So, we just checked-in here at the InterContinental Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after a 12-hour journey from Manila. Now, I’m sure you’re wondering how a less than four (04) hours flight from Manila to Kuala Lumpur took us half a day? The answer: we took AirAsia via Clark Airfield (CRK) in Angeles City, Pampanga.
My day started at around 0530H when I arrived at the Philtranco Bus Terminal along EDSA in Pasay City. Philtranco is the only bus company in my locale that has a direct service to CRK/DMIA. The bus left the Pasay Terminal at around 0630H, then made a 15-minute stop at the back of SM Megamall of pick-up more passengers (half of the Philippine contingent to the Mozilla Camp Asia 2011 were among them). From Mandaluyong City, it took us 90 minutes to reach CRK/DMIA.
Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) is a complete shocker for me – as someone who is everyday at the NAIA Terminals 1-2-3-4 – the airport is really small compact. Noticed in the picture below where my colleagues are filling-up their embarkation cards:
At around 1100H, passengers from our flight were asked to board the aircraft (read as: called to form a line, then troop the ramp / tarmac and get inside the plane using staircases). By the way, the AirAsia flight was scheduled to depart at 1105H (Actual Time of Departure is around 1130H). Good thing, the flight was not full:
Some three-and-a-half hours later, we had touched down KUL but not KLIA – the plane, since it is AirAsia, parked at the LCCT (Low Cost Carrier Terminal). The LCCT is some sort of a big hangar (comparable to that of the World Trade Center Manila and SMX Convention Center main halls). After the usual CIQ (Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine) procedures, we were met by a Mozilla Camp Asia 2011 Secretariat representative, who handed over the bus and train tickets for our journey to the hotel.
The roads, bus, and train stations can be described in two words: tourist friendly. Notice how informative their train station signs are:
After taking the KLIA Ekspress train, we transferred to the RapidKL Light Rail Transit (LRT) without having to leave the same station (just think of the MRT Taft Avenue Station connected to the LRT EDSA Station by the Metropoint Mall). Looking at the traffic jams along the highway, we now know the main reason why the organizers chose for the delegates to take the train ride instead of the bus from the airport.
Here’s the group pic (together with the delegates from Thailand) at the LRT Station:
Finally, we reached InterContinental Kuala Lumpur at around 1830H. Famished (LOL) and tired from the 12-hour travel time, the group decided to head on to the dinner reception first before checking-in at the hotel. It is during the dinner reception where we had met two (02) Mozilla employees that are of Filipino descent – William (his mom is Pinay; dad is French) and Grace (both parents are Filipino). Now, how kewl is that knowing that there are Pinoys within the organization of Mozilla?!
At around 2130H, we finally decided to call it a day. Now, this is where our Kuala Lumpur adventure begins. Mozilla Camp Asia 2011 will start the following morning.
Allan Caeg is my roommate. This is Room 718 of InterContinental Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia:
