NZ Curry House

<—-Previous Story

It would take a little longer to take a free service to the inn than riding the LRT “Laluan Kelana Jaya”. But in order to get around for the lack of Ringgit, I still decided to just take the free service of Go KL City Bus.

Hurrying to leave KLCC Park, I headed towards the KLCC bus stop which is located right in front of Suria KLCC. Arriving under the bus stop auspices, the green line of the “Free Bus Service” had been waiting for its passengers.

I rode it to reach the interchange point between lines, namely the Pavilion bus stop. From there I would catch the Go KL City Bus purple line to reach the Pasar Seni Bus Hub, the closest bus stop to my accommodation, namely The Bed Station.

—-****—-

Cheating underhandedly, I stepped up The Bed Station stairs, hoping not to be spotted by the receptionist when I crossed the inn’s front door. It was because I had checked out that morning, but that time, I forced myself to take a shower in the inn’s shared bathroom on the 3rd floor.

I made it through the reception room on the 2nd floor, at a glance I saw the reception staff were busy serving the inn’s guests who seemed to only just be arriving, indeed I arrived when the check-in period had opened.

Quickly moving, I immediately took a shower to clean all the sweat after walking around town that morning.

As soon as I finished bathing, I immediately went down to the reception desk to pick up the backpack I had left since morning.

The long queue at the reception desk made me invisible when I just came down from the top floor which wasn’t my right to enter it again, let alone to do any activity on that floor….Damn, Donny.

—-****—-

Succeeding to get a backpack, I rushed to Pasar Seni LRT Station which is only 200 meters from the inn.

When I arrived, I rushed to the automatic vending machine to exchange 1.3 Ringgit for a round blue token. That token would guarantee me to move toward KL Sentral.

The LRT Laluan Kelana Jaya with four wagons arrived to pick me up on the second-floor platform, and then I was following its spinning wheels heading to KL Sentral, which wasn’t even one station apart.

Within 15 minutes, I arrived at KL Sentral….

Down the escalator, I arrived at the first floor, and without long thinking, I immediately rushed to the basement level. I had an advantage in that I memorized the whole layout of KL Sentral, at least I had visited that famous transportation hub seven times. That was what made that so easy for me to reach the Aerobus ticket sales counter.

Aerobus is transportation from KL Sentral to Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 (KLIA2) which offers cheap travel when compared to using taxis, the KLIA Transit train, or the KLIA Ekspres.

I handed over 12 Ringgit to get a ticket to the airport.

—-****—-

A quarter of an hour past four in the afternoon….

After traveling for 45 minutes, I arrived at the 1st floor of Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2. I was dropped off at one of the platforms at the transportation hub at Gateway@klia2.

Even though my flight would take place at nine in the evening, that didn’t stop me from going straight to the 3rd floor to see more detailed flight information. As usual, I was always detailed and strict about flight schedules, at least that afternoon I had to find out the number of the check-in desk I would exchange my e-ticket for a boarding pass and at what gate my plane would take off.

I couldn’t hide a slight smile from my lips when I managed to get that information on the giant LCD on the 3rd floor.

“17:20, it turns out….”, I thought when I found out when the check-in desk would open.

I decided to do the last congregational prayer in the mosque on the 2nd floor and of course, planned to have dinner afterwards.

Not as usual when I was looking for food at KLIA2. That afternoon the regular restaurant serving cheap Indian food was closing. Was NZ Curry House whose location was covered by renovation boards.

But I don’t bother….

In 2015, I ate at a food court located on the 2M floor. I slightly forgot the position of the food court. But I intended to look for it until I found it. There was a padang-typical restaurant that offers cheap food in the food court.

“That’s it….”, I cheered inside when I saw the food court from a distance.

“Quizinn by RASA….”, I recited the name of that food court.

“Restoran Padang Kota Group….”, yupzzz I saw the restaurant I was looking for.

Presumably not able to linger, I headed for the Padang-typical restaurant and then looked for a menu according to the condition of my wallet. That was when my Ringgit would run out.

Fifteen minutes before checked-in, I was finally able to enjoy a portion of rice for 5.9 Ringgit. That was the rice I ate after I last ate it a day before.

So, that was Quizinn by RASA food court.

My menu that night: White rice, hard-boiled eggs, and vegetables.

Taking a seat, I enjoyed the dinner and then got ready to take my flight.

Was I going home?….

No….The real adventure was about to begin.

I would fly to a city in southern India….KOCHI.

<—-Kisah Sebelumnya

Akan sedikit lebih lama menempuh jalur gratis menuju penginapan dibandingkan menunggangi LRT Laluan Kelana Jaya. Tetapi demi menebus ketiadaan Ringgit, aku memutuskan untuk mengeteng saja dan memanfaatkan jasa Go KL City Bus.

Bergegas meninggalkan KLCC Park, aku melangkah menuju halte bus KLCC yang terletak tepat di depan Suria KLCC. Tiba di bawah naungan halte, deretan armada “Perkhidmatan Bas Percuma^*1⁾” jalur hijau telah menunggu para penumpangnya.

Aku menunggangnya untuk menggapai titik pertukaran antar jalur, yaitu halte bus Pavilion. Dari situlah aku akan menangkap Go KL City Bus jalur ungu demi menggapai Pasar Seni Bus Hub, halte bus terdekat dari penginapanku, yaitu The Bed Station.

—-****—-

Mengendap-endap curang, aku menaiki tangga The Bed Station dengan penuh harap tak terpergok resepsionis ketika melintas di depan pintunya. Itu karena aku sudah men-check out masa inapku tadi pagi, tetapi kali ini, aku memaksakan diri untuk mandi di kamar mandi bersama lantai 3.

Aku sukses melewati ruang resepsionis di lantai 2, sekelebat kulihat staff resepsionis itu sedang sibuk melayani tamu-tamu penginapan yang tampak berdatangan, memang aku tiba ketika masa-masa check-in telah dibuka.

Bergerak cepat, aku segera mandi untuk meluruhkan segenap keringat setelah sedari pagi tadi berkeliling kota.

Begitu selesai berbasuh, aku segera turun ke meja reception untuk mengambil backpack yang telah kuititipkan sedari pagi.

Penuhnya antrian di meja resepsionis membuatku tak terlihat ketika baru turun dari lantai atas yang sebetulnya sudah bukan menjadi hak bagiku untuk menaikinya lagi, apalagi untuk beraktivitas apapun di lantai itu….Dasar, Donny.

—-****—-

Berhasil mendapatkan backpack, aku bergegas melangkah menuju Stasiun LRT Pasar Seni yang berjarak hanya 200 meter dari penginapan.

Begitu tiba, aku bergegas menuju automatic vending machine untuk bertukar 1,3 Ringgit dengan token bulat berwarna biru. Token itulah yang akan menggaransiku untuk bisa berpindah menuju KL Sentral.

LRT Laluan Kelana Jaya bergerbong empat tiba menjemputku di platform lantai dua, untuk kemudian aku larut dalam putaran roda kereta menuju KL Sentral yang jaraknya tak berselang satu stasiun pun.

Dalam 15 menit, aku tiba di KL Sentral….

Menuruni escalator aku tiba di lantai satu dan tanpa berfikir panjang segera bergegas menuju basement level. Aku punya satu keuntungan bahwa segenap denah KL Sentral telah kuhafal di luar kepala, setidaknya sudah tujuh kali aku menyambangi transportation hub kenamaan Negeri Jiran tersebut. Hal itulah yang membuatku dengan mudah menggapai konter penjualan tiket Aerobus.

Aerobus adalah transportasi dari KL Sentral ke Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 (KLIA2) yang menawarkan perjalan murah jika dibandingkan menggunakan taksi, kereta KLIA Transit ataupun KLIA Ekspres.

Aku menyerahkan 12 Ringgit untuk mendapatkan selembar tiket menuju bandara.

—-****—-

Seperempat jam lewat dari pukul empat sore….

Setelah menempuh perjalanan 45 menit, aku tiba di lantai 1 Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2. Aku diturunkan di salah satu platform di transportation hub di Gateway@klia2..

Walaupun penerbanganku akan berlangsung pukul sembilan malam, hal itu tak menyurutkan langkahku untuk segera menuju lantai 3 untuk melihat informasi penerbangan lebih detail. Seperti biasa, aku selalu detail dan strict perihal jadwal terbang, setidaknya sore itu aku harus mengetahui di check-in desk nomor berapa aku akan menukar e-ticket dengan boarding pass serta di gate berapa pesawatku akan di lepas.

Senyum tipis tak bisa kusembunyikan dari bibir ketika aku berhasil mendapatkan informasi itu di LCD raksasa lantai 3.

“Jam 17:20, ternyata….”, aku membatin ketika mengetahui kapan check-in desk akan dibuka.

Aku memutuskan untuk melakukan shalat jamak takhir di surau lantai 2 dan tentu berencana mencari makan malam setelahnya.

Tak seperti biasanya ketika aku mencari makan di KLIA2. Sore itu restoran langganan yang menyajikan makanan murah khas India sedang tutup. Adalah NZ Curry House yang lokasinya tertutp oleh papan-papan renovasi..

Tapi aku tak ambil pusing….

Pada 2015, aku pernah makan di sebuah food court yang berlokasi di lantai 2M. Aku sedikit lupa posisi food court itu. Tapi aku berniat mencarinya hingga ketemu. Ada restoran ala padang yang menawarkan makanan murah di food court tersebut.

“Itu dia….”, aku bersorak dalam hati ketika melihat food court itu dari kejauhan.

“Quizinn by RASA….”, aku melafal nama medan selera^*2) tersebut.

“Restoran Padang Kota Group….”, yupzzz aku melihat restoran yang kucari.

Kiranya tak bisa berlama-lama, aku menuju restoran ala padang itu kemudian mencari menu sesuai dengan kondisi dompet. Inilah saat dimana Ringgitku akan habis.

Lima belas menit sebelum check-in akhirnya aku bisa menikmati seporsi nasi seharga 5,9 Ringgit. Inilah nasi yang kumakan setelah terakhir aku memakannya kemarin siang.