KL By KTM (4-6th Dec 2010)We decided to travel to KL via the infamous KTM trains after viewing a travel program earlier in the year. And since I had never experienced riding the train, I figured this holiday presented a great opportunity to sweep the whole family along for some bonding time before the final curtain calls upon the majestic Tanjong Pagar train station.
Remnants of its colonial heritage
Stepping into the railway terminal is like a trip down memory lane for Ross's folks. Although the super long ride made his dad exclaim that Japan's bullet train was by far, speedier in relation to the KTM's slow crawl through the Malaysian states. Haha..! And to think he could remember he took that ride in his (much) younger days when he was able to trawl the oceans as a captain of a commercial vessel made us lift eyebrows as we witnessed the irony of how ingrained memories can surface despite the deterioration of neurons.
We officially stepped into Malaysian territory in the station. There are 2 quaint coffeeshops inside where you can find some really mean, crisp prata and overstuffed curry puffs with hand pulled tea.
This was where we lined up to cross onto the boarding gates. Note that the customs officer only takes a portion of your white card and DOES NOT stamp your passport. My heart skipped beats when I saw my unstamped passport and I almost ran back to the counter in fear of potential illegal immigrant status.
However, my fears were uncalled for. Apparently, that is the LEGAL way and on our way back, the customs officer came on board the train to manually check our passport and signed in our passports.
By far, this is the weirdest and most unique stamp I have in my passport!
Do note that the option for riding the train has its fair share of pros and cons though..
Pros:
1. Its cheap
Seniors and children pay only half price
2. It provides an alternative view of rural Malaysia
3. Snacks are sold inbetween every carriage
From Pringles to nasi lemak, the wide array of tidbits and junk to satisfy hungry patrons
4. Toilets are also inbetween every carriage
Though do note that points 2-4 are double edged swords.
No luxuries in this part of the train - economy
all the LCD played was re-runs of their own KTM commercial
Seats are 2-2 and half of the carriage faces front whilst the other half faces backwards. Views in reverse can be extremely nauseating for those prone to motion sickness and you are advised to ask other passengers to swop seats. Also notable was the fact that ALL the men that were supposed to sit beside me (as I was sitting alone) swopped seats with other women.
This can only mean 2 things:
1. The segregation of males and females in Malaysia is often upheld.
2. I am too chio for words thus Malaysian men find it a neccessity to maintain their distance as I may unwittingly unleash my womanly charms upon them.
My head strongly feels it is the former whilst my pride chooses the latter.
Cons:
1. Its damn slow and prone to mysterious delays
Our travelling time swelled to over 7 hours per trip. We boarded the train from SG to KL at 8am, only to reach around 4pm. It took us a mind-boggling 1 and a half hours just to cross into JB. Now that really sucks!
On our way back from KL, our ride was delayed by 30 minutes without any reason or announcement but since we had pretty much anticipated this, we used the time to hunt for food and magazines at KL Sentral.
2. The rural view of Malaysia
Apart from the busy expressways that you might find when riding the coach into Malaysia, the views from the train were really eye-opening. Most of the time, we passed by small towns, complete with traditionally built houses. Amidst this splattering of nice homes, there were also plentiful squatter attaps amongst heaps of litter and puddles of barren muddy patches that screamed orange alongside messy overgrown foliage.
If you are those that prefer oceanviews or a birds eye view then clearly the KTM is not for you.
3. Snacks on board are super overpriced
Like food aboard all vessels of travel, food options are super overpriced. A packet of nasi lemak/can of Pringles costs RM6 while a hot drink of coffee/tea sets you back RM3.
4. The Toilets are from HELL
While there was the convenience of having toilets around, the state of the restrooms were (to put it bluntly), fucking horrendous. The fucking toilets were dingy and small and the tap at the sink spits water in all directions with its nuclear pressure! Be warned. Toilets on board the trains are NOT for the faint hearted.
high rise buildings set amidst low rise shophouses
Upon reaching KL, we bought a taxi voucher from the counter to ferry us to our Hotel, Maytower Hotel (RM13 with surcharge) suggested by Ross's brother-in-law. Its located in a part known as Little India and boy, how true it stayed to its namesake.
found this grid of commercially shot pics of the hotel.
the rooms are SMALLER in real life!
The rooms were small but thankfully clean with a large LCD TV, ironing facilities, hairdryer and rainbath styled showerhead bathroom. Breakfast options were also adequate with an egg/omlette station, noodle station, porridge, choice of breads, cereals and a sprinkling of ready-to-eat dishes such as fried rice, sausages, hash browns, a salad bar and an array of tropical fruits that changes a little every day.
On the first evening, we explored the surroundings and headed to Sogo where we were bombarded with crazy sales! Homegrown brands like Padini, Vinnci, Seed and international brands like Guess bags, etc were screaming 50-70% discounts! Ross bought a box set of 2 Bum equipment boxers for RM11 (thats like blardy SGD5)!
On the 2nd day, we travelled down to Bukit Bintang for more shopping!
I snagged a pale beige chiffon blouse complete with a pleated bib detail and the most delightful tie at a 50% discount at RM79 (SGD30+) over in Lot 10. Then we walked over to Sungei Wang where more potential bargains beckoned. Though due to his dad's meal timings, we could not afford to shop there and went took the train to Times Square to have lunch. However, I managed to buy Etude House's BB compact at a 30% discount and paid RM46 (SGD20+) instead of SGD45 in Singapore! And some more chiffon blouses at RM25 each!
Crazy bargains!
Ross bought touristy KL magnets for 2 at RM8 (SGD3+), Padini shirts for RM59 (SGD30+) while Rick swept jeans at RM27 (SGD13), RM35 (SGD 16) and shirts at RM49-59 (SGD25-30), all of which were at 50% off!
What steals...!!
Food options over in Times Square was abundant and varied to meet all budgets. We had our lunch in the 2nd floor corner next to the small Watsons and paid just over RM100 for a meal for 6 together with main courses, desserts and drinks.
After sending his mum and dad back to the hotel to rest, we continued to wander around the surrounding markets where Ross bought some track pants and turkish sweets from the local supermarket.
We were then ferried over to Bangi, a 45 minute ride away from the city of Kl to visit their relatives. They have an 8 year old monkey, named Cocoa whom incidentally also has Diabetes. She was taken in by the husband and wife duo after her mother was shot dead by poachers in the tropical rainforests in Malaysia. Note that it is ILLEGAL to rear these exotic pets without a licence in Malaysia. Thankfully, Cocoa is legally under their stewardship.
Cocoa has spent her entire life in captivity and will not be able to fend for herself in the wild. She did not know how to peel bananas and had to be taught by her owners. Instead of trees and vines to climb, she has a man made gym built into her cage. She also does not possess the communication and adaptive talents found in wild monkeys so all the friends she has (besides her 'parents') are imported stuffed toys malued from rough play. I spotted at least 3 Russ bears littered around her cage. And although she gets the best medical aid her owners can afford, it cannot return her ailing sight.
Her cage is built at the side of the patio next to a Koi pond and fountain. Besides the school of Koi, the house also has a large population of stray cats taken in by the mistress of the house.
The cats are caged up at night because there have been several attacks on the roaming cats by packs of wild dogs. Thus these cats are only freed in the mornings when the owners are around and the packs are less daring.
While the husband is a retired architect, his wife still works as a director of a construction company in the city. And because they have no children, they love their pets as they would children. Cocoa even watches TV in the kitchen! Their house and car was bought with her comfort in mind. They had to get a corner unit so Cocoa's cage could be incorporated in the patio and an SUV bought to ferry her in her large transport cage.
Wow. Unbelievable.
Cocoa coaxed by a plum for some picture ops
However, no matter how luxurious a pet has it, I can't help but feel this twang of heartache for the loss of priceless freedom amidst their material gains.
What good is a guilded cage?
The ride back to KL was swift as their cousin drove through the silent streets of KL under the bright moonlight and shimmery KL twin towers near our hotel. We ended our night as the hours crept by and slumped into bed after the full day...
On our last day, we spent our time walking the nearby shopping centres to grab presents for their cousins while I stumbled onto some last minute bargains for scrapbooking obsession from a wholesale craft shop! Blings, satin flowers and ribbons at ridiculous prices!!
I could have died in the shop smiling!
While I will most likely NEVER travel to KL by train again, this truly was an unforgettable experience to walk away and learn from. At the very least, I can safely say, 'I did it!' through a smile that can flood my memories I share with the people I love and hold dear.
