Chasing Time

With ample amount of time in our hands, we said goodbye to mesmerizing Batu Caves and took seat in our Grab cab for our next destination – Petronas Towers. As many travel vloggers have reiterated over many videos, to visit the deck we needed to have prior slot reservations. Visiting the tower deck was an absolute must on our itinerary.

Deck Observatory Time slot – 1330 hrs
Reporting/Briefing Time – 1315 hrs

We boarded our cab at 11:30AM, keeping a substantial margin of 90 minutes for a ride time, which typically takes about 20 minutes. What we did not know was that this straightforward journey to Petronas Tower would become one of the most thrilling ride of our entire trip, keeping us on the edge of our seats throughout.

When we boarded the cab, there was a slight traffic jam just outside the temple. The heat outside was becoming unbearable so we walked from the designated pick up point to where our vehicle was. Slowly the time passed and slower the traffic moved. I took 10 minutes power nap only to open my eyes and see us at the exact same spot. Vehicles were moving in inches, forget feet or meters.

The estimated arrival time which was earlier 12:10PM was now 12:30PM. Still a good margin, we thought.

After we have managed to move another 100 meters, the app showed arrival time of 12:45PM.

Another 100meter and it increased to 1:05PM.

It felt like we were in reverse time lapse.

As the traffic kept growing slower, our heartbeats kept growing faster.

Another 10 minutes later, traffic finally cleared and the driver raced the car towards the city.

The drop-off time reduced from 1:20PM to 1:10PM.

We thanked our stars, but it was too early for gratitude.

No sooner did we enter the city limits, we were welcomed by the city traffic, co-sponsored by a repair site (which was scheduled for maintenance on exactly those three days when we were in the city!). To add to our woes, it was Friday, notorious for excess traffic that day. This piece of information was provided by our driver, who was by now equally concerned about us missing the reserved slot.

The major concern about the reservation was it couldn’t be cancelled or rescheduled. Moreover, we wouldn’t find another slot during our stay and we will definitely miss this experience.

It was now 1:05PM and drop-off time nearing 1:30PM or even above it. The traffic was barely moving. With each minute passing, our hopes of reaching on time diminished. We were at Ampang Park, 1.2km away from the Petronas Towers’ entrance.

It was in that moment P’s eyes caught mine. Were we thinking the same thing? Did we get the same idea but reluctant to share? Like an unsaid understanding we nodded our heads.

“Should we walk instead?” I spoke first.
“I was about to say the same thing!” He replied.
“Yes, we should. We can still hope to reach if we just walk”, I started to gather my belongings already.
P requested the driver to end the ride, thanking him for his patience.

And then off we went! Running, not walking, towards the Towers in the maximum speed we could. Chasing Time. Onlookers wondered, confused looking at a couple running away on a bright sunny afternoon.

Stopping in every few seconds, to catch breath, to check directions (well, he checked the map and I blindly followed him), to quickly mind-calculate if we would make it. I’m sure it must have been a funny sight, an Indian woman running after an Indian man in a foreign land. Perfect make for a comic scene.

I thanked my stars that I had chosen to wear shoes instead of a fancy footwear. The sunscreen melted away against the sun, our parched throats asking for a few drops of water, but we did not stop. With unwavering determination we kept running even when our legs refused to take another step. (Disclaimer : We aren’t runners in daily life, only occasional brisk walks if life permits). My overthinking mind gave standing ovation to all the marathon runners.

We finally halted in front of the towers to understand directions for the entry from a security guard. The watch already told us that we were five minutes late for the reporting time. Fingers crossed, taking bigger strides we marched inside the towers, hoping for the best.

Sweating off the heat, barely catching our breaths, we entered the Towers at 1:23PM. Locating the entrance to the Observatory, we caught the sight of the queue. Spotting an Indian couple we confirmed if we had missed the briefing slot. Luckily we hadn’t. We were just on time. Phew!

“We made it!” We said in unison.
“This is so going on the blog”, I whispered, still regaining my stance.

Few minutes later, when we observed the city from Petronas Towers, it all felt worth the effort. Capturing sights from what once was World’s tallest building, was a thrilling experience. They still stand as the tallest twin towers in the world at 451.9 meters. Amazing feeling, isn’t it?

Running wildly on the streets of another country! ✅

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