The way is the goal and sometimes also the detour. I want to go from the old mining town of Ipoh to the Taman Negara, the oldest national park in Malaysia and also the oldest jungle in the world. It's not far away, but there's no direct connection to it.
Either I drive through the mountains with an overnight stay in the Cameron Highlands or I take the overnight bus via Kuala Lumpur. I think back to the long bus ride from the Thai capital Bangkok to the south of the country and then on to the Malaysian border. That was quite a torture. However, a night trip always saves a travel day and an overnight stay in a hotel. That's why I decide to take the overnight bus ride. I kill all day in the lobby of my hotel in downtown Ipoh, only to take a Grab taxi service to the bus terminal far outside of town in the evening.
The bus is coming from the north, has been on the road for quite a while and is late. Well after midnight I can finally get in.