Puduraya

I had to go ‘up north’ last weekend. Initially my companion had already booked the tickets. Unfortunately, since we couldn’t collect the tickets earlier, by the time we went to the counter in Shah Alam, the tickets were sold out.

So, I was assigned with the task of buying last-minute bus tickets. On Friday morning, I frantically phone the numbers listed by the bus companies on the Internet. The numbers were either engaged or rang eternally. I could not get through any of the ticket counters. The one that I got thru’ – Transnasional – have no tickets left for Saturday morning.

I decided to go to the bus station famously known as Puduraya. The roads around Puduraya is constantly jammed. To make the matter worse taxi, cars, and buses stopped by the roadside to let passenger disembarked. Driving to the area was out of the question. I took the LRT – formerly known as STAR LRT and stopped at Plaza Rakyat. Puduraya is less than 5 minutes walking distance from this stop. In fact, it is right next to Puduraya.

Puduraya itself is relatively old building. I googled “Puduraya” and found this entry in Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puduraya). Well, there were plans to renovate the complex, but till this day, the main building remains very much the same for as long as I could remember.

Stepping into Puduraya, I was overwhelmed with the crowd. It was only 11.30a.m. The place was already buzzing with all sort of activities. Ticket-sellers screamed from left and right. Papers with destinations scribbled on it, were hung at tickets counters. Travellers moved from one counter to another trying to get the best deal (ticket price are about the same, only differ in the schedule). It was truly an assault to the senses.

I managed to get tickets to Butterworth. Not exactly to the town that we wished to go. We would have to get down at one of the R&R along the highway. That is another story all together.