We spent the last stretch of our trip in the Klang Valley. This trip was low-key as we didn’t have any sightseeing activities planned. Our usual daily routine involved going for a morning walk with dad and running errands in the afternoon. Typically, we enjoyed the free air conditioning at a nearby shopping mall to escape the unbearable heat. It was not unusual to experience torrential downpours later in the day as it rained a lot at this time of the year. Flash floods are common due to inadequate and frequently clogged drainage systems.
This time, we consciously tried as many different dishes as possible whenever we dined outside. Food prices were noticeably higher due to the impact of the pandemic and rising inflation. Still, we benefited from the weakened local currency. A $2 meal would comfortably fill one stomach, whereas the same dish would cost about $15 in the midwestern US. The Klang Valley is blessed with endless restaurants and food options. We typically searched for popular restaurants for a dish we craved on our phones before driving just a short distance to reach there. We also had Bak Kut Teh a grand total of 5 times — the most iconic dish in Klang that literally means “meat bone tea” in Hokkien. So famous that it is also commonly known now as just BKT. Every night, a dim sum food truck passed by our house with a young voice blaring on a loudspeaker, yelling “tua pau, char siew pau, lo mai kai” — all the tasty treats we liked. It failed to entice us to get our supper because we locked the door, threw the key away, and stuck to the plan to protect our ever-expanding waistlines.
We had many visitors throughout our stay here. Sis’ family spent quality time with us several times — whenever we could align with her hectic schedules. Simon’s family and a few cousins went out of their way just to have lunch with us. Shuang’s family drove 5 hours from their place and stayed overnight at a nearby hotel in Klang to see us the following morning. Of course, we treated them with BKT, which they absolutely loved. One memorable moment was when my 80 years young world-traveler neighbor paid us an impromptu visit — Uncle Mohd Nor, we called him. Speaking to him brought back many priceless nostalgic childhood memories.
Just like that, our 3 weeks in the Klang Valley and the overall trip concluded. Our flight transited at a familiar INC, and we stopped at the same cafe to get our Ginsengccino fix — a beverage we stumbled upon at the beginning of our trip. As we sipped our drink, it reminded us how fast time flew. Just 5 weeks ago, we spent 19 hours in this airport terminal. This time, we were there again on our way home. Apart from the stressful luggage-hunting incident on three separate baggage carousels at DTW, the journey was relatively smooth. We battled grogginess due to the 13-hour time difference on our final 1.5 hours drive home and slept continuously for 12 hours upon arriving home.
