A journey into the unknown - First impressions

Once arrived at international airport in Kuala Lumpur, you realize immediately that this would no longer be just a holiday trip to the Balearic Islands or any other typical destination in Europe. This will become an unforgettable experience and a journey into the unknown. 

Although the air conditioning was countinuously running, you could smell the opressive heat and smog, you can expect in the whole city, through a far distanced but not visible door. In a long queue of people with uncountable different styles in clothing in front of you, waiting for the passport control, you can only start to imagine what melting pot of cultures you’ve been landing in. This caught glimpse got boosted by the coulors of the different passports, people were holding in their hands, which seemed to  cover the whole spectrum of a rainbow. 

A skeptical glance, then, after some hesitation and a short, proofing look at his boss, an unbelieving smile at the document he was holding in his hand. The customs officers interest seemed to be aroused by the university admission and he asked: ‘You are really here to study in Malaysia?‘ But the pensive mood caused by this question turned rapidly into a feeling of happiness when we realized that all of us passed through the passport control and our luggage survived the trip without getting lost.

We had no idea how to get to our hotel by bus or train, so we decided to ask at the taxi office straight in the airport entrance. As we had only one hour remaining for check-in at the hotel, we had to accept a completely over-expensive ticket priced with 59$. This should not be the last time taxi drivers tried to cheat us, but more of that later. After an hour of trying to get used to driving on the left, we realized that the taxi driver had no idea where our hotel could be. After a never-ending search for the hotel, our expectations were exceeded, the hotel was next to a little lake, the staff still awake and very friendly, the midnight check-in no problem and the rooms really clean. Welcome to ‚Hotel De Art‘. By the way, we occupied the Elvis Presley rock’n’roll temple, the New York City cabin and later on the Marylin Monroe lounge.

Elvis Presley is waiting for you

If Marilyn Monroe lived like this??? ehm...