One day in Kuala Lumpur
Our plane arrived early morning, and we were treated to a stunning sunrise painting the sky with flames. After bathroom, customs, tropical clothes and bag storage, we started with white coffee, soft boiled eggs, and Kaya toast in the airport to tide us over until the next meal. We caught a train from the terminal to the city-- step by local standards but rapid, direct and low-fuss. the countryside was green and lush, and the palm oil plantations eventually gave way to massive apartment buildings like a softer and less chaotic version of Bangkok. we walked 2 Petaling Street in Chinatown, wandering through the mostly slumbering night market until we located our first ‘real meal’ of Hainanese chicken rice and more sugary coffee.
We walked the streets further. I was fascinated to see things, ask questions, and hear Jesper’s stories. Already by 10 a.m. my feet (soft from winter) were sore and swollen. we meandered through a tourist area (also mostly slumbering) getting a sense of different neighborhoods and cuisines. We continued on to an upscale shopping area which would have been at home in Bangkok, observing people and attire all familiar from other Southeast Asian cities but presented here in a different mix. The Monorail followed by a train took us from Golden Triangle to Kampung Baru, a Malay Village within the city in sight of Petronas Towers.
More wandering through this area delivered us to an amazing/ordinary local buffet where we ate like kings for $3.50. I nearly had to be rolled out!
We walked to the Petronas Towers which had a mechanistic deco appeal that doesn't really come across in photos. Because it is Southeast Asia they also had a mall at the base. given that we wanted place to be outside of the heat, we wandered around inside for a bit and visited both its art gallery and a book shop. In pursuit of beer and a place to simply chill (preferably with our feet up) we returned to the tourist area found an appealing and empty Bohemian bar and chilled with a couple of pints. Sometime before 5 we headed to the dining street we had passed through in the morning and considered the array of options. We eventually settled on a place that served frog porridge. Our non-porridge frog was delicious and eye-wateringly spicy. Jesper had a calamansi lime and sour plum drink that was unusual and refreshing; I ordered beer to manage the spice. time and conversation rolled on.
my mental timeline was that our flight was it 10 p.m. I was wrong. Jesper hustled us out and in search of transit that didn't quite pan out. We covered the 3 km back to the train on foot, starting to get nervous. we waited for the at train KL Sentral, road 30 minutes in increasing agitation, grabbed stored luggage and hurried to departures. Fretted through very slow immigration line and took off at a run around the time that our flight was supposed to close its doors. Slapping along in my flat sandals, feeling my swollen feet throb with every leap. We hit security screening some distance along. Jesper was ahead of me, told me to leave my bag and run to the gate. I arrived, wheezing and sweating, to find that they were still boarding! Another guy pounded up 25 seconds behind me and we shared a knowing chuckle. Then Jesper, puffed from running with both of our bags.
It was all ok, but it took a long time to shake off the adrenaline and my sense of guilt that it was somehow my fault. We agreed that we never wanted to do that again!
We walked the streets further. I was fascinated to see things, ask questions, and hear Jesper’s stories. Already by 10 a.m. my feet (soft from winter) were sore and swollen. we meandered through a tourist area (also mostly slumbering) getting a sense of different neighborhoods and cuisines. We continued on to an upscale shopping area which would have been at home in Bangkok, observing people and attire all familiar from other Southeast Asian cities but presented here in a different mix. The Monorail followed by a train took us from Golden Triangle to Kampung Baru, a Malay Village within the city in sight of Petronas Towers.
More wandering through this area delivered us to an amazing/ordinary local buffet where we ate like kings for $3.50. I nearly had to be rolled out!
We walked to the Petronas Towers which had a mechanistic deco appeal that doesn't really come across in photos. Because it is Southeast Asia they also had a mall at the base. given that we wanted place to be outside of the heat, we wandered around inside for a bit and visited both its art gallery and a book shop. In pursuit of beer and a place to simply chill (preferably with our feet up) we returned to the tourist area found an appealing and empty Bohemian bar and chilled with a couple of pints. Sometime before 5 we headed to the dining street we had passed through in the morning and considered the array of options. We eventually settled on a place that served frog porridge. Our non-porridge frog was delicious and eye-wateringly spicy. Jesper had a calamansi lime and sour plum drink that was unusual and refreshing; I ordered beer to manage the spice. time and conversation rolled on.
my mental timeline was that our flight was it 10 p.m. I was wrong. Jesper hustled us out and in search of transit that didn't quite pan out. We covered the 3 km back to the train on foot, starting to get nervous. we waited for the at train KL Sentral, road 30 minutes in increasing agitation, grabbed stored luggage and hurried to departures. Fretted through very slow immigration line and took off at a run around the time that our flight was supposed to close its doors. Slapping along in my flat sandals, feeling my swollen feet throb with every leap. We hit security screening some distance along. Jesper was ahead of me, told me to leave my bag and run to the gate. I arrived, wheezing and sweating, to find that they were still boarding! Another guy pounded up 25 seconds behind me and we shared a knowing chuckle. Then Jesper, puffed from running with both of our bags.
It was all ok, but it took a long time to shake off the adrenaline and my sense of guilt that it was somehow my fault. We agreed that we never wanted to do that again!