By Adrienne Smith

Editor's Note: This is Part 3 of a trip Adrienne Smith has been taking halfway across the world. It is recommended that you read Part 1 and Park 2 first. 

Part 3

Mar. 25, 2020: You have, I hope, read the first two installments of my ill-fated cruise from Singapore to Mumbai aboard the very attractive Silver Spirit.

When I left off, our ship was sailing from Penang toward Port Klang, an hour away from Kuala Lumpur. 

As I had never been there before, and as we were due to be docked for almost two days, I opted to reserve a room at the most glamorous hotel I could find in the city, the Banyon Tree Hotel.

I was in luck as the hotel had all my favorites: the interactive toilet, floor-to-ceiling views of the city from the 53rd floor, a modern tub situated to take in said view (hoping, of course, that no one from a nearby tall tower had the same opportunity to see me) and so many switches and gadgets that I felt I almost needed to take a course in all the ways to use a controller. 

Kuala Lumpur is a city of 1.8 million residents. The downtown area is stunning in its modernity, a cross between the best of Shanghai and Dubai. But within each block are old, decaying mansions, apparently held vacant awaiting a favorable market.

I did a little shopping, staying away from the massive mall directly across from me, opting, instead, for a funky-sounding boutique in the suburbs. Then out for dinner at the city’s most well-known Malaysian/Asian restaurant where I feasted on all my Indonesian favorites.

Back the next day aboard the ship, we headed for Mekala, or Malacca as you may know it.

We had to be ferried in from the ship and then transferred to the middle of the formerly-Portuguese-held town. There, I requisitioned an incredibly decorated trishaw to take me around the town. Quite a jolly experience as my peddler played loud rock songs, one involving a great deal of carnal desire and another, Happy, which lifted my spirits intensely.

Decorated trishaw, Photo by A. Smith

We went back to the boat and to the beginning of seriously bad news. We would not be going to Sri Lanka as the country had closed its ports. India was still a possibility but not looking good. Our next scheduled stop, in Langkawi, Malaysia, was also canceled, but, insanely, we had to moor offshore there so that two passports of late-joining passengers could be stamped. Come on!

Awakening the next morning, I looked out on what appeared to be the most gorgeous island imaginable, the aforesaid Langkawi, full of Ritzes and Four Seasons, but to which we were not allowed to go.

After several hours, the Malaysia exit paperwork was completed, just in time for our dear captain to announce that India was now denying us entry and that we might return to Singapore. In other words, all but the first stop of our itinerary was down the drain.

What would tomorrow bring?

Photo at top: Kuala Lumpur postcard, Shutterstock

Editor's note: As a public service, MyhometownBronxville publishes articles from local institutions, officeholders, and individuals. MyhometownBronxville does not fact-check statements therein, and any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the thinking of its staff.