|
Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur - From 2006/07 Travel Blog
Every journey hits the gutter sooner or later and we found the gutter on
a visit to Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur's seedy and rather down market red
light district.
The area is home to a rabbit warren of food and fruit
stalls, cheap clothing vendors, and loud shopping centres and bazaars
blaring music as sleazy looking local chaps wander around the streets.
Our local guide for the evening drove us to Chow Kit in a four wheel
drive vehicle (though Chow Kit has its own monorail station) so the
first challenge was scouring every poky alley in search of a parking
spot. It took quite some time but eventually a tiny opening appeared.
That achieved, we explored the stalls and had some fresh fruit
juice before going down to check out the back street where all the action is.
Chow Kit ain't Manila or Bangkok. I dare say the nightlife is better in
Baghdad than here. Dark run down streets populated by possibly the
world's ugliest transvestites and the occasional aging woman dressed in
a sari, all lurking about doorways and calling out sweet nothings.
Testament to the probable repression these people face, the mere sign of a camera is enough to send the "ladies" ducking into dark doorways to hide.
After
a five minute walk around this somewhat pathetic area we headed off, we
had seen the gutter and it wasn't worth seeing.
Back on the main street, the scene was far livelier and there are food stalls, Department stores with outdoor bargains to rummage through, and plenty of neon and local stores. In contrast to the dismal nightlife nearby, the main commercial strip of CHow Kit makes for an entertaining walk.
Chow Kit is also a good spot to savour a little local flavor - the food is good with plenty of genuine Malay and Indian fare on offer, the prices are low and the restaurants are pretty basic. If you are tired of the modern high rise face of KL, Chow Kit is well worth visiting.
Just don't come for the ladies dressed as men !
More Articles from this blog
|
HOTEL RESERVATIONS 
