The Crutch Traveler

It has been raining cats and dogs since we left Singapore for my [parent's] hometown in Malaysia. It is a quaint little town in the South of Malaysia called Kluang. "Klu" pronounced like the word clue and "ang" like how we would pronounce the "un" of uncle but with a g at the end.

As we were driving back, we stopped over at Dunkin Donuts which was conveniently located next to Burger King, the equivalent of Hungry Jacks in Perth. Both were considerably cheap compared to the fast food establishments in Perth. For six donuts, it cost RM$12 which is about four Australian dollars. While it still cannot be compared to the soft-as-clouds mouth-watering donuts at Krispy Kremes, it sure measures up quite closely.

How has it been traveling with crutches? Well, as obvious as it may seem, it does limit what you can do. Like going from one place to another for example. It takes quite a bit of energy with just a minute's worth of walk so while we were in Singapore, we have had to opt for the taxi option. While it is cheap to get from point A to point B in Singapore with an average of $5 to $15 per ride, over the span of two days, I have spent about $170 (Singapore dollars) on taxi fares.

Note: If you are shopping at Takashimaya in Singapore, taxi wait time can take up to an hour. On the bright side, there is a queuing system in place so you do not have to give the evil eye or throw a fit as you would at last come first serve asian-styled queues.

And while stairs are no longer an issue, they are taken with much caution.

Otherwise, there are some fantastic perks about being a crutch traveler. I asked for assistance at the airports and had the privilege of going through special short cuts (this privilege extends to my entourage aka. mi la familia) to and from the plane. And I barely had to wait to get through immigration. Special commendations to the service and professionalism at both the Malaysian and Singaporean airports.

I have heard a plenty about Air Asia but as a first time traveler with the budget airline, it has exceeded all my expectations. The service on air was exceptional. Friendly, helpful and quick to respond. I thought the seats were comfortable and there was sufficient leg room for me and my boot. And I found the colours of the seats quite cute. The random red seats amongst the black. Or was it cream coloured? Either way, the design was well thought out.

My mom has just come back from the shops and bought with her some Malaysian goodies (cakes). The hungry tummy awakens.

Here's to taking time off.