Being an archipelago, you either have to go on board a ship or take an airplane to travel abroad. Together with my three siblings we took a flight from Manila to Kuala Lumpur. It was our first trip to a foreign country. It was a graduation gift to the three of us and an elder brother to watch over us.
Upon arrival at the airport, we saw a sign with our last name on a piece of paper. We had a tour package or basically, the whole nine yards. We then got on a coaster with the travel officer and the chauffeur. It took more than half an hour to get to our hotel.
We stayed at an upscale accommodation with breakfast included. To be honest, the first night was a bit daunting for me as I realized that I was not in the Philippines anymore. You may call it separation anxiety or what but past midnight or so I was finally able to snooze. At Seven o’ clock in the morning, I was awake and I looked out the wide ceiling to floor panel window. It was still dark. That was the first difference I observed between Manila and Kuala Lumpur. Consequently, I later experienced an evening with the sun still up around eight o’clock.
Then we went to the dining hall for our free buffet breakfast and we tried the local cuisine. We later found out that it was too spicy. We opted for the traditional western cuisine like jams, eggs, cheeses and breads. Furthermore, after finding out that the local cuisine is too extreme for our taste buds we had lunches and dinners at American restaurants.
As part of the tour package, we were fetched from our hotel by Stewart, the tour guide, to go on a city tour. We got on a sleek Mercedes Benz and he drove on the left side of the avenue. Malaysia was a British colony you see. We went to the historical district of Kuala Lumpur and later on to a pewter factory where we bought souvenirs.
I was a regular tourist then and the vacation ended as expected. But the second time I went to Malaysia, I decided to see the city in my own terms maybe even getting lost in the metropolis. At that time, the iconic landmark of KL was already completely built which was the Petronas Towers. I wanted to see the towers on my own. I left the suburban outskirts of the city at mid-morning and walked and took the elevated train. I just brought a map with me for convenience.
Even with a map, I got lost at one train station and to my chagrin I kept going on circles. It seemed like I went to a secret passage way and was trapped. After a few tries, I decided to ask a local and inquired for directions. She was elated to help me and even showed me the exit way herself. She spoke excellent English with a British accent. Afterwards, I took the train to the city center where the towers are located. I got off at one of the train stations where there was a glass covering for the dangerous parts of the exit points. Only the entrance and exit lanes have openings.
It was like a United Nations conference ambiance as people from different countries converged. I saw Middle Eastern people, Africans, Americans and Europeans. The building complex itself is gargantuan. It has business offices and a mall. The first thing I did was to get my picture taken outside the complex with the building as the backdrop. I saw a middle-aged European woman and I asked her to take a photo of me. I thanked her and when she said goodbye she hoped that she got a good shot. From afar, I saw fellow tourists having pictures taken with the towers at the background. I saw a European couple and the man took photos of his wife. I approached the couple and made small talk and I requested if they could take a photo of me with the Petronas facade defiant at the back. He said yes and the man took a great picture of me.
Probably, that is the one advice I can give you if you are exploring a place on your own. You look for fellow tourists, make a friendly chat and have photos taken. That is of course if it is a public place. When in restaurants or private establishments you can just ask one of the staff to handle your camera.
With the daytime shots done, I went back inside the complex and enjoyed the huge mall. I went to an American franchise restaurant for lunch and later in the afternoon I went to a Malaysian coffee shop and consumed their famous bun. While walking in the mall I would get in a shop and see what they were offering. I would convert the Ringgit into Pesos and I decided to purchase a sweater.
When it was already getting dark I went out to the tourists area again to have a night time photo with the towers. I marveled at the magnificence of the modern towers which were the tallest buildings in the world sometime ago. This time I saw a group of Indian tourists and I asked one of them to take a picture of me and one of them agreed. Later on, I found out that the night time photo was the runaway winner with my circle of family and friends.
Then I headed back to the suburban area taking the elevated train system. My brother and my sister were pleased to see me. I realized as I checked my phone that my brother actually called me thrice to see if I was doing perfectly alright. If I’m not mistaken I took home with me the famous Malaysian coffee buns from the city center.
If France has the Eiffel Tower, if Egypt has the Pyramids of Giza, if New York has the Empire State Building and if London has the Big Ben then Kuala Lumpur has the Petronas Twin Towers. That is the usual item in the itinerary of an international tourist. But later on I preferred the road less traveled. The secret hide away of the locals is what I try to uncover. The ones you don’t read about. The places that you never knew existed.
As you go along with your travels you will learn about yourself, other people and the places you visit. For one thing, I learned to travel light and leave nothing but footprints, create fond memories, experience life changing lessons and capture pictures to cherish forever.
I spent a whole day at that landmark with every moment etched in my mind. Although now looking back, I can say that it was a smart strategy on my part. People will have their own style. I have my own style but what’s important is to try it on your own because you are the captain of your own ship. And at the end of the day, when your sail is ready and the wind is coming your way, enjoy the ride and own it because no matter what others say you are worth it. And the universe conspired for you to be able to go on your own adventure. And I will be one of those people wishing you well. Bon voyage!
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