A Day of Change
December 10th, Kuala Lumpur. Today was a special day—the day I welcomed a new bicycle into my journey. Until now, I had been riding a simple city bike I bought in Vietnam. To make it work for long travel, I had attached a rack by force, tied it with tape, and even thought about repairing it by learning from YouTube videos. Looking back, I realize I could have pushed it further with more creativity, as many travelers do with bikes in far worse condition. Perhaps I was a little soft on myself.
But once I decided to buy a new companion, I made a promise: this bicycle will stay with me until the end of my journey. From now on, I won't buy another one. If it breaks, I'll try to repair it myself. Whether it's the "right" way or not doesn't matter. What matters is to pause, think, and try. Sometimes, the things we label as "troublesome" are actually quite interesting once we look behind the surface.
First Impressions of the City
I took the train toward the cycle shop. As the city skyline spread out before me, I thought, "Kuala Lumpur feels even more like Tokyo than Tokyo itself." Skyscrapers rise everywhere, and the power of urban development is striking.
At the shop, I finally saw the new bicycle. I'm not an expert, but it had a front rack, looked ready for long travel, and I fell for it instantly. Whether it becomes a long-distance touring bike depends not only on the design but on how I ride it.
A bicycle is like food ingredients—its flavor depends on the one who prepares it. But unlike cooking, there is no recipe for travel. Roads, weather, tires, and riding style create too many unknowns. That's why I believe it's up to me to turn this bicycle into a true travel companion.
Wandering Kuala Lumpur
With the new bike, I set out to explore. Kuala Lumpur's center is always noisy with traffic, but one street away, silence appears. Soon, I found myself in Chinatown. The main street was full of Chinese restaurants, but turn a corner, and colorful graphic art covered the walls—from simple designs to Japanese anime characters.
Malaysia is not easy to define. Indian, Chinese, Malay, and Indonesian cultures mix and overlap, making it difficult to put one label on the country. That diversity makes every walk an adventure.
Later at night, I passed through a large street market. By 11 p.m., most stalls were closed, and a mountain of trash was left behind. I didn't feel disgust but curiosity. Why is it different from Japan? Asking around, I learned that cleaning companies arrive at night to clear the streets. For locals, the mindset is simple: "It will be clean tomorrow. If not, it's the cleaners' responsibility." Discovering these cultural differences is one of the joys of traveling.
A Glimpse of Nightlife
Someone told me about a nightlife spot inside an abandoned hotel. I decided to see it. The entrance was quiet. Inside, people were getting massages on both sides of the hall. At the end, an old elevator stood still, no longer working.
Climbing up, the atmosphere shifted—strange, almost intimidating, but still alive. It wasn't a busy nightclub as I had imagined. Instead, it was just a tiny café, run by locals, hidden away. In the past, the place used to be full of people, but now only a shadow of that remained.
The world is full of unknowns. Of course, I don't know everything about Japan either, but when I step outside, I can feel more clearly how vast and surprising the world is.
