Bonus Issue: My Mind on Malaysia

I'll be the first to say, my thoughts here are labeled as Malaysia, but I really only spent time in Kuala Lumpur, though I've not heard much about other places. Anyway, despite my sour feelings about my departure, I will try to be objective.

Perhaps it is just relative to the other countries I've been to lately, but I was unimpressed by Kuala Lumpur. Yes, the Petronas Towers were cool. That said, I do not think they themselves merit a trip to the country. Seeing them was fun, and the view from the bridge was good. However, to get into a bridge seeing group you have to wait all morning, and its still very possible to be too late and get nothing for your efforts. If my understanding is correct, you would be able to buy a larger package that is more expensive but includes a trip to the Observation Platform near the top (this is I think the only ticket that could be purchased in advance). This could be very cool, but the view from the bridge was terrific itself, and I don't know how much more you would see. For me the biggest issue with the view is that despite being able to see really far, there was nothing to look at.

The other fun things we did were the Baku Caves, Little India, and a steamboat dinner. The caves were cool, but much like the towers, I don't think merit the trip by themselves. Little India is, well, little india and I liked the one in Singapore more. As for steamboat; it was a blast! The only thing is that it too can be found in many other countries.

All that said, there are things to see here, aka the towers and caves and likely something I did not do. However, I believe that a person's time traveling could be much more valuable in other countries, like Singapore.

If you do make the trip though, there are a few notes to be aware of:

First, if traveling from Singapore, look into a bus. I know no details... only that it exists and might be worth at least knowing about. Secondly, when taking taxis be sure to take metered ones. They can be found on nearly any street. But, at the common sites there are other taxis that pay extra for parking rights at those places. They charge flat rates, but they are close to double what you'd pay if you walked to the street and hailed a cab.

So, those are my tips. Also, I realize i'm a bit bitter on how things were left so let me say this: There are sites to see here, and if one is in this area of the world, they are fun to see. I would just place priority on other countries and save Kuala Lumpur for "extra time".

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Into the North

While things may have all worked out today, it was a bit of a debacle to get there. I slept pretty terribly and got up around 5. Dawdled a bit, showered packed and dabbled around online. Anyway, got Margaret up at 9 and we had breakfast (this time french toast came with a salad. Odd...) and coffee. At 10:30 we headed to reception to check out and get a taxi to the airport.

Everything through check out went smoothly. When I requested a cab I said we were going to the airport and needed the "LCC Terminal". At this the concierge continued to ask if I was going to the "KLCC" also known as the Petronas Towers. This went on long enough that I finally figured I had to be wrong and just said the airport. So, the taxi came and picked us up. We were careful as we have been to ensure it was a metered cab.

Anyway, we were taken to the airport and the international terminal. There was then a pretty seizable dispute about what to pay. Despite being metered he wanted us to pay an amount not on the meter etc etc etc. The details are irksome. With that finally udel with we headed inside only to find that I had been right. We were in the wrong place. Turns out the LAC terminal is COMPLETELY separate and like a 30 min drive away. So, we got another taxi to head there. That luckily went smoothly.

So, after all this we arrived just after noon for a 2:40 flight. First however, we were funneled through a few security checks to the wrong section of the airport. I found the right section and we headed there. There were then 3 lines for different flights all jutting into the middle of the room and it was practically impossible to find the right one. Even worse, when we finally got in the right line it still took longer than any airport line i've ever been in. And not because of the number of people. There were groups unpacking and repacking bags. Of the 4 open counters checking people in, an average of about 2 had a person there. The others were all running around helping at the stations of people repacking.

So, by the time we got checked in it was 2:15... We hastily headed to customs where we found someone to take us to a separate counter and avoid lines. There we got a nice long lecture on how we should show up early to flights, and as my plan would have had me at the airport with over 3 hours it was all I could do to not flip out on her. But I didn't. Anyway, we resumed the rush and made the boarding at last call... though apparently the plain gets parked about a quarter mile away from the gate... that was odd.

Anyway, we got on board and headed north to Japan. The flight was... uneventful, which made it possibly the only thing that went as planned today. And that gets me to Japan.

We landed and headed off the plain. At first the skies were clear (or looked it. A bit hard to tell in the dark) and it was mid 50's. All in all pretty nice. But, when we got to emigration, Margaret got through fine and I got called off to a side. All in all I talked with security and a translator (which just made the areal longer) and turns out it was all a misunderstanding. But, being with security I couldn't really call Margaret so she was worried. It was a bit chaotic. Anyway... we were pleasantly surprised that our bags did indeed arrive. Neither of us were expecting that.

So we headed out to the waiting/person collecting area. There, the first thing we did was eat. We were hungry. So, as midnight rolled over we had 2 hours to get to the hostel. All directions we had said grab the airport train, 45 mind, bam... there. This is all well and good... when the train is running but it stopped at 11. So instead we paid a lot for yet another taxi on the day. However, unlike earlier he took us to the train station we asked for (near the hostel).

Unfortunately, the sky absolutely opened up at this point. So we then spent a few minutes prepping ourselves for the rain and trying to memorize a map. Then we headed out into the rain and got close to our destination. But, we got to the point that my memorization could take me no further. So we stopped under the eve of a store and I took a jog. That's right... 1:30am jog through the downpour. I know you're all jealous! Anyway, I found the hostel that has a very similar name but is not ours... and I did not find ours. Luckily though, on my return two guys walked out of the store and were going to our hostel. So they led us there which was great.

At that point I checked in and bought 2 towels, and got the room keys. We headed to our place where we stayed out of the room for a bit, drying and sorting our stuff. We me a couple crazy slightly drunk and maybe high people, but they were nice for a laugh. Anyway, I think its finally time for rest. But i'm excited about Tokyo so no worries here.

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Stuffed With Seafood

Well, as I may have mentioned before (I at least meant to...) today would be another day with a few events, but for the most part just relax. That said, my morning went through the regular routine of getting up and reading/replying to emails and the like. Around 10 we ordered breakfast, again french toast because again there were no waffles... sadface. That said, the toast continues to be tasty.

We then got ready for the day and headed down to the lobby to grab a cab. Unfortunately there was a bit of a mix up and we ended up waiting for said cab for close to an hour. That said, we both had things we were doing and our day wasn't particularly booked, so we were in no hurry to get the cab or rush the staff. We then did get a cab after much unneeded apologies and headed north around the heart of the city to the Baku Caves.

As we reached the site there was a huge ridge, standing completely independent of any sort of elevated range. That said it had sheer cliffs that must have been a few hundred feet high with beautiful stalagmites (?)(the ones that hang down... maybe stalactites...) Anyway, beautiful scenery. At the base of the ridge there was a set of stairs, which i'll get to. In short, the caves are home of a local temple (Buddhist I think, though they really just seemed known as the Baku Caves). So, as you walk towards the ridge and the caves there are a number of local vendors selling snacks and the like.

A bit closer the path split to follow the ridges sides. We only went to one side but there we saw a small pond with hundreds of japanese colorful fish and what seemed to be a little playground. we continued to walk towards the end of the ridge, where there was a small cave entrance to what appeared to be a cave/room for prayer. On the way we'd passed a couple of small independently roofed structures. Each one seemed to be small areas for prayer, and they were all pretty.

What was most interesting was the stairs. Rising from the ground in the center of the ridge was a flight of rather narrow and steep steps, rising to the main cave. Along the side of the steps rose a HUGE golden statue. Anyway, on our way up the steps our view of the city went from good to better. Similarly, our views of monkeys improved the same way. Turns out monkeys love these caves as they were everywhere. But, we continued the climb, and if I counted correctly we reached the top after 272 steps.

At the top we stood at a massive cave entrance. The cave ceiling had to be a good hundred feet high or so, and there were random wholes through which the sun illuminated the walls and floors. Around the walls were carvings in many colors of various different religious sculptures. I was surprised when this cave did not end in a back wall though. Instead there was another (though much shorter) set of stairs leading out of the cave tunnel. There we emerged on a circular plateau where the ceiling had been broken through or eroded away or never existed. It was like an island of sunlight surrounded by high looming stone walls and a cave as the only exit. It was pretty sweet.

So, that was the Baku Caves. That led to the trip back to the hotel, which was a bit more adventure than one hopes. We told the cab driver the location, and he proceeded to say he knew... and then seemed to not. So we had a bit of trouble getting back but managed just fine all the same. I also think he simply misunderstood the directions and wasn't attempting to scam us. In the end we paid an extra 2-3 dollars but it wasn't worth fighting over. So back at the hotel, in spirit of relaxing... I took a nap. It was a delicious nap.

Then for our last event and dinner. This I'd been waiting for since Singapore. Originally I had found a steamboat restaurant online, but a manager at the front desk gave us a recommendation to one he goes to. It was a little further away but in was willing to do that for having someone vouch for the place. So, we reached the restaurant wand were seated with a pot of two soups; chicken broth and a hot/spicy.

The style, being steamboat, is basically fondue meets bbq. There's a buffet style table PILED with veggies, fish, fishballs, shellfish, dumplings and all sorts of goodies. All of it is uncooked and awaiting our pot of boiling soup. I watched another group go at it and had to chuckle. I tried to mimic them, and just went down the line piling up a plate. Conversely, at first Margaret was being very selective and taking 2 of each thing. Once pointed out we were both scooping up large plates. It was nice using our neighbor table as a guide...

Anyway, there were shrimp, crabs, clams, muscles, fish, veggies noodles, dumplings and so much more I can't even describe. Gallon with this there we're 5 different dipping sauces and free refills for the soups. Over the next 1-2 hours we each ate a couple beeping plates of seafood. It was a lot of fun. We also topper it off with all you can eat ice cream. I found the peach ice cream to be by far my favorite.

Dinner also led to a pun that continues to make me smile. As Margaret was struggling (I was too at this point) but we were trying to finish what food we'd taken... I was mid shrimp and asked Margaret: "are you gonna be able to finish that fishball or are you going to prawn it off on me?" I was likely too proud of this pun... but that's ok.

Anyway, if was a great dinner to bid farewell to the southern hemisphere. Tomorrow we head to japan!

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From Up on High

We had a leisurely morning today, despite getting up (both of us) by 7. We did however order some french toast breakfast room service and that was quite nice. After a bit of munching for the morning we headed down to grab a taxi and head out for the day.

The reason for getting up early was to head over to the Petronas Towers. For anyone not aware, in 1998 they set the record for tallest building in the world and currently still holds the record for tallest twin towers and highest elevated bridge. For anyone who has seen Entrapment, it is the building they heist at the end of the film. Have you not seen Entrapment... WATCH IT!!! It is an awesome movie with Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones being awesome.

Anyway, tickets for visiting the skybridge are sold the day of ascent, and the line piles up very fast. We arrived at about 8:30 and were still waiting quite some time. All that said though, we got through the line and each got a ticket for the 2:20 trip up the towers. More to follow later.

We left the ticket center around 11, so we wanted to be back by 2. With those 3 hours we grabbed a cab to the recommended butterfly park. Now, there were some cab issues and attempted rip-offs, but I think we managed nicely through the ordeal. Anyway, we arrived and entered without hassle. There were a lot of butterflies, all of which flying around freely withing the netted boundaries. While I don't know many of them by name, the sheer quantity was impressive. In addition to their numbers, the color variety was extreme. There were large, solid black ones, to small white ones. Some faded from browns to brilliant violets while others used bright greens and reds as highlights on there long wings. It was pretty cool.

Among other sites here we also saw a number turtles, fish and frogs. The fish were the usual selection of orange, red and white japanese pond fish. The turtles were largely varied, ranging from a soft-shell to alligator (or crocodile...) snapper. Inside we saw various different spiders, beetles, scorpions and mantis. While they are always cool, they are also always creepy. My personal favorite site however, was one of the display cases of preserved insects, butterflies in this case. I've never seen more brilliant fluorescent blues. I felt like I was looking at holograms. They were stunning to see.

After the park we headed by cab into the local Little India for lunch. Unfortunately, the section of town itself seemed a bit underwhelming. The shops seemed ok and the restaurants weren't anything special. That said, we found a great spot for lunch, serving vegetarian indian food. Here I discovered that indian vegetarian is great. Since the curry sauce is really the best part, I hard notice if there is no meat. So lunch was a complete success.

This brought us to just after 1:30 so we took the 20 minute walk back to the Petronas Towers. Once our time was called we were taken into a small theatre and were shown a film on the Petrol company and the tower itself. Though comments on the tower were brief, I believe the oil company was mostly advertising itself. We then headed into a high speed elevator (which was high speed indeed) and taken up 40 floors in under a minute. Here we were given 15 minutes to look out from the views provided by the sky bridge. In short it felt like we could look ... anywhere. Sadly, I did not know of anything to really look for. In terms of distance the site was stunning, but its always a bit fun to identify known things. But, even from that height, we were dwarfed by the rest of the tower, extending another 40+ floors above us on either side. It was pretty fantastic.

After that we headed back to the hotel. We originally planned to fill our day and take tomorrow easy to relax before heading to Japan, but we changed our mind to have two easy days and see a few sites each. We also avoid all rush hour traffic this way. So, we had dinner locally at the hotel, and that led us to indian again. Sadly it was a bit of a letdown after lunch. That said, it was still good and the mango lassos were very tasty. It was then a quiet night and about to be off to bed.

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Bonus Issue: Seeing Singapore

So, for those who were unsure, my time in Singapore has come to a close. I leave the country with a lasting impression of ... the ridiculous. Anyway, I had a great time and really enjoyed being in such a clean city. To people who like to see more ancient and historical sites, they are fewer and farther between in Singapore. That's not to say they aren't there, just not as concentrated. However, to someone who wants to see a slightly younger country that is steaming with modern architecture, this should be near the top of your list.

Now, Singapore is just not very big. I've been told that I could see all of Singapore in a day, and for the most part that's true. Our first full day was long and tiring, and we saw a lot of the city. Our second day we saw really very little, except for the night-time skyline. And, I have no regrets about what I saw and what I did.

That said, I have been a bit exhausted and think there may be a slightly better plan, as well as one thing I wish I'd done. Were I do do this country again, or suggest it to someone else, I would advise 3 full days. (The following order, days 2 and 3 ... I am usury of the proper order, I am just picking an order).

Day 1: see the bird park. Its really nice and highly recommended by many. Go in the morning as there are a couple bird shows that are free and fun to watch. Everything else you'll see is in the city so this gets the out of the city out of the way. Then find the in-city sites you want to see. China town and little india are where you'll find your fix for temples, while a walk along the river to the harbor will be the prime place for modern sites.

Day 2: this is what we did not do and I think may have been fun. Head down past the harbor to Santosa. I think it's technically an island, but still part of continental asia. This is relevant because the southern coast here is considered the southern most point of continental asia. Also, it looks like there are a bunch of interactive and fun activities there.

Day 3: perhaps have a quiet morning. Then in the afternoon catch any stagging sites you may have missed. Before evening head to the Raffles Hotel to see it in the daylight and grab yourself a Singapore Sling. Then head out after dark. If you leave the Long Bar before dark, find a place for dinner and let the sun set. Then go past the hotel at night and then head down to the harbor and the Singapore Flyer. From there walk your way up the river. The city is definitely worth a few views after dark and a walk on the river should show you what you need.

Those 3 days I think are enough time to see most of what should be seen and I don't think they'd be overly packed. Taxis are cheep and plentiful, so if you don't feel like walking the longer distances there are many easy solutions. That said, the city is very friendly to pedestrians. Good sidewalks and crosswalks and very clean with pretty good views. Lastly, eat at least 1 meal at a hawker center. There are a good number of them, so just remember to look. Their a lot of fun.

Again, the cities not very big but and i'm sure I missed something. I don't consider, self an expert, but having just been there, I think this would be my suggestion. Also... most of the year the harbor may be a bit more mellow than what I saw. It was the chinese new year after all. That said, its still worth seeing!

Good luck should you plan a trip and i'm happy to help if I can!

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Tidying Up

Well, there was not too much exciting about this morning. Got up, made coffee, had toast and cereal... the usual. Unfortunately, Mr. Hartung had left for work early, so I was unable to bit him farewell in person. I did get to call my parents, which was nice and spent much of my morning sending and replying to emails.

Margaret joined me and after showering we started to tidy the house by washing the linnets we'd used. Once we got the load going we headed out to do our final errands of Singapore. First we headed back down Orchard Rd, that crazy street where every building is a giant shopping mall... and found a JNT, Japanese National Tourism... or something like that. There we booked and filled out the paperwork needed for 7 day train passes through Japan. If all is as I understand, once we redeem the vouchers we purchased we get pretty much unlimited train travel through Japan.

After that we headed back to the apartment. En route, we first stopped for some small ice creams that we'd been meaning to try. They give new meaning to the term... ice cream sandwich. It was a block of ice cream, wrapped in literally a piece of bread. I don't know the type of bread but it was sweet and I found the combo surprisingly tastes.

We then stopped in a mall to buy a bottle of wine as a thank you. I wanted to get one from a location we'd been to (town or city), but could not find one. So, we stuck with country and picked up an Aussie bottle.

We returned to the apartment where we packed, wrote out a thank you note, and did what we could to tidy the place. We were out the door and in a cab by 4. On the way to the airport we learned that it is possible to travel to Kuala Lumper (KL) by bus. Interesting... the airport was, in usual Singapore style, very clean, efficient, and easy to navigate. We found our gate, grabbed some food, and boarded.

The flight itself, by the time we stopped ascending, we began descending. So, that was quick and easy. Again we arrived and found our way out with no trouble. Unfortunately, takeoff, and thus landing were a bit late. So it was a bit of a challenge and a couple phone calls to find the taxi driver we'd hired to pick us up. That said, we found him and he was very nice.

Turns out, our arrival was moments after a huge rain storm, which seems to be pretty normal in the evenings at this time of year. That said, I had one of the best lightning spotting's of my life. Looking out over some flats I caught a streaking bolt that seemed to hold itself in the air for a couple seconds, lighting the sky up an eerie purple before vanishing again. Lighting is cool.

Our drive then took us on a bit of a roundabout way to the hotel, but not much as it was much further than I expected once I looked at a map. On the way we drove through Putrajaya, where our driver took us to/past many palaces palaces and temples. We saw a few large masques, all of which were topped my massive domes and lit up brightly compared to the city around them. Similarly lit was the prime ministers office, which looked just like a palace sitting atop a peninsula jutting into a lake. As we crossed the lake we could see to the other side of the lake where the prime minister has his residence, which also looks a bit like a palace. On occasion he travels to work by boat...

We then continued north a bit more to KL. We got a bit of an explanation on the relation between the prime minister, 9 sultans and the king. I believe together they have a sort of democracy.... but i'm very hazy on those details. We also talked about tomorrow and got some tips on our plan, as well as a suggestion for a location to eat steamboat, a Malaysian style of eating that looks like a hybrid between fondue and barbecue. I look toward to that.

We finally arrived at our hotel, a very nice place called Flamingo on the Lake. We got a good deal for 3 nights and 2 days, as a result of I think them trying to fill rooms for nearer dates. But it was perfect to match our length of stay. Our room is very nice and as suggested, looks over a small lake.

So, upon arriving my phone was not wanting to connect to the internet and I was tired. So, my blog was delayed, I apologize to my loyal readers, and I went to bed. In exchange, i'm looking to write my brief bonus post about tips on Singapore, should you ever plan a visit.

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Where the Ridiculous is Normal

So, today very much so had its highs and its lows. That is... some things were awesome, while others did not go as planned. That said, I started the day at 7, where I got up and had a bit of a chat with Mr. Hartung. At 7:30 he was driving to church, and as we'd discussed yesterday, he goes past the Singapore Botanic Gardens. So, as planned I joined him and he dropped me off. From there, I ran for about an hour, through the gardens and then another half hour walking back to his apartment. It was a refreshing/tiering way to start the morning.

The gardens themselves were not the most impressive I've seen on this trip. I believe that title would have to go to Sydney. However, it was still nice for a run. This park seemed less gauged towards the trees and more so to the people. That is there were a lot of ponds, gazebos, and wide open paved areas for group exercise. So, I found the trees less impressive, which is part of what the botanic gardens should be about. That said, their ponds were great, with some huge japanese fish, swans and a bundle of turtles. The orchid garden bit was also lovely. My favorite part though was a little waterfall that I could run behind and get the spray. That was indeed refreshing.

So, I returned to the apartment and showered. Margaret had not been feeling well yesterday, so since we saw a lot yesterday, I was in no hurry to wake her. Instead, I wrote a bunch of emails and did some reading. The early afternoon however was spent doing a bunch of planning for japan. I worked out a train pass (which I hope to finalize tomorrow), and booked hostel rooms for the entirety of our trip, both in Kyoto and Tokyo. Now its just figuring out the details of train locations and the locations of activities and sites.

Around 4 we headed back out into the city. We started out going into a mall next door where I picked up a dozen batteries for about 4 USD. That was sweet. We then took a cab back towards the harbor, and just down the river enough to where we had not gotten before. This is where Singapore continued to baffle me with how ridiculous it can be.

Most obvious was the Marina Bay Sands Singapore Luxury Hotel. Yes... its name is huge, and yes its huge, and ridiculous, and massively looming over the harbor so its impossible to miss. This hotel rises from the western side of the harbor and towers over all the nearby buildings. It is comprised of 3 seemingly independent towers that appear to bow inwards as they climb. All 3 are capped and connected by an enormous roof platform, shaped like a boat, that contains dining, pools, casinos and more! In front of it lie more uniquely shaped bits of architecture. First was the Art and Science Museum, a building who's outside is finished but is still being worked on. The whole thing is shaped a bit like a hand and at the right angle/time of day looks like its cradling the sun (I have a picture...).

Between the two lies the Marina Bay Sands Mall, which rivals any mall I've seen in being cool. We entered at the top floor and were immediately baffled by size alone. Looking down 3 floors to the ground floor and restaurants we saw an indoor ice rink. The mall is also home to hundreds of shops (no sunrise) and a casino of its own. Running the length of most hallways were waterfall/pools. These had angled "steps" in them and filled from the center. This led to it draining on all sides while appearing to be static. Lastly, the directories were interactive touchscreen.

Connecting the two sides of the river were a few bridges for cars (which had sidewalks) and 1 unique pedestrian bridge. This was one of my favorites, as the entire bridge is designed to look like and walk inside of a multiple helix. Better yet, while it looked like a nearly perfect helix from afar, while inside it was still abundantly clear that the bridge's structure was based on triangles.

After this point, Margaret started feeling ill again, so we hailed a cab and sent her home, but I stayed out a bit to see the harbor at night. I had a few disappointing and failed attempts at food, but I got over it. As darkness fell I started my sites back at the Raffles Hotel. I'll admit, it wasn't that much cooler at night, though pretty in a different way. I then headed due south towards the harbor to see the Singapore Flyer, a massive ferris wheel at the foot of the city. It stands out pretty easily, as there are no buildings beyond it and its a giant wheel that changes colors. I then worked my way back to the heart of the harbor.

Now... did I mention that it was the last day of celebrating the chinese new year? I feel that plays a part in the gratuity of the following. As I approached the harbor, the Bay Hotel still stood out above everything else, though this time lit up with its own light, in addition to giant green flood lights making green beams against the night sky. The helix bridge was lined with spiraling purple lights that matched the helix. I crossed the bridge and ducked into the mall briefly, only to find a light show being played on the ice 3 floors down.

I headed back out and crossed the bridge one last time. In this direction I had a tremendous view of the thousands of chinese hanging ball-like lamps suspended from hundreds of ropes. Protruding into the bay was a floating platform, lined with more lights and giant figures of characters (that are relevant to the new year I assume). Walking through, it was easy to see additional flood lights stream up from the art and science museum and other spots around the harbor. Fireworks periodically shot from somewhere, helping to light up the sky further. Behind me was a stage, with fog machines billowing and a chinese dance being preformed. All the while various carnival rides were each going on with their own music. From where I stood I could identify 5 or 6 individual techno songs. The entire harbor was really just transformed into 1 big, gigantic raving dance party. It was ... ridiculous.

I then proceeded to walk back in relative quiet, and saw much what I did yesterday. Margaret was feeling a bit better and we made some food. For me it was just nice to have a breather. Regardless of how much is credited to the chinese new year, this city is really pretty cool and I think the modern styles of architecture-meet-modern-art is really cool.

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