My Visit Malaysia 2014

LAAG in MALAYSIA

2014 provides an opportunity for me

to reach more tour destinations in

Malaysia, which I missed during my

three prior visits. My first two visits

in 2008 and 2010 were all about KL

City and in 2012 was in Johor Baruh.

Day I flew to KL

Way to Melaka

Day for Melakathon

Souvenir Day in Melaka

Way to Penang

One Fine Day in Penang

One Bad Day in Penang

Way out of Penang

Way back to KL

KL City Walk Tour

Extra Day in KL

LaagLaag Malaysia

in

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LAAG in MALAYSIA

recent one was in Johor Baruh.

I reached NAIA Terminal 3 very early,

three hours ahead of the check in time.

Guessed I was too excited as well for this

trip. Too much tension mixed with excite-

ment made me forget to pack my

toothbrush, among all personal hygiene

stuffs. I headed directly to the travel tax

desk to pay and then approached one of the

Cebu Pacific ushers guarding the entryway

to the check in bays. While waiting for the

Bandar Seri Begawan’s check in counter to

open, which the usher emphasized “6:30pm,

Sir!”, I occupied a space in one corner of the

lobby, squatted near the edge and glass high

windows, and started jotting down this

travel journal.

Among the preparations I made, the most

important was a cropped Google map showing

the tags of the budget hotels around the

Kuala Lumpur Airport and the Central Bus

Stations in Melaka and Penang. My travel

strategy this time as a backpacker and solo

flyer was to “find a place around the bus

On the night of August 16, I was

feeling tensed as I climbed the

MRT Station on my way to the

airport. I was sort of apprehensive

to travel overseas after a long

hiatus.

It’s been quite a while since my last trip out

of the Philippines. That was in February

2013 when I went to Jakarta and Yogya-

karta in Indonesia with best friends, Dupong

and Jeafrey. Dupong has come a long way

from Surigao and Jeafrey, a high school

teacher in one of the International Schools

in Jakarta, was waiting for our arrival. It

was more than a year already and I think I

now forget how to pass by an immigration

counter.

This trip was supposedly to India, specifi-

cally in Calcutta, Varanasi, and New Delhi,

with Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia as the

connecting point. Due to financial

constraints, having much capital expendi-

tures incurred lately, I opted to drop India

and diverted the trip to Melaka and Penang

instead. I really have to use my prepaid

roundtrip air tickets, which I bought in

December 2013. More than taking advantage

of the promo fare, this would also be my

opportunity to reach more Malaysian tourism

destinations, which I missed during my

three prior visits. My first two visits

were all about KL City and the most

the flight to KL

Dut

ch S

quar

e, M

ela

ka

(left

) D

har

mik

aram

a B

urm

ese

Tem

ple, Pe

nang

;

(rig

ht)

Mas

jid

Jam

ek, K

L C

ity

3

LAAG in MALAYSIA

I was under the impression that all budget

airlines, including Cebu Pacific, will land in

the KL Low Cost Carrier Terminal or LCCT.

What I discovered when deplaning was

that we arrived at KLIA2 (obviously an

acronym for KL International Airport

Terminal 2), which is a very huge state of

the art facility. I discovered later that the

former KL LCCT was demolished to give

way to the construction of this new

airport. Duty free shops and other stalls

were still open when I passed them by on

my way to Malaysian immigration counters.

I passed the immigration without a hitch;

the gentle-

man only

asked me

how long will

I stay in the

country, and

I said, “7

nights and 6

days”, then

he stamped

14 days on

my passport.

I just followed the signs

to exit the terminal and as I reached the

giant glass door when I was about to push

it towards the public buses, I realized I

have no Malaysian monies yet. I retreated

to the passenger lounge, looked around, and

found the nearest Money Changer kiosk

open. The teller changed my USD380 to

MYR1,128. I was actually hoping to change

stations, take the hop-on, hop-off tour,

grab a map, and get lost”. I pocketed 680

US Dollars (USD) and targeted to spend the

380 bucks only. I was planning to shell out 100

Malaysian Ringgits (MYR) a day for 6 days. I

must observed frugality throughout this trip

since I still have two more trips to make in

the coming months of September and Octo-

ber. I should start with laying over

at the airport, maybe find a bench to

settle, tonight once I arrived in KL

Airport. Then wait for the bus ride

to Melaka in the morning.

I grabbed my dinner from Kenny Rogers,

bought a toothbrush from Mini Stop, checked

in, and queued at the immigration counter. I

readied my old passport in case the agent will

be asking about my prior trips.

The woman agent only asked

for my plane ticket and my

office ID, “Ortigas Center”,

she mouthed and then stamped

approved my exit marking my

newly renewed passport.

The flight departed on time at

11:40pm and landed in KL at

2:30am. The ride though smooth had not cra-

dled me to sleep. I normally cannot sleep while

travelling, let alone flying. That this was my

first long flight after quite a hiatus. That I

am on the way to Malaysia whose one Malay-

sian Airline flight went missing and another

was shot down by a missile. I resorted to

writing this blog the whole flying time.

the Way to Melaka

Hang Li Poh Well

Mid

dle

sbur

g

4

LAAG in MALAYSIA

1 USD to 3 MYR but as usual the forex inside

any airport is way lower than in the “black”

market.

I immediately ran outside to board any bus

going to Melaka; the

early the better. Unfortunately, all parking

buses have no signboards indicating its routes,

doors remained closed even when I knocked on

them. I retreated back to the

airport lounge confused and

found bus companies’ kiosks

lining u inside to sell tickets.

Silly me! I approached the one

with Melaka 6:30am sign, the

earliest trip I noticed, and the

lady willingly gave me a seat for

MYR35. Just like everybody

else around the passenger

lounge, I took three empty

connected chairs in one corner

as my cot and laid down. The

crooked contours of the three

chairs did not help me to sleep;

were discomforting.

When 6 o’clock struck, a

(Continued from page 3) commotion from my fellow commuters star-

tled me. I went outside with them, queued at

A1 bay, waiting for the just parked bus to

open its doors. This bus parked at our

assigned bay, so everyone like me expected

this to be the ride. But it did not accept us.

When I rechecked my ticket, it indicated

Star Mart Bus, this parked bus bore a

different name. So I went back inside

deciding to piss while waiting for the right

bus. On my way out from

the toilet, I noticed this

part of the airport called

Capsule, a cozy corner that

appeared to me like a wine

bar. I grabbed a pamphlet

from a stand, read it and

realized that it was a room

accommodation for short

time nappers. Silly me!

Should have checked it

out. I would have a nicer

rest had I discovered it

earlier. It was just a wall

apart from where I laid

down uncomfortably.

the Way to Melaka Victorian Fountain, Clock Tower, and Windmill

in the Dutch Square

A Famosa

Flor de la Mar

5

LAAG in MALAYSIA

Finally the right bus parked at our assigned

bay at exactly 6:30am and my journey towards

southern Malaysia began. The Star Mart bus-

liner have us all Melaka bound passengers

boarded. I was among the first ones to climb

and find my seat. Almost all that followed me

are of Indian descent so it

felt like I still went to India.

The 2-hour travel to Melaka

passed quickly. And that two

hours was too short for me to

gain sleep. The bus arrived at Melaka’s Sentral

Station at 8:20am. Once disembarked, I

scanned around for possible room accommoda-

tions, remembering my travel strategy. Unfor-

tunately, all I saw were shops selling RTWs

and dry souvenir items, food outlets, and

eateries. I decided to take my breakfast

there, so I settled in one of the Malaysian

eateries inside the bus terminal. I noticed

other customers daringly grabbed a plate and

spooned their choice of rice and viands. I did

not know what to do, I just stared at the food

terminal about this Discovery Café and

Guesthouse, complete with instructions to

get there. I found it very interesting

because in the map, its location is quite close

to Stadthuys where the heritage walk starts.

It mentioned about taking Panorama Bus No.

17. The Panorama buses I observed earlier

parked outside across the eatery , so I went

straight to bays 8 and 9 and waited for Bus

17 to arrive, park or even pass by.

I waited for quite a while but no Panorama

Bus 17 to find. I entered the terminal again

and approached a local, a worker of Panorama

Bus Company I presumed because he’s wear-

ing red polo shirt as that worn by the drivers

of buses 8 and 9. I asked him in English but

somebody answered for him. He was in a

police uniform, who pointed me to Bay Num-

ber 17. I understood then that bay numbers

the Way to Melaka

a Day for a Melaka-thon Feeling full with MYR5.70 worth of food, I re-

sumed my search for a place to stay and settle

down, wash up, clean up. It was 9am yet and

most inns will be accepting check ins starting

at 2pm, especially for backpackers. I grabbed

a yellow pamphlet, or is it brochure?, from an

unmanned Information Booth inside the bus

until one lady

server asked me

what I want to

eat. I pointed

fried chicken,

sunny sideup

egg, and fried

rice with some

flavour that’s

unknown to me

but looked deli-

cious, and she

spooned them all

to my plate. I

then paid at the

counter and

ordered a coffee. She asked me,

“Panas, Iced?” and I answered “Hot!”

I realized later that hot is panas in Malayo,

the local dialect. From then on, I keep it in

mind then that every time I ordered a hot

coffee I should ask the server for “kopi

panas”.

Revolving Tower

River Cruise

6

LAAG in MALAYSIA

correspond to bus numbers. Indeed I saw

a Panorama Bus 17 approaching to the

pointed bay, filled with incoming

commuters. I told the driver as I stepped

inside. “Stadthuys”, he answered “3

ringgits”. I reached the Dutch Square in

30 minutes and found thereby the

Victorian Fountain, the Clock Tower, the

Christ Church, the Windmill across the

street, the Stadthuys in another corner,

and the colourful, flamboyant, mostly

Hello Kitty-decorated rickshaw scattered

around. This was where my Melaka

heritage tour

kicked off.

I spent some

time photo-

graphing the

square and

everything

touristy around,

purportedly to

pass the

morning until the right check in time in

the afternoon. But my bowels were moving

ahead of me… I have to find this Discov-

ery guesthouse soon enough, hoping

against hope to be accommodated right

away. Or even just to book the room for

the night, then use its toilet for the time

being. Or they can charge me another day

(Continued from page 5)

for as long as I can have access to toilet, which

is also beneficial for me because I can leave my

luggage in the room, and I will be baggage-free

strolling Melaka. I rechecked the brochure

and traced Jalan Lacsamana to the Discovery’s

location.

On my way there, I passed by this covered

walkway, as most Portuguese-influenced

housing in Macau, and then came out at the

Saint Francis Xavier Church. Holding the urge

to bowel, I paid a short visit. This church visit

has significance to me because in my hometown

in Anao-aon, Surigao del Norte, our patron

saint is St. Francis Xavier. In fact, it is now

named Municipality of San Francisco, in honor

of the patron saint, San Francisco Javier (the

Spanish translation of his name). When I read

some of his accounts engraved in stones, it

mentioned about St. Francis often losing one

of his shoes. Back in our parish, we also

observe and believe in this mysterious event. I

entered and said a quick prayer, thanked for

the safe travel and the opportunity to meet

him here.

I strolled a little farther from the church, and

found this center-island with an artsy mark

“Little India” crowded by

pigeons. I took pictures

of the island with the

birds and found the

Discovery Café and

Guesthouse from the

photos; reflecting

therein the painted sign

about the cafe. It was

Melaka-thon

Kampung Morten

Pirates Park

Maritime Museum

7

LAAG in MALAYSIA

half past 10am when I approached the

counter and was entertained by an old

Chinese man who stationed at the check-in

counter. Found him to be the owner, who’s

fond of Filipino singers because he asked me

if I sing and could sing that night at their

café. Found it obvious that most guests in

are Filipinos because he asked me in Tagalog

words “ilang gabi?” I booked for one night


and promised to extend should I find it

necessary. He was too accommodating that

he gave me the already available room

that very minute. I paid MYR40 for the

double occupancy bedroom, MYR2 for local

tax, and MYR30 for the key deposit,

refundable upon checkout. A Nepalese room

boy (whose name I cannot remember)

assisted me, we climbed four storeys up,

and he showed me the emergency stairs

should I stayed outside beyond midnight,

when the café and main entrance are

already locked.

I unpacked only those stuffs I should need

for 2 days, cleaned and showered, and took

a nap. That supposed few-minute nap

extended to a sound sleep until 3pm. I was

too lazy to wake up but the hunger was so

persistent; I needed some late lunch or an

I woke up too early, only to realize that it

was Monday and my body clocks worked;

used to rise at 5am to prep for the office.

To put to use my adrenaline rush, I exited

the hostel thru the back door climbing down

the winding emergency stairs. I mistakenly

pushed the door to the café bar and

retreated when I heard an angry groan. I

hurriedly open the back gate with the

issued key, afraid that the owner may peek

out and reprimand me for the disturbance. I

strolled on to new streets hoping to find

more interesting spots less seen by tourists.

I followed the road from the bridge beside

the hostel away from Little India and back.

I have found to be alone walking the street

towards the end where intersection meets,

and seen nothing interesting. So I walked

my way back and followed the road to the

other side entering the Little India. I

started with the street beside Xavier

Church and found the Golf Gallery building,

and onwards was some green-painted

mosque and a government office. That was

where I located the Yellow Mansion hostel,

my other choice for a cheap place of stay. I

strolled on following the road passing the

Yellow Mansion hostel and reached a public

market. I finally found people awake and

prepping for the day’s business. I continued

on beyond the market and reached another

intersection where a glamorous structure,

Gurdwara Sahib Melaka, was standing on one

side and an interesting landmark, Hang Li

Poh Well, on the opposite side. After taking

photos of these two interesting places, I


Nightlife

Shopping Center

8

LAAG in MALAYSIA

afternoon snack. Dressed up for a walk, I

went down, found a table in the café and

ordered fries and juice. The heat of the

sun was bearable when I finished my

snacks, so I decided to start my walk tour

of Melaka’s heritage. Scanning the map I

asked from the café, I now knew the way

to get around all important and well

publicised tourist destinations.

The Discovery Hostel is situated along the

riverbank, so I walked the bank on my way

back to the Dutch Square. I later discov-

ered that the riverbank is lined with

plenty of guesthouses and cafes on both

sides, where some of them has started

putting up umbrellas and chairs along the

boulevard in preparation for the nightly

parties. I took more pictures of the Xavier

Church and the Dutch Square before pro-

ceeding to Stadthuys and more heritage


buildings and museums standing side by side

along the stretch of Jalan Kota. Upon noticing

a small entrance in my left side with an arrow

saying “Bukit St. Paul”, I remembered reading

in the map “St. Paul’s Ruins” and I thought

about the similar named ruins in Macau, China.

This may be some twin church ruins, consider-

ing that Macau and Melaka shared the same

colonizers, the Portuguese, the Dutch. I

pushed on walking further, thinking of going

back for the hill and its ruins. Then I reached

the A Famosa so crowded by tourists. It is

said that the ruins, the only stone bricked

structure standing, was the remnants of the

old fortress of the state. On to its front

across the street is the Independence Memo-

rial Building, to its right the Pahlawan Mall,

and to its left the King’s Palace. Unfortunately

the palace was closed that time. I then

noticed a series of stairs to its back, leading

to the St. Paul’s Church, the signage said.

Before climbing, I paused to read the erected

plates of writings that account the Melaka’s

history and heritage. It was quite a breath-

catching climb, with a breathtaking vantage

view of the city and the Melaka strait from

atop. Well, the St. Paul’s Church Ruins here is

no similar to that of Macau. It was a complete

structure of a church with life-sized tomb-

stones engraved with figures and writings,

accounting for its history and heritage. There

was a curated façade, the patron saint’s

statue standing its front lawn. Inside, under

the altar section, I noticed an unknown huge

underground hole covered with steel-grids. I

did not bother asking but the tourists I came

with threw coins into this pit. Around the hill’s

Melaka-thon

St. Paul’s Church

9

LAAG in MALAYSIA

ground, I noticed few concrete tombs with-

out tombstones; few tourists, may be

residents, sat on them. So I quite doubt if

they’re really burial tombs.

From up the hill, I noticed a revolving tower

few meters away from the Pahlawan Mall. It

looked closer than it was presented in the

map. I initially thought of skipping this, but

it would now be my next destination. I

hesitated to recheck my map because nobody

among the crowd was checking any map or

direction. I only consulted my map when I

entered the Heritage Gallery Mall, where

souvenir items come in different forms,

sizes, designs, and of course, prices. I picked

and paid for interesting designs of ref

magnets, then crossed the connecting walk-

way to the Pahlawan Megamall. I saw the

revolving tower climbing and rotating when I

emerged from the mall. I entered the


Menara Taming Sari building, approached

the counter and bought the entry ticket for

MYR20. It was a 5-minute experience up

there, with better bird’s eye view of the

whole city that the hill’s. I captured that

experience in a 2-minute video.

When I was rotating with the tower, I saw

this very interesting design of a ship,

made a turn to the market, bought a rice

cake that looked like puto in the Philippines,

only with pink dot on top (my breakfast) and

walked back to the guesthouse.

I earned some sleep after that early morning

walk and prepared to check out by 11am. I

initially planned to have my brunch at the bus

terminal and take the earliest trip to Penang.

Having cleared from the counter, I went to

the Dutch Square to catch the Panorama Bus

17. It gave me a free tour as it crisscrossed

around the city until it arrived at the Melaka

Sentral bus station. After the chicken rice

lunch at another Malaysian eatery and a

dessert of Durian McFlurry at the adjacent

Mcdo, I carried my backpack to the bus

ticket counters where kiosks crowd side by

side and several men barking at approaching

riders, asking for intended destinations,

(Continued from page 7) offering their bus companies, and assisting

interested passengers. Ignoring all these

fixers, I approached the ticket counters

with posted Butterworth in their windows.

All of them answered, “trips to Butterworth

start at 9pm”. Gees! That meant I have to 9

idle hours in the bus terminal to wait for

the 9pm ride. I chose the Matahari bus

company and pre-booked a First Class seat

for MYR60.

There was nothing else I could think of

Melaka-thon


Hello Kitty decorated rickshaw

10

LAAG in MALAYSIA

perched on top of a concrete platform.

Initially not listed in my itinerary because it

appeared to be quite a distance from rest of

the tourist spots according to the map. Since

it looked so close to the revolving tower, I

pushed on to check on it. A replica of a

Portuguese ship, called Flor de la Mar, stands

inside the Marine Museum compounds. Plenty

of gallery exhibits, comprising of antique

finds and life-size panorama, can be found

inside for a MYR6 entry fee. It was

adequately maintained, except for the

toilets. Fortunately, the unmaintained toilets

are located outside the ship; its messiness

cannot directly taint the museum’s integrity.

Up the tower also, I already noted that the

boarding site for the Melaka River Cruise is

just beside the Maritime Museum, fronting

the Casa del Rio Hotel, across the river.

After a short tour inside the Flor de la Mar,

I headed to the boarding site for Melaka

River Cruise right away. The river cruising

cost me MYR15 and the whole ride took 40

minutes of our time – a perfect timing really

as the sun that time was almost down. The

journey towards the other end of the river

cruise route was silent, perturbed only by


Melakathon the slapping of the speedboat on the small

but rolling waves caused by afternoon breeze

and countering boats. I heard mimed ohs and

ahs of the passengers reacting to the wilder

slaps of the boat’s front hull and the sprin-

kles of waters caused by it. We passed by

several interesting points such as the old

watermill, the Hard Rock Café, the back of

Discovery Hostel and Café, the settlements

with artistically painted walls, the Pirates

Park, the uniquely designed bridges, and more.

I specifically captured in video the point

where Kampung Morten is located. It was only

in our way back, when the recorded voice over

describing each interesting tourist points was

played, that made it known that the said river

village was the oldest and still existing in

Melaka. It was named after a the Land

Commissioner JF Morten in 1920s. I have

witnessed the unique design of their houses,

especially the pointed sides of its roofing.

The Melaka River Cruise ended just in time

for the Jonker’s Walk experience

that normally start at 6pm. This is

a Guinness title holder activity in

the city where business, dry

market, leisure and tourism are

Kam

pung

Kling

Mos

que

Gurdwara Sahib Melaka

11

LAAG in MALAYSIA

doing than spending the 9-hour waiting time

in the malls. Well, McDo food outlets have

free wifi to pass the time but it would cost

me still for the snacks. It would be shame-

ful to stand thereby, use its wifi connection

for free, and order nothing. I initially

planned to buy souvenirs and pasalubongs

only in KL before I fly back to Manila but in

this case I prepared MYR100 for potential

shopping in Pahlawan Mall and Mahkota Mall

to pass the time. I approached the Luggage

Deposit Counter I noticed yesterday,

deposited my backpack for MYR2 and rode

the Panorama Bus 17. I actually spent more

than a hundred ringgits at Pahlawan Mall

when I shopped for ladies apparels at

Terranova shop which was on 70% off sale

and men’s tees at Garage which was also on

50% off sale. I carefully chose women’s

tops for my mother Dulcing, my sister En,

our househelp Tatang, and for my little


classic English song, which title I can no

longer find and tune I can no longer figure

out. On my return, I ordered a barbecued

chicken on stick, ate it along the way, flushed

it with coke. My dinner felt complete but I

was looking for any interesting dessert. I

don’t know if the rice cake of unknown

taste would count as dessert. My exit of the

Jonker was perfectly culminated by these

LED lighted, Hello Kitty-inspired rickshaws,

so bright, so flamboyant!, parking side by

side.

Back at the Discovery Café, I occupied a ta-

ble just as the live duet band were prepping

the stage, ordered two beers and a serving of

fries. It may be a long day, a long walk as a

matter of fact, but an educational, experien-

tial, and fitness perfect activity.

brought to the Jonker Street. My walk

tour resumed at the Hard Rock Café point

and found Jonker Street to be a flea

market manned by ambulant vendors where

almost everything was displayed for sale,

from utility tools to personal apparels,

from fried fish balls to barbecued chicken,

from small souvenir items to large home

decors. Among everything, I bought

steamed siomai with spicy sauce and ate

them while walking towards the other end.

I noticed along the way some temples on

one side, some more leisure parks on the

other, and an entertainment center at the

peak point. I paused and observed a

performance of three old Chinese ladies

singing a Chinese version of a familiar

Melakathon

Souvenir Day

niece Bella, and men’s shirts for my father

Tantong, bro-in-law Jun, and partner Erick.

Tired of shopping, I crossed the street to

Mahkota Mall, found a seat at KFC food

outlet, ordered and ate an early dinner, used

its free wifi, and let time passed by until 6pm.

This day initially seemed idle but I have found

ways to enjoy it.

Back in the bus terminal at 7pm, I grabbed

some bread from a bakery in one corner,

settled in a waiting area and nibbled again.

Guess the price of waiting is expensive since

I need something to enjoy the passing of the

time. This idle day in Melaka was so costly,

way pricey, than the walk tour I did yester-

day. Then 9pm chimed and my journey to-

wards northern Malaysia has begun.

12

LAAG in MALAYSIA

The trip to Butterworth, the entry point to

Penang Island, took us more or less 8 hours,

from supposedly 6 to 7 hours. A road

accident happened on the expressway ahead

of us. A trailer truck careened to the

highway walls, crushed itself to several

concrete boulders, turned upside down

covering all but one lane of the northbound

traffic. I observed paramedics prepping the

stretchers while others were laboriously

opening the trucker’s door to pull out bodies

in the front seats. That delay served me

well so that I won’t need to wait for more

long hours at the terminla had we arrived in

the bus station early.

It was around 6am when the bus parked at

the Butterworth Central Terminal. I made

some rounds to check whether some bus

lines serve routes to Georgetown in Penang

Island. I observed people crossing the

terminal and climbing the stairs towards the

ferry station. Few minutes

passed, I decided to ask the

locals, so I approached one

bus operator. He told me

that no commuter bus

crossed Butterworth to

Georgetown but the ferry. I

had the impression that since

there is a long bridge

connecting Penang island to

the mainland Malaysia, a bus

route is now existent. So I

climbed sleepily the stairs and

walked the platform to the

ferry boat. I noticed people

approaching the counter with postings,

MYR1.40. I handed the teller 1 ringgit bill

and as I was about to give him 40 cents, he

handed me back two 50 cents. I grabbed it

and realized that the machinated entrance

will only accept MYR1.40 in coins. I fed it

with the coins and got in. I simply joined the

other passengers in the bench and waited

for the ferry to sail and dock in the island.

It was around 10 to 15 minutes later when

we disembarked at Georgetown Jetty Port

Terminal.

When I reached the grounds, I noticed

several Rapid Penang buses queuing in what

appeared to be their exclusive bus station.

Rapid Penang indeed is the only public utility

bus in the island, very organized and

reliable. It serves like an interconnected

train lines in many advanced cities. There

are route boards around to guide the tourist

where to go and what bus

number to ride corresponding to

the highlighted tourist destina-

tion. It was too early for me to

start the tour but I did not know

what brought me, I found myself

taking the bus marked CAT. It was a work

of stock knowledge; I have read about this

free shuttle bus ride within and around

Georgetown. Indeed, it is the CAT-marked

buses that offer free shuttle ride. I was

more fortunate to ride with and meet Bob

the Way to Penang

13

LAAG in MALAYSIA

and his wife, who noticed me to be tourist

and started conversing in Malay. I told him,

“English only please” because I came from

the Philippines. They went ecstatic and

spoke to me in English, willingly guiding my

free downtown tour. They told me they’ve

been to Manila when Bob was an exchange

student at Loyola Schools in Ateneo de

Manila University when he took his masters

at the La Salle in Asia in Georgetown, Penang.

They even pointed to me those potential

cheap guesthouses I should check in. Bob

called me Cri while his wife correctly

pronounced my name Cris. They have stayed in

Quezon City for a month and have experi-

enced our infamous heavy bumper to bumper

traffic. They generously accompanied me until

I completed the turn then we bid each other

goodbyes.

Once they departed on the same shuttle bus,

I decided to make a second turn while waiting

for the check in time at 2pm. I was not yet

sure where to stay despite the fact that I

already tagged the Tune Hotel Penang. I

traced back the bus’ route by walking on

opposite direction. I enjoyed

capturing the European-

designed building structures

and landmarks in photos,

especially at this breaking

hour of the morning. Penang,

particularly Georgetown,

made me feel like making a

ala-Europe tour, from the

facades of the Maritime

Museum, the Royal Hotel Penang, the

Victorian Clock Tower, the City Hall, and St.

Andrew’s Church. I walked the whole

stretch of the so-called Harmony Street (a

portion of Penang Road), from the point I

made a selfie at Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion,

Chocolate House and Museum, until I

reached the KOMTAR mall - my reference

point for the Tune Hotel. Along Jalan Burma

on my way to the hotel, I passed by a

Camera Museum, a Muslim mosque and a

Chinese Temple.

I booked an airconditioned room for

MYR103; more expensive than I expected.

Per my plan, I must spend less than MYR100

for the room accommodation per night. But

I guess one night experience of Tune

Hotel’s accommodation, which was my very

first time, won’t hurt. But I definitely would

never patronize Tune Hotels, not even rec-

ommend it to my friends. Its services come

in piecemeal or like “sachets” wherein you

pay for each particular service or amenity,

like aircon, wifi access, towel, TV, et cetera.

I may not use all these amenities at the

same time but at least I have them for my

own choosing whenever I am inside the room

to enjoy my stay . Even the luggage deposit

comes with a price. Should you need all of

the amenities and supplies, you would pay as

much as paying an accommodation in some

good 3 or 4-star hotels.

“Travel cheap,

Travel safe,

Travel young.” Photos: (clockwise) Baywalk, St. Andrew’s, Royal Bin-

tang Hotel, Victorian Clock Tower, and Fort Cornwallis

14

LAAG in MALAYSIA

After depositing my backpack for MYR5, I

went back to KOMTAR and found a hawker

spot fitting for my cravings for breakfast.

Later I found a Chinese temple, called Khoo

Kongsi, in front of it, along Penang Road and

so I dropped by to get beautiful photos. I

went back to Jetty point to take a bus

heading to Penang Hill, after quite a while

waiting for Bus 204 at the bus stop, along

the temple’s sidewalk. The commute cost me

MYR3 and in more or less 30 minutes I was

at the foot of Penang Hill. That was yet

10am but I already noticed plenty of

tourists climbing in and out of the tram.

Reaching Penang Hill is through a tram, a

single coach tram, which ticket cost MYR30.

Up there I found more postcard perfect

spots. I climbed the highest portion of the

hill where I found a Hindu temple

neighbored with a Muslim mosque and a

Christian church. They all looked like

miniatures but lifesized; putting them side

by side is a complete representation of what

Penang really is, a perfect place of

harmony. I took selfies with each of them

before climbing down. I also took my selfies

at the exhibited old tram, at the lover’s lane

atop the food court where love notes and

padlocks on a chain are tied together in a

fashionable way, and an owl museum’s

façade. After that tiring climbs, I settled in

one high chair inside the foodcourt and

ordered an avocado fruitshake.

I got back to the hotel in time for the 2pm

check in. I made sure to drop by the KOM-

TAR’s electronics section to purchase the

right adaptor for my battery charger, which

only cost MYR6.90. I was shocked to find it

sold at the 7-11 store located at the ground

floor of Tune Hotel for MYR30. I finally had

the room, so I climbed up my room with my

backpack, plugged in my battery chargers,

get showered and took a nap. I woke up at

One Fine Day in Penang

See all these attractions at the top of the Penang Hill

15

LAAG in MALAYSIA

little past 5pm and headed to the location

of this European-designed building

resided solely by McDo beside Penang

Time Square. There, I finally got online,

first time of the day. I was thrilled to

update my Facebook status and leave

private messages to my family informing

them of my trip condition and current

location – my ritual at least once a day.

Then I realized I had plan to capture

photos of Kek Lok Si Temple at the last

hour of the afternoon, known to photog-

raphers as blue hour. Dusk time would be

perfect for this awesome, elaborate and

gigantic Buddhist temple. I took the

Rapid Penang Bus 204 again, which criss-

crossed around the communities and

villages first before reaching the base

area of the temple. The temple is set

atop Air Itam’s hill. It was past 7pm when

I reached the site and found it closed

since 6:30pm. Fortunately, I talked my

way in to a Bangladeshi I met at the main

entrance. He was pulling down the bar

closing the parking spaces. He agreed to

give me access inside, but only up to the

base area of the giant statue, at the

peak. I found most areas around the huge

temple to be under renovation, so most of

the scenic sites were blocked with plastic

covers, steel scaffoldings and concrete

barriers. I tried to get some beautiful

shots out of these restrictions and

marvelled at the sight of Georgetown

down the hill blinking like stars in the

night in different colors.

As I find my way back, I waited for a

very long while at Air Itam Public Market

for a Rapid Penang Bus number 203 that

flew back to the town proper. I later

decided to take any bus number that will

pass anytime now for as long as it’ll take

be back to Georgetown. But none came.

Not even an empty taxi passed here by. I

noticed one bus passing by at the other

end of market, but it looked empty; guess

it was heading towards its headquarters. I

thought of walking the whole way back. I

transferred from one point of the wet market

to another until finally at 9:30pm, Bus 201

passed by. Thank God I was boarded and

heading back to the hotel.

My thought changed when I reached the

Penang Times Square, I went looking for night

spots to experience Penang’s nightlife. There

were couple of bars in its basement but felt

very cold and empty. I proceeded to the KOM-

TAR Walk only to find most shops closed;

some bars were still open but looked to me to

be drab and empty. I guessed there’s not much

for a Tuesday night in the city. So I decided

to return to Tune Hotel only to find the

neighboring New World Park open, crowded in

a positive way, and in party mood. There were

plenty of bars around, including a Starbucks

and an Old Town Coffee and Restaurant. I

ditched the Starbucks and looked for a seat

inside the Old Town Coffee and Restaurant

instead. I ordered their signature dish and

white coffee. Then I retired so full that very

late night.

Kek Lok Si Temple

16

LAAG in MALAYSIA

Had a nice sleep with Tune Hotel, despite

the fact that I didn’t like the accommoda-

tion package being served on a piecemeal.

To order all amenities and supplies would

cost one a fortune, which I would end up

paying for a comparable luxurious accom-

modation. I did have a nice sleep despite

the fact that the AC unit stopped working,

maybe I was so tired of the trip and the

tour to mind the warmness of the room. So

I decided to check out at 10am and

transferred to Hotel 118, a hostel-type

accommodation near Penang Time Square I

checked last night after spending dinner

and browsing the free internet access at

McDo. At Hotel 118, I booked for the

same double occupancy quality bed, with

mattress and duvet as that of the Tune

Hotel’s with a room rate that was reasona-

bly lower and covered all amenities, from

aircon, TV, wifi access, bathroom supplies,

and even the complimentary bottled water

than that of the Tune Hotel’s. I paid

MYR90 for the hotel-type comfort.

Well, to start my day early I put on my

slippers and had a morning walk around

Georgetown retracing once again the roads

I’ve been to yesterday. But I tried new roads

like Lebuh Chulia and noticed plenty of back-

packers’ accommodations. The primary tourist

destinations, from temples to mosques to

fortress, from little India to Cantonese

settlements, and to major city streets where

most structures are European-designed

structures, deserved a second look and be

enjoyed over and over again. Before complet-

ing the rounds in Fort Cornwallis, my feet hurt

at the friction with my new Islander slipper.

So I decided to find a nearby hawker to take

a break for my hurting feet and take break-

fast with locals. I bought this rice topped with

viand wrapped inside the banana leaf and a

“kopi panas”. Then I walked to the adjacent

ferry terminal where the CAT-labelled hop-on

hop-off bus for the free ride back to the

hotel or at a stop close to Tune Hotel. I

washed up and then checked out. Walked

towards Penang Time Square and checked in at

Hotel 118.

At first it seemed that one night extension to

stay in Penang was a bad idea. After having

settled in Hotel 118, after having found it

more comfy than Tune Hotel, I felt like

staying inside the room, with functioning air-

One Bad Day in Penang

Visit Wat Chaya Mangkalaram and Dharmikarama Burmese Temple

along Lorong Burma

17

LAAG in MALAYSIA

con, cable TV set, and free wifi access. But

then I still have six more tourist spots to

check that would require travel by Rapid

Penang Bus since they are all located out-

side Georgetown.

First up was Wat Chaiya Mangkalaram, so I

boarded bus number 101. Then the heavy

rain fell and more heavily when I was about

to go down the bus stop near the said

temple along Lorong Burma. I ran fast to

find a shed in the bus stop cottage as soon

as I exited the bus’ door. After almost an

hour passed, the rain did not dissipate, not

a slightest indication of stopping. I was

already feeling wet, my shoes and my pants

were feeling sodden. I thought of going

back to the city when I noticed that I only

had MYR2 left as the smallest bills with

few more cents in coins. I knew for a fact

that the drivers here don’t change large

bills. Further, that side of the road I was

at was one way and I need to go to the

other side of the block to catch the re-

turning trips. With the unremitting heavy

pouring of rains, crossing the other street

is not a good option.

After several minutes more, I finally

decided to push my luck with the remaining

MYR2.90 onhand. I hailed the approaching

Bus 101 and told the driver to drop me at

the Toy Museum. “How much?” I asked and

he answered MYR2.70. Perfect! Thank God!

I will surely find a place somewhere there

to change my MYR10 to MYR1 bills. The

surroundings became darker, rains pouring

heavier, flooding some portions of the roads

around. I looked out of the window to check

the road signs for Toy Museum until we

passed by the Floating Mosque. I said to

myself, I am close now. But then the road

went on and on and no sign to indicate the

location of the Toy Museum on either sides.

Not until I reached, I mean the bus reached

the landmark for Batu Ferringhi that I

realized I already lost my way. I hailed the

bus and went down at Penang Batik Factory

and faked for sightseeing. Inside the store,

while circling blankly around all stuffs made

of batiks, from RTW to home decors, from

personal to souvenir stuffs, I formed a

thought of walking under the drizzles and

catch any returning bus 101. But I still did

not have small ringgit bills. So I walked the

wet outdoor and found an eatery at the

corner facing the center isle landmark. I

ordered chicken rice again, paid the bill, and

finally got the small bills. With the rain

finally dissipating, I walked the distance to

the nearest bus stop. I felt like blending

with the locals, sort of living and eating like

them. I ate in the nearby hawkers where

residents flocked, ate local recipes, drank

local coffee. It was already casual to me to

ask for “tandas” to mean toilet and order

“kopi panas” to mean hot coffee.

On my way back on board Rapid Penang bus, I

kept my eyes open and vigilant to note the

location of the Toy Museum I missed on my

way in. But still no sign of it; I again passed

by the floating mosque, while it was

18

LAAG in MALAYSIA

indicated in the city map that the museum

is just around another corner from the

mosque. So I gave up, guess I should miss

the Toy Museum this time; at least I have

still reason to go back to Penang. Then I

noticed this golden obelisk along Lorong

Burma. Despite the fact that I paid MYR4

for the trip straight to KOMTAR Mall, I

called on the driver to drop me at the

nearest stop. I walked back to where that

golden obelisk was last spotted. Much to

my surprise, I found in there these two

very beautiful temples opposite each

other. I started with the Dharmikarama

Burmese Temple and I lost time taking

photos over and over, again and again for

each angle and every point of this very

elaborate, very rich in culture, very unique

temple that I want to stay there for the

whole day. This pissed me to be reminded

of my failed attempt to reach this spot

and started the tour earlier that was when


the rain poured heavily and interrupted my

planned day. But I cannot stay much longer

because the eve was fast approaching and I

still have another temple to marvel on. I

crossed the street to the Wat Chaiya Mang-

kalaram Temple, aka the reclining Buddha

Thai temple, another very flamboyant and

intricate in design both interior and exterior

which made me said to myself that it would

be a great experience to be Buddhist even

for just a very short time. It compensated

my tiring day, it recovered my bad day. It

was not a bad day after all.

To celebrate my last night in the island, I

resumed my search for a nightlife. I treated

myself to an expensive dinner at James Foo

Western Food of a delicious beef steak.

Sadly, they don’t serve rice, only bread.

Nevertheless, I retired that night full and

satisfied. Although I have the desire to go

find nightlife at Chulia Street for the

affordable drinks and share gigs with other

tourists, but the rain poured heavily that

night. So I stayed in my room, browsed the

internet, and called the nights off.

Bad Day in Penang K

hoo

Kon

gsi

Kek L

ok S

i

19

LAAG in MALAYSIA

This was such a funny day for me. After

having breakfast at the same local eatery

I frequented inside KOMTAR Mall, I

packed up my things and waited for 10am

checkout time. I played the 500th Candy

Crush level for countless attempts to pass

the time and actually passed it. I was

elated to successfully crush that stage

and excited to move to the next.

I prepared small bills for the bus fare and

the ferry (they call it Jetty here). I

waited for the bus to pass by Hotel 118’s

side. Minutes passed before I realized

that the hotel is on the right side of the

road traffic. In the whole of Malaysia, the

traffic is always left because all cars are

right-hand driven, very much opposite to

what we used to know in the Philippines.

Actually I now realized that only Philip-

pines in the South East Asian region im-

plements left-side traffic. So I crossed

the street opposite the hotel’s, fisting the

coins, and boarded Rapid Penang Bus 204,

feeding MYR1.70 into its money box in

exchange for a ticket.

At the Jetty Station, I went down last and

followed the flow of the people climbing up

platform towards the ferry in waiting that

will cross to Butterworth. I readied the

MYR1.40 coins in my hands to feed into

the machine. But I passed no machine, so I

settled in the waiting lounge along with

other passengers, thinking that the

collection of fare might happen when actu-

ally boarding the ferry boat. The private

cars boarded first and to my surprise, se-

dans are boarded at the second level of

the boat around the peoples’ section. I

cannot remember observing the same

strange thing (strange because in the Philip-

pines all classes of cars occupy the lower

deck) when I took the ferry on my way in to

Georgetown. Then the crew opened the gate

for the passengers, and still nobody’s collect-

ing any fare, so I thought that probably we’ll

pass the same machine I fed with coins on my

way in, once we arrived at Butterworth port.

I timed the boat trip for 15 minutes then it

moored to the opposite dock. I went along

with other people, mostly residents, and yet

again found no machine to feed into my hand-

held coins. So I concluded that the way out

of Penang Island is actually free. I was then

convinced that the fare you paid going to

Georgetown covers already the cost of going

out. I just managed a smile making up these

thoughts.

When I reached the end of the Ferry Station

platform, I noticed a signage for directions:

turn left to Bus Terminal, turn right to Train

Station. No one took the right turn; most of

them were taking the bus, I thought. So I

dared to take the train, thinking probably

that train trip is expensive that’s why no-

body’s taking it from this batch of disem-

barking passengers. I followed the posted

direction going down the runway to the

Butterworth Train Station, convinced to take

the train on my way back to Kuala Lumpur this

time, thrilled to ride a train for the first

time in Malaysia that crosses one city to

another just like my experience in South Ko-

rea, and thought that train trip may be

shorter than the bus’. When I reached the

track, it looked closed, it was in fact locked

down, and I saw labourers repairing the rail-

ways and the station. Gosh! I was perspiring

for that quite long walk with a heavy luggage

carried at my back. The track was actually

under repair and maintenance, the bulletin

announced. So I climbed back the ferry

terminal and went straight to the bus

terminal. Silly me! I should have followed the

flow of the people completely.

the Way Out

of Penang

20

LAAG in MALAYSIA

At first I thought of taking the Transna-

cional bus, one luxury busliner in the

country, however the next trip will yet be

at 2pm. One barker walked towards me and

offered a seat for MYR35 in the next bus

to leave Butterworth, Penang. I took it of

course; it would be better to reach KL early

before sundown. When the bus moved out

of the bay, around quarter of 12 noon, a

Bus Personnel (I trust he’s from the

company because he’s wearing uniform)

collected our tickets. I was expecting to

get a copy when he came back but he never

came back. I saw this other passenger who

just caught our bus leaving; he was accom-

modated and paid the same MYR35, then

was signalled to board the bus. I saw his

facial expression perplexed of the signal. I

bet he’s also expecting to receive a ticket.

He hesitated at first then boarded never-

theless.

At the first toll gate, I noticed one signage

saying, KL 121KM. I said to myself, “that’s

odd!” because it took me 6 to 7 hours of

bus travel from Melaka to Butterworth, and

that it only took me 2 hours of bus travel

from KL to Melaka. So it did not add up.

Well, if the signage is right, it will take me

2 hours to reach KL. Then 2 hours passed

and I noticed another signage saying, KL

144KM. I said to myself, “this I believe is a

correct one” which meant 2 more hours of

travel before reaching the Malaysian

capital. It was okay to me to arrive in KL at

late afternoon because the bus I was riding

will park at the Puduraya Station, which is

in the heart of the city and which is

familiar to me. Indeed at few minutes

before 5pm, the bus settled in the arrival

bay inside Puduraya Bus Station, the exact

place I arrived at during my first visit to

KL in June 2008.

Time to look for a room

accommodation before

anything else, I have to

deposit my luggage before

roaming around this familiar yet undiscovered

city. I looked for the Pudu Hotel I have

stayed before. It gone! The site where it

previously stood was currently occupied by

this Marquee Hotel, a quite expensive one by

the looks of it. So I checked in the neighbor-

ing budget KL City Lodge, for two nights at

MYR60 a night, which come with an aircondi-

tioned room with my own toilet.

Denying the urge to sleep, the long bus trip

adding to stress, I studied the map and

marked the first set, of the five major

groups of tourist destinations within the city,

that I should check that day. In few minutes

after I left my bag in the room, I found my-

self walking along the major streets in KL

City. I started at Jalan Pudu towards Plaza

Rakyat Train Station. I found it appropriate

to start my 2-day journey at the place where

I left off the last time I was here, that was

the Petronas Twin Towers. On my way back,

following the same route in opposite

direction, I stopped by the Masjid Jamek

Train Station to sight the majestic mosque

during sundown. Night came by so quickly and

the illumination inside and around the mosque

emphasized its glam and picturesque

character. Taking advantage of the lightings

around the city, as KL is said to be the City

of Lights, I walked straight to Merdeka

Square where the city government centers

surrounded. The sight was so European, the

Victorian Clock Tower at the center, the City

Gallery where the human-sized replica of the

country’s National Monument stood to one

side and the giant boulder sized peg, “I

KL”, stood by the other side.

Truly feeling tired, I walked back to the

lodge, passing by the Petaling Street, the

passed by the nearest McDo to get online,

update status, message families, and finally

retired for the night.

the Way back to KL

21

LAAG in MALAYSIA

Today was the last leg of my visit to Malay-

sia alone once again. Back in 2008, I set

foot around here alone, followed by a group

tour in 2010, me tugging along my friends,

Dupong, Jacqui and Erick in KL, and then

another group tour in 2012, me acting as

tour guide for Ruth’s family in Johor Baruh.

Since I don’t have wifi access at the guest-

house, I dropped by the 24-hour McDo

nearby before starting the tour of the day.

This tour would be totally and completely

pegged “Walkathon Tour”.

First up was the Batu Caves. Reaching the

site which is located at the outskirts of KL

city, so walking is not applicable, I took the

connecting train rides, LRT from Plaza

Rakyat Station to KL Sentral Station and

then Komuter Train from KL Sentral Station

to Batu Caves Station. I noticed hills and

mountains on the nearby horizon. And then

an awesome, gigantic, elevated Buddhist

Temple welcomed me as I emerged from the

train station. Thought it to be the Batu

Caves’ temple, I took pictures of the a giant

green-colored statue, a Monkey God,

guarding its site right outside of the

station’s walls. I then climbed upstairs

unmindful of any posted reminders. I

actually lost manners being overwhelmed by

the grandness of the temple, only to find my

shoes still on, and so a temple keeper pointed

at me and shouted “you are still wearing

shoes!” I retreated apologetically and only

noticed the caution sign “take shoes off”

when I climbed down the stairs. Shame on

me!

Ashamed of the incident and feared the

keeper might come after me to scold me

more, I walked briskly towards the other

side of the complex. There I beheld a

my City Walk Tour in KL

Petronas Twin Towers & Masjid Jamek

22

LAAG in MALAYSIA

gargantuan golden statue, known to be

Lord Murugan whose height almost as tall

as the mountain he’s guarding, towering

over the complex, way bigger than the

green monkey god. To his right side stood

the famous 272-step concrete stairs

towards the Hindu temples inside the

cave’s chambers. Of course I have to

experience the climb. On my way up, I

noticed plenty of monkeys jumping from

branches to branches and climbing down

the twigs of the surrounding trees. On

ground, they grabbed foods, usually

bananas, from tourists who intentionally

brought one to get closer interaction with

the primates.

Reaching the mouth of the cave, I noticed

a Hindu priest in traditional half naked

attire. I signalled him asking if I can take

his picture. I did not know if he got my

true message but he gestured me to come

in. I saw him later settling at the ramp of


inside a small Hindu temple right at the cave’s

entrance. Amazed by the unique very welcom-

ing grandiosity of the cave’s main chamber, I

diverted my attention away from the priest

who was also entertaining other inquisitive

guests. The cave has three cathedrals and

just like normal caves, you have to climb up

and down in every chamber. What is unique in

Batu Caves is that all walkways are concretely

paved, there are stairs all around. I pushed on

strolling the center chamber, the biggest

cathedral among the three, and found several

mini-temples, statues and figures fashionably

hanged on walls, more monkeys walking here

and there, and bats flying overhead. I

continued on to the more elevated third

chamber with its own Hindu temple and more

statues and figures on some of its walls. There

I stayed for awhile, observed the activities in

each temple, the dry contoured cave walls, the

holes above where each cave chambers opens

to the skies which rays entered the cave like

spot lights, and the roving monkeys. All these

I captured in a video. I stood by for a while

also to catch my breath from the climb. Even

on my way down, I did not bother counting the

steps, instead I mesmerized at the unique feel

of the surroundings, marvel at how minute

my City Walk

Tour in KL

Lord Murugan at Batu Caves

23

LAAG in MALAYSIA

things on the ground look like from up the

cave on a hill.

I was sweating profusely when I reached

the ground. I looked and felt tired already

but I need to finish my planned city walk

tour today. I headed back to the city on

board the same Komuter Train and made a

stop at Kuala Lumpur Station (take note: KL

Sentral Station is different). I walked the

long platform exiting the station to get to

the National Mosque, the KLTM Headquar-

ters, and the National Museum. These three

major city landmarks have three different

touches in terms of architecture and

interior and exterior designs. I kind of lost

my way in search of the KL Sentral Station

from the National Museum but with the help

of the locals, the workers who dug the

ground to give way to the expansion of the

KL Sentral Station, I was back to the right

course towards my lodge.

Recharged by the afternoon rest, I went

back on foot to the KL Tourism Gallery at

3pm and watched the numerous exhibits.

They have this video presentation over a

miniature perspective of the whole KL City,

the video moved in rhyme with the voice

over, along with colourful neon lights

dancing to the tune of the background

music, showcasing the future of KL City. It

was very impressive, the way they packaged

their tourism campaign, featuring fantas-

tically the 2020 Vision of KL. This really

made me plan as well my next visit to Malay-

sia in year 2020.

I was supposed to watch the MUD play in

one of their theatres, but the show was

cancelled due to the return of some of the

bodies of the MH17 cash victims. So I

waited for the late afternoon to arrive, by

shopping souvenir and pasalubong items in

the Merdeka Square basement, in order to

resume my city walk tour in the City of

Lights, which is best experienced at night-

time. I started walking the Jalan Raja

Chulan that led to the KL Tower location.

After several clicks in my SLR camera to

capture the now blinking tower, I proceeded

to the location of KLCC Suria Mall walking

the Jalan Ramlee to also see the Petronas

Twin Tower lighten at nighttime. I was

treated more than the bright lights of the

tower but also by the colourful dancing

fountain at the mall’s façade.

Satisfied with the show of lights around, I

headed to Bukit Bintang for a grand finale of

this tour. I planned to celebrate it with

ample food and some booze. This was the

journey that lost me a lot, time, direction,

and sweat. I just followed the Jalan Ismail

KL C

ent

ral T

rain

Sta

tion

N

atio

nal M

useum

M

erd

eka

Squ

are

24

LAAG in MALAYSIA

until I reached Kuala Lumpur Pavilion, a

high-end shopping mall at the corner of

Jalan Bukit Bintang. There was a mall-wide

sale that day, but just like in Manila, the

discounted prices still seemed expensive. I

checked on their items on sale and bought

few souvenirs and pasalubong items. Then

I continued my search for the party zone

in Jalan Alor, as pointed out by my Scot-

tish friend, Mark. As per my study of the

map earlier, the party-mood street of

Jalan Alor is just around the corner from

Jalan Bukit Bintang. But then I got lost

again, especially when I realized that I

was on Jalan Ismail yet again. I just

walked in circles! So I entered this McDo

store at the corner and recheck my google

map. Due to a very disappointing wifi


access in this McDo outlet, I forced myself

to open the hard map I pocketed. I realized I

only need to make a turn one more block from

that junction.

So I found Jalan Alor. I found it to be a

crowded street, guesthouses are everywhere,

most of them occupied the upper storeys of

every restaurants, where restaurants and

convenience stores lined the whole stretch,

where restaurants occupied both lanes with

chairs and tables, where the supposed 4-lane

street is now a lane passable for motorists,

where motorists compete with pedestrians in

that single lane access. As I scanned the

backpacker’s inns thriving here, I noticed

that the supposed Town View Inn I planned

to stay in to be among them. As I entered

the corner, the hanging Chinese lanterns

greeted me, the lighted signage of every

restaurant blinded me, and the competing

sounds of entertainers here and there

deafened me. This was the hype of a place I

was expecting to be in every night, the party

seemed endless and the crowd looked hungry

for food and fun. Most crowds were settled

in their respective chairs and tables while

my City Walk

Tour in KL N

atio

nal M

onum

ent

Petaling Street

KL

Tow

er

25

LAAG in MALAYSIA

One Last Extra Day in KL I still have one more day in KL city. August

23 was actually a souvenir day. I ditched

the Petaling Street this time since I have

been there in my previous two visits. I

discovered this time the Central Market

and Kasturi Walk, which both sell souvenir

items, where kiosks around sell anything

under the sun. So what to buy from here? I

already have plenty of ref magnets: first

set was bought in Melaka, second in Penang

and third in Batu Caves. I also have bought

ladies dresses and men’s shirts in Melaka,

other sets in Penang, and the rest in KL

Tourism Gallery and Merdeka Basement

Mall. I have bought ladies bangles at

Pavilion Mall and Erick’s requested

sunglasses at the National Museum. But I

still have plenty of ringgits, so I circled the

Central Market and found interesting

things to buy. I bought shawls for my mother,

sister and househelp, leather wallets for my

father and brother-in-law, and another

sunglass for my boyfriend.

I went back to KL City Lodge at 11am to pick

up my already packed up luggage and check

out. My way to the airport was fast albeit

expensive. I took the LRT from Plaza Rakyat

to KL Sentral and then boarded the KLIA

Express, which one way cost MYR35. At KLIA

2, I found a place to eat my lunch and then

settled at the nearby Coffee Bean and Tea

Leaf outlet for a coffee. Killing the time, I

did everything in slow motion

while waiting for the check in

counter to open at 6pm.

Then at 8pm I was home

bound.

others were still looking for vacancy, some

crowds were busy handsignaling the waiters

to order food while others were already

munching the servings on their tables,

other crowds were done and leaving while

plenty more were arriving. Arriving guests

including myself were busy looking for the

right place, with the right feel, and the

right foods.

I planned to reward myself from that

tiring, long and winding walkathon; spending

MYR100 for tonight would be appropriate.

I then looked for a place nicer than the

ones I passed by. I did not have much time

to look for more others. I made up my mind

and finally settled with Xin Ji Kitchen, the

one with the live acoustic performer. I

found a vacant table for two though I came

alone, approached right away by a waitress,

scanned the menu, and choose the braised

beef, crispy fried shrimps and a small

bottle of Tiger beer. After devouring the

first set, which I disliked the braised beef

by the way, I reordered the crispy fried

shrimps, fried wanton, and another small

bottle of Tiger beer. The whole street of

foodtrippers was a complete chaos, awesome

chaos! I can say that I love the nightlife in

Jalan Alor. Two hours later, I paid MYR78

for that dinner experience, and followed the

traffic towards the Jalan Pudu. I was

surprised to note that party and food Alor

street, which comes livelier at night, was

just two blocks away from the lodge I stayed

in Jalan Pudu. Had I known it, I would be at

the venue every night I was in town.

I encountered two Arabs along the street

seemingly lost. When I reached their spot

they asked if I was from KL, I answered, “no

and why?” “Do you know Jalan Haler?” they

asked again. Haler! I just came from there

and they passed it, I told them. Feeling jubi-

lant to have discovered the shortcut way, I

gave them the direction. I was so glad to

have such a wonderful night – a grand finale

of my 7-day tour in Malaysia.

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LAAG in MALAYSIA

Author’s Note:

I don’t want to sound cliché but just like

everyone else I dreamt to travel the world.

I realized that overseas travels can best be

experienced while I am young, full of desire

and energy for adventure. This realization set

in most fully in year 2008 when my green

passport was about to expire 2 years later.

My journey started in Asia with Singapore as

the first foreign country and city, courtesy of

Philippine Airlines’ Mabuhay Miles’ get-away

promo. Since then, I was able to set foot on 8

countries (Singapore, Malaysia, China,

Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea

and Indonesia), 15 cities (Singapore, Kuala

Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Melaka, Penang, Hong

Kong, Macau, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Siem

Reap, Phnom Penh, Busan, Seoul, Jakarta and

Yogyakarta), and innumerable tourist destina-

tions. I even visited some of these cities twice

or thrice within the same span of 6 years,

ushered to me mostly by the budget flight

promos of Cebu Pacific Air.

I am writing down the true accounts of my

What’s with the book title?

“Laag” is a Surigaonon term for journey, may also mean stroll. It chronicles the experiences of the author when travelling abroad as a

tourist.

Laag!Laag!

foreign travels with the sole purpose of telling

and retelling my stories to everyone, and even

to myself, who would one day find themselves

leafing over the pages that contain my idiocy

and/or naivety when in foreign lands, faux pas

and lessons learned when dealing with diverse

cultures and different languages.

The best feature I brought out here is that I

travelled so cheap. I used to pocket an average

of USD500 for a 3- to 7-day trip. This shows

that travelling around doesn’t necessarily cost

much and that it is not a privilege of the elite.

Crisanto B. Gastardo, Jr., CPA, RN

Unit 838 Bldg 8 MRB Complex, Pilot Drive, Brgy

Commonwealth, Quezon City, Philippines

Home Phone: (632) 709.4991

Mobile: (63)923.425.0293 or (63)927.656.9620

My Visit Malaysia 2014

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Transcript of My Visit Malaysia 2014