Empress : Kaiserin

1.15 Uhr
It is a long bumpy journey, making writing rather a feat. It's just alternation between music with darkness, and more studying with light. I think I may be able to finish the Takt und Rhythmus Chapter before dawn comes. As I am thinking of giving me eyes and brain a break, the bus comes to a halt. Apparently a serious long jam along the highway. I don't know my geography in regard to this, but in my deduction some unpredicted events, or that everyone is heading to the same place, for a desired indulgence called Holiday. I don't mind the stalling of time, although most of the people in the bus (I'm the youngest!) seems rather restless.

1.30 Uhr
In the darkness I spot at my left (where the grassland is) a cow figure staring in my direction. Awww. At first the white shape doesn't make sense; perhaps I was slow, perhaps it is just the darkness (no road lamps along the highway). Lol. Cute! Then I realise it might be a cow farm or something, since I notice this long fence between me and the cow. No, pural form: COWS! So many of them, all in white (or at least it appeared vaguely so in the darkness), roaming, lying around, and only one out of all was staring straight at me. If it has been daytime I could have taken photos. Awww...

3 Uhr
I think I drifted into sleep for almost an hour. And then I couldn't sleep any longer. Whoa. I start on my chocolate caramel corn snack when I feel that I'm getting more and more wide awake. The thing is, how in good timing it actually is - I finish the pack just as the bus start moving again. So, just imagine how long the jam was. The scene is just at the left side of the road, the side where I am seating. And still I can't make out what really happened. A long chain of lorries and private vehicles stalling at the side of the road, occupying like half (or more than) of the whole stretch of the road. I'm just writing what I was observing, but I fail to make any sense of it. Oh well, after stalling for such a long time it feel almost strange being back on the move again.
(P.S. I later found out it was really an accident; a collision between two trucks, and the driver behind the first truck was, er, smashed and crushed... right in the middle. In other words: flattened... O__O)

3.30 Uhr
Another stop. I stay on the bus this time. And hopping from seat to seat (er, of course not the other tourists' seats... Dotz...) barefoot and taking stupid pictures. Lol. All except two (me and an old man) remain on the bus.

Soon after the air-conditioning is being lowered down. Phew, previously it really knew the meaning of the word "blasting". I had then to wrap my head with my black scarf or I would have gone bald before the end of the ride. Ahaha.

3.50 Uhr
I think we are passing by KL, and I am seeing the Twin Towers a distance away, still as beautiful in the night skies. The roads are windier still and a huge difference in heights. Night rides with my portable reading light and mp3 player are complete love. I think only the driver and I are awake now.

4.07 Uhr
Bus stops at BHP Petrol Station. Okay, first time seeing this petrol station name. Anyhow I'm just plain lazy right now to resume studying. It's raining quite heavily now. And I'm a little tired. My back is killing me. Ah yes, I sound like some old hag, right? My waist area needs some relief! Don't forget I have some old injuries there. Sigh.

4.20 Uhr
I have a feeling we are going uphill. All is really pitch-black now, save for the bus' headlights. We are going up so high that it starts to get foggy, and for my side, imagine trees in the fog! Darkness awakes imagination, so it really is astounding! However, the road starts to lead downhill, then do I realize the bus is just passing by a hill. However, when we are reaching the real "Genting Highlands" the road starts to steepen again, but real bad now. Those turns are really acute and steep! And there's the fog (or clouds). At a certain level when I can catch a glimpse of how high we really are, the fog worsens dramatically, I can barely see anything further than 2 meters away; if it is not a frequented route for the bus driver, it'd been hard for him.

We reach Hotel First World, und I looooooove the temperature! It's cold, I am close to shivering (I am really wearing very little - T-shirt, threee-quarter shorts and sandals, what do you expect? :P) but still, recalling the Weimar experience (6 degrees with chilly winds) it's still not too cold. But the lobby is very impressive - in design and size too.

Some snapshots of the outside, lobby and reception area of the hotel:

Landing Alighting/Boarding Bay, or whatever.

No! It's not the photo nor the cam, but the clouds that's making it seems foggy! :D It's around 16 degrees.

The "outer" lobby. I didn't use flash coz I like it dark. And it IS dark there anyway :)

"Inner" lobby. Plain, but it's the sheer size that matters.

Reception. But don't expect any staff there since it's only 5am...!