(3) ON THE WAY TO GENTING ISLAND

Dari airport gue langsung ke KLIA stasiun naik MRT ke KL Sentral stasiun. Seru rasanya sendirian di suatu tempat modern dan asing. Sampai di KL Sentral gue jalan ngikutin sign board ke tempat stasiun bus KLIA. Sesuai e-mail Andrea gue beli tiket bus ke Genting Island satu paket dengan Sky Train. Sambil nunggu bus gue diajak ngobrol sama cewek Malaysia yang duduk di sebelah gue. Ternyata dia juga lagi nunggu bus juga tapi dengan jurusan lain. Seperti petugas imigrasi di airport dia pikir gue orang Philippine …he he he he… Finally kita kenalan dan tukeran nomor HP. Namanya Susilowaty.

From the Airport, I went straight to KLIA station to go to KL Sentral by MRT. I am so exciting alone in the modern and strange world. Arrived KL Sentral I walked following the sign board to the KLIA bus station. As Andrea e-mail, she suggested me to buy a package KLIA bus ticket to Genting Island which included Sky Train ticket. While I am waiting the bus a Malaysian girl who was sit down beside me made conversation to killing time. She was also waiting a bus but different direction to me. Apparently as the airport immigration staff she was also though that I am a Philippine…he he he he… Finally we were introducing each other and changed our telephone number. Her name is Susilowaty.

Perjalanan bus ke Genting Island kurang lebih sekitar 1,5 jam. Ternyata Genting Island itu ada di atas bukit. Kita serasa pergi ke Puncak atau kalo di Bali ke Bedugul. Jalannya naik and berkelok-kelok, udaranya juga dingin dan sejuk karena di atas bukit. Naahh…. yang paling menarik, begitu sampai di terminal bus, untuk menuju ke atas bukit kita harus baik Skyway dan ini satu-satu-nya transportasi untuk menuju ke atas bukit. Waaahhh….seru banget lho! Meskipun rada ngeri tapi pemandangan indah dari atas skyway bikin kita lupa sama perasaan ngeri kita.

The way to Genting Island is around 1.5 hours by bus. I feel like going to Puncak – Bogor or in Bali, it’s like Bedugul, steep and sinuous. The weather is also cool because of on the hill. The interested thing on the way to Genting Island, after arrived at the Genting bus station, we have to change the transportation by Skyway to go to Genting Island and this is the only one transportation to the hill. Wow … so cool! Even though scary, the very beautiful view from the skyway made me forget the scary feeling.

(2) KLIA AND FUNNY SCANDALS

KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) ternyata nggak kalah keren and modern kayak Changi Airport di Singapore. Cuma nggak enaknya … begitu turun dari pesawat lumayan jauh jalan kakinya. Sempet bingung juga nyari-nyari tempat ngambil bagasinya. Ternyata kita masih harus ke terminal berikutnya untuk ngambil bagasi dan lewat imigrasi. Naahh…yang menarik untuk ke terminal berikut disediain kereta listrik …waah seru…jadi kita nggak perlu repot-repot jalan kaki sambil bawa bagasi kita.

KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) is wonderful airport and very modern like Changi airport in Singapore. Only uncomfortable when we went out from plane, we have to walk long way. I also confuse to find the place to take my luggage. Apparently we still have to go to the next terminal to take my luggage and pass the immigration. Aahh …it’s interesting! We have to use train which KLIA provided to go to the next terminal… so cool… so we don’t need to walk and carry our luggage.

Funny Scandal 1

Baru aja gue menapakkan kaki di Negara tetangga, gue udah dapet aib :-) Saking sibuknya mengaktifkan HP untuk sms Andrea and Tim, gue jalan ngikutin arus aja tanpa ngeliat sign board. Tiba-tiba gue diteriakin petugas imigrasi, tapi karena masih asyik dengan HP, gue gak pay attention and jalan terus ngikutin arus. Akhirnya gue dikejar sama petugas and diteriakin “Hey Foreigner! Go over there! That’s way only for workers!” Sialan gw kaget and malu setengah mati diliatin banyak orang. Ternyata gue ngikutin arus TKI ….huahahhahahahah…. :-)

Just arrived this country, I got a funny thing already :-) Because of so busy with my handy to text Andrea and Tim, I walked just follow another passengers without see any signboard. Suddenly I heard someone speak loudly but I didn’t pay attention, just keep walking and still busy with my handy. Finally, someone comes and speak loudly to me, “Hey Foreigner! Go over there! That’s way only for workers!”. Oohh … my God! Everybody look at me. I didn’t realize that I follow workers from Indonesia … huahahahahahahhahaha .... :-)

Funny Scandal 2

Gue akhirnya digiring sama petugas imigrasi ke arah yang berlawanan menuju ke counter imigrasi. Sambil senyum-senyum petugas imigrasi nanya ke gue, “Is it your first time to KL?” gue bilang Yes dan dia sambung dengan pertanyaan lain “Where are you come from? Philippine? May I see your passport?” Gue geli liat expresi muka kagetnya waktu liat passport gue, “Oohh…you are really looks like Philippine” …. He he he he he….kena lo! :-) Untung gue lebih mirip orang Philippine ketimbang mirip TKI ….huahahahhahahaha…..

The immigration staff brings me to the opposite direction to the immigration counter. The Immigration staff smile and asked me, “Is it your first time to KL?”. I said “Yes” and he asked me another question, “Where are you come from? Philippine? May I see your passport?”. I gave my passport to him and I saw his face looks so surprised, “Oohh….you are really looks like Philippine” …. He he hehehe …. Gotcha! :-) Lucky me, I more look like Philippine than Indonesian worker huahahahhahaha….

(1) UN-PLANNED HOLIDAY

Traveling gue ke Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia kali ini sebenernya nggak ter-planning sama sekali. Sebenernya justru gue merencanakan liburan bareng sahabat gue Reza ke Bangkok – Pattaya dan Vietnam. Tapi tiba-tiba Reza dapet memo dari head office-nya harus ke Surabaya untuk trainning, sementara gue udah ngambil cuti dan cuti gue ini sebenernya malah udah di-change beberapa kali dari bulan Desember kemaren dengan reason yang sama, masalah kerjaan baik dari gue sendiri maupun partner gue. Sahabat-sahabat gue McD and Al, nyuruh gue liburan ke Jakarta …. tapi gue pikir seminggu di Jakarta gue bakalan boring and ngerepotin, karena mereka (McD and Al) pada gawe semua. Apalagi gue hampir tiap bulan ke Jakarta terus even cuma sebentar-sebentar pas weekend ataupun karena urusan kerjaan.

My traveling to Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia this time, it’s not planning before. Actually, I was planning to go to Bangkok, Pattaya, and Vietnam with my best friend Reza, but suddenly he got a memo from his Head Office that he has to go to Surabaya for training, meanwhile I took my Annual leave already. I also changed my annual leave a couple times already since December last years by the same reason office work, from my side or Reza. My best friends McD and Al asked me to go to Jakarta for holiday but …. I was thinking that I would be bored and bothered them (McD & Al) in Jakarta for a week due to they work. I also almost every month went to Jakarta for holiday in the weekend or business trip.

So …. Gue iseng-iseng browsing ke Air Asia, nyari tahu tiket yang lagi promo. Eeehhh….gak tahu kenapa kok nyantol ke Kuala Lumpur. Pas gue cek ternyata Tiket Return Denpasar-Kuala Lumpur lumayan murah even nggak ada promo. Gue iseng ngecek harga kalo return Jakarta – Kuala Lumpur, ternyata gue dapet lebih murah setelah gue check juga harga tiket return Denpasar-Jakarta. Karena penasaran, gue coba contact Agent tiketing langganan gue untuk nanyain harga tiket return Denpasar-Jakarta dan gue dapet harga lebih murah lagi pakai Lion Air. Kebetulan nggak sengaja, temen gue di tiketing mba Nyoman ngasih info kalo Lion Air lagi promo tiket ke KL, tapi harus booking lewat internet. So iseng lagi gue browsing ke website Lion Air …. Alhasil gue dapet tiket return Jakarta-Kuala Lumpur murah banget, cuma Rp 747.000 net for return … wow … gila!! unbelievable?! Tanpa pikir lagi langsung gue booking and bayar pakai credit card.

So I was browsing to Air Asia website to looking for a promotional ticket. Just look … look …and look… I found return ticket Denpasar – Kuala Lumpur is not so expensive even no special promo. I also check return ticket Jakarta – Kuala Lumpur. I got cheapest price after I check Denpasar - Jakarta return too. Due to curious, I contact my ticketing agent to ask a Denpasar – Jakarta return ticket and I got lowest price using Lion Air. Lucky me that mba Nyoman, the staff who works in the Travel Agent, gave me information that Lion Air open a new destination to Kuala Lumpur and still offering promotional ticket, but the ticket have to book by internet. So … I browsed to Lion Air website and wow …. I got a Jakarta – Kuala Lumpur return ticket only for Rp 747.000,00 …. Unbelievable!!! I booked the ticket directly without think anymore.

Saat itu juga gue langsung email Andrea, salah satu staff kantor JALpak di Malaysia. Gue minta tolong dia buatin itinerary and booking hotel. Waaahhh….dia baek banget bantuin dengan banyak info about Genting Island and Kuala Lumpur, juga transportation seperti kereta, Monorail, Bus, ERL….sampai-sampai dia buatin peta rute, stasiun kereta and terminal bus di KL buat gue. So gimana gue nggak jadi semakin exciting banget untuk pergi.

On the same time, I e-mail Andrea, one of staff in JALpak Malaysia office. I asked her to help me to make an itinerary and advise hotel information where I can stay there. Oohhh …. She was very kindness. She gave me a lot of information about Kuala Lumpur, specially hotel, tourism object, and public transportation like KLIA, Monorail, Bus, and ERL …. She also made a map of bus and train station and the route in Kuala Lumpur. So how come it will not make me more exciting to go.

Andrea juga nyaranin gue untuk stay semalem di Genting dan kasih gue website First World Hotel untuk booking hotel by internet. Karena gue blon pernah ke Malaysia, dan kebetulan boss gue dulunya dari JALpak Malaysia, jadi gue minta saran dia mengenai tempat-tempat mana yang paling menarik dan harus jadi prioritas utama untuk gue datengin. Soalnya Andrea ngasih gue daftar panjang buanget nama-nama tempat-tempat bagus yang musti gue datengin….padahal waktu gue cuma 3 malem doang :-)

Andrea also suggested me to stay a night at Genting Island and she forwarded me Website of First World Hotel to make a room reservation by internet. Due to I never been to Malaysia and Andrea gave me a long list of interesting places in Malaysia but I only have 3 days. So I asked my boss to give me advise where are more nice places and compulsory to go from Andrea List. He use to working for JALpak Malaysia office, so I think he knew much about Malaysia.

Tadinya sempet ragu mo booking First World Hotel semalem, karena boss gue bilang di sana gue bakal bored karena cuma ada kasino and theme park (kayak di Dufan). Udah gitu nggak bisa kemana-mana karena ada diatas bukit yang tinggi banget and everything’s money…money…money…muahalnya minta ampun. Lebih baik stay di KL dan bisa enjoy Chinese food yang memang terkenal enak. Ditambah lagi temen gereja gue Irene and Tim (teman Irene yang tinggal di Malaysia) juga bilang pasti boring. Tapi temen gue Reza advise gue musti stay di Genting …. Duh gue malah jadi makin penasaran. Perasaan selama ini even gue pergi traveling sendirian, kemana pun pergi gue gak pernah ngerasa boring dan gak tahu musti ngapain, selalu ada aja yang bikin gue excited dan have a lot of fun. Makanya gue minta pendapat Albert karena dia udah pernah ke kesana, dia said better gue stay di Genting karena takutnya gue bakal terburu-buru dan gak sempat nikmati semua permainan di Theme Park-nya. He he he hehe … dia tahu banget gue nih orangnya doyan maen and try everything new :-)

I was not sure to make reservation at First World Hotel due to my boss told me that I would be bored stay at Genting Island. He said that there are just a casino and a park like Dufan at Jakarta but not international standard. Beside of that, I could not go everywhere due to the place is on the hill and everything’s money … money … money … expensive. But he said also I can enjoy Chinese food at KL, because Chinese food in there very oisii. Another information from my friend Irene and Tim (Irene’s friend who live in Kuala Lumpur) also told me that I would be bored in there. But…again… Reza said to me that I have to stay at Genting Island due to the weather and the atmosphere is different. Aaahhh … It made me confuse and more curious. I never feel bored with everything and don’t know what shout I do even when I am traveling alone. Everything is always making me fun and exciting. So I asked my best friend Albert. He has been Genting Island before and he told to me better I stay a night in there due to I would be enjoy with all the Theme Park Game in there and have an enough time to try all of games. He knows me, like to play and try everything new :-)

Tadinya bayangan gue hotel-hotel di Genting itu mahal-mahal karena resort dan hotelnya begitu besar kayak hotel bintang lima. Apalagi complek resort yang notabene tertutup kayak di Nusa Dua – Bali. Gue book First World hotel di Genting Island lewat internet sesuai saran andrea. Ternyata setelah gue check di internet ratenya reasonable banget buat kantong kita, cuma RM 111 per malam. So akhirnya ticket dan hotel semua gue book and bayar lewat internet. Enak banget yaaa jaman sekarang …. Mau ngapa-ngapain gampang banget, gak perlu report-report, semuanya tinggal klik-klik pake computer udah beres dan bisa dilakuin dimana aja kapan aja, tanpa harus pergi kesana-kemari :-)

I thought that hotel in Genting Island are very expensive. I saw in the website that hotels in there very big like five star hotel and closed hotel complex area like Nusa Dua in Bali. I book First World hotel at Genting Island by internet as Andera suggested. But I was surprising that the price very reasonable just only RM 111. So everything’s done by internet. I booked and made a payment for ticket and hotel by internet. Hmmm …. Very easy ya …. Now everything can do by our self, just click, click, click use computer and can do in everywhere.

Akhirnya tanggal 22 January sore gue terbang ke Jakarta dan memulai petualangan gue. Gue berangkat langsung dari kantor setelah selesai kerja. Mobil gue parkir di airport, karena kebetulan pass parkir bandara mobil gue masih berlaku sampai Maret. Jadi argonya nggak jalan terus selama mobil gue nongkrong di Bandara. Sampai di Jakarta gue dijemput sahabat gue Christ & Diah, langsung diajak makan nasi uduk Kebon Kacang. Waahhh … nasi uduknya enak banget, apalagi ada pete goring kesukaan gue, bikin gue makan banyak he he he he…. Gue nginep semalem di rumah McD di Kelapa Gading karena pesawat gue ke KL baru besok paginya.

Finally on January 22^nd, 2008 evening, I flied to Jakarta and started my adventure. After work I directly went to airport from my office. I parked my car in the airport. Just by chance my airport sticker park still can use until end of March, so no need to pay if I park in the airport for a week. My best friend Christ and his wife Diah picked me up in Jakarta airport. They bring me dinner at Nasi Uduk Kebon Kacang. Hmmm…. Yamie! I miss Nasi Uduk Kebon Kacang so much. I stayed a night at Christ house at Kelapa Gading. In the morning, they bring me to airport to fly to Kuala Lumpur.