Skip to main content

Return to KL

Remember how terrified I was a few days ago of flying through storms that never eventuated. Well today I started confidently on the slightly longer flight back from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur and...

We checked out early and without breakfast, catching the MRT all the way from Tanjong Pagar to Changi Airport with a change at Tanah Meras. We bought a half cake of cranberry kuih lapis from Bengawan Solo then went straight through immigration and to the gate with only a short stop to pick up a sushi and kaya toast breakfast each for Alex and B.

Due to congestion at Changi and on the busy Singapore to Kuala Lumpur route our flight was somewhat delayedbut we took off into bright skies with only a few minor bumps.


We had actually passed over the top of KLIA with only small scattered clouds when our descent took us into some much bigger tropical puffballs. The young girls behind us screamed as we rose and descended in quick fashion as we passed through each cloud. My nightmare had come true.

It was with great relief that we descended below the clouds and on to KLIA2's new runway. It was a long taxi under the bridge of the new terminal. There were even speed humps, or at least ground turbulence.


Another long walk back to immigration at this somewhat disappointing new structure, then on to the train to KL.

Our hotel, the Hilton, is adjacent to the airport train's terminus at Sentral Station. We chose it for its convenience and swimming pool. Had we known that we would be here an extra day then we would probably rather have returned to the Parkroyal, where there is more food nearby.

By now we were starving so we caught a late running KTM train to Mid Valley Mall. Despite the newness of the train mainy windows showed signs of objects smashing into the from the outside.


At Mid Valley are a few branches of restaurants we like, such as Ipoh Chicken Rice and Original Penang Kayu, where we at some roti canai.

When we returned to the hotel Mother-in-law and friend had arrived and were resting in their room. B, Alex and I went down to swim in the pool, which has a waterslide and waterfall.

Then we crammed into a taxi to Pudu's Wai Sek Kai, or food street. Little food stalls sold a variety of dishes. We ordered char kuey teoh with salted egg, rojak, egg custard and others. The best thing about it was the atmosphere. Malaysian food needs to be bought from a tiny stall and eaten out in the open.


Alex was tired, so afterwards we piled into another taxi and returned back to the hotel for a big bath, complete with a mini television!

Goodnight!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

IKEA Museum

We have a packed itinerary today. Flat packed and assembled with an Allen key. There are patches of snow on the ground that weren't there the previous evening. We are a bit sad to leave the Duxiana after the comfy beds and the breakfast of cold cuts, fruits and hot waffles. I tried the Swedish caviar on my boiled egg. It was... Interesting. I was very disappointed to realise that, after talking it up for months, I had forgotten the Disgusting Foods Museum in Malmö yesterday. Too late now. We catch another Oresundstag train, for a bit over an hour. Past yesterday's Lund, past increasingly white fields and towns to Älmhult, home of IKEA. The conductor warns us that the train will split in two so we have to move carriages forward. Unfortunately, there we no spare sets of chairs for all of us. The IKEA Museum showcases the history of the furniture company, along with temporary exhibitions. One of these was "Hacking IKEA," about using IKEA ob...

Asagaya and heading home

How can I be happy? I am about to return to a country where the toilets have at most two buttons and no seat warmers. But the tickets are booked and there are no cyclones, typhoons or other disasters standing in our way. It's almost time to go back to my first home. First B wants to do some "local shopping". So we catch the Chuo Line up a few stations to Asagaya, a residential area with a number of Shotengai, covered and uncovered arcades leading away from the station and narrow alleys lined with bars. It is an interesting area for a wander around. We are mainly looking, do some shopping for toothbrushes and sweets from Seiyu, a Wal-Mart owned supermarket/minor department store. We skipped breakfast and lunch is ramen and gyoza at a small restaurant near the entrance to the Pearl Centre shotengai. With the help of a staff member, I manage to purchase tickets at a branch of Lawson to the Ghibli Museum for a friend travelling to Japan in May. There are some...