The Twin Towers of Asia

Note:  The information in this piece is a mix of research and personal experience.  I’ve been to the shopping mall at the Petronas Towers, but I didn’t get to go to the top of the towers. This was a practice piece that I wrote when I was asked to write a sample travel piece. 

A trip to Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is like hitting two birds with one stone—sightseeing and shopping. In 1998, it was the tallest structure in the world, but Taipei 101 surpassed it in 2004. In terms of twin towers though, it is the tallest one still. Petronas is short for Petroliam Nasional Berhad, which is the government-owned oil and gas company. A modern structure that rises above the city, it is a sight to behold.

Malaysians are very proud of these towers, but we Filipinos should also share in this feeling. Two Filipinos namely engineer Deejay Cerico with the consultancy of designer Dominic “Minick” Saibo were involved in the creation of this architectural masterpiece. They worked together with architect Cesar Pelli and another consultant J. C. Guinto. This team of experts carefully constructed this modern edifice. Laminated glass, which bounces off dangerous ultraviolet rays, covered the towers. Stainless steel wrapped around the towers for support, and this material allowed the buildings to glisten in the sun.

To see a beautiful view of Kuala Lumpur, you could go up 558 feet to the double-decker skybridge of the Petronas Towers. The skybridge runs through the 41st and 42nd floors of the buildings, but visitors can only access the 41st floor because businesses are at the other floor. The skybridge is open to the public, but there are only 1,000 tickets available per day, so as early as 8:30am people start lining up for tickets. When it was my turn to purchase tickets, I was asked if I wanted the trip to the skybridge (41st floor) or if I wanted to try the one that goes all the way up to level 86. I told them I wasn’t afraid of heights.

I didn’t go up the towers right away because I wanted to go there when it was almost sunset. To pass the time, I went shopping at Suria KLCC, the shopping mall of Petronas towers. I went to the Kinokuniya Bookstore and bought some books. I bought some nice t-shirts, souvenir trinkets, and some Malaysian chocolates for pasalubong. Fully satisfied with my purchases, I deposited what I bought in the car and decided to make my way to the entrance of the sightseeing lift.

When I arrived at the top, I had a few hours to take pictures of the city in full daylight. Then, I waited for the sun to set. The city was engulfed in darkness and was powered up with lights. It was like a light show from nature to modernity, and it was amazing.

For more travel posts, click on these links:

• My New York Vacation Schedules
• Snippets of New York
• The New York Subway Weirdo
• The New York Anaconda Hugger
• Aimless Walking Adventure: Quiapo, Philippines
• Aimless Walking Adventure: China Town, Philippines
• Aimless Walking Adventure: Muslim Town, Philippines
• Ja’s Solo Adventures: Angono, Rizal
• Postal Heritage Walking Tour: A Free Manila Tour
• The Mall Rats: The Lakwatsa, the Fashion, the Food
• The Golden Temple of Chiang Mai

Check out The REaD Hunter, an online bookstore that sells second-hand books through Facebook. We ship books all over Metro Manila and selected provinces in the Philippines. Orders made during the week are shipped every Saturday. We accept payment through MLhuillier and Gcash.

Check out my other blog categories.

Age of the Diary by Jasmine T. Cruz. If you like this post, please subscribe to this blog. Follow Ja on Twitter: ageofthediary. Email Ja at: ageofthediary@gmail.com. 

About these ads