*Warning: A Long Boring Post Ahead.
(Also, too lazy to edit photos in this post)
Frankly, I didn’t know why I decided to get on that plane or why I bought the ticket in the first place. I just knew that I needed to be somewhere else to find something I wasn’t looking for. An empty postcard.
I flew off to KL last week and took a bus to Melaka with no plans on where to go, or what to do. This would’ve been my first trip where I only had my accommodations settled, and leaving the rest to where the day took me.
Perhaps I was craving the feeling of being lost and finding the unexpected. Perhaps I didn’t want to go somewhere only to end up disappointed.
I am lucky to have parents who have entrusted me to travel alone, given that I checked in every once in a while. Although they too know that I’m not that great at updating people through Whatsapp, but I do what I can anyway, even as simple as sending an ugly selfie to let them know that I was a-okay.
My flight to KL was delayed by 7 hours, leaving me in a state of a dilemma of whether to cancel my hotel for that night or to take a nap before departing to Melaka the next morning. There was no transit train from KLIA to KLIA2 after 1:00 am, leaving me to make the decision on whether I would want to spend more money on a taxi to get to my hotel. In the end, I was just too tired and needed the sleep. Fortunately, my parents were still in KL to sort my hotel arrangement.
After my capsule experiences in Japan, I was eager to try the Capsule by Container Hotel in KLIA2. Having read the mixed reviews online, my expectation was quite low. I checked in around 4:30 – 5:00 am, which only left me with at least 3 hours of sleep.
I was too tired to take photos but all I could say was the capsule was an alright place to stay for a transit. I was not fond of the idea of having the luggage area/ lockers located outside the capsule (across the check-in counter). It was uncomfortable. I had booked for an all female dorm but was surprised that I was put in a mixed dorm when I saw a guy passed by (then again, I was so ngaleh I tidur right away). The bathroom was small, but what could you expect from a capsule hotel, right? Don’t be misled by the photos you’d see on the Internet as I came to learn the bathroom area with the sink was accessible to Male only. Weird huh? Thought female would’ve appreciated the privacy even more.
So anyway, left to Melaka Sentral from KLIA2 via coach (RM24.30 for one way), then took a taxi to Novotel Hotel. To be honest, I was careless when I was making an early reservation on Booking.com. I didn’t realise that one of the reservations was non-refundable, so I had no choice but to cancel all my other bookings and to stay at Novotel anyhow, which wasn’t exactly cheap for a solo traveler. At least, if you’re young and enjoy a long walk, the hotel is located 1 km away from Melaka River. Throughout your walk, you’d also encounter many tourist spots and shopping malls. It was the kind of exercise my body needed after so long.
Having no itinerary, I didn’t know where I wanted to go. I just walked and walked, and stopped at places that caught my attention. I had a few places in mind but I wasn’t being efficient with my time. I felt like I was floating most of the time. Unsure of time, or where I was, or what I was looking at. I went to temples, watched people prayed, stood outside a mosque, had kids high-fiving me, visited museums and art galleries, and walked on the 42nd floor of a building. I just kept going and going.
I was particularly whelmed by the historical story of Baba & Nyonya heritage. This was an hour of a guided tour (RM16 per person) of the house that belonged to the Baba & Nyonya family. At first I was impressed, but in the end, I just felt quite sorry. It was said that if one was born as either a baba or a nyonya but decided to have a different religion or marry an outsider who is not of the same race, then they would no longer be called a baba or a Nyonya. They also still believe in arranged marriage and keeping the lineage and traditions alive. A Nyonya also enjoyed showing off their wealth through pieces of jewelry, clothing, and furniture. Overall, it was interesting to learn about the people in Melaka.
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| No photos were allowed inside the Baba & Nyonya Museum so this is all I've got to share |
However, throughout my trip, I was suffering from some really painful canker sores (mouth ulcers) on my tongue. I exhausted every possible measure to try and heal them to no avail. I wasn’t able to enjoy food or try local cuisine. What a loss huh!
After 2 days in Melaka, I was set to return to KL a day before my departure to Brunei. I decided to stay in Bukit Bintang, where I know I would have plenty of options on where to eat, and let my soul die one cell at a time by drooling at the storefront. None of that really happened. A good friend was kind to bring me around, showed me places, art exhibition, small expo, experienced the cinema and saw where the PM works. It was rather nice to spend some time with a friend you’d only get to see at least once a year.
Unfortunately, my flight was canceled and retimed to the next day due to an unforeseen technical issue with the plane. It was frustrating to wait for everything to be sorted out, and I had to request for an emergency leave as I was set to report back for duty the next morning. We settled into our hotel at 3 am, and were called to get ready at 6:30 am. Haish, was only given less than an hour to get ready even! Had so little rest and was so starved after having no proper meals for at least 5 days.
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| This massive hotel room they compensated us with for the flight cancellation |
Five days away from home, and all I wanted was to sleep, instead I had much to catch up with. Work was piling up, and I was going broke. My decision for this trip was rather impulsive I guess, and I wasn’t really thinking about it thoroughly in terms of finance. Lesson learned! Actually, I learned so much more than just financial matter from this trip but I’d rather write that in another post.
