical flowers along the way…, embellishing the sides of the roads.

Look at The Flower Parks at the Sides of the Roads… Pleasantly Amazing!

The Power Grid Towers: As we climbed the hills, so with the high voltage towers at both sides of the highway. Striking was that, while in the Philippines we have single or double circuit lines on the towers, what I saw in Kuala Lumpur were two-double circuit (4–circuits) transmission systems side by side with another set of transmission lines in separate towers. Malaysia has 132, 275 and 500 kilo-volt transmission systems criss-crossing the countryside. As I learned later, the 500kV transmission system is the single largest transmission system to be ever developed in Malaysia. Valued at RM1.6 billion (PhP 20 billion), the system forms the new backbone of the National Grid.

Gardens at the Sides of the Roads…

As a sidelight, the increasing demand of power in Malaysia had been forecast at 7.8% per year and is expected to reach 20,087 MW in 2010 (compared to the Philippines’ 15,350 MW by 2010).

Malaysia is set to expand the country’s generating capacity to 27,111 MW by 2010 (that is to include the Sabah Territory), from the recent 20,244 MW (compared to the Philippines’ recent of only 12,910 MW). Malaysia’s power generation in 2004 reached 78.24 billion kW-hr while in comparison, only 56.57 billion kW-hr for the Philippines.

The Two-Double Circuit Transmission Tower

Considering the population of Malaysia at only 24.8 million as against the Philippines’ 91.5 million in land areas of almost the same, power demand in the Philippines could have been much greater than Malaysia should the population consumption alone be made as basis. The large discrepancy in power generation could thus be attributed to the much greater per capita power consumption (indicative of the economic well-being of the common citizen) and the industries in Malaysia which must be in much staggering proportions compared to the Philippines.

Typical Malaysian Transmission System

Malaysia’s Power Grid today is interconnected with Singapore Power at a capacity of 200 MW through 230 kV submarine cables and 80 MW capacity at 132 kV with Thailand’s Electricity Generation Authority (EGAT) transmission network. A second interconnection with Thailand at 300 kV DC, 300 MW capacity is now said under way to completion.

Distribution lines are of 36 kV, 22 kV, 11kv, 6.9 kV and 415/240 volt in the Malaysia distribution network.

That’s for the engineers to think of.


A SKYHIGH EXPERIENCE

Anyway, after forty minutes of uphill ride, we finally arrived at the Skyway Station. Linking from its Main Station to Highlands Hotel, the Genting Skyway Cable Car System offers a very convenient and high tech, super smooth ride up to the resort city at the mountain peak.

Then I remembered the cable cars in Tagaytay Highlands.

What would it be like in Genting? As the hype flies, “the Genting Skyway does not only enhance the international fame of Genting Highlands Resort but also places Malaysia as a famous location for one of the most modern cable car system, making Genting Highlands Resort a more attractive holiday destination”.

Scaling the Heights on the Cable Car: Note on the Untouched Forests & the Angles of Descents & Ascents

When we rode on the thrilling Genting Skyway cable car, scaling the steep heights made our senses come alive! The loftiness was ten or twenty times than that of Tagaytay Highlands and the angle of ascent to the hills - 30 degrees, 40 degrees sometimes 45 degrees, or even more! And the distance traveled was 3.5 kilometers!

No wonder why it has been said that the Skyway is a tourist attraction in its own right. In a journey back to nature, this ‘Skyway’ provides incredible breathtaking views of the 100 million years untouched rainforest up and below our eyes. The ride to the peak treated us the spectacle of the lush surrounding mountains at a comfortable speed that got us to the top in perfect moods.

The Eight-Seater Gondola

Officially opened a decade ago in 1997, the RM128 million (PhP 1.6 billion) Genting Skyway had become the busiest skyway in the world with a capacity to ferry 2,000 people per hour each way with 8 passengers per gondola. “At the maximum speed of 360 meters per minute, the 3.5 kilometers journey up the mountain peak takes only 12 minutes. Recognized as the “World’s Fastest Mono Cable Car System” and the “Longest Cable Car in Southeast Asia”, lately, some 22 million passengers have since experienced a ride on this state-of-the-art cable car”, the literature reads.

The LEITNER Cable Car System

“State-of-the art… huh?” I asked loudly enough to be heard by the seven of us in the gondola. Being a maintenance manager & lecturer myself, I speculated (forgive me) how maintenance is operating in this system and how skillful the technicians are. “What if this thing trips off and we are here, up in the air, helpless? How would they rescue us? And there are thousands of us hanging in the air. How soon should our time come?” Everybody then kept their mouths shut. I felt guilty & responsible; I sensed Noralyn closing her lovely eyes and started uttering some prayers.

The Landing at Genting City Station: Note of the Angle of Approach

THE CABLE CAR SYSTEM

While busy feasting on new things, I took time in looking for a nameplate. I found one that says, “Leitner”. It must have been Swiss made. Of course, remember the Alps - the Swiss engineers must have been the trusted experts for this kind of technology. Subsequent research on the technical aspects of this wonder, finds me the following:

My daughter Kitty; and my two 'Adopted Daughters': Noralyn & Sharmaine… on the Gondola

Manufactured by Leitner of Switzerland, the two - 850 horsepower main drives and the 2.15 inch cable wire made it one of the most powerful and strongest mono-cable gondola installations in the world. The entire system with high-tech electronic equipment was built in accordance with stringent Swiss regulations & standards and it has a double safety circuit completely independent and absolutely fault safe.

Ah, nothing to worry…

The 100 Million Years Old Untouched Woodlands

According to its technical bulletin, “the foundation used for the pylons is of the "Hang-Dug Caisson" type. Each pylon is founded on four Caissons measuring 1.2 meters in diameter, which are socketed down to the bedrocks. The average depth of the Caissons is about 40 m (135 feet) and each group of four Caissons piles can take a vertical load of 4,000 tons against the maximum vertical load of 150 tons from the cable car system. The Caissons method is about the safest and strongest foundation in existence, designed specifically for hilly terrain. Each pylon is accessible via rescue tracks on the ground, while each gondola is equipped with radio communication equipment from the stations.”

A Partial Glimpse of the Genting Highlands Outdoor Theme Park, Malaysia’s Premier Resort

THE GENTING HIGHLANDS

Then we set foot at the “Genting Highlands or The City of Entertainment”, the magnificent city on the mountaintop is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Malaysia.

On top of Titiwangsa Mountain Range in the border between the states of Pahang and Selangor; Genting is a mountain peak and is home to the famous mountain resort by the same name. Genting Highlands Resort offers the bountiful harvest of nature together with a surprising potpourri of international standard facilities.

Another Partial Glimpse of the Genting
Highlands Outdoor Theme Park.

Sprawling at an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level (500 meters higher than Baguio City, and 950 meters short of Mt. Apo of the Philippines), Genting Highlands enjoys a cool climate, with temperatures generally staying in the 14-25 deg C range yearly. The crisp invigorating mountain atmosphere complemented by majestic scenery satiates one’s souls & eyes. Lush green tropical rainforest shrouded in a veil of perpetual mist, fog and clouds makes it hard to believe that we were just minutes away from the sweltering equatorial heat of the city. On a clear day, there are stunning views down into the valley — but when it's raining, Genting City would be swathed in rolling clouds and visibility dropping to zero.

That’s me and my Wife, in the Genting Highlands Outdoor Theme Park

The Flying Coaster Ride – the First in Asia

To my observation, there are only two kinds of people in Genting Highlands – the tourists and the Genting employees. Genting Highlands was founded in the 1960’s by Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, one of the richest men in Asia who at 93 just passed away three days before we came to Kuala Lumpur. Genting Group of Companies employ over 36,000 globally and have 11,000 acres (44 square kilometers) of prime resort land and 175,000 acres (708 square kilometers) of land for plantation. The group combined market capitalization is US $11 billion. Wow!

My Family in the Roller Coaster Ride

The resort includes two theme parks (the outdoor & the indoor), both with dozens of amusement rides and attractions suitable for the entire family - making it a blend of the charms of Disneyland and the thrills of Las Vegas. Other facilities in this resort include Hotels, Shopping Malls, Sky Diving Simulator, Space Shot, Corkscrew, Snow World, Concert Halls, Equestrian Facilities, a challenging 18-Hole, Par-71 Golf Course and many more. It is also home to a 100-million-year-old forest that one can see on its surroundings.

That’s Me, my Wife and my Son Boboy

Genting is Malaysia's family-friendly, sanitized attempt at Las Vegas, as it is the only legal land-based casino in the country. Genting Highlands Resort also features many hotels owned by Genting Group of Companies including Genting Highlands Hotel, Resort Hotel, First World Hotel, Theme Park Hotel and Awana Genting. Except Awana, all hotels in Genting are connected by sheltered walkways and escalators, so we never actually need to go outside. The entire complex is, theoretically, wheelchair accessible.

That’s the Group in Awe – Witnessing the Space Shot!!!!

There used to be band concerts scheduled during the nights, and the mainstays usually are Filipino performers. But Beer Drinking as a nightlife in Genting is very limited. There were a few bars in the entire complex, but expect to pay north of RM20 (PhP 240) for a single drink. Even the convenience stores are charging RM12 (PhP 144) for a single can of beer! There are several cafes such as Starbucks Coffee and Coffee Beans & Tea Leaf available in Genting Highlands.

Better drink the coffee to the brink, they cost much less than the beer!


THE GENTING CITY HOTELS

With 10,000 hotel rooms to choose from, there are usually plenty of beds at Genting.

The Thrill in the Spinner…!

First World Hotel: This two tower three-star monolith with stylish exterior paint used to be the largest in the entire world, with 6,118 rooms. The main selling point of this hotel is the price: while tagged rate is RM240 during peak seasons of November and December, advance booking weekday off-season promotions go for as little as RM20.

The Most Challenging Ride, The Flying Coaster: The first in Asia that Hurls Oneself Through the Air at Zero Gravity…

First World Hotel surpassed MGM LAS VEGAS, the former largest hotel in the world with 5,690 rooms. However, as of December of 2006, when the MGM Grand opened a number of new rooms in its Signature towers, the First World Hotel lost the title as MGM Las Vegas grabbed it again.

First World Plaza inside the First World Hotel is Malaysia's self-proclaimed highest shopping mall. The Plaza is a mix of indoor theme park and shopping malls with replicas of random landmarks from around the world.

Inside The First World Plaza Indoor Theme Park

Genting Hotel: This 5-star hotel offers a wide range of entertainment and recreational facilities such as heated indoor swimming pool, 10 restaurants (including the award-winning The Olive), and a large karaoke center. This exclusive hotel is open only to invited high rollers and Genting WorldCard Silver cardholders and their invited guests, similar to Tagaytay Highlands’ VIP cards.

The Resort Hotel: That’s Where We Took Our Lunch…!

Resort Hotel: Resort Hotel is a four-star hotel adjacent to the Genting Hotel with its own section of the Casino and three F&B outlets.

Then there’s the ‘Theme Park Hotel’, a French-themed castle-village-hotel notionally modeled on the 16th-century village of Colmar in Alsace, France, complete with drawbridge. It ranks as a 3 star hotel, with affordable yet comfortable rooms.

The Lobby of the 5-Star Resort Hotel

THE WAY BACK TO GOHTONG JAYA

Exhausted from sight seeing, dining, shopping, wandering kilometers around and a dozen rides; it’s now time to go back to the city.

Already in late afternoon, the sun seemed to shy away ahead and must have retired early such that the clouds, the mist and fog took over. As the showers fell, visibility was almost zero! We could no longer see what’s below and above us.

The French – Inspired Theme Park Hotel

Of course the gondola ride downstream via the Skyway was supposed to be very smooth as expected. Fine…

But then halfway, the cable car system tripped off! The sudden stop made the gondola swinging freely and to think that we were over hundreds of meters from the floor of the valley below us. Then, everybody in the gondola must have recalled my comments earlier in the day.

The USA inside the First World Plaza…

“No problem my dear ladies, drive motors do trip, it’s always normal in operations like this.” In a reassuring tone, I meant it, no more, no less. It could be part of the thrill. And the cable car started again. Somebody must have reset the controls. From the feel of it, the drive must have been a variable frequency one. Fine…

But then, it tripped again, Four times more! Ha!

I noticed my wife clinging to a bar of the gondola, least of breaking it, and close to emitting tears while praying. And, Noralyn, yes, more silent but more purposive… Haha! I needed to be perceived as unconcerned, at least.

The First World Hotel in Two Imposing Monoliths:
Once the Largest Hotel in the World…!

Then at last, we arrived back to the Gohtong Jaya station. To our relief, everything’s well, that ends well. Somebody out there must have jumpered a relay contact.

Riding on the bus back to Kuala Lumpur made me ponder again, Malaysia, Truly Asia, a destination indeed.

Back to the hotel, I found myself drained and dead-tired. Before I knew it, faster than Muhammad Ali’s jab, I fell asleep before my back touched my bed…

But then, PETRONAS, tomorrow I’ll conquer your splendor, I dreamed…



Bitin? Abangan ang susunod na kabanata…

(To be continued…)