I awoke at about 04:00 hrs., probable due to nervous excitement about our coming flight, but we didn’t get up until 07:00 hrs. I had a shower, but George was feeling rough, and he looked it. We packed our gear and crossed the road to the ornate red and white domed Egmore Railway Station.
We paid 1.60 Indian Rupees fare and took the commuter train to a station with a funny long name (probably Meenambakkam which is a southern neighbourhood of Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is home to Chennai International Airport and the Airports Authority of India regional office. It was under the reign of the Pallava kingdom).
After a short walk we found the International Departure Lounge and settled by the café. George slumped forward with his head in his hands and neglected his cup of tea. I hoped that he was not seriously ill.
I went to check that we were on the passenger list for the flight to Kuala Lumpar and a horrible suspicion was realised. Somewhere along the line there had been a cock up and we were neither listed as passengers or on the waiting list. I went into the airline office and after much quibbling I was told to come back at 11:00 hrs. I returned with George and he ranted and raved about his wife waiting to meet him in Kuala Lumpar (he was not married at this time) and eventually we got a place on the aeroplane.
We breezed through Immigration and Customs and boarded the plane, ushered through the back door by the top man and woman from the Malaysian Airlines System Office. Our flight was MH31 on an Airbus 3000. The flight was luxurious with a good in-flight meal, personal radio, comfy seats and a high standard of cleanliness (that we had become unaccustomed to).
Piped music accompanied our run into Kuala Lumpar Airport, which was very modern and efficient. We soon passed through immigration and a large skull and crossbones poster warning “The Penalty for Drug Smuggling is Death” which made us fear that someone could have hidden drugs in our luggage, but we had nothing to fear. We passed through baggage retrieval and Customs.
The airport impressed us with all the latest digital signs, escalators and VDU terminals to keep everything running smoothly and even money changing was done in a trice. £1 Sterling was the equivalent of 3.3290 Malaysian dollars.
Kuala Lumpur, officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur (Malay: Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur) and colloquially referred to as KL, is a federal territory and the capital city of Malaysia. It is the largest city in Malaysia, covering an area of 243 kilometres (94 square miles). We arrived at 18:30 hrs. local time and the temperature was 30°C.
I have always liked the look of East Asian people and all the Malaysians looked honest and friendly. Many of the girls were beautiful with their gaily patterned tailored jackets and long skirts. We had a coffee in the Airport Café and were appalled at the cost, nearly 2 Malaysian Dollars per cup.
A long wait ensued for the bus and George was still feeling the worse for wear. It is a feature of “civilized” countries that the emphasis is on private rather than public transport. I felt excited to be in a new country despite my complaints about the bus service.
It cost us 95 cents to travel from the airport to Kuala Lumpar Railway Station. Completed in 1910 to replace an older station on the same site, the station was Kuala Lumpur's railway hub in the city for the Federated Malay States Railways and its successor Keretapi Tanah Melayu (English: Malayan Railways).
The bus journey was disquietingly like that along the Great West Road from Heathrow Airport in West London. The well-lit dual carriageway passed warehouses and industrial estates. We passed one familiar name, The Guinness Building. A gradual build-up of illuminated signs and premises signalled that we were nearing the city centre and we soon reached the impressive Railway Station with its arches, spires and Moorish design.
From here we found our way to the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). The YMCA was expensive after what we were used to paying in India, but the rooms were excellent. We paid M$2 for temporary YMCA membership and M$20 for a double room which was clean and simple, but roomy and equipped with all you needed for everyday living.
The building also sported a sports centre offering a wide range of activities and a cafeteria. We changed into shorts to sound of ballroom dancing music, but then decided not to go out and hit the sack (to go to bed).
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