eight: 12 hours in kuala lumpur

Some bonds take years to build; some are instantaneous, a spark lit in a moment.

Who knows what - or who - you'll find hidden in the streets of KL ...

The first spark I met on my way was in the most unexpected stopover, a brief 12 hours in Kuala Lumpur. I went in with a plan to hit up some sights recommended by a Malaysian friend: Batu Caves, Twin Towers, a few hours sleep, and back to the airport. Well, I managed to tick off my list (except the sleep, which any fictional book will tell you isn't necessary when adventuring) but otherwise I threw my plan out the window.

It started predictably enough: KLIA Express (there are significantly cheaper shuttle buses, by the way) to the backpacker district, Changkat. I chose a hostel here purely because it was cheaper than the airport's baggage storage, but being surrounded by bars, it would have been a terrible place to sleep.

Note that at this point, I hadn't showered in a day - from 35-degree Oman through two flights to KL - and jumped straight on the train to Batu Caves to maximise time, despite being sweaty, sticky, and probably smelly to boot. Backpacker life.

The caves are free and a neat sight, from the statues and shrines built into the rocks to the cheeky monkeys that aren't afraid to steal your offerings. If I'd known/had more time, I would have come back to check out the Dark Caves or do some rock-climbing - well, Malaysia's still on my bucket list, for its jungles as well as what I missed (or who I miss) in KL ...

272 steps, no biggy

Ballsy little buggers

On my way to the Twin Towers, I decided to detour through the Central Markets for some food. I found myself staring at a menuboard, confused by the varieties of "savoury crispy" and "sweet crispy". A man on a nearby stool noticed my lost look, and explained the menu until I could sit down with a chicken floss savoury crispy on the way. Our conversation flowed easily from the beginning.

"I'm going to visit the Twin Towers next," I told E after a while.

"How about I drive you there?" I took a minute to assess - this is the beginning of many a solo female traveller horror film. Even in these early weeks on the road, I had already brushed upon some terrible situations. At the Dubai Mall for instance, I asked a cleaner for directions to the dancing fountains and ended up fighting his groping hands off my chest, even though we were in a public stairwell.

But some instinct in me trusted E already; so I took a breath, and we left the Central Market together.

Needless to say, he wasn't a serial killer, and in fact our drive turned into an exploration of so much more - of Kuala Lumpur's suburbs and street food, but also of life and love and loyalty. Plus I managed to find dancing fountains after all, with a new friend who made up for much of the failings of our fellow human beings.

Learn from my mistakes: bring ID and nice shoes if you want to catch the view from Marini's 

"I can't believe I did that!" Inspired by our spontaneous evening, I mused to E about how we find ourselves saying this same phrase in deep regret as well as in amazement and nostalgia. In the past I have been haunted by remorse, both for mistakes made and for opportunities missed. But I can pinpoint this as the moment I consciously decided to stop wallowing in self-pity and to become less scared of failing at new opportunities. It hasn't been like an instant fix-all for my life (and really, it's advice I'd heard before) but the realisation and its influence has emanated through my last two years - certainly for the better.

I did miss one item on my checklist - I can't remember whether it was because I was underage or underdressed, but we'd missed out on the night view from Marini's. As ever, the traveller's way provided one better: this peaceful solitary view from a secret spot of E's in the suburbs.

Even if I knew where this was, I wouldn't be giving away this secret ...

From 8pm to 4am, E showed me a side of KL and a touch of humanity that couldn't be found alone. He drove me around the city, from delicious noodles and ice coffee to the noisy hostel to a clean shower (finally!) to the airport. We shared a night of platonic but profound discussion, without a single awkward or untoward incident. 12 hours in the capital of Malaysia showed me much more about the world than I found in many other places - but like I said, this was just the first to come ...

P.S. E and I are still in contact a year and a half later; I hope you like this.