I must admit, when I first planned my trip to Malaysia, I was hesitant. Hesitant, because I have always viewed Singapore as the place to be when it comes to shopping and safety. I was proven wrong. Malaysia offers that, while maintaining the ecological balance at par with the rate of progress and development.
To be able to enjoy Malaysia more, I decided to take the bus from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. The entire day was more like an episode of The Amazing Race because we have organized the trip in such a way that there is less idle time. After landing in Changi Airport and having obtained clearance from Singapore Immigration, we then proceeded to Bugis (via train) to have a quick lunch as we were expecting a very long bus ride to Malaysia.
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| Lacking sleep, arrived at Changi Airport. Copyright Ritche F. Baria |
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| While Uber is popular in Manila for convenience's sake, it is still more convenient to take mass transportation in Singapore. In our case, we always love riding their trains. Copyright Ritche F. Baria |
After that quick bite, we took the cab from Bugis to the Singapore Textile Center where the Eltabina Bus awaits. Since we arrived very early, we were able to stay at a nearby park and enjoy the quietness of the surroundings. It is amazing to find small parks like this in busy Singapore.
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| On board the Eltabina Bus from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur Copyright Ritche F. Baria |
I spent most of the six hour trip from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur sleeping. But in a few times of being awake, I did enjoy looking at all the greenery. I am amazed at how Malaysians value nature. I was given the impression that they will plant any tree at any location possible, or merely rehabilitate any area which was disturbed by real estate constructions. They will find a way to maintain ecological balance.
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| Malaysians value the importance of maintaining the ecological balance Copyright Ritche F. Baria |
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| I suppose we are near...... |
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| There is a certain feeling of "home" that Malaysia evokes |
I was also amused by the road signs, their language being a close kin of our Filipino tounge. Being an Ilonggo myself, I noticed that our vernacular has the same words as Malay. The stopovers not only provided relief from the call of nature but these were also venues to explore some Malaysian delicacies like noodles, pastries, and etc.
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| Their version of traffic is less horrifying than what we are used to in Manila Copyright Ritche F. Baria
The six-hour-busride was culminated when the Petronas Towers started becoming more visible the nearer we become to Kuala Lumpur. I am surprised with the fewer vehicles on the speedway compared to what we have in Manila. Every road, every corner, every curve seems to be well thought of, seems to be well maintained and most of all, every path seems to be a gateway to lots of adventures.
I was at awe when the bus made a stop at Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS), which acts as the central bus terminal of Kuala Lumpur. Not only that it is huge, but it is designed as a hub travellers. Out bus driver was kind enough to bring us near our hotel in Bukit Bintang. On the way there, one is introduced to the different facets of Malaysia - from the shopping districts up to the areas they refer to as "heritage sites". We are lucky to have booked in Bintang Warisan Hotel, one of the heritage hotels in Kuala Lumpur. We had to make our way through the busy streets of Bukit Bintang with our large suitcases to make it to our hotel. It is a good thing that the discipline (or probably the attitude as well) of the people here towards traffic is basically the same as that of Filipinos. Crossing streets was merely a breeze for us.
Bintang Warisan is your typical budget hotel and is located in probably one of the busier districts of Malaysia. Bukit Bintang, the area where we are staying reminds me of old Manila, specifically that of Recto - Carriedo. People don't seem to sleep.
After having a quick meal taking in the vibe of the city, we are now ready to call it a day. What other way is there to cap it off than a nice view of the Kuala Lumpur's landmarks - the Menara Kuala Lumpur and the Petronas Towers with the Kuala Lumpur starry sky as a background.
Tomorrow is another adventure.
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