Reflections: Traveling in Malaysia

38,000 feet above the earth’s surface, and beginning our descent. Just a thick layer of cumulus clouds now separated Leanne and I from our first steps on Malaysian soil. Surprisingly, this would be my third visit to Kuala Lumpur International Airport, but having never set foot past the immigration officials in my two previous encounters (both amounting to layovers en route to Australia), this would be my very first breaths of Malaysian air.

Kuala Lumpur

Smoothly slipping through customs and immigration, we retrieve our quasi-backpacker luggage and are greeted by a throng of people offering us all manner of transport to any imaginable point on peninsular Malaysia. Navigating through the airport’s touts, we sift our way through, and grab our taxi bound for the Renaissance Hotel, smack dab in the centre of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s majestic capital city (affectionately known as KL’ to many).

Just under an hour later, we find ourselves weaving through the chaotic madness of KL. Thrusting head-first into the future with its magnificent skyscrapers and glass towers (where the world renowned “Petronas Towers” can be found), while clinging fiercely to its historical roots (one needs no further evidence than a walk through Chinatown), KL is truly a city where one can virtually “see” the essence and passage of time.

We are exhausted, but running off adrenaline. We drop our bags to the floor in our room, and are met with an awe-inspiring view of the Petronas Towers, Malaysia’s gift to the god of technology (if such a god exists). The twin towers are a mind-blowing 452 metres high, and will leave any traveler spellbound in a moment of silence, just to intake its colossal presence. Only by standing at the very base of these towers, does one begin to come to two distinct realizations: Just how small a space we occupy on this blue planet, and just how high the imagination of our civilization can take us (both figuratively and literally speaking).

That afternoon, we drift off into sleep, with thoughts of a brand new journey ahead of us, one that (we yet to realize) will take us on two buses, countless taxi rides, two ferries, two speedboats and a trishaw ride later all in a span of 12 days. In total, we will have traveled over 850 kilometres, and traverse an incredibly diverse set of landscapes, and cultural atmospheres.

A couple of days in Kuala Lumpur was the suggested length of stay by our guide book, and we did just that. KL’s architectural