Apparently, failing to finish a wooden 3D puzzle of the Petronas Towers was enough to summon Kuala Lumpur.
The puzzle had been sitting unfinished for years. Kuala Lumpur and Singapore were not destinations I had been dramatically dreaming about, yet somehow the tickets were booked, Father was coming with me, and on 7 December 2019 we were standing inside a strangely empty Riga Airport surrounded by Christmas trees.
The trip began suspiciously well.
There were only around 40 passengers on our airBaltic flight to Amsterdam, so seat 31F expanded into three seats and an accidental bunk bed. The crew gave me a pillow, I stretched out horizontally and slept through most of the two-hour flight like this was a perfectly normal economy-class arrangement.
Schiphol continued the illusion by providing comfortable seating, food and charging points without turning any of them into a survival challenge.
Then KLM restored balance.
I had paid extra for an Economy Comfort seat, only to discover a kitchen chair with no footrest and an entertainment system apparently preserved for historical research. Comfort had been included in the name, which seemed to be enough for administrative purposes.
Kuala Lumpur delivered us safely, our luggage arrived in one piece, and Grab took us directly to Expressionz Suites. That was when our accommodation began releasing its hidden rules one irritation at a time.
The useful shops were nowhere nearby. Walking required negotiations with Kuala Lumpur’s questionable pedestrian infrastructure. The advertised infinity pool and gym required extra payment, the jacuzzi either refused to work or produced cold water, and every attempt to use a facility seemed to involve another trip to reception.
By 18:00, we had escaped to Intermark Mall in search of food and basic civilisation.
Captain Sparrow found a durian milkshake and decided that his discovery needed company. He began poking me to try chendol with durian.
I tried it.
What can I say? I am not a fan of chendol. I am not a fan of durian. Combining them did not improve diplomatic relations.
Seven years later, the wooden Petronas Towers puzzle is still unfinished.
I still dislike durian.
And somehow, this remains a very accurate beginning to a trip with Captain Sparrow.
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