Selamat Datang* to Kuala Lumpur

 There have been many a slips for me when it comes  to international travel. Even after visa stampings, my travels never happened. So, this time, i was'nt sure till my 8.30 a.m flight took off from anna international terminal. After the various security checks and immigration when i walked into the aerobridge, the feeling was  similar to a domestic flight, but the excitement and chuckles on my children's face gradually infected me and slowly it sinked into me that  I was seated on my maiden international flight. Destination Kuala Lumpur fondly called KL. 

The day prior to our departure was a rushed day for us as we took a 500 km journey( to an fro) from Chennai to Siruvacchur( our family deity temple). So,the lovely ambience of the flight lulled our tired bodies to sleep. The 3.5 hour flight came to an end tad early for us.

Our first moments in KL were a bit disoriented, the broken sleep and the 2 hour time lag notwithstanding. When I walked out of the airport, I was'nt excited and it felt so much like Shamshabad (hyderabad)airport. As I stared out of the taxi taking us to our hotel, I could'nt see any of the familiar Malaysian motifs, not even far in the skyline. No towering skyscrapers,no neon drenched malls and certainly no sprawling malls. The roads and toll booths were so similar to NH45 that we drove on the previous day. Nothing that i had envisioned about this city came across my sight. Later, I felt it was a disservice to this city to be confined to my imaginary thoughts.

As it turned out, I was just a little out of KL. The heart of the city evidently lives in those cliches, as you will find out from my future posts. But it also has a side that is more intimate and closer to the ground  which are worth discovering for that is what makes this country with a rich history and  closer to the equator different.  The rain and sunshine has given rise to the rainforests which are home to unique flora and fauna like the worlds largest flower Rafflesia, fruits like rambutan, mangosteen, starfruit,passion fruit, Durian.You easily see the banana trees growing on the roadsides along with abundant palm trees. Most tree barks have creeper, ferns or parasitic plants around them making it fodder for a camera with good pixel to capture.The sights of all these are what differentiates Malaysia from other countries. Local architecture wise, The beautiful gable styled roofs and tiled sloping roofs  like our own kerala styled houses are another unique feather of the countryside along with stilt houses on the farming side.

I found some of these local architecture  on my way to the  hotel at Bukit Bintang. And also some familiar landmarks like the Sepang Formula 1 grandprix circuit, the administrative capital Putra Jaya and.... and...  Can you sense the feeling when i first sighted the world famous   KL landmark Petronas twin towers?!

  More in my next post.

                                           My first glimpse of the land from air

 When i first sighted the world famous landmarks KL communication tower and petronas twin tower on a foggy early evening on my way to the hotel

  traditional houses and the plantain plants that easily are grown on road sides.

(photos from a moving car, so may lack clarity)


Selamat datang is welcome in Malay