Twin Tower, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Royal Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Pewter, souvenirs from Malaysia

Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Inside Batu Caves

Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

What makes a trip special ? Is it a memory or a moment ? For me, its always a tinge of nostalgia and sometimes a trip down memory lane makes some moments special. It was a special feeling when I landed in Kuala Lumpur, a couple of months ago. It brought back memories of two different trips – my first visit to Malaysia when more than two decades ago, which was also my first trip abroad. And the second was even more special – a trip that the husband and I made to this country more than a decade ago ; the first of many international trips that we made together. So loaded with memories, every lane, every monument, every statue seemed familiar and brought back a smile.

The Twin Towers looked down at me, as I remembered the first time I had ever set eyes on them in wonder. The beer tankard standing in front of the Royal Selangor Pewter Centre smiled at me as I posed in front of it .

Many years ago , I had taken a picture here in front of this largest beer mug in the world that has entered the Guiness Book . As I looked at the curios here, I remembered the little pink toed elephant resting in front of a coconut tree , lying on my shelf – the first ever pewter curio that I picked up twenty years ago. Plates and beer mugs were bought and gifted then.

Sudden rains lashed upon us, as we entered the Baatu Caves. I made my way up , recollecting the first time I climbed the 200 odd steps, only to be more fascinated by a man carrying an iguana than the dark cave.

This time the cave was lit as devotees and tourists prayed to the Tamil God, Muruga. The iguana man was not there but I found several eateries had sprouted around here . A decade ago, I found just a couple of small eateries which served us hot masala dosas. I met a compatriot who had moved from Chennai (Madras) recently and he said that a mini Mylapore – TNagar was nestled here.

Later in the evening, as we reached our hotel and I put pen to paper, jotting down the moments of the day, I realized that were all a fusion of memories..