Pusat perbelanjaan yang terintegrasi dengan bandar udara itu tampak sepi di banyak titik, tak sedikit toko yang telah menutup pintunya rapat-rapat. Hanya beberapa minimarket yang masih membuka diri bagi para pengunjung bandara.
“Hmmhhh, senyap sekali….Lebih baik aku langsung saja menuju ke Terminal 1 dan mencari spot yang bisa kugunakan untuk beristirahat di sana”, aku mengambil satu keputusan dalam hati.
Maka melangkahlah aku menuju ujung utara Gateway@KLIA2. Aku tahu bahwa dari ujung pusat perbelanjaan itu terdapat escalator untuk menggapai “Transportation Hub” yang berada di Lantai 1. Ini lah area yang merupakan akses utama menuju ke beberapa kota penting di Malaysia, menuju ke pusat kota dan bahkan menuju ke beberapa titik penting di sekitaran bandara…Sepang International Circuit adalah salah satu contohnya.
Sesampainya di Transportation Hub Area, aku langsung menuju ke deretan platform untuk melihat situasi dan mencari petunjuk dimanakah lokasi KLIA–Free Shuttle Bus akan mengambil penumpang, karena hanya bus itulah yang bisa mengantarkanku secara cuma-cuma menuju Terminal 1 di sisi timur KLIA2.
Tak kunjung menemukannya, maka aku memutuskan untuk berdiri menunggu saja di salah satu platform yang nampak sepi. Tapi aku tak khawatir karena keberadaanku bisa dilihat oleh segenap pengunjung bandara dari sisi dalam bangunan bandara.
Hampir tengah malam di Trasportation Hub Lantai 1, KLIA2
Platform berbagai bus menuju ke banyak destinasi di dalam dan luar kota.
Pucuk dicinta ulam tiba….
Bus berkelir biru itu tiba, meluncur gesit dari ujung bangunan bandara, menyorotkan lampu yang menyilaukan mata. Aku hanya berdiri terpaku mengamati kedatangannya, sembari menunggu dimanakah bus itu akan berhenti. Melewatiku dengan kecang, bus itu mulai menurunkan laju di ujung lain bangunan bandara.
“Oh, di situ ternyata dia berhenti”, aku tersenyum tipis bak memenangkan sebuah pertarungan dengan mudah.
Maka melangkahlah aku menuju free shuttle bus itu dengan ayunan langkah cepat.
Aku melangkah masuk dari pintu tengah dan duduk di bangku yang terletak sedikit di belakang. Menaikkan beberapa penumpang, bus gratis itu pun mulai berangkat sesaat kemudian. Hanya sedikit penumpang yang terangkut malam itu, yaitu beberapa penumpang lokal dan satu-dua turis asing asal Tiongkok.
Aku kembali menikmati romansa masa lalu di sepanjang perpindahan terminal itu. Aktivitas kecil seperti itu selalu menjadi ritual yang sering kulakukan di masa lalu, saat dimana pandemi belum unjuk gigi menguasai dunia.
Perjalanan menuju Ke Terminal 1 itu hanya memakan waktu 25 menit. Melewati beberapa titik penting di sekitaran bandara seperti Long Term Car Park (LTCP) area dan Mitsui Outlet Park (MOP).
Aku diturunkan di Gate 4, International Departure Hall – Terminal 1 di Lantai 1.
Aku memasuki pintu bangunan bandara yang berbentuk lingkaran di Gate 4. Lalu menaiki escalator untuk menuju Lantai 2. Tetapi entah kenapa, ketika mencari keberadaan food court area, justru aku bisa tersasar. Alih-alih menemukannya, justru aku tersasar hingga ke parking area.
“Dasar amatiran kamu, Donny”, kali ini aku menyangsikan kemampuanku sendiri.
Memutar arah kembali ke tempat awal tiba di Lantai 2, pada akhirnya aku menemukan selasar yang masih ramai dengan aktivitas. Beberapa coffee shop tampak masih berpengunjung walau tak penuh.
Free Shuttle Bus KLIA2 ke KLIA atau sebaliknya.
Lantai 1 KLIA
Suasana selasar di Lantai 2 KLIA.
Melanjutkan kebiasaan lama ketika bertraveling..…Tidur di bandara.
Pada saat yang bersamaan, aku merasakan pegal di punggung karena terlalu lama memanggul backpack. Tetapi sebelum benar-benar mencari bangku untuk beristirahat, aku memaksakan langkah kembali menaiki satu lantai untuk memastikan keberadaan check-in counter yang akan kutuju di keesokan hari. Menaiki sebuah escalator panjang, akhirnya aku menemukan deretan check-in counter tersebut. Terdapat 12 deret check-in counter yang masih sepi di Lantai 3 – Terminal 1 KLIA.
Merasa telah menguasai alur untuk keperluan di keesokan hari, akhirnya aku memutuskan untuk duduk di salah satu deret bangku, meletakkan backpack untuk beberapa saat, dan bersiap untuk tidur malam di deret bangku kosong yang kutemukan itu.
Hanya dalam sekejap, Air Asia QZ 206 genap menyelesaikan taxiing di sepanjang landas pacu demi menggapai di salah satu sisi apron.
Sambutan aerobridge menyusul dengan terjulur perlahan belalainya hingga menempel di pintu pesawat. Beberapa saat kemudian, pesawat mulai mengalirkan penumpangnya menuju bangunan terminal.
Aku yang keluar dari pintu pesawat di antrian depan, langsung mengejar keberadaan ibu paruh baya yang kutemui di Soetta. Kemudian aku menyejajari langkahnya dan berinisiatif untuk membantu menarik trolley bagnya. Si ibu pun tersenyum mendapatkan pertolongan kecil yang kuberikan.
“Gede banget ya, A bandaranya”, wajah si ibu tampak menengok kesana-kemari.
“Masih gedean, Soekarno-Hatta, Bu”, aku sabar mengerem langkah demi terus sejajar dengan langkahnya.
Aku akhirnya mengantarkan ibu paruh baya itu hingga ke pintu transfer hall Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 (KLIA 2).
“Ibu, silahan masuk ke transfer hall melalui pintu yang dijaga para petugas itu. Besok pagi dua jam sebelum waktu penerbangan, ibu harus mencari informasi di layar lebar seperti itu (aku menunjuk ke salah satu FIDS/Flight Information Display System)”, aku menjelaskan sambil berjongkok menyetarai tinggi badan si Ibu.
“Baik, A. Nuhun ya atas bantuannya. Ati-ati, A di jalan”, dia menjulurkan tangannya dan meminta bersalaman.
Aku menggapai tangannya dan melempar senyum untuk menenangkannya.
Selanjutnya aku pergi menuju sebuah escalator panjang ke arah atas demi menuju konter imigrasi. Tetapi sebelum benar-benar menaiki escalator itu, aku menghentikan sejenak langkahku di depan sebuah konter penjualan Traveller SIM. Aku memandangi konter Tune Talk yang dominan merah itu, melihat paket data yang ditawarkan. Paket data sebesar 15 GB dibanderol dengan harga 30 Ringgit. Sejenak aku bergumul dengan budget. Akhirnya aku memutuskan untuk mengindahkannya, aku memilih bertahan satu malam tanpa kuota data. Aku akan berfokus untuk beristirahat saja.
Konter Tune Talk SIM Card.
Konter Digi SIM Card yang tampak tutup pada jam 11 malam.
Escalator menuju konter imigrasi.
Aku melanjutkan langgkah menuju konter imigrasi dan berdiri di salah satu antrian yang menurutku terbilang sepi dari masa normal. Jantungku berdegup lebih kencang, mensinyalir rasa was-was yang mulai unjuk gigi.
“Hanya transit, Pak Cik”, aku memulai percakapan dengan petugas imigrasi sembari menyerahkan passport dan e-ticket Uzbekistan Airways kepadanya.
“Oooohhh…Transit, nak kemane?”, dia bertanya dengan wajah dingin.
“Tashkent, Pak Cik”, jawabku mantap demi memamerkan kepercayaan diri
“Oh, sendiri keh….Ada apa disane?”, dia mulai melunak
“Peninggalan sejarah Islam, Pak Cik….Ada makam Imam Bukhori di sana, Pak Cik”, aku mulai memamaerkan pesona Uzbekistan yang aku sendiri belum pernah melihatnya.
“Oh, ya….Perlu wang berape kesane?”, pertanyaannya mulai menggelitik
Aku berpikir sejenak untu merubah kurs Rupiah ke Ringgit
“4.000 sampai 5.000 Ringgit, Pak Cik”, aku masih menatap langit-lagit bandara demi menghitung angka.
“Oooooo….Banyaknyeeee”, petugas itu manggut-manggut.
Usai melakukan prosedur pengambilan sidik jari, petugas imigrasi itu mempersilahkan aku keluar dari konter imigrasi.
Aku merasakan bahagia tak terkira ketika bisa memasuki wilayah negara Malaysia tanpa hambatan yang berarti. Satu awalan baik yang mampu memberikan peneguhan hati bahwa dunia ini sudah baik-baik saja.
Melewati bagian akhir pemeriksaan barang, aku sempat menunjuk ke backpack yang kupanggul ketika menatap wajah petugas Aviation Security yang bertugas di screening gate yang terletak di satu area sebelum exit gate.
Dia mengangguk sebagai pertanda aku harus memasukkan backpack di screening gate.
Melaluinya dengan mudah, aku pun melewati exit gate dan memasuki area Gateway@KLIA2.
Usai menunaikan ibadah shalat dengan menjamak Maghrib dan Isya di sebuah mushola milik Terminal 3 Existing, aku menuju Gate 3 dan memutuskan untuk menunggu penerbangan di salah satu bangku sembari mengisi daya telepon pintarku.
“A, ini tujuan Kuala Lumpur, ya?”, seorang perempuan paruh baya tetiba bertanya dan duduk di sebelahku.
“Iya, Ibu….Boleh lihat tiket Ibu?”, aku menyidik ingin tahu. “QZ 206….Iya Ibu ini benar ke KL”.
“Oh berarti saya ga nyasar ya, A?…Ini pertama kali saya akan bekerja di Brunei”, dia bercerita dengan sendirinya.
“Loh, Ibu transit?”, aku terhenyak
“Iya….Nanti di KL saya harus bagaimana ya, A?”, dia menunjukkan kecemasan.
“Ga usah khawatir, Ibu, nanti ibu masuk ke tranfer hall saja di Kuala Lumpur, nanti saya tunjukkan, bu”, aku menenangkan.
“Aa juga ke ruangan transit ya?”, dia kembali bertanya tentang rencanaku.
“Saya memang transit Ibu, tapi saya mau keluar imigrasi dahulu karena penerbangan saya berikutnya berangkat dari Terminal 1, sedangkan kita akan turum di Terminal 2, Bu”, aku menjelaskan dengan cara yang mudah dipahami.
“Oh begitu ya, A”, wajah ibu tersebut masih meyimpan kecemasan.
Lama bercakap-cakap, akhirnya panggilan untuk boarding benar-benar tiba. Mengantrilah aku di depan Gate 3 sembari menjaga ibu tersebut yang kuminta mengantri di depanku.
Beberapa saat kemudian aku tiba juga di kabin pesawat. Aku merangsek ke dalam demi mencari bangku bernomor 3B. Aku duduk di bangku tengah dan diapit oleh dua penumpang pria berkewarganegaraan Malaysia.
Duduk di barisan depan membuatku bisa memperhatikan awak kabin mempersiapkan segala sesuatu di cabin kitchen. Aku sesekali mengarahkan pandangan ke beberapa wajah para pramugari yang memamerkan face painting, mereka tampak lebih cantik dan elegan.
Pemandangan apron Terminal 3 Soetta.
Memasuki pintu kabin Air Asia QZ 206.
Sistem acak pemilihan free seat membuatku duduk ke baris depan….Nikmati saja lah ya.
Di sisi lain, sesaat aku merasa terharu karena malam itulah pertama kalinya, aku menaiki pesawat menuju ke luar negeri setelah sekian lama dunia dihantam badai pandemi COVID-19. Sedangkan rasa lain yang tersimpan di hati adalah kekhawatiran tentang keberadaanku di Kuala Lumpur International Airport jika pesawat sudah mendarat beberapa waktu kemudian.
Pertanyaan-pertanyaan dalam hati mulai muncul….Apakah aku akan mendapatkan masalah terkait dengan pembatasan mobilitas di sana, apakah ada hambatan lain terkait prosedur kesehatan, atau kekhawatiran lain yang merupakan akumulasi dari overthinkingku sendiri.
Aku berusaha melawan semua rasa itu selama penerbangan….Perlahan aku harus mengumpulkan keberanian demi perjalanan panjangku yang sudah ada di depan mata.
Malam itu perjalanan menuju Kuala Lumpur berlangsung mulus tanpa turbulensi berarti. Airbus A320-200 menembus langit malam selama dua jam lebih tanpa hambatan berarti.
Mendekati titik akhir penerbangan….
Hatiku berdebar ketika sang pilot menyampaikan perintah kepada awak kabin untuk bersiap melakukan pendaratan.
“Saatnya untuk memulai petualangan lagi di negeri orang”, aku menguatkan hati.
Sesaat kemudian….
Bunyi khas ketika roda raksasa dikeluarkan dari badan pesawat mulai terdengar, goyangan kecil kiri-kanan untuk menyeimbangkan badan pesawat mulai terasa dan akhirnya hentakan roda di landas pacu terdengar, pesawat sudah berada di runway Kuala Lumpur Internatioanal Airport Terminal 2 dan berlanjut melakukan taxiing demi menghantikan pesawat di salah satu sisi apron.
Sejenak aku mengintip ke jendela pesawat dan memperhatikan lekuk-lekuk indah bangunan bandara yang sudah lama sekali tidak kukunjungi.
Aku merindukan pemandangan ini setelah terjeda tiga tahun lamanya.
KLIA2….You are so beautiful.
Tetapi kemudian aku teringat sesuatu….aku reflek menoleh….menengok dua bangku ke belakang….Ya, Ibu paruh baya itu….Aku harus menolongnya…..
Tak berapa lama usai menyantap seporsi makanan cepat saji itu, aku bergegas menuju check-in zone. Maka aku mendapati check-in desk sudah mulai dibuka. Aku pun memutuskan untuk mengantri demi mendapatkan boarding pass.
Mataku awas mengamati para pengantri. Kuperhatikan banyak sekali warga Malaysia dalam baris antrian. Paspor merah hati itu begitu kukenal dengan baik. Kenyataan bahwa banyak warga asing telah bepergian ke Indonesia membantu menenangkan hatiku sendiri di awal perjalanan panjang yang akan kulalui.
Saatnya giliranku untuk menghadap petugas di check-in desk, aku melangkah tenang. Perkiraanku tepat, petugas tersebut menanyakan seluruh tiket yang sudah kubeli ketika dia tahu bahwa tujuanku di Kuala Lumpur hanya untuk sekedar transit. Aku yang sudang menyiapkan folding file dengan mudah mencari lembar demi lembar pemesanan tiket pesawat yang dimaksud. Usai memeriksa segenap dokumen yang kuberikan, petugas tersebut memberikanku boarding pass dan aku diizinkan menuju konter imigrasi.
Boarding Pass Air Asia QZ 206 (Jakarta – Kuala Lumpur).
Melangkahlah aku mengikuti signboard “International Departure”, hingga akhirnya tiba di Imigration Zone. Inilah bagian yang paling mendebarkan, kondisi itu diperparah dengan pasporku yang masih kosong dengan stempel imigrasi dari negara manapun, mengingat semenjak aku memperpanjang paspor tersebut pada tahun 2020, aku tak pernah melakukan perjalanan lagi karena pandemi masih merajalela.
Antrian yang tak terlalu panjang, membuatku dengan cepat dipanggil menuju konter imigrasi. Pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang kukhawatirkan benar-benar muncul. Entah bagaimana sistem imigrasi merekam jejak perjalananku, petugas pria itu menanyaiku dengan wajah serius.
“Lanjut kemana nih?”, rupanya dia tahu aku hanya akan transit di Kuala Lumpur.
“Ke Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turki dan Serbia, Pak”, aku menjawab tegas.
“Udah pernah pergi kemana saja, Mas?”, dia melanjutkan interogasi.
“Asia Tenggara, Asia Timur, Asia Selatan dan Timur Tengah sudah semua, Pak. Bapak saya kasih paspor lama saya untuk diperiksa ya, Pak”, aku mengambil paspor lamaku yang covernya telah digunting di ujungnya.
“Saya travel blogger, Pak. Perjalanan saya bersponsor”, aku menambahkan.
“Oh, ya. Ada alamat websitenya, Mas?”, dia berubah menjadi antusias
“travelingpersecond.com. Silahkan diintip, Pak”, aku menuntunnya menuju blog yang sudah kurintis sedari lima tahun lalu.
“Lo hiya, loh…..Ini gambar dimana, Mas?”, dia menunjukkan gambar dari kamera pintarnya.
“Oh, itu di Bahrain, Pak”, aku pun tertawa memberikan informasi kepadanya.
“Hahahaha, from Kebumen around the world ya kamu, Mas”, petugas pria itu terkekeh. “Silahkan lanjut Mas Donny”, akhirnya dia memberikan akses bagiku untuk masuk ke ruang tunggu. Yang perlu kamu tahu bahwa Kebumen adalah tempatku menumpang lahir.
Alangkah leganya hatiku malam itu, secara yuridis aku sudah keluar dari wilayah Republik Indonesia dan bersiap untuk mengarungi petualangan nan jauh di sana.
Menuruni escalator, aku turun satu lantai ke bawah untuk menuju ke Gate 3. Dengan tegap aku mengayunkan langkah demi langkah, ada sebersit rasa berani yang mulai muncul di dada. Aku tersenyum penuh percaya diri.
Ruang tunggu Gate 3 di Terminal 3-Existing Soetta.
Tapi sebentar dulu kawan……Untuk mendapatkan perlindungan Tuhan
Maka setiba di tikungan koridir menuju Terminal 3 Existing, aku memutuskan menuju mushola demi menunaikan ibadah Shalat Isya, aku menjamaknya dengan ibadah Shalat Maghrib dalam satu waktu.
Merunut kembali sejarah diri, akhirnya aku tersadar bahwa terakhir kali melakukan perjalanan ke luar negeri dengan cara bertolak dari kantor tempatku bekerja adalah ketika melanglang buana ke Yangoon, ibu kota Myanmar pada medio 2015.
Maka aku akan mengulangi cara tersebut pada kisah perjalanan ini.
Perjalanan kali ini dimulai dari kesibukan diriku menjalani aktivitas kantor. Karenanya aku terlihat bak pribadi penuh keanehan ketika memanggul backpack berukuran 45 Liter, menaiki honda beat pop warna hitam untuk membelah jalanan ibu kota demi menuju kantor yang berjarak 35 kilometer dari kediaman.
Dilanjutkan tiba di kantor dengan berpakaian kantoran lengkap, yaitu kemeja lengan panjang, berdasi rapi, bercelana panjang bahan warna hitam serta mengenakan sepatu pantofel hitam,
Sontak….Teman-teman sekantor serentak tertawa terpingkal ketika aku memasuki ruangan kerja.
Jika menggambarkan kondisiku pada hari itu, aku bisa menceritakan bahwa semenjak pagi aku tak sabar lagi untuk segera melakukan penerbangan ke Kuala Lumpur. Suasana tak sabaran semakin menjadi dan rasa itu terbawa hingga saat empat jam lamanya pada saat aku harus mengisi sesi training untuk karyawan baru di kantor tempatku bekerja. Sesekali satu angkatan karyawan baru itu menggoda, “Pak, trainingnya dipercepat aja, daripada bapak ketinggalan pesawat”.
“Gerrrrr….”, suasana training menjadi hangat seketika.
Akhirnya waktu itu tiba juga….
Usai training aku bergegas segera turun ke lantai dua, kembali melakukan bongkar muat untuk mengakali berat backpack yang setelah kutimbang masih melebihi delapan kilogram. Itu artinya aku harus menurunkan lebih dari satu kilo beban bawaanku.
Menyingkirkan beberapa perlengkapan yang kemungkinan akan jarang kugunakan, maka aku mendapatkan bobot backpack 6,8 kilogram.
Beres dengan barang bawaan, aku pun meninggalkan satu stel pakaian kerja karena sepulang dari perjalananku ke Asia Tengah dan Eropa kali ini, aku akan langsung menuju kantor untuk bekerja….Rencana yang Uedan sodara-sodara (yang ini, nanti saja ya ceritaya).
Aku memutuskan memesan transportasi daring demi menuju Sokarno Hatta International Airport Terminal 3. Dengan mudah aku mendapatkannya dan tepat tiga jam sebelum waktu terbang, transportasi daring yang kupesan memulai putaran rodanya menuju bandara.
Di dalam perjalanan, aku sedikit menyimpan rasa khawatir karena saat itu adalah perjalanan pertamaku ke luar negeri usai dunia dihantam badai Corona Virus tiga tahun lamanya. Aku seakan kehilangan intuisi.
Satu jawaban dari pengemudi taksi daring pada saat aku bercakap dengannya pun semakin membuat mukaku memucat, “Beberapa minggu terakhir jarang banget saya mengantar orang untuk pergi ke luar negeri, kebanyakan dari mereka hanya melakukan perjalanan dalam negeri, Pak”. Membuatku menelan ludah seketika.
Aku tiba di bandara dan pengemudi itu meninggalkanku usai aku menyerahkan ongkos senilai Rp. 90.000.
Aku pun bergegas menuju screening gate pertama untuk memasuki bangunan Terminal 3. Melewatinya dengan mudah, aku mencari keberadaan check-in desk melalui FIDS (Flight Information Display System) raksasa yang berada di bagian tengah bangunan terminal.
“D-12”, aku akhirnya menemukan check-in desk itu.
Buru-buru menuju FIDS di depanku.
Aku akan check-in di row D.
Mendadak makan malam.
Menuju ke tempat yang dimaskud, ternyata check-in desk tersebut sedang digunakan untuk penerbangan Air Asia tujuan Singapura. Aku yang belum mendapatkan giliran, akhirnya memutuskan untuk mencari makan malam.
Niat itu mengantarkanku masuk ke gerai A&W di sisi timur bangunan terminal. Tanpa basa-basi aku menanyakan menu terhemat malam itu. Pelayan wanita yang bertugas akhirnya menyarankanku untuk mengambil paket nasi dan ayam seharga Rp. 78.000.
Aku mendapatkan menu yang dimaksud dan mulai menyantapnya perlahan. Entah apa yang terbesit, naluri backpackerku mulai muncul kembali. Aku secara spontan meminta seorang pelayan untuk membungkus sepotong dari dua potong ayam yang tersaji di depanku. “Lumayan buat sarapan esok hari di Kuala Lumpur”, batinku terkekeh.
Mendapatkan bungkusan yang kumau, aku tersenyum simpul meninggalkan gerai itu menuju ke check-in desk untuk mendapatkan boarding pass.
I stood on the edge of Bukit Bintang Street waiting for the Go KL City Bus-Green Line to arrive. That time I intended to revisit the Petronas Twin Tower. That would be the fifth visit to the famous twin towers.
“Do you bore, Donny?”, is a question that might arise.
“It’s not a matter of being bored or not, I have to fulfill a sponsor’s message at that famous spot”, maybe that would be my answer.
Go KL City Bus physically had the same color on each lane. Therefore I was always alert if the bus started to look slow in the distance. I had to quickly catch the path information printed on the LCD screen mounted right on the top of the windshield. The Go KL City Bus had come from other routes twice, it was understandable that the Pavilion bus stop was a stop where three Go KL City Bus lines passed, namely the Purple Line, Blue Line, and Green Line.
After ten minutes of waiting, it was clear at the end of the road, a Go KL City Bus unit was trying to approach the bus stop by breaking through the traffic jam. I just wished it was a green line bus. Getting closer, the writing on the LCD screen was visible, it was indeed Go KL City, Bus-Green Line. So get ready to get in it.
I got on it from the front door as soon as the bus finished dropping off some of the passengers. The number of passengers who entered made me not got a seat, and had to stand in the middle.
From the Bukit Bintang area, the bus moved towards the Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC) area. But before arriving at the destination, the bus would first turn from the south side and then turned towards the north side. I arrived right at the KLCC bus stop which was on the edge of Ampang Street.
I came down from the middle door….
The immediately visible sight was the existence of the giant legs of the Petronas Twin Tower which felt so close. Not lingering, I rushed to the courtyard of that giant twin buildings.
I arrived at the KLCC bus stop.
Shady pedestrian pathway in front of the Petronas Twin Tower.
Petronas Twin Tower from the other side.
The heat of the sun had forced me to find a place sheltered by trees. I found that place on the pedestrian walkway on the right side of the tower. From that point of view, I also started completing sponsorship messages, namely sponsors who at least helped pay for my trip at that time.
Visiting the 88-floor twin buildings always invited admiration, how could it not be, for six years that twin buildings have claimed themselves as the tallest buildings in the world? At least that had made Malaysia proud in the world economic arena.
The twin towers owned by a giant property company, namely KLCC Property Holdings, appear green when observed closely. Another feature that was easy to remember was the existence of a sky bridge that connected the two towers on floors 41 and 42.
That time, my stop-by time at the twin towers took place quickly, no more than twenty minutes. Therefore I tried to enjoy it by paying attention to the scenery around the tower area. Let’s see, what were the spots around the Petronas Twin Towers. Here it was:
Public Bank was right opposite in front of Petronas Twin Tower.
From right to left: Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN/National Savings Bank) Building, Menara TA One (37 floors of offices), and Prestige Tower (40 floors of offices).
Tropicana The Residences (apartment with a rental price of 2,500 Ringgit per month).
Suria KLCC’s entrance gate.
I wished my adventure at the Petronas Twin Towers had ended with the finishing of a sponsor’s message. I would not sit longer in the courtyard of the twin towers.
Then I stepped into the expanse of Green Open Space which was located right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of business activities taking place in Kuala Lumpur City Centre.
I decided to leave the courtyard of KL Tower. My feet stepped following the contours of the road winding down the hill. A quarter of an hour later I was at the south end of Puncak Street, right where it intersects with P. Ramlee Street.
Standing on a sidewalk, I was still thinking, “Should it be better to reach THE WELD bus stop to go to Bukit Bintang?”.
But as soon as my feet stepped, a Go KL City Bus Blue Line quickly passed in front of me and then stopped a hundred meters north to get on and off passengers. I quickly decided, “There’s nothing wrong with going around the city using the Go KL City Bus-Blue Line, that way I can explore the north side of the city before arriving at Bukit Bintang.”
Stepped my feet towards the bus stop and in five minutes I arrived. This was the Menara Hap Seng bus stop, one of the stops where the Go KL City Bus-Blue Line stops. Meanwhile, the Menara Hap Seng (Hap Seng Tower) is a 22-story office building right across from the bus stop.
Hap Seng Tower bus stop with sponsor advertising of MSIG (a well-known insurance brand from Japan).
Interior of Go KL City Bus-Blue Line.
Shortly thereafter, the bus arrived and I boarded it from the front door. I was getting ready to explore the north of the city using this free bus. Thanks to the bus services, I finally had the opportunity to explore the streets in the Bukit Nanas and Dang Wangi areas to then arrived at the Terminal Transit Antar Bandar (IUTT/Inter-city Transit Terminal) – Tun Razak Street.
This is the Hub Terminal for Go KL City Bus-Blue Line located in the Titiwangsa area. The bus I was on apparently had to stop for a while and the driver directed me to move to the front bus which was ready to depart along the Blue Line route.
I got off and changed to the Go KL City-Bus Blue Line at the forefront which was already on standby by starting the engine and filling every seat with passengers. Luckily there was still a seat available for me. Shortly after I got on, the bus slowly left IUTT Terminal – Tun Razak Street.
Now the bus was headed south along the streets in the Kampung Baru area and after that, the bus started to enter the area I was headed for, namely the Bukit Bintang area. I was familiar with the streets in this area because that was the fourth time I have been to that famous shopping and entertainment center in Kuala Lumpur.
As expected, the bus slowly started to stagnate in the traffic jam. While I began to shift to a bench near the door. I would get off at the Pavilion bus stop. The pavilion itself is a shopping center integrated with office buildings, apartments, and hotels. Consistent pushing through traffic jams, the Go KL City Bus finally arrived at the place I was going.
I descended from it and rushed across Bukit Bintang Street to arrive at the Pavilion’s courtyard.
There was something very different, if usually this courtyard was enlivened by mall visitors passing by, now the crowd had turned into a lion dance stage. Apparently at that time “The World Dragon & Lion Dance Extravaganza” was taking place. Unmitigatedly, the event was attended by YB Tuan Haji Khalid Bin Abdul Samad, the Minister of Federal Territories of Malaysia….The show was a big event and I was thankful that I was accidentally able to enjoy the show.
That day, the courtyard of the Pavilion was red with the typical ethnic Chinese colors, which were also the typical colors of the lion dance. Many members of the performing troupe busied around the Pavilion preparing to take the stage.
The child was very strong standing for a long time on a pillar.
The excitement of the audience mingled with the performers.
Little performers.
Seeing the show through the camera lens.
Meanwhile, the rhythm of the drum beat being played by one of the groups made anyone’s adrenaline go up when they hear it. I, who had been curious, could never push forward to the front. The front area was already filled with spectators who must have arrived earlier.
I, who could not watch the show with my own eyes, could only raise my camera high and recorded the show so that later I could replay the show from the camera screen.
After half an hour I tried to enjoy the show. Time slowly crept towards twelve o’clock as the air raised its temperature.
Unable to stand under the scorching sun, I went back to the Pavilion bus stop.
All night my sleep was interrupted by the snoring of a guest who was fast asleep to the right of my bed. Not only myself, but I could also feel the protests of a guest who slept right under a snoring guest’s bunk bed. Over and over again I could feel him hitting the bottom of the bunk bed where a snoring guest was sleeping. Maybe he felt the same way. Upset….Because he couldn’t sleep well.
Feeling unwell, I decided to just wash my body under the hot shower in the shared bathroom. A splash of warm water could at least relax every inch of my body which wasn’t one hundred percent fresh that morning.
That morning, I had to pack all the equipment back into my backpack and then leave it at the reception desk. My stay ended at noon and at that time, I was still downtown.
After taking a shower and tidying up my backpack, I headed to the reception to check out, returned the locker key, and took the deposit. Luckily, the reception staff from Egypt was already at his desk making it easier for me to speed up the process because I had to catch the Go KL City Bus departure as early as possible.
My backpack had been neatly stored and I rushed down the stairs to get out of the inn. Once outside, I immediately looked for a seat on the terrace of shops that were still closed for breakfast. Breakfast this time was still the same as last night’s dinner menu….Yup, I could still rely on oat powder. To be honest, I already ran out of Ringgit that morning, I only had Ringgit left to take the airport bus this afternoon and have a modest dinner at KLIA2.
From this, it could be concluded that I would go around the city without spending even the slightest bit of money….Yes, I would never spend it.
Luckily, the streets were still quiet. This situation certainly reduced the burden of embarrassment when I had to sip spoon after spoonful of oat powder wet with a splash of mineral water.
Thank God breakfast was over….The adventure began.
I headed to the Pasar Seni Bus Hub to look for the Go KL City Bus Purple Line. The free purple line bus would take me to the KL Tower complex.
KL Tower is a telecommunication transmitter tower, broadcasting tower, altitude culinary tour, and city viewpoint from above.
From a distance, I saw clearly that the bus was already in position. So as soon as I arrived at the platform, I just got on it from the front door. Only a few passengers were already occupying the seats. This was what makes me have to wait about ten minutes….At least to fill the empty seats with passengers who were slowly arriving.
At eight in the morning, the Go KL City Bus Purple Line finally departed….
While sitting, I thought that KL Tower was a tall building, so I just relaxed. Of course, I only needed to stop at any bus stop near the KL Tower building which would be visible from a distance because it was so high.
The Go KL City Bus slowly ran in Sultan Street to leave the Pasar Seni area. As soon as I arrive along Raja Chulan Street, KL Tower was visible from the bus window. I just needed to make sure when to get off at the nearest bus stop. Several times the Go KL City Bus stopped at the bus stop, but I still couldn’t get off. I still hoped that the bus would stop at a shelter that was closer to KL Tower.
That was the bus with free service.
The interior was nice and clean of course.
There was an exception, instead of getting closer, the Go KL City Bus was getting farther and farther away from KL Tower. “Ahhhh, damn….I’d gone too far and instead of slowing down the bus was getting faster and faster”, I leaned against the bus window. Due to that stupidity, I just gave up following where the Go KL City Bus went. I decided to return to the Pasar Seni and repeated the journey from scratch….Too bad.
After 40 minutes of travel, the Go KL City Bus finally arrived at Pasar Seni.
“Ridiculous….”, I cursed myself.
Now I got off the Go KL City Bus and moved to the bus in the front which was ready to depart. Luckily for me, the Go KL City Bus left immediately when a few seconds earlier I stepped inside.
Now I put on a wary attitude when sitting on one of its seats. I would decide to just get off when I saw that KL Tower could reach within walking distance.
That moment has arrived….
The bus stopped at a bus stop and I jumped down from the middle door.
“THE WELD….”, I read the signboard on a skyscraper that stood right behind the bus stop where I got off.
Now I was on Raja Chulan Street and THE WELD itself is a 26-story office complex located 800 meters east of KL Tower.
From THE WELD, I cut off P. Ramlee street to then took fifty steps into a smaller street, Puncak Street. This was the main road to get to the KL Tower which was built on higher ground.
Panting for a quarter of an hour, finally I arrived at the courtyard of KL Tower. Back in 2014, I had the opportunity to cross this tower when I tried the KL Hop On Hop Off to get around the city. Only, at that time I went down for less than five minutes to see it. This was all because KL Hop On Hop Off rushed to explore the city.
THE WELD….Besides offices, there is also a modern supermarket.
Taking the Peak Road.
That time I would be a little longer in enjoying the charm of this communication tower that wasn’t less than a quarter of a century old. How could I not be happy, when I finally had the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of a tower whose height was included in the ranks of the ten tallest towers in the world?
The uniqueness that could be seen for the first time was the roof of the basic building which used a series of tapering patterns. My mind then referred to the roof of the Sydney Opera House. Meanwhile, at the upper end between the mast and the antenna, there was a round building that was the center of broadcasting, telecommunication, restaurant, observation deck, and sky deck activities.
As far as I knew, to enjoy the observation deck, visitors must pay 49 Ringgit….While the sky deck tour price reached 99 Ringgit….Woouuooww.
I stepped towards the KL Tower entrance gate to see the activity there up close. Of course, I won’t go up to the top for a tour, it’s too expensive for a visitor like me who just stopped by in Kuala Lumpur.
It wasn’t that crowded, so far only a few European tourists decided to buy tickets and went up to the top of the tower, while I just watched the remnants of the programming competition that was held the day before yesterday. The competition was titled HR Hackathon.
Shifting to the right of the tower, there was another attraction. On that side stood a ticket sales counter for visiting the KL Tower Mini Zoo (KLTMZ). Existing information boards said that KLTMZ contains no less than fifty native and exotic species. And to see these unique species, visitors needed to spend up to 30 Ringgit.
Move again towards the front of the tower. There was a KL Tower F1 Zone which provided a Formula One simulator for the public. Visitors could feel the sensation of driving the land jet by paying 20 Ringgit for six minutes of driving in the simulator. The walls of the KL Tower F1 Zone were bright red, in harmony with the colors of one of the leading racing teams in Formula One’s premier racing event. It’s just that, when I visited KL Tower, the KL Tower F1 Zone was still closed. Maybe I arrived too early.
Oh yes, the KL Tower F1 Zone was also equipped with a Formula One Cafe & Mart…
But just looking at the cafe & mini market from outside for a moment, I saw the arrival of the white KL Hop On Hop Off with the upper deck partly open. Suddenly I ran towards it, it’s been six years since I’ve ever met up close with that tour bus. It turned out that in the courtyard of the tower, there was a KL Hop On Hop Off shelter. No wonder the tour bus stopped to drop off the tourists.
The Entrance gate of KL Tower .
The Ticketing Counter of KL Tower Mini Zoo.
KL Tower F1 Zone.
It was at this spot that I took some pictures of tourists from Surabaya.
Foreign tourists often called it the KL Forest Eco Park.
It didn’t take long to stop, dropping only 5 tourists, the bus stepped on its gas pedal again. But not long after, there was a familiar accent when the five female tourists were talking to each other after getting off the bus. “That’s the Surabaya accent….”, I concluded. I decided to say hello and spoke for a while. I hadn’t met Indonesians for four days, so there was nothing wrong with speaking for a moment. Because of that incident, I knew that the five were female workers who were traveling to Kuala Lumpur. From our conversation too, I knew that they were working in Penang.s
As usual, Indonesians always have their characteristics. They finally asked me to take a photo with the KL Tower as a background.
I? ….Yes, of course, I also asked to be photographed….I was originally from Indonesia….The Republic of Indonesia exactly…Hahaha
I was at the end of a visit to KL Tower. To close this short visit, I entered the front half area of KL Jungle Eco Park. Formerly known as the Hutan Simpan Bukit Nanas, it was one of Malaysia’s oldest permanent forest reserves. To enter this forest reserve visitors must be willing to spend 40 Ringgit.
On the first step out of the Central Market area, there was a betrayal of intentions. My steps still didn’t accept heading to the inn.
It was almost nine o’clock in the evening….
“Central Market may begin to lose its charisma, swallowed up by darkness, but not Petaling Street. The crowds have just started there”, I began to force my intention to change direction, even though my body was already shattered due to the nearly nine-hour journey from Kuala Terengganu that morning to the afternoon.
I stepped north to completely devour Hang Kasturi Street until I cut off Jalan Leboh Pasar Besar Street at a t-junction. The T-junction was marked by the existence of the UOB building and the Pacific Express Hotel. The situation was still crowded along the road. So that I was even more engrossed and felt safe when I stepped east until I met an intersection marked by the Maybank Building. The intersection brought together four roads, namely Yap Ah Loy Street from the east, Tun H S Lee Street from the north, Leboh Pasar Besar Street from the west, and Petaling Street from the south.
Yap Ah Loy Street….Who is Yap Ah Loy?
Yes, Yap Ah Loy is the Chinese figure who first prospered in the Pasar Seni area by building a tapioca factory. The prosperity brought about by his business activities has helped a lot in developing Chinatown in the Pasar Seni area.
OK, let’s continue my short journey….
Because I wanted to visit Petaling Street, I had to head south from the intersection earlier. The road I took was part of the Petaling Street section. This is a popular street in the Chinatown area that runs from north to south for nearly 800 meters. But Petaling Street I mean in the title of this article is part of its section that provides 300 meters long protective roofed commerce stalls.
However, apart from taking advantage of Petaling Street, this street bazaar also widens to the east and west to take advantage of the side of Hang Lekir Street which does not have a protective roof.
Exactly nine in the evening…..
I arrived at the gate of Petaling Street. I crossed the wide intersection paved with neat paving blocks to enter the initial area of Petaling Street. As soon as I passed through the gate, the easiest thing to remember was the rows of lanterns hanging from the ceiling. In addition, the concrete-paved streets with paving block motifs and pillars and roof trusses made of steel perfectly straddling the road were things that could be quickly captured in memory when passing by.
The fundamental difference from the lanes in this commercial area is….The route along Petaling Street is dominated by stalls selling souvenirs, various clothes, bags, shoes, wallets, accessories, and other knick-knacks with Malaysian smells. Meanwhile, along Hang Lekir Street, we can easily find food stalls that are dominated by Chinese food and various other street foods such as roasted walnuts, fruits, drinks, and others. As an illustration, for various types of drinks, from soy milk to fruit juice, the price is only 1.8 – 6 Ringgit….Cheap, right?
Petaling Street gate ahead. Of course, you want to know how the situation is in it.
Focus on the row of lanterns!
Transactions at souvenir shops.
The situation is in the east corner of Hang Lekir Street.
Roasting chestnuts….Local people call it chestnut.
Fruit seller on Hang Lekir Street.
Want to try Malaysian durian….Still on Hang Lekir Street.
You can try the juice too….Stay tuned to Hang Lekir Street.
Restaurants on Petaling Street (also on Jalan Hang Lekir Street)
PORK…Oops.
However, the very cheap and negotiable price of souvenirs certainly indicated that these products would be easy to buy by tourists. Therefore, we need to be observant to bid before deciding to buy.
Petaling Street is indeed an idol trading place in Kuala Lumpur. Apart from that, Petaling Street also describes an existence for efforts to preserve Chinese culture in Kuala Lumpur.
On my fifth visit to Petaling Street, I only explored it in less than half an hour.
Exactly half past ten….
I decided to back to the inn because my eyes were getting sleepy and my body was feeling worn out.
After sipping the oat powder, I walked away from the edge of Tun Sambanthan Street. Crossing it to reach the Central Market courtyard.
In the courtyard, I stood still, looking at all the market buildings which were sparkling with lamps. This was one of the landmarks in Kuala Lumpur which is more than 130 years old.
“Hhmmhhh….Central Market, what should we do on my fourth visitation this time?”, I thought.
“Ohh…Better to dissect every corner of it tonight”, I decided.
From the front yard of the Central Market, I shifted to the east side of the building. This was the Kasturi Walk, a 75-meter-long path filled with shops selling clothes, fruits, local food (one of them is Ipoh white bean), children’s toys, handicrafts, and other souvenirs.
Kasturi Walk is a part of the Central Market which is unique because along the way it is covered with a roof where at the base of the roof a typical Malaysian kite design is pinned. Kasturi Walk itself only takes a small part of Hang Kasturi Street which stretches for nearly half a kilometer.
Kasturi Walk.
Stalls at Kasturi Walk.
Drink stall at Kasturi Walk.
Malaysian food and beverage stall at Kasturi Walk.
Cafe at Kasturi Walk.
Please note, if the Central Market was the king of wet markets in the past then Hang Kasturi Street was famous as the dry market.
I was amazed enjoying the crowd along that path even though none of the items were purchased. Nothing else, because my intention was only to complete the exploration of the Central Market.
After exploring each end of Kasturi Walk, I immediately entered the Central Market building. I also entered it in 2014 when I was shopping for t-shirts and key chains for some colleagues in Jakarta. But now, I would just walk through its corner by corner, floor by floor then found out more about its contents.
Entering through the east door, I was faced with a row of stalls divided by a long corridor. Rows of stalls offered souvenir knick-knacks, sparkling gemstones, dry fruits, various kinds of aromatherapy, batik, communication tools, and other merchandise.
Located in the center of the room, a welcome sign in various languages hangs from the market ceiling to welcome all visitors. Meanwhile, the favorite place for visitors on the first floor is the well-known outlet….Old Town White Coffee.
I climbed the stairs to the second floor after finishing my exploration on the first floor. Seen on the second floor, there were corners for the promotion of tourism and the culture of Malaysia. This was an important advantage of the Central Market, besides being a shopping center, it also functioned as the face of tourism and Malaysian culture.
After visiting the cultural corner, at least I understood that the Central Market regularly holds Cultural Dances which were held on the outdoor stage (Central Market courtyard). From that cultural point of view, I also received information that in the Sarawak area, Malaysia had a part of the Dayak ethnic group called the Laki Iban. In that corner, they also introduced their typical clothes, nicknamed Kelambi and Sirat.
The rest of the second floor looked crowded with the existence of the Central Market Food Court. The food court was inhabited by all kinds of stalls. Apart from various typical Malaysian soups and special dishes from Penang or Ipoh didn’t miss the typical Thai taste. Meanwhile, Kopitiam would facilitate the enjoyment of coffee in other ways.
As an illustration, food prices at the Central Market Food Court also vary and could accommodate visitors with various wallet thicknesses. Starting from 1.9 Ringgit for the price of a piece of Sunny Side Up to 24.9 Ringgit to make up for a portion of Grilled Lamb Chop.
Apart from being a food court, part of the second floor is also enlivened by rows of clothing shops, with batik being an idol on this floor. I continued my steps by enjoying the typical patterns of Malaysian batik.
Central Market floor 1.
Central Market floor 1.
Central Market Floor 1 (photo taken from Floor 2).
Central Market floor 2.
Food stalls at the Central Market Food Court Level 2.
Food stalls at the Central Market Food Court Level 2.
Batik stall at Central Market Floor 2.
Clothing stall at Central Market Floor 2.
Finally, even one hour I went around and observed the activities of visitors at the Central Market until the shopping center began to quiet because it was late at night. I slowly started to go down the stairs to arrive downstairs and got ready to go back to the inn.
I had to wash and rest because tomorrow I would explore several tourist spots in Kuala Lumpur until noon.
