Genting -- Day 1

15 Dec ‘08
Night train: Tanjong Pagar to KL Sentral Station
Time: 10pm to 6:30am (that is eight and the half hours compared with 6 hours by car but you get to lie horizontal)
Type: Superior Night Class (sleeping)
Cost: Upper deck – S$38
Lower deck – S$43
Children – S$30

When choosing your seat, always request for one near the central of the carriage. The toilets are situated in-between carriages; their usage is a constant source of irritation for people sleeping near them. When taking the train, the white card is your only proof that you entered Malaysia legally for they do not stamp your passport.
Normally, one clears Singapore immigration before one can go to another country. The process is reversed when one takes the train. When one checks into the train, one ‘enters’ Malaysia. The train then takes you to Woodlands Immigration which then records that you are leaving Singapore.
As the train is air-con, it can be quite cold at night, no blanket is provided so wear warmly, e.g., socks and sweater. If you are sensitive to light, bring your blinker along because stray light do get in as the train moves even with the curtain pulled down.
In my drowsiness, I heard a young man shouting repeatedly, ”koropo, koropo.” I thought he was selling snacks and ignored him. Only much later, did I realized that he was saying kelompur for Kuala Lumpur.