After 3 days in Cameron Highlands it was time to head down south to Kuala Lumpur (KL). Kuala Lumpur has its origins in the 1850s, when the Malay Chief of Klang sent some Chinese upriver to what is now KL, to open new and larger tin mines and since then had become to be the federal capital of Malaysia. As we arive along one of many modern highways that crisis cross and encircle KL, we are presented with a skyline of a modern day cosmopolitan city ( small in international standards, pop only 1,8 million) that has left history of tin mining well behind (image 1).Malaysia prosperity has been helped by having the oil in its territorial waters off south China sea that produce some 750,000 barrels/day (Oil - exports: 230,200 bbl/day (2003)). But more importantly having leaders with vision to push the country forward with long term goals and no one has been more influential (in my opinion) than Dr. Mahathir who served as the president of Malaysia for 21 years from 1981. And over a short period of time Malaysia has transformed from a producer of raw materials into an emerging multi-sector economy, growth was almost exclusively driven by exports - particularly of electronics.

It was also time to meet up with few friendly local bike mads, Arie, Chang, Fino and Chong, (2 TDM and a VFR) who invited us for great dinner at the local Chinese. Unfortunately Arie (blue TDM) has had a little spill in Southern Thailand and is recovering to get back on the bike.The imported bikes are heavily taxed over here, 120% but there are few big bikes around in KL. But the majority of the bikes are the locally produced/assembled (sub 135cc) Honda, Yamaha & Modenas (Malaysian manufacture)