Of all the parts of travel, the one I hate the most is turbulence, followed by the laundry. Worse than hotel laundry is finding and using a laundromat.
But the alternative stinks, so the washing needs to be done.
We found a laundromat opposite the hotel, which means crossing a couple of busy roads. Naturally the pedestrian crossing is non-functional.
I set the washing going and set off to find breakfast. The surrounds are residential apartments and commercial centres, but I locate a nasi padang restaurant called Rumah Kita (our place) and have rice and side dishes with a strange tasting Milo ais for breakfast. The others eat inside the shopping centre.
B wants to go into the city. It’s back out across the road and the 1.3 kilometre walk in the heat to the nearest LRT station of CGC Glenmarie.
We ride the elevated LRT in towards KLCC, the stations and sights bringing back memories for both B and I. Of her playing in parks and shopping in suburbs, of our first visit together to KL thirty years ago.
KLCC Suria is an upmarket shopping centre beneath the famous Petronas twin towers, once the tallest in the world. The others are hungry verging on hangry. Fortunately the second floor food court has a better collection of local choices now. B and Alex order chicken rice, I have nasi padang with blue rice and three cokodok (banana fritters) on the side. I know how to make cokodok, but I hate deep frying and it’s nice for someone else to make one of my favourites.
We look around the shops, get a strawberry and almond jelly smoothie and a lemon one from Gong Cha, before setting out in the afternoon heat through KLCC Park.
The destination is Aquaria KLCC, a large aquarium in KL. Looking at the entry price and having really enjoyed the COEX Aquarium in Seoul, B and Alex decide to stay out of this one and let me go in by myself.
I really enjoy it, especially the focus on freshwater and river fish. I watch the piranha feeding, stripping the carcass of a dead fish hung in the water. The Amazonian underwater forest features huge Arapaima and Alligator Garfish, while many smaller species were housed in spherical tanks with model decorations and natural looking plantings. Even the underwater tunnel had an eerie beauty to it.
Aquariums,.like art galleries, are soothing places for the soul, somewhere to replenish your energy when travel is getting you down. I thought the KLCC Aquaria was worth the visit. Hope the fish at home are okay.
Early in when planning this trip we had to work around a fixed point.
Mondays are pasar malam, night markets, at SS2 in Petaling Jaya. B grew up buying food and cheap items from the temporary stalls that surround the square.
We catch the Ampang Line LRT to Taman Bahagia and walk the 1.7 kilometres up an uneven or even non-existent footpath, past busy roads, to the shops.
Cars circle looking for parking and crowds are already squeezing through the two narrow rows of yellow sheltered stalls. There’s food, fruit, bats of lollies, cakes, clothing and toys.
I spot apom balik, peanut filled pancakes, and buy. B gets rambutan and papaya fruit. There’s kuih (sweets). A sheltered hawker centre runs through the centre, with seating and many food stalls on either side. B and Alex order wan tan hor, char kuey teow and drinks, but I head out again and buy sticks of satay and keropok lekor, brown fish sticks that taste of fish crackers. And more apom balik.
I eat at least 16 sticks of satay, not a record for me.
We wander around some more, past durian shops and firecrackers for sale for lunar new year, the streets wrapped in red lanterns.
It’s a wonderful, fun atmosphere and there’s more food than we can fit in our stomachs.
Getting back to the hotel is a bit of an ordeal. Our first Grab car cancels on us, the other is stuck in traffic for a while. But eventually we make it back.
I head up to the roof one last time for the Blade Runner (2049) view of the city at night. I will miss the comfort and views of the hotel. But not the early morning call to prayer or the difficulties in getting out.
Next stop, Taiping.
