Kuala Lumpur City Gallery

On to something very recent.

Today I spent time attending a makeshift book stall in front of the Kuala Lumpur library besides the Merdeka Square. Nearby lies this building...

I have passed here many times but today I was prompted by a friend to check it out.

Admission is free, so why not?

As it turned out the place is a treasure trove to search for information about the city, history of its buildings and streets.

There are many intricate models of famous landmarks.

But what really caught my eye was a model of the KL skyline.

I learned that the gallery was opened a year ago while this part was only made accesible about a month ago. Have a look at the video below...

This is a model of Merdeka Square and its vicinity.

Then there's a hall for selling souvenirs mainly in the form of thin model carvings of well-known buildings.

Perak river from Kuala Kenas

Returning to places visited in my big bike solo trip done over a month ago. Continuing from Views from the Chinese graveyard in Papan.

Tuesday, 14th August 2012. After spending the night near Kuala Kangsar I left the royal town heading south taking the road to Manong. That's when I decided to check out the small village of Kuala Kenas. It lies close to the Perak river.

Seeing this jetty around I walked to take in the sights.

Here's a look dowriver.

A look across...

And a look upriver.

Kuala Lumpur from Kenanga Wholesale City

Continued from Pudu Jail in perspective from somewhere high.

In the article A visit to Pudu Jail I've said that I found out a way of getting into the now-defunct 100-plus-year-old jail while walking along Jalan Pudu. Actually that happened after I left a building called the Kenangan Wholesale City.

Later during the day I returned to the building and went to its highest floors.

That's when I found out I could get superb views of the city of Kuala Lumpur from here too.  As usual I try to take in the views by shifting angles slowly anti-clockwise...

Pudu Jail in perspective from somewhere high

Continued from 'Escape' from Pudu Jail.

Next I went up a tall building nearby.

From here one could catch a good look at the Kuala Lumpur city skyline.

One could also have a good look at Pudu Jail, the building with four wings forming some sort of elongated letter X...

Zooming in for better perspective.

Turning left, one could see a land clearing. That is from where I entered the Pudu Jail compound as shown in A visit to Pudu Jail.

  

From there I walked towards the meeting of two wings and found a staircase entering the closer wing.

Then I walked across the main corridor which is inside the centre part.

 I emerged out of the meeting point between these two wings and walked straight to the building on the right as shown in 'Escape' from Pudu Jail.

There, the escape route. Enough of the jail.

'Escape' from Pudu Jail

Continued from A visit to Pudu Jail.

Having spent some time inside the room painted with some sort of Arabic calligraphy I walked towards the end of the open corridor.

From the window I could see another wing of Pudu Jail.

Looking to the right is a staircase which should lead to the wing... I think.

But I don't have time to explore all the nooks and crannies here. I decided to take the staircase besides which leads down.

Time to go back to the open...

And back to civilisation.

As I walked  towards the main entrance (I came in from an opening in the rear, remember?) I could see remains of what could be the jail's recreational buildings and offices...

The main entrance. That's the point from where inmates, offenders and visitors had to enter. Properly, that is.

A look behind. This is the sight that should greet people if they came in from the right way.

Now, the main gates are chained and lock. But I do notice the small door which could be opened.

Ah. 'Escape' from Pudu Jail...

'Escape' from a more than a century-old establishment which I learned later was built on a Chinese burial ground, adding more to its haunted factor!

As I looked at the walls from outside memory of the 1980s when the walls were still fresh with sceneries of the serenity of jungle and beach painted by the inmates came to mind.

Well, goodbye Pudu Jail. After three decades or so looking at it from outside I finally got to see a bit what's inside. After this I will show pictures from places up high...