Malaysia – truly Asia

I did send that note sometime ago that I was going on a vacation, not to all though. Anyway, its been two weeks since I got back, and now I am writing about that visit.

It was a great visit, a much needed break from 10-5 routine that had taken hold of in last few years. It was just an offhand question my dad asked me one not particularly fine day. There had been an ad in some paper (read Kantipur) that there was a package tour of Malaysia real cheap. Kapil uncle had saw it and an in promptu program was set. Then next week was hell of a week, what with arrangements of passport and stuff. It was on Saturday when everything was finally set, and we were to fly on the very next day, 31st of July.

Airport was hell of a place. With more than 200 ppl going to Malaysia, many of them to work, it was crowded. Had to wait in line for almost half an hour just to check in. Then further waiting, and finally boarding … after half an hour of delay. The flight was much better than I had anticipated though. Food could have been better, but overall, no complains on flight – not anything on the Boeing 767, not with crew, nothing, except weather. It was cloudy almost all the way. And when aircrafts enter clouds, the dynamics take over the control from pilots. B767 is a big plane, but when it rocks, it rocks. A climb to 40000 ft won’t solve that problem! Anyway, rocking back and forth, right and left, for 4 and a half hours, we finally land in Kuala Lumpur International Airport. And the first thing I see from the aircraft after touch down is Sepang F1 circuit. It was like, being so close and yet so far away. Aaanyway, after getting lost in the airport, after looking hungrily at so many books and book-stalls without single Malaysian penny in pocket, after 15 minutes in line for immigration, after half an hour of waiting for another group sharing our ride in airport, after one and a half burger, after one coke and a coffee, we finally get out of the airport, only to wait for the car! When we got in the car, the other group went on searching for a SIM card. Well, that time was not totally wasted though; I had a couple of very nice pictures. It was almost sunset when we came out, and underexposed by two stops at ¼ sec f/22 at dusk was great to get the world tallest control tower’s silhouette. I am planning to upload those pics soon.

The A’Famosa Resort where we were staying is in Melaka, a city about 200 KM from KL, but the hotel is about in the middle of two cities. An hour of drive and I was already awed by the state. What a road, and what a respect for other drivers. Automated toll booths, and greenery, although it continued turning darker by the minute until appeared to be blackery soon. The resort, we were told, is one of the biggest in Malaysia, spreading over 520 hectares of land. Took almost 15 minutes by bus to go from entrance gate to the very last point! Includes a big water world, and a big animal world, few dozens of restaurant and daily show. And yes, a lily flower somewhere in cowboy town. Wish I had some of the pictures of the show in cowboy town. But I have that lily flower in one of the pictures, a single stop over exposed and bright sunlight did it just right.

Melaka city is crowded. And with only one place where we were taken, not a big market too. We were told that there was only one super market in the area. Well the market was super okay, super expensive that is. A shirt worth 2000 in NPR!! That is more than super expensive.

The third day we were back to KL and was there overnight. Swiss Garden Hotels was nice, and it happened to be very close to one of the best shopping centers of the city. Found some cheap stuff as well, but we were there only for over night so not much of shopping. Then we headed for Penang, an island city about 400 KM North of KL. It is a small island, but plenty to see. I liked butterfly farm there, as well as the botanical garden. Fort Cornwallis was also good. China market was cheap and bought lots and lots of tee-shirts there. The bridge joining mainland and Penang is something like 13 km long, a full 7minutes of drive across. I can still remember the smell of sea air when we were crossing the bridge.

Then back to KL. Got to the hotel in 4 and half hours of driving. It was Grand Seasons hotel, a few kilometers west of the other hotel we were in few days ago. But their monorail took us to many of important shopping centres. I was planning to buy a camera lens, a flashgun and a mobile, but they are not cheap there. No expensive as well ;) the prices are in the same range as here. So didn’t buy anything. Laptops were cheaper, but didn’t think I needed one – a decision I regret to this day. I got some very good deals as well.

Anyway on the eighth day, we headed for airport back home. It was the formal inauguration of Air Nepal International and they had arranged buffet dinner in the airport itself for the arriving minister of transportation. Took another half an hour to clear us through. And what was the food in the aircraft? Total, forgive my word, crap. They didn’t have vegetarian food and gave me some noodles instead. It tasted like crab. Yeah, that’s right, crab, not crap.

Managed to get home somehow after 4 and half hours of mental tourture in that frigging metal tube full of rowdy people. I vividly remember the days when we would come back from college in local bus. Us getting all excited, making lots and lots of noise, enjoying. I guess other people found us very disturbing, or even crazy and uncivilized. But I can attribute it to age, or rather lack of it. What was disturbing to me on that flight was that there were people, older people, much older than me, behaving like kids, like we used to behave. One person went on and started smoking in toilet, keeping in mind that it was strictly non smoking flight. I wish he was thrown out of that plane.

Anyway got home at around 10:30 pm. And the one thing I kept reminding myself over then night was that in 8 days that I was there, I heard only one instance when I heard multiple horns going off from more than one vehicle. And two more instance when heard other horns and that was less than a second, combined. I tried to remember that when I went to office next day. Unfortunately, I went off for about 2 seconds the moment I got out of my gate;)

And yes, we were five there, Mom, Dad, Kapil uncle, Hasna aunti and I.