Thought-process

The Air India flight took off from the IGI airport, New Delhi at 1.40 pm. Before our departure, we had a delicious meal at Carnatic Café which comprised Bene Khali, Filter coffee and Pink guava Jatra ice cream. We landed at Kuala Lumpur airport at 9.25 pm (Malaysia time), got into the metro at T1 and arrived at T2 where we waited for our baggage which came in last, as usual. Our cab was waiting and it took us 50 min to reach Shangri-la, the hotel we were staying in . On our way we saw the resplendent Petronas towers and the Menara shining against the night sky. In the room, we ordered a light dinner and crashed for the night.

We were done with breakfast by 9.30 am and then took off for the KL Eco park which was a 20-minute walk. The road steadily climbed up and we did get breathless. On our way, we passed the Menara which is located in the park. Once we purchased the entry tickets, we walked into a forest with several trails running through it. We could hear a lot of birds and insects. After exploring the canopy walk which took us all over the eco park, we sat at a tiny shop and gladly had very cold lemonade. In one section we saw a large number of langurs swinging away. While returning, we picked up food from a 7- Eleven store close to the hotel. After much need food and rest, Tathagat left for his meetings on Haematology. I rested.

In the evening we set out for Bukit Bintang, the commercial hub. It was a 25-minute walk from the hotel. The area was quite crowded with a lot of malls, shops and office buildings. One of the malls was the Pavilion and this was a huge mall with a majestic dome and right under the dome we had coffee at Dome, the cafe. Walking around the mall took us through all kinds of international brands. While returning, the lights came on and it was quite a sight. We walked back and bought sandwiches, fried rice and onigiri at the 7-Eleven and had a satisfying dinner.

The next day, after Tathagat left for the conference, I left the hotel at 12.30 pm and I walked towards Feeka Coffee Roasters about 15 minutes away. It was a nice leisurely walk on wide pavements with a lot of greenery. I had a bit of trouble locating the café because the name was almost camouflaged on the wall. It was a busy place but I was able to bag a good table. I had delicious eggs and coffee and the atmosphere was vibrant. I was back by 2.15 pm and we were ready to visit another part of the city.

By 3 pm, we walked towards the Jamek Mosque which sits beautifully at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers now known as the River of Life project. One of the oldest mosques of KL, it is a combination of several architectural designs including Mughal, Indo-saracenic and Moorish architecture.

Merdeka Square is situated right next to the Jamek Mosque. The Square also known as Dataran Merdeka is a historic site where the country declared its independence in 1957. This is a huge beautifully manicured lawn with a 90 m flagpole surrounded by captivating architecture.

The Central Market was a 4-minute walk from here and we were delighted to see a vibrant marketplace with all sorts of traditional Malaysian goods being sold and we bought some batik clothes and stoles. We reached back by 5.20 pm, totally exhausted. Later in the night we went for a stroll towards the Petronas Towers at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) which was a 14-minute walk. It was past 10 pm and most cafes were closed at this time. We did however, find another Dome cafe open here and had coffee before strolling back.

After a leisurely breakfast the next day, we headed towards the Batu Caves. We went by a cab (Grab is popular here) and reached in half an hour. These caves are limestone caves replete with stalactites and stalagmites. There are several Hindu temples here and is also a holy place for Tamils all over the world. We started with the Ramayana caves and walked through the entire epic depicted through colourful sculptures. Inside the interconnected caves, we climbed up towards a shiva cave temple. Voices echoed within the cave walls and waterfalls contributed their music. There were too many purple and red lights and all of these elements created a surreal experience. We had to take a minute to adjust to the sunlight, once we were out. From here we walked towards a South Indian restaurant and had delicious Utthapam, mango juice and sweet coconut water.

Eaten and rested, we were now ready to climb up the Batu cave temples. Right at the base of the stairs, stands the tall golden statue of Lord Murugan. The 300 stairs that we climbed are painted in bright red, green, yellow and blue and are interspersed by langurs keeping you company as you walk up or down.

By 2 pm we left the caves and reached the hotel at 2.35 pm. A short rest and we were ready to visit the Petronas Towers at 4.30 pm. We had already booked tickets to go up the tower. We went up to the 41st floor and stood on the connecting bridge between the two towers, then on to the 83rd floor and the 88^th floor. What a view it was! It reminded me of the Taipei 101 visit. Back on the 83^rd floor, we had Malaysian coffee and croissant while admiring the view and bought some souvenirs. Once on the ground, we walked around the KLCC garden and sat at the fountain where people had gathered for the evening. Later, we went to Ben’s to have an early dinner. Walked back to Shanghri-La at 8 pm and got packing.

The alarm rang at 2 am and we were in the cab by 3 am and reached the airport in 45 minutes. And then the unthinkable happened! I left my mobile in the cab! I realized it a few minutes later as the cab moved away. Imagine, me running after a Mercedes, shouting “stop, stop”! So, I called my phone from Tathagat’s phone and after a few rings, our driver picked up and in 10 minutes had brought the mobile back. I couldn’t thank him enough! We boarded our Air India flight at 6.20 am and landed in New Delhi at 9.35 am (IST).

Be ready to travel with me to Thailand, next!