Benefits of SMILE

A Short 3D2N Trip To My Wife’s Hometown

My wife Soh Ai went back to Kulim, Kedah by coach from The Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) at Bandar Tasik Selatan, K.L. (fare RM 34) on Monday morning, May 23, 2016 to visit her elderly auntie and other relatives there before proceeding to her hometown in Rantau Panjang, Perak to visit her mother.  She would stay until Saturday and return home with me.

Earlier on Sunday May 22, 2016, I booked online a train ticket for the KTMB’s Electric Train Service (ETS) – train 9208 (ETS KL-Padang Besar) from KL Sentral to Bukit Mertajam on Thursday, May 26, 2016 on ETS2-ETS Gold Class with a 50% discount for being a senior citizen exceeding the age of 60. I paid RM 33.00 for the fare plus RM 2.00 for internet banking charges.  There are two departure times in the morning i.e. 9.00am with the final destination at Butterworth (fare is about RM10 more expensive) and 9.30am with the final destination at Padang Besar.  I chose the 9.30am train which was expected to arrive at Bukit Mertajam at 1.15pm.

My very first selfie photo in my life after I have recently purchased a new smartphone with such a function.

On Thursday morning at 6.20am I followed my third son Wai Yu’s car to Bandar Tasik Selatan.  Reached there at 7.00am and took KTM Komuter train to KL Sentral (senior citizen fare RM 1.20).  The train came at 7.20am and arrived at KL Sentral at 7.35am.  

Bandar Tasik Selatan commuter stop

As it was still earlier, I went to KFC Restaurant on the same floor as the ETS entrance for a light breakfast.  An “egg riser” burger and a cup of white coffee cost me RM5.00.  At about 8.45am I went to the waiting hall and chatted with a Chinese middle-aged man who took the 9.00am train to Taiping.  He told me that the train provides meal (cake and mineral water). Later I found out that the meal must also be pre-booked together with the ticket.

KL Sentral

Electric Train Service (ETS) gateway

Waiting hall for ETS 

Another selfie photo taken at KFC Restaurant

Arrival of ETS train

A glimpse of ETS train coach

In front of seat

Cafetaria inside the train

Price list of food

Toilet exterior

Toilet interior

Wash basin in toilet

The ETS train departed on time exactly at 9.30am from KL Sentral.  It stopped at the following places: Tanjung Malim (10.41am), Tapah Road (11.18am), Kampar (11.28am), Ipoh (11.50am), Sungai Siput (12.09pm), Kuala Kangsar (12.19pm), Taiping (12.35pm), Parit Buntar (1.01pm) and finally Bukit Mertajam (1.14pm) where I alighted.  This train is to proceed to Butterworth, Bukit Mertajam, Sungai Petani, Alor Setar, Arau and finally Padang Besar at 3.00pm.

I noticed the highest speed that this train was 141km/hr.  Although it stops at many places along the way to my destination, I observed that every stop lasts only 1 minute. One has to get ready to alight when one is about to reach ones destination, or else one might miss the stop.

ETS train leaving Bukit Mertjam station (backward moving)

I found the train ride fast, comfortable and enjoyable.  This is the first time in decades that I rode the ETS train as I remember the last time I took a normal train was in the late ‘70’s of the last century when I traveled to Singapore to pursue my engineering degree course.  It is highly recommended to take such a means of transport to travel, especially for senior citizens who can enjoy concessions.  The journey from KL to Bukit Mertajam takes only slightly more than 3 ½ hours.  It will take me at least 3 hours just to drive from KL to Ipoh, and much longer during festive seasons due to the heavy traffic jam. 

Bukit Mertajam ETS station

After coming out from Bukit Mertajam train station at 1.15pm, I saw my wife and mother-in-law waiting for me, and soon later my sister-in-law Sock Kim came with her car from the car park.  We went to the famous Yam Rice Restaurant (大山脚芋饭专卖店) for lunch.  The Teochew dishes of mixed pig intestines, taufu and etc. were really delicious.  The only disadvantage was the difficulty in finding a car-parking space around the restaurant.

Yam rice restaurant

Famous yam rice dishes

After lunch, we went to Kulim, Kedah to visit Soh Ai’s brother Sze Hean family.  The weather then was scorching hot and really unbearable.  We met Hean’s wife Yen Li, second daughter Le-yi and youngest son Jia-wei.  Hean was working but not available while his eldest daughter Xin –yi went to tuition class and returned only after 3.00pm. 

In Kulim

At about 3.30pm, we left Kulim for Rantau Panjang, Perak.  After reaching Rantau Panjang at about 4.40pm, I was really tired and took a nice nap till 6.00pm.  We had dinner at Selama Perak town at 7.40pm.

Dinner at Selama Perak town

My second day in Rantau Panjang on Friday was quite boring.  It is a small ‘kampung’ and was very quiet even though my in-laws house is located by the side of the main road.  Most young villagers have gone to big cities to make a living and come back to reunite with their old folks only during Chinese New Year.     

My in-laws house in Rantau Panjang, Perak

A very quiet main road of Rantau Panjang

Jalan Besar, Rantau Panjang

Delicious lunch prepared by my mother-in-law

Her specialty of duck 

Evening view of a serene Rantau Panjang 

On Saturday,  Sze Hean and his family came at about 10.45am.  We left Rantau Panjang at 11.10am in Hean’s Nissan four-wheel-drive 7-seater car.  He is a seasoned driver and his car condition is so good that one feels very comfortable even at a high speed of 130 km/hr.  

Jia-wei 

Xin-yi (pic left) and Le-yi

At 1.00 pm, we stopped for lunch at Tapah’s famous Restoran Jin Cheng (金城茶餐室) near the toll plaza, a place I heard from Soh Ai’s youngest brother Sze Teong a long time ago but I wasn’t able to find all this while.  The total cost of 5 dishes comprising ginger-garlic patin fish (姜茸河白丁 RM46)，ginger-chilli blackfish (公保生鱼片RM15)，claypot stew taufu (砂煲豆腐RM15)，fermented bean curd lettuce (腐乳油麦RM12), ginger-onion chicken (姜葱鸡丁RM12)，rice (RM6), teapot drink (RM6.80) and biscuits (RM13.30) was RM126.10.  Very delicious and considerably cheap!  Besides, there are plenty of local delicacies, biscuits and cakes etc. and I bought a total of RM106. I will surely patronize this restaurant again in the future whenever I travel to and/or from the north.

Restoran Jin Cheng, Tapah

Blackfish (raw fish), vege and taufu

Patin fish

Chicken

We arrived at Mutiara Damansara PJ at about 3.30pm.  Hean and his family checked into the Royale Chulan Damansara Hotel for a night’s stay.  We walked around the Curve, Ikano Power Center and settled for drinks at Kluang Station Restaurant.

Lobby of Royale Chulan Damansara Hotel, PJ

Hotel room

Sze Hean and family at the Street of the Curve

At Ikano Power Centre

At Kluang Station, IPC

"Vintage" photo

Wai Kit came with his friend to fetch Soh Ai and I home at about 6.00pm and we reached home at about 7.30pm.  That concluded my short trip to my wife’s hometown!