MALAYSIA
11 December Kuala Lumpur
The flight lasted a bit over two
hours and entered Malaysia near Kota Bharu in the northwest corner of the
country, where I had cycled earlier this year. Nearing the Andaman Sea, lights
of the vast sprawl of the Kuala Lumpur area came into view and I saw green
lights of squid boats off the coast. At the vast Terminal 2—dedicated to Air
Asia and other low-cost carriers—I went through an unstaffed immigration gate
which scanned my passport and made a facial-recognition scan before letting me
through; earlier I had filled out the required online Digital Arrival Card.
Customs required x-raying of bags, then I was free to go. My Thailand AIS phone
service has an inexpensive roaming package for Malaysia, very convenient because
it saved me from having to buy another SIM card. Next I took out 1,000 Malaysian
ringgits from an ATM. Usually I hop on the fast train or a slower bus from
airport to the city center, but all had ceased for the night. I had read that
Grab taxis are a good choice, and I easily got one with the app for the long
drive in light traffic to my Airbnb at Dua Sentral by Five Senses, a condominium
tower that I had stayed in a couple times previously with different hosts. After
ascending to my spacious apartment on the 13th floor and having a snack, then a
cold shower, I crashed.