RETURNING TO LANGKAWI

We returned from our trip to FT Labuan in early October 2012 hoping that we would be able to visit the island again. We remembered Langkawi, a picturesque and beautiful island. I have been to Langkawi a few times when I was working with the government. My wife has also been there, attending and giving seminars and trainings when she was attached with the Ministry of Health Headquarters. Remembering the sweet memories during our past visits, we planned to go to Langkawi again, to recollect whatever we might have left behind.

Planning the trip

I used to travel to Langkawi both by land or air. If I were to travel by land, I would take my wife along to accompany me on my trip. I chose any days that is convenient to her so that she could take a few days leave for her to enjoy herself then. As usual, I prepared our own budget for this trip and make sure that every need is cared for.

My wife and I planned to go by land this coming holiday, taking the express bus instead of driving from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Perlis. We have been to Langkawi by the Kuala Kedah Ferry Terminal, but this time we will go a bit further north to the Kuala Perlis Ferry Terminal. From this terminal, the ferry would take a minimum of 45 minutes for the journey to Langkawi.

Booking bus tickets nowadays, with the growing internet technology would preferably do by online. I browsed online to look for the trips by the popular bus around, and found a reasonable departure time and fare. I contacted this local express bus for the journey to Kuala Perlis.

I used my credit card to book my flights to Labuan, and with that experience, booking the bus tickets is no problem to me anymore. I received my e-ticket but without the seat numbers. I inquired details on this e-ticket and received a reply by email stating the seat numbers for my trip to Kuala Perlis and back to Kuala Lumpur.

Hotel Booking

Booking a hotel room is also not so much a problem. The only problem is our return trip. The bus would depart Kuala Perlis for Kuala Lumpur at about 10:15 am, and thus I have to make sure I would reach the Kuala Perlis Bus Terminal before the departure time. I might not be able to get any early ferry tickets from Kuah in Langkawi, and the ferry to Kuala Perlis would take a maximum of 1¼ hours, not taking into account any extra time needed for any unexpected delay along the route, and thus I may not be able to catch the bus at the right time.

I have to rearrange my trip to stay for two (2) nights only in Langkawi, and then left Langkawi a day earlier to Kuala Perlis, stayed for one night to catch the bus the next day. I make an arrangement for a night stay in Kuala Perlis and I was able to book a room at a hotel nearby the Kuala Perlis Ferry Terminal and not far from the Bus Terminal. I promised the hotel to see them and settled the payment on my arrival at Kuala Perlis on the 13^th November 2012 bound for Langkawi.

With that arrangement, I called a hotel in Langkawi that my wife and I were familiar with to book a room for a 2-night stay. On confirmation I paid an advance through the local bank. 

The Hotels: Eagle Bay, Langkawi and T-Hotel, Kuala Perlis

All the preparations were done to our satisfaction. I booked my bus tickets as early as 13^th October 2012 and the hotels were done on 19^th October 2012. Our trips only began on 13^th November 2012 and that was about one (1) month preparing for the trip. I have to make sure that everything was scheduled as it should be, and I prefer to prepare myself early so that I would be able to settle any last minute change before the trip. Although the trip was still a long way to go, I have no worries as the bus and the hotel rooms were ready for us, except for the Ferry tickets which I could not book online.

The trip

We hired a taxi early in the morning of the 13^th November 2012 for the Puduraya Bus Terminal, Kuala Lumpur to catch the bus that departs at 9.00 am. This is our first travelling a long distance with a bus and we hope it would be a memorable trip.

It has been quite a while ever since I travelled with an express bus. Travelling in an express bus in my younger days was something expensive. Nowadays express busses are everywhere, wherever you want to go, make your own choice which type of these busses that you like to travel with. The fares are almost the same among these busses. You may want to travel at night and reach your destination the next day with ample time to be at your office.

We boarded the Transnasional bus express at 9:00 am, 13^th.November 2012 at Puduraya Bus Terminal. This bus terminal was opened in 1976 to cater for all busses and taxis going out of Kuala Lumpur. It was recently renovated or make-over, renamed as Pudu Sentral and was re-opened in April 2012. Most of the internal parts of the building was rearranged and rebuild with a new look, with more space for the public and the food courts were moved to the top floor. However, the boarding area which is at the ground floor is still the same and some changes have to be done to the area for the convenience of the passengers.

The boarding bay could not accommodate more than two busses, thus the busses should arrive at the boarding bay in time and with enough time for the passengers to board and packed their luggage. We were instructed to go down to board the bus from Platform 10 but the bus was not at this platform, instead it was parked at Platform 9. We have to ask around for the right bus to board.

Passengers should only be allowed to go down to the boarding area after the bus has arrived, not earlier or else it will crowd the already limited waiting space. A staff should check the ticket of the passengers for a particular trip or bus before allowing them to go down to the boarding area whenever the bus has arrived and ready for boarding. The waiting area for the passengers at the first floor is a much better place to wait for the bus than crowding and standing at the boarding area. This boarding area is smoky and it’s not good to our health. 

The new look of Pudu Sentral Bus Terminal and the bus for Kuala Perlis and Kangar

The trip began when the bus entered the North-South Expressway (PLUS) going toward the northern part of the Peninsula. At one point, the bus has to crawl for almost 1½ hours due to a tanker skidded on the way nearby Tangkak, Perak. This has slowed down our trip and has made us restless for the balance trip to Kuala Perlis, hoping that we will arrive in time for the ferry to Langkawi. 

The accident on the North-South Expressway and the long queue

We arrived at the Kuala Perlis Bus Terminal at about 5:30 pm, almost 2 hours late. We rushed to the Ferry Terminal for Langkawi, and luckily we were able to get the ferry tickets which were for the last trip, leaving at about 7:00 pm. The ferry terminal was crowded with passengers, mostly locals who are either returning back to Langkawi or those who came from the various states in the Peninsula for a holiday in Langkawi, not to forget the foreign tourists too. The ferry terminal is in a sorry state as it is under repairs and renovation without any proper planning. They have to partition the area to separate the working area with the crowd. The whole terminal is in a mess with not enough facilities. Glass panels were broken everywhere, not enough lighting and fans, lack of chairs in the waiting area and most of the passengers have to sit on the floor, children screaming and crying as the whole area were warm and hot that makes the passengers restless while waiting for the last ferry to Langkawi. Adding to that, it was a very dirty place, with rubbish all over the area. Not enough signage to inform and educate the public. Something has to be done by the management of the Ferry Terminal for the best interest of the passengers and the public as a whole. 

The crowd, both inside and at the porch of the Ferry Terminal

It was already dark when the Ferry started its voyage to Kuah, Langkawi and we could not see anything from the window. It looks like the journey took a much longer time. We reached the Kuah Ferry Terminal at about 9:30 pm, took a taxi to the hotel and check-in at about 9:45 pm. We were very tired and hope we would be able to enjoy our holiday in Langkawi as from the next day.

A signage that says a thousand words

Before coming to Langkawi, my wife browsed the internet looking for any car-rental service. She found one through a blog http://www.cekmatfm.blogspot.com of whom the blogger is currently working in a government agency and now a loyal resident of Langkawi. We paid the rental through a local bank, and on the specific day accepted the car, a Perodua Kembara from a very friendly and talkative mother of four children. We were very fortunate to have met this family and would like to say “terima kasih” to them for the generosity and hospitality given to us. I am sure it would be totally different if we were to accept the car rental that was ushered to us when we arrived at the Ferry Terminal. Rest assured we would definitely contact them again for our next trip to Langkawi and may recommend their service to our friends too. 

Our transportation

We went to the main town of Kuah for lunch and we were very surprised to see a large crowd enjoying their shopping. They were mostly from the mainland Peninsula coming down to Langkawi to shop for cooking utensils, clothes, sweets and chocolates, travelling bags that is big enough to be filled with whatever they bought or anything else that they can make profits of. The crowds include all levels, the young and the old looking and buying whatever they need.  Langkawi is a free trade zone and the price may be cheaper than that on the mainland, we wonder!

We were also told that almost all places of interest were crowded with either tourist that comes in busses or groups and families in rented cars. The roads were packed with various types of transportation, travelling around the island. There are a lot of differences between the “old” Langkawi that we know of than that of the “today’s” Langkawi. During our earlier visit, the streets are not as busy as today. Some of the shops have been replaced with new buildings. The roads are well kept, no more the blackish estuary of the river that flows dividing the town of Kuah. The food stalls by the river facing the sea is no more to be seen. That was quite a long time ago, and we are proud of the new developed Langkawi. 

The pride of Langkawi

We visited a few tourist spots such as the “Princess Mahsuri’s tomb”, the “Galeria Perdana”, the hot spring at a place of the same name “Air Hangat”. Not to forget the “Eagle Square”, the landmark and the pride of Langkawi, the place with a lot of memories during our last visit.

At the “Princess Mahsuri’s Tomb” we found that the area was completely different from what we saw during our last visit. A new building was built near the tomb, as a museum, to display the historical items that were left of this popular history or legend. The Princess’s well which was originally small and naturally built have been enclosed with concrete and thus there is no more originality of these monuments and its historic legends. The house which was said belonged to this Princess is about time needed to be restored. These places were crowded with tourists and visitors that came in busses, cars and vans that parked along the road. The small parking space is not enough to accommodate all these vehicles. 

Top: The Princess Mahsuri's Tomb; Below from Right:
Visit to Galeria Perdana; Hot spring "Air Hangat"

Preparing for the return trip

We have to stay in Kuala Perlis for a night to catch our bus the next day. We check-out of the hotel and left by ferry to Kuala Perlis at noon. I bought the tickets a day earlier to avoid any disappointment, and as usual the Terminal was crowded with passengers. The condition of this Ferry Terminal is no difference with that of the Kuala Perlis Ferry Terminal. The crowd have completed their shopping spree and are returning home with the most luggages they could carry. We have to make our way through the crowd and make sure we were able to wait nearest to the boarding gate so that we will not miss the trip.

It took 1¼ hours to travel by Ferry from Kuah to Kuala Perlis. We check-in at the hotel in Kuala Perlis which is in-front of the Ferry Terminal. It was booked and confirmed when I arrived earlier on my way to Langkawi. Kuala Perlis is a small town, but the most crowded is near and around the Ferry Terminal. The few restaurants are continuously crowded with their patrons; the road-side stalls are selling various local products especially those which are the favourite in this small northern state of the Peninsula.

It is not unusual that we used to look for anything that could not be found in our hometown, be it anything that we could taste and enjoy. We walked along the food stalls that was built along side the beach, and was introduced by the owner of a stall to a green brinjal which tasted sweet when roasted and taken with hot and spicy sauce. The shellfish called “mentaram” looks very unfamiliar as we have not seen it before. It looks ugly and dirty but tasted awesome when cleaned and cooked, roasted or fried. We will not forget these new dishes although it tasted hot! 

The Green Brinjal and the "Mentaram" shellfish

We tried to get a taste of the “Laksa Ikan Belut” or “noodles with eel meat” but we could not find any. They told us to get this dish near the Kuala Kedah Ferry Terminal. The ordinary noodle they called as “Laksa Kuala Perlis” is just fine with us. I tasted a plate of glutinous rice served separately with some coconut milk and few fresh durians. This dish is one of my favourites and the taste differs from the dish I used to enjoy, where the coconut milk is cooked along with the durians and later the thick gravy would be served mixed with the cooked glutinous rice. They told me that they are familiar with the various types of this dish but they have to consider avoiding it being stale, as their stall opens until late night.

The Return Journey

The next day was our last day in Kuala Perlis. The bus terminal is only a walking distance from the hotel. For the convenience of the public, a covered pavement was built from the Ferry Terminal to the Bus Terminal. We hope that the Kuala Perlis Town Council would be able to keep and maintain this pavement, not only collecting the rubbish but the grass and weed that have been growing needs to be cut and trimmed. There are some people doing their business on the pavement which is an obstruction for the public using this pavement.

Our bus departed from the Bus Terminal at about 11:00 am almost an hour late. This Bus Terminal is only to fetch passengers for the trip, usually the bus would leave the Kangar Bus Terminal, stops over at this station before continuing their journey to anywhere they are scheduled.

On our way from Kuala Lumpur, the bus stopped at the new Amanjaya Bus Terminal, Ipoh, almost midway between Kuala Lumpur and Kangar. This bus terminal was officially opened in September 2012. All busses, both the long-distance or express and the stage busses are required to stop at this terminal either to drop off or taking passengers. This terminal provides a food court, rest rooms, prayer room and kiosks, among others for the passengers to rest while waiting to continue their trip.

On our return trip the bus did not stop at any of the Rest and Service areas along the PLUS highway although it was already lunch time but instead drove on southward to stop at this terminal. It was already quite late in the afternoon, about 3:00 pm and we have a very late and quick lunch to ease our hunger. 

The new Amanjaya Bus Terminal, Ipoh, Perak

We reached Hentian Duta Bus Terminal at about 7:00 pm, travelling for about 8 hours including a few stops. We should thank the driver as he drives at a steady speed, very calm and patiently during the trip of almost 500 kilometres. It’s not that we wanted to reach our destination early but safely.

This holiday seem to be a bit hectic as there are a lot of visitors to this island. We were told that some of these visitors were not able to enjoy themselves as the crowd at each of the tourist spots were uncontrollable. When we asked around on this issue, we were advised not to visit Langkawi during the school holidays. The numbers of visitors and tourists during this period or any public holidays are more than the normal days in the year. That’s it! We will never forget this advice.

Last but not least, the writer is no Viking warrior!

Note: Comments written on the few issues are writer’s own and may be considered wisely by those concerned.

A TRIP TO FT LABUAN

(Our memories)

Planning

We planned to go on a holiday to the Federal Territory Labuan. This is a follow-up after our last two holidays to Ipoh, Perak and Alor Setar, Kedah. I have been to Labuan when I was working with a federal government agency. My wife, who is still working in a federal ministry, used to travel on official duties to almost every state in Malaysia, including a few remote towns along the Sungai Rajang in Sarawak but did not have a chance to visit Labuan. That was the reason why we chose Labuan this coming holiday. I started to collect information for this trip as early as July 2012. I prefer to prepare myself much earlier so that I would be able to overcome any obstacles early, and to make sure the plan would run smoothly.

Hotel Bookings

I browsed the internet searching for a reasonable hotel in the Labuan town area. It’s a bit surprise that about 90% of all the hotels in Labuan did not have their own website or even an email address to contact. Most of the booking for these hotels were done through a third party. It’s a bit difficult for us to get more info except by phone. We can have the phone numbers of some of the hotels through the Malaysian Yellow Pages.

The Hotel

Browsing the internet, I happened to come across a few websites of hotels in Labuan. I sent emails to inquire further on room rates and other information from these hotels which I feel it is reasonable and economical enough to stay. Only one of my emails was replied and I hold-on to book until I have finalised my flight.

Flight Bookings

There are daily direct flights from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to Labuan. The Low-Cost Airline (Air-Asia) offers a flight to Labuan too early in the morning and we may not be able to catch the flight in time. One of the daily flights offered by the Malaysian Airline System (MAS) departs from KLIA at 9.00 am and expected to arrive in Labuan at 11.30 am. We chose this flight as the other flights would either depart a bit late in the afternoon or that would stop over at Kota Kinabalu to arrive at Labuan late in the evening.

We hope to be able to reach KLIA before 8.00 am to catch our flight. We have to hire a taxi from our home in Taman Seri Gombak (TSG) to Kuala Lumpur Sentral – Transit Hub (KL Sentral) in the earliest hour. We would check-in at the Kuala Lumpur City Air Terminal (KL CAT) before 7.00 am, and then travel to KLIA by the Express Rail Link (ERL). We would then have ample time to have our breakfast at the KLIA or, maybe we can have our breakfast during the flight. Our return journey would not be a problem as the daily scheduled flight departed from Labuan at 5.20 pm to arrive at KLIA at 7.40 pm.

I used to travel to Sibu and Kuching, Sarawak when I was attached to a private company after my retirement from the government service. During those days, booking a flight was a straight forward matter. I went to the MAS office counter, inquire about the flight, fares and any discount for a senior citizen like me, usually 50% on domestic air fares, pay up and got the tickets. Nowadays, this system is history, even the MAS office I used to go to has moved to other location. That shows that I have not travelled by air for quite sometime.

My wife and I went to the nearest MAS counter at the KL Sentral. The customer service was very patient with me and I thank her for the time she took to bear with my curiosity. I was advised to book my tickets online by the internet as this is already a trend nowadays. I was told that the fares would be much less than that at the counter and that there aren’t anymore direct discounts for senior citizens.

Whether I like it or not, I have to book our tickets online. This is my first experience and I have to be very careful so as not to make any mistakes. I have to browse the airline webpage many times to understand all the features and get all the online help to understand how it should be done. It looks easy enough.

For two (2) days I tried to book my tickets three (3) times but it seems does not work. My booking was not approved. I called the airline customer service and I was told there was nothing wrong with the way I did my booking only that it does not reached the approval stage. I kept wondering where I did wrong during my transactions.

It was then I decided to call my credit card provider to inquire if there is any problem with my card. They told me I have to activate a feature in the credit card website for my account to enable me to use the credit card for any internet transactions. Walla! (French for “Here it is”) That was the only problem and after I activated the “Secure Code” I was able to do my internet transaction without any hassle. The fares were reasonable and I received my E-ticket by email a few minutes after I completed the transaction.  I felt relaxed, at least I have done what I wanted to accomplish. That was on 15 August 2012, and it was too early before our trip scheduled for 29 September 2012.

So, for those who intended to use your credit card for any internet transactions and for the very first time, inquire from your credit card provider for all these details. I still have a lot more to learn!

I sent an email to the hotel in Labuan to confirm of our arrival and departure to enable them to reserve a room for our holiday.

The Trip

A day before our departure, I called the hotel in Labuan to check on the status of my booking and other relevant matters. Everything seems to go on as planned.

I called a few taxi services to fetch us from our home to the KL Sentral early in the morning. I did make a good decision as to which would give me a better service and charge for the trip. The first wanted to charge me exorbitantly while the other did not. These are legitimate services but it’s up to us to make our choice.

I was sleepless the whole night worrying if the taxi did not come and that we would have a problem to rush to the airport. We were relaxed when the taxi came much earlier, and at 6.00 am on September 29^th, we started our trip to KL Sentral. We want to make sure we won’t be late to catch our flight. As planned, we checked-in at the KL CAT and then took the ERL to KLIA arriving at about 7.15 am. We have our breakfast at a fast-food outlet in KLIA.

My favourite pancakes for my breakfast at KLIA

Smiling all the way to Labuan

Welcome to Labuan

We arrived at Labuan Airport at about 11.30 am. We took a taxi and checked-in the hotel which is situated in the town and it is an easy access to the many places around.  It’s time to pose for our collections, using only our mobile phones cameras.

Posing ... Posing ... eh
In Flight - Top Left: A happy couple; Right: Life MUST go on"
On Arrival - Bottom Left: Arriving by car?; Right: Welcomed by Marlin of Labuan

We have our lunch at a restaurant nearby which served local delicacies that satisfies our taste. After lunch we walked around the area where they were preparing for the Sunday market. The Labuan Walk is beautiful scenery but the surrounding area was not. These photos say a thousand words!

This photo (Left) shows how beautiful this Labuan Walk is; but the photo on the right says otherwise.
These photos were taken on the same day at about the same time.

Enjoying our breakfast; as usual, the baked beans; the hot-dogs are once a favourite of someone.

The next day, after breakfast we walked to the dry market looking for anything that could not be found in our hometown, be it anything that we could carry and take home. At the dry market, we bought some rice which was brought from Bario, Sarawak besides a few types of local cookies, such as “kueh cincin”, “sotoku”, to name a few.

At the dry market looking for something that never exists elsewhere?

I remembered, when I was a young kampong boy, I used to buy some sweetmeat made from sago, in the form of “powdered” and packed in a cylindrical plastic and called it as “sesagun”. I found this at a stall and the seller introduced us on how to enjoy this delicacy with bananas. We tried it and it’s just awesome. We also found a new snack and we just call it “Pulut” as we have forgotten the actual name given by the seller at the open market. This snack is made of cooked glutinous rice wrapped with either pandan or coconut leaves.

The newly introduced local delicasies
Left: "Sesagun" with bananas; Right: "Pulut"

Nearby the dry market are rows of bazaars that sell dresses, clothes, and accessories. My wife was looking for a headdress to go along with her dress, and when she could not find any that suits her taste, she turned to look for accessories instead.

The right accessories for the right dress.

On our way back to the hotel, we passed by this signage “Siswazah Corner” or should it be “Sudut Siswazah”?. We were wondering as to why that particular area was named as such; is it that the area, with a few stalls and food kiosks were maintained and run by the “siswazah”; or is it that area are where the “siswazah” sat and discussed their studies or preparing their thesis? We asked around but no one could give us a good reasonable answers.

The only "Graduate's Corner in Malaysia

We went to the Financial Park that has become the main attraction in Labuan for the local and tourists alike. During lunch, we met a few new students from the Peninsula who recently enrolled to study at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Labuan. We wish them success in their studies.

The Financial Park, Labuan

At one of the stalls selling various kinds of dresses and headdress, my wife found what she have been looking for, at least she had something to bring home. At this stall, the owner was not surprise to see us. She said she saw us in the morning, most probably during our walk to the bazaar looking for the headdress. We asked her why, and she told us that she’s touched to see us walking hand-in-hand as a very romantic and loving couple. My wife smiled and thanked her for the comment.

Labuan is a Duty Free island and we went around for window shopping. There are quite a number of shops selling chocolates and sweets. We bought some sweets and this would always remind us not to take a lot of sugars, or else, maybe someone would end wearing this Extremely-Extra Large Size pair of Jeans.

The chocolates may end you to this Extra Large pair of Jeans

There is a ferry service for those who wish to travel to the Sabah mainland or to Brunei Darussalam. For the local or those from the mainland Sabah or even from Brunei Darussalam this service is their favourite mode of transportation to visit friends, relatives or shopping in Labuan.

Going somewhere?

The drivers in Labuan are very considerate lot, no matter what they drive. They are willing to stop just to let us or anyone to cross the road, anywhere in the town. The town is a small busy town, you won’t get lost! But if we were to do the same in Kuala Lumpur, I am sure we’ll be honked by the drivers behind us persuading us to move on. We may not be able to try this hospitality in Kuala Lumpur. That’s the beauty of Labuan, among others.

Around the town area, there are rest areas where they build shades and chairs for the town folks to rest and chat. The greens which are well kept would be a good shade and cooling from the heat of the afternoon sun. No doubt, Labuan is a small island but it has a lot to offer to visitors.

The History of Labuan (Middle) and the rest areas in the town center.

The Return Journey

We enjoyed our stay in Labuan. We plan to visit Labuan again, but we would like to go by way of Kuching, Sarawak and then to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. From there on, we would take the Ferry, either from Kota Kinabalu that would take 2½ hours or from Menumbok, Sabah that will take 1½ hours to reach Labuan. Actually, this plan was discussed sometime ago, and hopes to realise it when the time comes. It would be a memorable holiday for us then. How’s that? Whatever!

We kept ourselves busy during this holiday, thus forgetting “whatever” problems that have been haunting us all these while. We do hope this holiday will give us some peace of mind when we return home, leaving the pain and frustrations behind on this island.

We left Labuan on the 2^nd October 2012. We have to check-out of the hotel by noon, sent to the airport with the compliments of the hotel’s management. We check-in for our flight scheduled at 5.20 pm to KLIA and have to wait for few more hours. My wife has her chance buying a dress that she had longed for from a boutique at the airport which she found out to be much cheaper than in Kuala Lumpur.

Our trip back home. Top: Waiting for the flight; Bottom: Travel by ERL to KL Sentral

We reached our home at about 10.00 pm, tired but happy. Anyway, we are a bit unlucky when we board a pre-paid taxi from KL Sentral. It was driven by a young driver who started “campaigning” from the moment we board his taxi until we reached our home. That would add more tiredness on us.

It’s good to be back at “home, sweet home” and nothing better than to get a good rest.

The smiles of happiness

Note: Something to ponder!

Whenever we travel by air, we were instructed to switch-off our cell phones, hand-phones, smart-phones, tablets, notebooks or whatever we call it that are all categorised as “phones” and electronic devices. We were not allowed to switch on these items during the flight as it may interrupt with the flight system. Fair enough!

We saw a lot of passengers did not abide by the rules. The smart-phones and tablets are still being used during the flights and enjoyed by some. What are the differences between these items if we were to categorise them as “electronic devices”? If “smart phones” does not comes with the category stated, it’s a bit odd as “smart phones” are “cell phones” or “hand phones” too, and it has no difference in usage, to make calls, play games or even snaps a few photos. From www.webopedia.com it explained that “A smart-phone is considered to be the combination of the traditional PDA and cellular phone, with a bigger focus on the cellular phone part”.

There should be a full explanation as to why we cannot use our cell phone or mobile phone during flights? Some phone owners may not want to make calls, but merely for using the phone camera. Just wondering … Browsing through the internet, there are a few countries that have already allowed the usage of these devices during their flights.

A TRIP TO ALOR SETAR, KEDAH

The Preparations (9 June 2012)

Recently I travelled from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh by the new double track train, the Electric Train Service (ETS). It was a day trip that took about 2 hours, and I did enjoy the scenery all the way. I planned to travel much further and by the night train.

I arranged for the train schedule and fare for the trip from KL Sentral to Alor Setar, Kedah. I was information technology personnel prior to my retirement and thus I am used to browse the internet for any information that I need. I browsed the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) website to find out more about the fares, train schedules, the up-to-date discount rates and other information. It is regretted to say that the website seems not updated. You can browse the fares pages, but when it comes to the discounts given, especially to a senior citizen, there were no details on how the discounted fares should be calculated. When I called the Call Centre, they did not explain as how the final fare comes to and the discount rates given on the website are different from what was informed to me. No doubt all those who are eligible to discounted fares are not allowed to book their fare online, as there is no way to prove their age and eligibility. They have to go to the counter and provide all documents necessary to book or buy their tickets.

When I travelled with the ETS, the full fare has to be deducted RM8, which is the charge for the seat, before any discount can be calculated. This discounted fare is then added back with the seat charge to get the right amount payable for the fare. I presume the same system applies to the train fare, where the charge for the berth or seat, wherever applicable, has to be deducted from the total fare to calculate the exact discounted fare. We have to know the berth and the seat charges before calculating the exact fare.

I hope information on how fares are calculated for any persons who are eligible for discounted fares or not, and anywhere the person is travelling to, be displayed on the websites as first-hand information, direct, precise, clear, easy to understand and the website pages are easy to reach continuously from one subject to another. The public will then know how much fare and what they are paying for, and to prepare before hand the actual amount to pay at the counters for their tickets. This up-to-date information would help the public and be a good marketing strategy for KTMB. The staffs at the counters should also be able to explain to their customers on details of the payments. Maybe this information may be printed on the ticket itself, where it would state the actual fare, the berth or seat charges, the discounts, if any and the final fare paid.

Those who are eligible for discounts and given these privileges are senior citizens, retirees, the disabled (OKU). For the other passengers, it would be a straight forward case where the fare is concerned. Since we are in Malaysia and most of the passengers are Malaysian, it would be better if the website could be in dual-language and the public may choose either in Bahasa Melayu or English. It would help the public to understand more on what KTMB has to offer and to make KTMB more users friendly. The internet has become part of our daily life nowadays, and that everybody knows how to use it.

The interactive system to book tickets may not be used widely by the public, not everyone would register and use it, maybe because they seldom or once in a while used the train service. What the public want is information only, and finally they still have to go to the counter to get their tickets.

My wife and I went to the KTMB counter and bought our return tickets early to avoid any disappointment.  We chose the night train with the sleeping berth cabin (1^st Class Coach – ADNFB or Air-Conditioned Day-Night First-Class Berth) as advised by the staff at the counter. My wife and I were given 50% and 60% discounts respectively on the fare and that’s the beauty of being senior citizens. With the little information I got from the counter, I was able to calculate how the fares comes to the amount I paid.

KTMB Tickets: KL Sentral to Alor Setar and Return

We bought our tickets on the 9^th. June 2012, and that is a long wait until our departure date. At least we know that we are already being reserved a seat or cabin and it gave us the time to prepare for a journey that we never had the chance.

The Journey (28 June 2012)

On the departure day, Thursday 28^th June 2012, we left our home for KL Sentral and after dinner, we left for Alor Setar with the train leaving the station at about 9.20 pm, and expected to arrive at 7.15 am the next day.

Preparing for the trip; Waiting for the train, restlessly and very excited …

We boarded the train and look for the Coach L3 and Cabin 5 as stated on our tickets. We were delighted to see the cabin which was clean, complete with all the necessities, and well equipped for travellers like us. If we are on any journey, we don’t expect everything would satisfy our every taste. As a traveller, to anywhere you are going you have to bear the hardship and accept whatever is there for you and have to be moderate in all aspects. We accepted the cabin which is very much adequate for us.

The Coach L3 (Top Left); The Cabin 5 – the lower and the top sleeping berths

To familiarise with the coach, we walked around looking for the café or the toilet to make sure we were able to go whenever there was a need to.

We were very excited as this was our maiden travel first class in a train. The journey took some 10 hours passing through about 20 stations along the way. Since we were travelling at night, we may be sleeping most of the time and have to forget the night sceneries.

During the journey, my wife switched on her notebook. She enjoyed browsing the internet while connecting to her Facebook friends, sending messages that she was travelling by train. We experienced no interruptions to browse the internet while in a train.

Browsing the internet in a moving train

There would be a lot of differences between sleeping quietly at home and on a moving train. There were times when we were awakened by the train stopping at the stations along the way. You have to bear the noise around you, all the screeches, the sound of the train braking, or when the coaches are being pulled to move.

We hope we could wake up early the next morning to look at the sun rise. But then, from Kuala Lumpur we were travelling northward and that our cabin is on the west side. We were not able to see the sun rise after all, the sun will not rise until in the early morning.

When we stopped at Bukit Mertajam, the train has to change its locomotive which would be on the other end of the coaches; this locomotive will pull these coaches to continue the journey northward. At Bukit Mertajam, all the trains will move from a T-junction, either going westward towards Butterworth, going to Alor Setar and Thailand to the north or Kuala Lumpur to the south. This would change our positions in the cabin, either going forward or backward according to the movement of the train itself.

The interchange at Bukit Mertajam; the sunrise, a view from the train

At this early morning hours we would be able to see the sun rises, but we have to go out of the cabin and look through the windows on the other side of the coach.

We reached Alor Setar, Kedah at 7.30 am on Friday, 29^th. June 2012. We were a bit tired but then it good to stretch and breathe the cool morning air.

The Arrival (29 June 2012)

What a surprise! At the Alor Setar railway station, there is no platform and we have to step down the train with care. We were stunned at the condition of the station itself. The station is an old building that was built during the British occupancy in Malaysia, and that would be years ago. Most of the railway stations in the peninsular were built with the same design. The clock tower is still there but the clock itself has retired. We are sure that there would be plans to build a new station along with the new double tracks that are currently being built.

Welcome to Alor Setar;
The nostalgic building – the Alor Setar Railway Station

We were waiting for a taxi at the station, and it seems the taxi were selecting their passengers, offering to those who were going much further than the Alor Setar town itself. I walked around and after a few meters I saw one of the hotels in the town. We decided to walk to the town, and we were right as the hotel that we were looking is just round the corner. We stopped at a food stall to have our breakfast, and then walked on to the hotel, The Regency formerly known as The Grand Continental. We registered ourselves and we were allowed to check-in at that hour.

The beautiful sunset from the hotel’s 4^th. Floor

We spent our first day unpacking and relaxing, getting rid of the tiredness of sleeping in the train. It was Friday and the Friday prayers would be held at the state mosque nearby. At noon, I went to the mosque and told my wife to wait for me for lunch.

The State Mosque

We walked around and just nearby the State Mosque we found a very attractive new restaurant, which was officially opened the day before we arrived. The name really did touch our hearts and the interior decorations were beautiful.

The newly opened Restaurant: D’Dapur Ibuku (At My Mother’s Kitchen)

The foods were very tempting, the arrangement was excellent and well done, and my wife did enjoy her lunch.

Enjoying her lunch

We had our breakfast, lunch or dinners at the hotel restaurant, trying to taste all the different food served. Alor Setar is near the Thai border and thus Thai-tasted foods are abundance, we can have our food even at the stalls around the town until late at night.

Breakfast and Dinner with Chicken Rice and Steak

The Desserts: Glutinous rice with mango; Creamed Caramel and my favourite, The Apple Pie!

It was Saturday, 30^th. June 2012 and is our full day to go around the town. We went to the Pekan Rabu, the famous town market and bazaar where fresh local produce and cultural handicrafts are available. The museum and art galleries are nearby, including the Alor Setar Tower, the state mosque, clock tower to name a few. We went visiting these places and here are some of the memories.

Pekan Rabu

Entrance to the “Yellow” Palace; On top of the Alor Setar Tower;
a replica of an old historical building.

The final day was Sunday 1^st. July 2012 and our return train from Alor Setar to Kuala Lumpur was scheduled at about 7.15 pm. We have the whole morning before we check-out of the hotel and depart to the railway station later in the evening. We took this opportunity to walk around to the nearby shops to do some window shopping.

We may be a local tourist trying to get away from the hustle bustle of the Kuala Lumpur City. We take the opportunity to walk around the town looking for anything that differs from what we have seen in the other towns that we visited. Be it local delicacies, home-made utensils and handicrafts, sarongs, shawls, T-shirts, salted fish or even local cakes and tit-bits. It will be something to remember when you have in your collections from different places you have been.

We stopped at a stall to have the most popular dish in the northern states of the Peninsular. This “Laksa” is the favourite not only to the locals but to the visitors alike. The owner prepared her own “laksa”, made from rice flour, with her own recipe for the gravy and the taste is delicious.

The real taste of “Laksa”

To remember this visit, my wife insisted we keep our memories by taking photos. I would be the photographer and she will be the “model” of all those photos I took. The only problem is that a photographer might not be able to snap his own photos! We did not have any digital camera but we use the mobile phone camera instead. Anyway it is good to have something to remember, and we do not know when we will be coming back to this town again. We sent a few photos to those who are close to us by the mobile phone, to let them know that we were on a holiday.

The places of interest around the town

(Top Left) Visiting the Alor Setar Mall (You looked beautiful, girl),

(Top Right) Star Walk Café, (Below Left) in the lift going up the Alor Setar Tower;
(Below Right) in-front of Holiday Villa Hotel

The Return Journey (1 July 2012)

Our return tickets stated that we will be boarding a train with the same Coach L3 and Cabin 5 when we came to Alor Setar. Maybe it is a different train, coincidentally with the same Coach and Cabin number. We want to relax all the way and hoped to reach home safely. It is expected to reach Kuala Lumpur by 6.00 am the next day, 2^nd. July 2012.

The return trip; Goodbye Alor Setar

On our return journey, I could not have a good sleep. I slept at the top berth which seemed to rock and swayed due to the movement of the train, when it braked or when the coach is suddenly being pulled to move.

Home (2 July 2012)

We reached KL Sentral early in the morning, and we joined the office workers in their rush hour to their offices. We travelled to Gombak Station by way of the Kelana Jaya Line, and from there we hired a taxi home to our residence in Taman Seri Gombak.  My wife is on leave and will only be working the next day, 3^rd. July 2012.

The whole holiday was “awesome” as the young generations used to say and we enjoyed it very much. The train service and its facilities are good and no wonder a lot of people keep using the train for their transportation.

One of the reasons of this trip, or any other trips, is trying to get off the stress and the hectic life in Kuala Lumpur City that we have experienced all these while. Every morning I drove my wife to her office early to avoid the traffic, and rushing home in the evening especially when the weather is not on our side and the rain might create flash floods around the city.

We hope this holiday will give us some peace of mind. I am a retired government staff and my wife will follow suit in about a year, and we feel we need to enjoy our life. We will make ourselves happy and try to forget all those that we had experienced, which we tried to cope with pain and difficulty. We hope to live a quiet life for the many remaining years to come.

We hope to continue going on a holiday like what we have done. The next place we would like to go is the Federal Territory, Labuan. I have been there once but my wife did not have the chance yet. We also planned to go to Pulau Langkawi. We have been to this island a few times but going there this time is to recollect the memoirs that we have had. We hope to go only after the Ramadhan fasting month and the Hari Raya celebration that follows.

During my school days, I remembered my teacher told us that the railway tracks, as far as the eyes could see, will never meet. Let’s hope our life is as far as the railway track which seems to end at nowhere. One of these days, we will travel again, to see the world!

The never ending journey

It’s good to be back at home, sweet home.

Note: Comments written on KTMB are writer’s own personal views.