Kuala Lumpur In A Day

The Marvel Of Malaysiaʼs Capital.

- Amrinder Bajaj

My lust for travel was fulfilled when a lady in my yoga class informed me of a ladies’ group that was going on a Singapore trip with a three-day cruise and a day’s stop at Kuala Lumpur, I jumped at the idea. The sea beckoned as did the lure of a new country. I loved to imbibe the feel of a new place in totality – its culture and cuisine, people and places. As we were going in a group of about 30, the tedious business of getting the visa, tickets, insurance, itinerary and accommodation would be taken care of by the tour operator. Little did I know that going in a group entailed following their diktats which meant forgoing some of the activities I would have liked to do and doing what the majority wanted to. That this group was made up of orthodox, vegetarian, housewives and as a non-vegetarian author/doctor, I was a total misfit, I learnt much later.

After a five-hour flight to Singapore and a tedious wait at the dock I was finally settled in a room with a balcony aboard the Royal Caribbean. Yachts with colourful sails skimmed the surface of the deep green sea. The warm whether thawed the Delhi chill from my bones. We set sail at 4 pm and began exploring the city on the sea – the various decks, casino, bar, children play area, library, shopping arcade, art gallery (the artwork would be auctioned on the last day), swimming pools, Jacuzzis and restaurants.

The uppermost deck had a rockclimbing wall and a volleyball court. After a sumptuous dinner, pleasantly tired we laid our weary heads on pillows and fell asleep almost immediately.