The experience of riding on an open bus around a city is determined by a few factors. Favourable weather is predominant followed by good— or even no — company). In a tropical city like Kuala Lumpur, favourable weather means overcast skies and a pleasant breeze. Often, these conditions are available only during the early hours of the day or late night and the hop-on-hop-off bus service doesn’t operate in those times.
But that doesn’t seem to deter the perpetual inflow of tourists using the hop-on-hop-off service. The ubiquitous and easily accessible street fare, the shopping destinations for all budgets and the incredibly well-connected urban transport network make travelling in the city easy.
The hop-on-hop-off bus traverses 23 of KL’s major tourist attractions — its museum, national mosque, the KL tower, the twin towers, its shopping district, the national palace and the botanical gardens that serve as the city’s green lung. Each ticket is valid for 24 hours and the holder is entitled to use it as he/she wishes: hop-on where one desires and hop-off to stay longer at any attraction.
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I boarded the bus at KL Sentral along with Steve andt Lisa, the Australian couple, who were staying with my host. Communication is mostly punctuated with the phrase ‘say that again’ because Steve’s Queensland Australian drawl dulls my comprehension. That impediment notwithstanding, the couple is ebullient company; Steve with his snarky quick-witted comments and Lisa with her practical jokes and smile.
That morning, the sun and the city’s skyline, were clouded under the haze that often blankets KL. The bus was painted blue and plastered with the city’s major attractions and was partially air-conditioned for those who prefer to watch KL through tinted glasses. This section also had a commentary on the attractions. A viewing deck on the top floor with handrails and seating allowed the more intrepid traveller to watch the city amid the elements.
We pulled out of the bus stop rather abruptly and the viewers on the deck rattled like a can of coins. An elderly couple rearranged themselves to offer me a seat. While Steve sat opposite me, Lisa stood with her hand phone ready to snap pictures of the city as it passed by. By now the haze had cleared and the sun shone on us angrily. Soon, we were craning our necks pointing our cameras in arbitrary directions. Swifts encircled the sky, streetlamps poke their heads out of their red hibiscus-shaped shields and palm trees lined the walkways. Hibiscus is Malaysia’s national flower and the country is also among the leaders in palm oil trade.
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When the bus dragged itself into the national museum, flocks of school children in blue-green uniforms piled in. While many managed to find seats in the air-con section, the spill-over rushed to the viewing deck to occupy the empty seats. Much shrieking and hysterical laughter followed. When the children disembarked at the twin towers, Steve said, “They’re like little mewing cats,” with a smile that did little to hide his apparent disgust.
Up next, the KL tower, Menara Kuala Lumpur, stands exposed to the sun at 421 meters pointing its minaret hand straight into the sky. An observation deck at the top provides a bird’s- eye view of the city and the tower itself is a significant landmark. Other attractions including KL railway station, Sultan Abdul Samad building, St. Mary’s Church, Jamek Mosque, the Sydney opera house-look-alike Palace of Culture and national art gallery pass by.
Despite the charm of its slope-roofed museum, the stately national mosque, the KL tower, the green strip that encircles the city and its Chinese and Indian temples, KL’s main attractions remained its high rises. As we craned to look up, vertical concrete, steel and glass monsters rose above the skyline.
As the circular trip continued, I decided to terminate mine at the Bukit Bintang Plaza to check out the street hawkers and the notable shopping centres. This mall district caters more to folks with deep wallets but the hawker street piqued my interest with its stalls serving gazillion varieties of street food. I bid goodbye to Steve and Lisa after promises of keeping in touch. By now, we were the only people left in the bus. “Oh sure mate,” Steve said. “Say that again,” I said.