"This street was where I ended my first day in Malaysia but it served as the rendezvous of my many first-time experiences and encounters so it meant so much for me."

[KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA] ► Lorong 1/77a—this was the name of the street that challenged my backpacking skills for the first time outside the Philippines. After an hour of bus ride from Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 to KL Sentral and a train ride from KL Sentral to Bukit Bintang, the next thing to do was to walk and find Lorong 1/77a. This street is where the guesthouse I'd be staying for the night was located.

[KUALA LUMPUR] ► HELLO! WELCOME TO KUALA LUMPUR!

So I was here. The smile on my face was big. The exhaustion and hunger were very weak to overthrow my happiness and excitement. Finally, I found Irsia BnB, my guesthouse for the night. Actually, I just stayed in Kuala Lumpur less than 24 hours and the primary reason why I booked an accommodation in this progressive Malaysian capital city was to have rest. I didn't have any plans yet to explore this metropolis. It just served as my jump off to my true destination—Penang Island—four hours away by bus.

Kuala Lumpur wasn't part of my itinerary but just because this city is 's transportation hub, I had to enter this city, hence, most of my first-time travel experiences and encounters happened in Kuala Lumpur and I do feel good about it.

When I stepped on the pavement of this street for the first time, I wasn't aware yet that it was already the street I was looking for—the first street I explored outside the Philippines. I realized I was already on the right street when I saw the name of my guesthouse.

The Guesthouse

I approached the guesthouse called (bed and breakfast). The gate was closed. It was almost 10 o'clock in the evening when I was here. "Anybody here?"

Afterwards, an Indian-looking (but he could be a Pakistani, I'm not sure) man opened the gate for me. I just learned he needed to wake up to open the gate for me. Anyway, it wasn't my fault. I've informed them beforehand that the estimated time of my arrival was 08:00 PM but due to the delayed flight, I was late.

At the reception area, I saw the man at the front desk checking some files until I saw my name in one of his documents. He checked his computer, asked for my passport and requested a valid identification card from me. After providing the things he was requesting, he checked me in.

[KUALA LUMPUR] ► IRSIA BED AND BREAKFAST

My room was located at the third floor. I had to remove my shoes before I took the stairs. I saw many pairs of shoes at a corner near the stair so I was well aware of the implication. I had to follow the house rules.

There were two white men sleeping when I entered the room. I had to be careful not to wake them up as a matter of respect. My bed was at the upper deck.

The room was very quiet. So when I unloaded my stuff (some were packed using a plastic bag from the grocery back home), I was creating a noise. Dang, the plastic bags were noisy. It was an awkward moment actually. The bed also created noise every time I moved.

Anyway, I left my things. I went out of the guesthouse to explore this street. This wasn't really a part of my itinerary but I had to explore this street because I was looking for a nice place to eat. I was particularly looking for a restaurant that offers rice meals.

A street fam-tour and the search for food

I walked on this street at night alone with a firm conviction that Malaysia is safe for a solo Filipino traveler like me. I had no choice but to clang to this belief, otherwise, I would kill myself in hunger. The worst thing for me during backpacking is getting hungry so I allot a deliciously ample budget for food.

Lorong 1/77a was the opposite of my expectations. Based on Google Maps, it was located in a district near the shopping centers and major roads in Kuala Lumpur so I thought this street had traffic problems. Well, I liked the actual setting.

[KUALA LUMPUR] ► LORONG 1/77A AT NIGHT

There were no noisy cars passing on this street when I was here. The people weren't on the streets too. They were inside the establishments located along this street. Restaurants were well-lighted so I was aware that this street wasn't dead. There was a thriving business and economic activities.

I continued my search for a rice meal. Beside Irsia BnB was I think an Indian restaurant. It was full of people so I opted not to dine there. The next restaurant was closed. The third was about to close. The fourth was partly closed and this was the first restaurant abroad where I dined. A photo of a rice meal was also displayed in the restaurant. Pak! Ganern!

The name of the fourth restaurant is . I said it was partly closed because only the area close the street was open for dining. The chairs and tables in the other parts of the restaurant were already kept. The lights were turned off too. I think I was their last customer. There were two Malaysians when I entered the restaurant.

Anyway, the food I ordered was their bestseller. I actually asked what was their bestseller and one of the crew told me it was the . Without any hesitation, I ordered their bestseller at 7 ringgits (~80 pesos).

The tummy was happy and I left the restaurant with beautiful memories in my heart. I continued my solo night walking tour on this street for the purpose of sight-seeing. I had energy once again. Thanks to that nasi goreng meal.

This street was where I ended my first day in Malaysia but it served as the rendezvous of my many first-time experiences and encounters so it meant so much for me. You know, 'first-times' are big deal for me. It's just sentimental and I don't want to forget those moments that's why I tend to write first-time stories.

Lorong 1/77a is the first street I explored outside my country ▼ PHILIPPINES
PHILIPPINES

.
Lorong 1/77a is where I booked my first accommodation outside the Philippines.
Lorong 1/77a is where I found the first restaurant I tried outside the Philippines.
Lorong 1/77a is where I ate my first food outside the Philippines.

After a little night walking tour covering this street, I went back to the guesthouse. My cousin video-called me via Facebook messenger with my family around her. Instant homesickness made me weak. I missed them badly.

This street ended my first day in a foreign land. The next day would be another adventure and challenge. I would commute again. That would mean I have to find the bus terminals and train stations like I did the past hours on my way to this street.

Of course, there are more stories to share. I wasted some of my travel funds because I used a wrong train. I paid more than 5 times what I should pay because of a wrong stupid decision I made. So if I had many travel dramas and stories on my way to Lorong 1/77a from KLIA2, expect that there will be more stories on my way to Penang Island from Kuala Lumpur. Ready for the next chapter? | to be continued... |

This episode is the last installment of the Chapter 01 (On the Road Outside My Comfort Zone) of this Blogserye. Hang on for Episode 07 under Chapter 02 (On the Road to Penang: Travel Misfortunes and Wrong Decisions).

[SOUTH EAST ASIA] ► TRAVEL BLOGSERYE 01: CHAPTER 01

STORIES OF TOWN EXPLORATIONS - BLOGSERYE 01: CHAPTER 01
"On the Road Outside My Comfort Zone"

| | | | | | EPISODE 06 |

SERIES TEASER: FIRST TIME TO TRAVEL OUTSIDE MY COUNTRY, THESE ARE STORIES OF FACING THE FEAR OF LEAVING A COMFORT ZONE. WILL THIS MAN RELATIVELY AFRAID OF BIG CITIES SURVIVE HIS FIRST DAY IN THE BIG FOREIGN CITY OF KUALA LUMPUR IN MALAYSIA? JOIN ME IN THIS BLOGSERYE AS I SHARE TO YOU MY STORIES OF TOWN EXPLORATIONS.

16 FEBRUARY 2016: LORONG 1/77A
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
[KUALA LUMPUR] ► HELLO! WELCOME TO LORONG 1/77A!

► FOOTNOTES, DISCLAIMERS, ACKNOWLEDGMENT, ETC

[1] This post is filed under the category "Night Explorations." This is a category here on my blog where I write my experiences, thoughts and stories of night explorations. There is a section below where you can see other related posts from this category.

[2] All maps I used on this post are from Google Maps.

[3] All photos are mine.

[4] The insights, condition and name of places or properties I mentioned here are based on the facts and situation on the day of my visit. Take note that you may have a different experience when you try or see the properties or places mentioned here. Names of places and properties may also change by time so it's not my responsibility to update all the information on this blog because once published, I already consider it an archive and I won't update my narratives because I want them to become my references of what have happened in the past. I'm very particular of the dates because I want my amazing readers to understand that I am writing stories based on my perspective and insights on the day of my visit. You can see dates almost everywhere on this blog. Exempted from this rule are my travel guide posts that need to be updated.