Day 8 (Putrajaya Drive-By)

We were all awake by 2 AM. We checked out by 3:45.

As we approached the lobby, Badri was already waiting for us. He offered his service the first day (Lake Garden day) we met him. I was a bit reluctant to push through with it at first, as his offer was just too good to be true. He’s asking only half the price compared to the hotel’s taxi service. (I don’t know if Jericho was a reason for this.)

Since we left the hotel 10 minutes earlier as planned, Badri was kind enough to give another offer we can’t refuse. He’ll drive us by Putrajaya – KL’s new city. And I heard from other guests that this place is a must see especially at night where its lights accentuates the buildings and the rest of the structures’ structural beauty.

We arrived at Putrajaya less than an hour later. There were just a few people around at this time. I can count them with my fingers. Badri by then was multi-tasking as a taxi driver and a tourist guide, pointing from left to right and trying to discuss every detail of the whole place. The sight of the illuminated steel bridge was awesome. I had to shift my eye from the video camera’s LCD to appreciate the real thing towering proudly as we passed beneath its mighty steel cables. We likewise passed by a building with the shape resembling a cobra head. And true indeed, its lights on top looks like one - ready to strike. (unfortunately, i haven’t got any good pictures of the place)

After another 20 minutes, we were at the airport. Before we got out of the taxi, I got Badri’s address. We have one good person to thank back.

Our flight back was past 7 AM. We arrived after 11 AM. We’re back to work. Back to the Philippines. Back to reality (Psycho movie theme playing).

Day 7 (Where to Now?)

This was supposed to be Batu Cave day.

But with our Malaysian Ringgits running low, we got our heads together, after breakfast, and discussed how to get this last day into good use. I could have mentioned to watch the monkeys outside and it could have made my day.

With the aide of our trusty tourist guide and map, we find a place which reads “Cosmos, Indoor Theme Park” with a roller coaster pictured on it. Ride lovers as we are, my wife and I decided this will be it. With Noel and Lani, clueless on what to expect, they went with us anyway. Besides, the word Mall in the description convinced them real good in no time.

Luckily our taxi driver on the way there was once again Badri. Just like before, he’s still loaded with insights as he describes the places we passed by with great enthusiasm and pride. He got us to Berjaya Times Square in a jiffy.

The place was huge and high. It was actually a hotel and mall in one package. (Badri by the way, dropped us in front of the hotel entrance, which sent the bellboys rushing to open our cab. They learned in an instant that we’re not hotel guests when I asked where the roller coasters are). Sadly, their food court ruined our fascination for the place. The food booths weren’t that accessible as we used to know back home. One had to go a long way around the atrium to transfer to the other section of the food court. It must be one way to get the appetite going, I assume. That’s because just after a few minutes of checking the foods, I settled at one, which serves mixed rice. Yummy.

As if trying to test our stomach, after lunch, my wife and I decided to check out the theme park. And we’re aiming for the roller coaster right away. No go, for Noel and Lani this time. We learned they got dizzy just looking at the coasters in motion.

We eventually find ourselves seating in one of the cars. There was a bit of mixed emotions once we got ourselves strapped in. The few minutes of wait just killing us as we were impatiently waiting for the roller coaster to move and excitedly waiting for the first feel of the G-forces. Then, the time came.

The coaster ride took less than 2 minutes. There were some exciting moments but it didn’t met our expectations. We came out amazed but disappointed. We’re expecting for us to come out dizzy and swearing.

We tried the rest of the rides anyway. And good thing we find some favorites and we were dizzy and smiling again. There was one ride however that got us pumped up, unexpectedly. It was the innocent looking Ooort’s express that at first look, someone looking for a rush would snob it right away. But we find out the hard (and heavy) way. This one speeds up like a cat on fire. And that speed was enough for both of us to be squeezed at one side of the cart the whole time it was running. My head and stomach was turning and my hips were aching once we got out. We got what we paid for. Redemption.

It was raining hard when we got in a cab. It was time to go home. It was time to pack our things up.

Next: Day 8 (Putrajaya Drive-By)

Day 6 (The Twin Towers)

A tourist’s bragging rights for visiting the Twin Towers isn’t complete if he hasn’t been to the Sky Bridge. So today as discussed since our day 1, we convinced our lazy bodies to move out of the mattresses, leave the cold bedroom behind and brave the hot and humid Malaysian climate outside so we’ll be on time for the Sky Bridge’s pass issuance.

Our group arrived at Petronas by past 7 am. Seeing that the area was somewhat clear of people we thought we were the early birds. Good thing we smelled something fishy just after a couple of minutes - Who would want to come it late for the opportunity to visit the Sky Bridge? None.

We were right. After asking for directions & following the way to the visitor’s entrance, a beeline of tourist have started to queue and accumulate. We estimated that there were already 70 plus visitors including ourselves. The pass per day only accommodates only around 200. We were included in the 9:15 am batch.

The Sky Bridge visit we learned wasn’t only just going straight up and it will be over. It started with a 3D movie presentation in a small but comfortable theater, then it was followed by an interactive visit at an activity center where several aspects of towers’ construction was shown. One will find his height’s compared to the Towers’ by positioning in a portal that automatically computes the comparison at a push of a button. Cool.

The Sky Bridge visit proper is limited to approx. 10 minutes only (to allow the rest of the visitors for that day). Even then, it was worth enough as the view looking down from the bridge is just as awesome as the view from the outside looking up. One thing I learned from the guide was that the movie Entrapment’s tower scenes weren’t actually shot at the location but was rather filmed in a studio with similar set up. Made me hate that movie even more.

At the end of the tour, another place we paid a visit was the shopping area at Jalan Bunus, which to our surprise (or dismay) sells a majority of textiles for typical Muslim clothing. The whole group didn’t find anything interesting so we checked our map and saw that Central Market is just a couple of blocks nearby.

So despite Lani’s protesting legs we proceeded with the transfer anyway.

We passed by interesting mosques and buildings along the way that I was busy taking photos and shooting videos. Even one bus didn’t escape my wife’s attention. It has an F1 paint job on it. So posed she did - right in front of the curious crowd.

Upon reaching the Central Market, the gloomy sky poured in. What better reason to enjoy a hot coffee (or noodles for Noel).

We find a nice coffee shop in the middle of the shopping center. It’s Old Town White Coffee. Their coffee menu was diverse and unique. And of course, importantly, the price tag is cheaper than the rest of the cafes in the Central Market. And this is one of the cases where “you-get-what-you-paid-for” line doesn’t apply – the coffee we got was real good. So good it could give Starbucks a run for their money.

The cheap but tasty coffee gave us some ringgits to spare for last minute souvenir shopping. So shopping we went. And there was this one stall (KL Idea) which we spilled those spare bills (coins actually). The store owners were nice and accommodating and I learned from them that this year is actually Malaysia’s 50th anniversary as a nation. Philippines celebrated it’s 100th year a couple of years ago. I rest my case.

Next: Day 7 (Where to Now?)

Day 5 (Taman Tasik Perdana)

Since we arrived late at the Lake Garden the last time, we decided it would be a good idea to explore it more by early morning.

And so today is that day. We’re going to have a picnic.

Once we finished breakfast, another cooking session began. Noel cooked the typical Filipino picnic food, pansit. Peanut butter sandwiches were also prepared. And then again, I was just the eager onlooker.

Our taxi driver going to the garden was Badri, who just like any other Malaysian we met, is a Jericho Rosales (a Filipino actor) fan. He was so delighted when he learned that we’re from the Philippines. He openly told us that he likes Jericho movies a lot that he spent several tear-jerking moments watching it. Badri was fun to be with as he talks and smiles a lot. I can sense from the way he talks about everything that he’s one proud Malaysian (other than the fact that he loves one of our actors). I’m yet to be completely proud that I’m a Filipino.

We were supposed to go start our day at the KL Bird Park, which is a section of the garden. They had to cancel it however when they saw that the entrance fee would cost each of us RM35. With me protesting mentally, they voted to check other attractions around. Free attractions, that is.

The decision to scrap the Bird Park tour wasn’t bad at all. We discovered that some of its birds & aviaries could be seen along the road. Well, the best things in life are free, right?

After settling in one of the park’s tables and eating the food that we brought along, we started to look for the “lake” in the Lake Garden. At first what we saw was somewhat disappointing as the lake appears to have accumulated moss and looks as if it had been stagnant for a long time.

Not to be deterred by that sight, we pushed further south. And things began to get interesting once more.

We passed by the Fantasy Planet playground where for a moment we turned into kids enjoying the sight of colorful slides, play bridges and spiral bars. We got to play with the revolving swings as well.

As we neared the boathouse, the sky went a bit gray & it started to drizzle. So we took shelter. The girls were at the swing while Noel and I under a shed. It was where we got to know Rosman. A security guard in that area.

We got to talk a lot of things (from park birds, cars, gadgets and even religion). And the more I talk to him the more I learn about what Muslims are really like. Well at least, for him, in this case. (At this point of our trip, I’ve conversed with a lot actually and I haven’t found any rude ones). They’re just actually just like us Catholics. They’re not so different after all.

The sun eventually found its way past the gray clouds and we continued with our tour of the garden. After a minute of stopping by and finishing our food, the park’s shuttle driver arrived and we got the chance to completely cover the whole Lake Garden. And guest what, it only cost us RM0.50 each. And we had a couple of laughs when we saw that we were aimlessly wandering around early this morning and which the main entrance of the garden was just one left turn away from the bird park.

Once the shuttle tour was over, we decided it was time to leave. We needed a taxi going back and somebody we asked, advised that we can just go straight further and we would get a cab from there.

That way led us to a tunnel or some sort of an underpass. Not knowing what to expect we pushed through anyway.At the other end, discovered we’re heading straight into the National Museum. Great.

Luckily, it was just 4 PM and we still have a couple of hours before closing time. And so after paying RM2.0 (each), we were inside goggling and peaking over displays. And one thing I liked in there is that they allow the visitors to take pictures and videos. What I hated though, was that I’ll be shooting in low light condition and…and that I’m running low on video 8 cartridges. Ti abi.

To cap the day, we paid KL’s biggest mall – the Mid Valley Megamall. The “myth” (actually a hearsay) that there’s no big and good mall in Malaysia is now busted.

Next: Day 6 (The Twin Towers)

Day 4 (Chow Kit & The Monkeys)

Just RM8.0 away (via teksi) from our hotel is Chow Kit. This is where the overwhelming modern urban KL seems to soften a bit. This area is just the ordinary wet market where one would find cheap produce, meat (unfortunately, if you’re looking for pork, this is not the place). Filipinos like us will surely find ingredients to cook our favorite adobo.

What makes this place great though, is that the people here are good and nice to talk and deal with. One store even gave us free chicken asses (or what they call tongking. At least it’s what it sounds to me) when they saw me got a bit surprised that it was separated together with the head (they said that both are sold separately and mostly cooked as kebab) from the poultry we bought. I’m an ilonggo you know, so I love these asses (no pun intended). Back home we call it isol. Yummy!

After buying all the ingredients that we need and after we decided to buy a box of mineral water (beer is expensive, but so is water in KL) which surprisingly kuya Noel gladly agreed to carry on his shoulder, we hurriedly went back home. It’s time for our 1st home-cooked meal. And time to exploit the nice kitchen at the hotel.

The hearty lunch of fried fish (which left the whole room smelling fishy for the next few days), adobo and ampalaya with coconut milk which the whole group cooked (except me. I’m just the dishwasher) got us into lazy mode. So there’s no other activity to match that but to monkey around. Literally.

We discovered that just right outside and below our room’s balcony is a rich monkey habitat. We spent almost several hours just observing them and at some point offered banana slices which they eagerly took and ate. They’re not alone though in these trees and foliage. There were also squirrels and some endemic birds gliding back and forth along the branches.

By nighttime, we decided to go back to Petaling Street. The decision was worth it.

Chinatown was busier than it was in the morning. It was more beautiful and colorful as well. The red rounded Chinese lanterns dominating the area and the neon signs glowing with Chinese characters made me feel like I was in one Travel Channel or Adventure movie scene. This time however, I’m not. I’m really at the scene. The sight of beer drinkers (mostly expats) in front of the restaurants added the sense of delight…and thirst. I keep reminding myself though, “that beer is expensive”. So I grabbed my beers instead from the nearest 7-11 store.

My shopping-addicted companions finished with their haggling just on time for them to accompany me to buy a 1GB Sony memory stick at a mall before it closes. We’ll need that memory size tomorrow.

Next: Day 5 (Taman Tasik Perdana)

Day 3 (The Hottest Race)

This is the day! This is what we came for.

With my red shirt on and my wife donning a white shirt with a bicycle print on it (a bad sign?), we readied and waited for 11 am. It’s our shuttle’s pick up time (we paid a return trip to and from Sepang, which costs us RM100 each). We will be on our way to Sepang F1 Circuit for the much-awaited race. We will be sharing the ride with other hotel guests – a German father & son, Indian couple, & a Filipina with two of her sons.

The trip took us a couple of hours before we reached the area. The road to the circuit was jam-packed with cars, taxis and buses. On that day, almost all roads lead to F1. And with the blistering sun worsening the wait, other cars had to pull over to cool off; Others had to roll down their windows, as air-conditioning seems futile. Good thing we had a proud Malay driver giving us insights of their race track, making us more eager to get out of the van and have the race started in front of us.

Despite the confusion and uncertainty of our time of arrival, the sight of uniformed fans (also stuck in traffic) wearing the dominant red Ferrari, blue and white BMW, & yellow and blue Renault team shirts gave me goosebumps all over. It’s race day indeed.

Eventually, we arrived at PC3. This is where we had to take an approximately 100 meter-walk to the C3 entrance. Along the way, we sprayed ourselves with sun block lotion – a must on this hot event. Our ticket is free seating (or standing), which makes it more compelling to do so.

After another hour of waiting (and watching some of the pre-race programs), we finally heard the roar and whine of the F1 cars during the pre-warm up lap. I was shooting a video and was about to say a couple of insights & introduction, but the excitement and delight of seeing the cars drove by got me teary-eyed and felt a lump on my throat. In the end all I can utter is “Finally!”.

As the Star Sports hosts on TV would say, “…the five lights illuminate…the lights are out…the race is on…”, the race started with the two Ferraris on the front row. Unfortunately, it changed all so quickly that by the time it passed turn 8 which was at our right, one of the Mclarens already started gaining some distance from the two Prancing Horses. At this point in time though, we actually didn’t care yet. The rhythm of the 20 cars passing in a blur in front of us is just music to our ears and pure spectacle to our eyes.

By the middle of the race it became clear who is winning this one. It was a bit disappointing to see our favorite team trailing behind the two Mclarens that at some point I heard my wife shouting an cheering for another team. She’s turned into a double agent.

At the end of the 56 laps the race winner, in order, was Alonso, Hamilton and Kimi.

After the all the finishers were done with their victory lap, the crowd at C3 started packing up (and sadly, leaving most of their thrashes behind). It is pointless to stay, the awarding ceremony is out of sight. The Mclaren fans holding their flags up high, the Ferrari fans down. My wife didn’t care anymore. No point crying over spilled milk. She actually posed in front of a couple of team flags as souvenir for this race.

We met up with the rest of the Duta Vista guests at PC2. The Indian couple’s the lucky one this time. Their team won and somehow, we had fun reviewing the race while our van was crawling at the traffic once more.

We arrived at the hotel by past 8 p.m.

Next: Day 4 (Chow Kit & The Monkeys)

Day 2 (Haggling It Out)

After a breakfast of a variety of bread we bought last night, we were off to the Central Market. The place looks from outside a bit old and just the ordinary cheap market that is common in the Philippine provinces. Entering it however would change all that impression. Inside is mixture of souvenir items, watches, shirts, jewelry stuffs and other items that are sure would make one dizzy as well as delighted. And what I like about this place is that right at the middle of the market are great restaurants, coffee shops and once again, bread stores (we’d learn later, that all over KL, there’s Berry, Bread Talk, Bread Story & Bread History, to name a few. All of which sells almost the same product line but of different prices that caters to all budget bracket).

Lunch for today was just at a nearby mall. One thing I find nice about the food courts here is that it is self-serviced. They’ll just serve you rice on a plate and will let you do the picking for the rest of the viands. Then they’ll charge you according to the amount of food that you got on your place. Nice, huh.

After the meal, we went to straight to Petaling Street (aka Chinatown) which is just across the mall. This place is comparable to the Philippine’s Divisoria in terms of merchandise: Faux watches, shoes, shirts, bags, you name it, it’s all here. It is also a good place to buy souvenirs here. Be ready though with your haggling skills. The better you are with it, the greater chance of getting a good deal.

Feeling the effect of dizzying bargain hunting, the group called it quits at Chinatown. We agreed it was time for us to see the mighty Twin Towers.

From Petaling we looked for the bus (buses there are numbered, not “tagged” as it is here in Phil) that would take us to KLCC. It was our first bus ride. It costs us RM0.7 each. Back home it is equal to P10 fare. And most likely you won’t find one offering that minimum price for an air-conditioned bus.

Once we got out of the bus, and impatiently waited for the pedestrian lights to turn green, we eventually saw ourselves facing the Twin Towers. Awed. Overwhelmed.

But since we knew from other people that a visit to the towers’ sky bridge is impossible at this time of the day, we tried to make the most of the day’s visit.

Situated between the two giant structures is the Suria KLCC mall. And at its center court was BMW’s team F1 car on display. Other F1 related activities – e.g., F1 simulator drive, ticket sales were likewise on-going and we just can’t help but pose in front of the displays. Any F1 pose is worth taking. I had to set the embarrassment aside. Let it be.

By the end of our coffee break (at the mall’s Dunkin Donut outlet) we went across the mall to exit at the other side. And yes, of course. The two giants are still there.

One thing I learned from reading photography tips is to avoid cliché shots. But who cares? We are at the famous Petronas Tower. We can’t help it but pose just as everyone I saw did – i.e. get yourself (and the whole group in this case) in the frame and make sure that the towers’ tip and structure is in it as well. We repeated those cliché shots over and over. Different pose, different angle, different location. But both towers had to be there. We didn’t mind the weird stares from other tourists. For sure, they’ll do likewise anyway.

After almost emptying my camera’s memory and after feeling a bid of neck strain we nodded that it was time to go somewhere else. Lake Garden.

It was a bit late in the afternoon already when we arrived. There’s an event at the park so throngs of people were gathered in front of the stadium and we learned it’s a rock concert. At that point I was actually curious & interested if the band would play songs in English or Malay. We tried to wait for it but the humidity’s taking its toll on us. We got tired, sweaty & hungry with my wife forcing a smile (warning sign) so decided to leave even before the concert started.

To end the day, we had dinner again at Bangsar, this time at Sri Nirwana, which serves mostly Indian Food. The place was packed with a diverse list of customers, locals & foreigners alike. Again, they don’t serve beer, which again could have come great with the spicy food served on banana leaf. Once more, we dined alfresco.

We had a hard time flagging a teksi after the meal. The passing BMW’s, Benz’s, compact cars & a good variety of Protons somehow had a de-stressing effect on me while waiting for elusive taxi. After more than an hour of hunting it, we got one at last. Whew!

Next: Day 3 (The Hottest Race)

 

Day 1 (My 1st Nasi Lemak)

The one-hour trip and late afternoon arrival at the hotel sent our stomach grumbling & begging for food. For several moments though, it all disappeared once we got to check in on our room. Or shall I say our home for the next 7 days. Calling it a room would be a misnomer as it was a two-story, two-bedroom (with toilet & bath each) place. It also has a lounge with comfy couches and a fully equipped kitchen. What more can we asked for. By the way, we paid Sing$125 for this 1-week accommodation. Not bad, huh!?

The grumbling has got to be answered. And so our first authentic Malaysian dining happened. And 15 minutes away from our hotel is Bangsar, a place where several upscale restaurants and shopping area is located. Even then, we went directly to a street food court where the banner bearing the big words “Nasi Lemak” grabbed our attention. And there’s no better way to eat it than alfresco, so even if the place was a bit dim, we mingled with other diners who were enjoying their meal just along the side of the main street.

Nasi Lemak is a local food consist mainly of chicken, egg and several other sidings not to mention the variety of spicy sauces and dips available at our own picking. Its preparation likewise is not to be left unnoted – some were picked & place with the seller’s bare hand. But who cares anyway. The food was great. Unfortunately, due to their religious restriction, they don’t serve beer (or any other liquor), which I know would have been perfect with it.

Next: Day 2 (Haggling It Out)

Blog Alert

Been To Malaysia…O Really….

It’s been almost a month already when we had our vacation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Even until now, pauses in between work & other activities, I would find myself wondering if I have really got to be in Malaysia. It was as if the 7-day trip went by so fast as an F1 car would drive through 1 lap.

Come to think of it, it was our F1 fanaticism that started this trip in the first place.

My wife and I planned this trip, initially, just to see the 2007 F1 Sepang race. Sooner we’d learn that the minimum number of days our time sharing account would allow us is 1 week. Well, who gets upset over an extended vacation? If there’s anyone, it won’t be us. So to make this a vacation more fun, we convinced her brother and his wife to tag along.

Our trip started on a Good Friday (pun intended).

The airline we got was Airasia. Despite the long drive from Sto. Tomas, Batangas to Diosdado Macapagal Internation Airport we arrived earlier than expected in Clark, Pampanga. From there, our 4-hour flight to KLIA-LCCT started by 1145am. On time.

The flight was smooth and uneventful, as the weather was good. Even with the absence of in-flight entertainment (no TV, no games) the view of the distinct dark Malaysian flight attendants that are beautiful and attractive nonetheless came as a bonus.

Upon arrival at LCCT and upon checking out at Immigration, we were picked by a taxi service that took us to Duta Vista Executive Suite in Persiaran Ledang after an hour of interesting trip. I can still remember when I had to peer through the van’s window when I saw the Petronas Twin Towers dominating the afternoon skyline. “We’re in Malaysia indeed”, I whispered to myself.

Next: Day 1 (My 1st Nasi Lemak)