Malaysia Adventure is the title of our blog…aptly named as everything so far has been an adventure….including driving. Driving here is a hoot !!!! First, you drive on the left hand side of the road. Since the steering wheel is also on the other side, it isn’t too hard to adjust as long as you remember the driver should alway be on the inside. It took about a week of driving everyday and constantly focusing on turns, not letting habit take over…. and all of a sudden I felt my brain switch. I still have the hardest time glancing to my left to check the rear-view mirror. The turn signal and wipers are also reversed.

I don’t think learning to drive on the other side would have been as hard if we were in a country such as England…things are orderly, stop lights are obeyed, rules of the road mostly adhered to, etc. The Malaysian people are the sweetest you will find anywhere on the planet but once they get behind the wheel of a car, everything changes. In the USA, when driving on a freeway or highway, you move over a lane when there are cars merging. Not here. When a car signals and needs to move over, you give them room. Not here. In the USA, you usually stay in your lane, you stop at red lights, you expect motorcycles to do the same, you use your turn signal….not here. It truly is an adventure every time you get on the road.

Typical drive to work for Heidi and me: Exit our Condo and turn right, across traffic…wait five minutes or so until there is a small crack in the traffic and you make your way across. If no crack in the traffic, you just inch your way out until they have to stop. You ignore the honking directed at you. Next we drive down our little street for about 2 kilometers til we get to the “slip road” which takes us onto the freeway. We go over 8 speed bumps (big ones). On an average day we will have at least one to three cars or motorcycle driving toward us in our lane. Never have really figured out why they are coming at us and they alway make it back to their side. We turn left onto the slip road and quickly get up to speed for cars are exiting the freeway. The slip road goes under the freeway for about a kilometer but until you memorize which lane to be in when, you might get onto a turn lane onto another street, and then you have to fight, and I mean fight your way back into the correct lane. Sometimes the painted lane-lines just disappear. If you are lucky and get in the correct lane, you enter onto the freeway. Of course, entering the freeway can never be easy. The same time you are entering, there may be a car or two that try to pass you on the left. You get on the freeway, let out a sigh of relief and decide what lane to drive in. The freeway to our school has three lanes. The left lane is the slow lane…seems to be there for expat drivers learning the system, motor scooters, and bicycles (none of which have lights or reflectors and black is the clothing color of choice) and buses stopping to pick up people. The middle lane is where I like to plant myself, if I can get an opening and move into it. I call the right hand lane the BOOH lane (Bat Out Of Hell)…I have yet to see a speed limit sign but if there is one, the drivers here are ignoring it. At anytime you may come across a vehicle broken down…doesn’t matter what lane…there isn’t much of a shoulder. We get finally get off the freeway and have a one kilometer drive to our school…only three speed bumps on this stretch. Turn onto the street in front of the school, make a u-turn and we are there. Driving sights are intersting….on the way home, Heidi and I saw one motorcycle…just a small scooter, going along the freeway at about 45 MPH…seated behind the driver was a Toro Lawn Mower. Nope, it wasn’t tied down…the driver had one hand on it balancing it as he drove…quite a talent!! We also saw a record…four people on one scooter…amazing!!! Whenever we get home we breathe a sigh of relief knowing we didn’t kill anyone, didn’t get in an accident and hopefully didn’t cause any.

Went to dinner this past weekend with Will, Allie, Sarah and Grant and two of the new teachers from our school. We wanted to show them Jalan Alor. Perhaps it was the Tiger Beer, perhaps just plain stupidity…but we all agreed to give durian a try. After we had an amazing feast of garlic prawns, butter prawns, lemon chicken, chicken satay with peanut sauce…and of course the Tiger Beer, we put our hands together and made a vow to seek out the succulent flesh of the Durian fruit. Yes, you remember a previous post where the odor was described. We looked until we found a crowded durian stand…we figured the more diners the better the fruit must be. This stand was packed, whole families there chowing down. Some had mangosteen “chasers”.
We paid 16 ringgit (about $6.00) for a very nice looking Durian. The vendor kindly opened it for us. There were a number of warning signs all which we chose to ignore….plastic gloves on the table to wear so your hands don’t smell afterwards, the actual smell of the open durian, no other expats eating. We chose to ignore all signs warning us to leave. The fruit inside is soft, like pudding. Will and I dug in, grabbed a large piece each and into our mouths it went. Talk about nasty…oh my goodness…it tastes exactly like it smells. Heidi said my eyes started watering and face started to convulse….I had to use every ounce of will-power to keep it down. Truly the worst thing I have ever eaten. Will did better than me, he even took a second bite!!! I have no idea how he did it. I’m not sure if Allie and Sarah tried any, Heidi just licked it (that was enough) You will not see Durian as a “fruit of the week” on this blog !!!! Not sure why it is called the king of fruits.

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Will, Allie, Sarah and Grant took a day trip to an elephant sanctuary. Heidi and I were unable to go as we had business to attend to at school…but it sounds like a trip we will have to do later this year. They went with few expectations…thought they would drive up, look at the animals from afar, drive back. Little did they know they would be put to work. Sarah and Will were immediately presented a machete and were asked to chop a bunch of mangos and sugar cane. Then Will was enlisted to affix a prosthetic stump onto one of the elephants…he was RIGHT there helping this elephant…no barrier, nothing. Talk about brave!!! They all got to feed the animals and even bathe them in a nearby river. And of course, they learned so much about how they are trying to save the elephants from extinction. Sarah was in heaven!!!

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I know you’ve all been wondering, “Why hasn’t Malaysia ever won an Olympic medal in track”. I’ve pondered that myself. Now I know…it’s the sidewalks!!!! I believe the entire team has been swallowed up.

Kuala Lumpur is not a pedestrian friendly city….and you must be very careful when walking about. Initially Heidi and I thought we would take long walks around the neighborhood and little jogs down to the lake. What we didn’t know was the condition of the sidewalks. Because of the monsoon-like rains that fall here, the gutters are deep, deep, deep to accommodate the run-off, and are covered with slabs of concrete or metal grates. Quite often these covers will break apart leaving gaping holes just waiting to swallow someone up. (like the entire Malaysian track team). You only walk at night if you have a death wish. Here are a few pictures of the sidewalks around our condo…mind you, a very nice area of town. On the plus side, there are some beautiful parks in town and some have jogging tracks and lots of gyms to join.

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Fruit of the Week
Couldn’t help ourselves…had to try two different fruits this week.

First RAMBUTAN. It is red, furry and looks like a fruit Dr. Seuss could create. When you peel off the covering, you get a translucent fruit that tastes a lot like lychee. You must be careful as there is a hard pit inside…fruit is very sweet….I can see a Rambutan Cheesecake in the future.

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Custard Apple
Not sure if ours was ripe or not…they just looked interesting. The outside looks almost like a pinecone…ours was purple in color. The interior looked apple-like but with larger seeds. We thought it tasted similar to an Bartlett pear.

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First friend to visit!!!! Sarah Grimm. Sarah is here visit Allie, Will and Grant. So nice to see a familiar face, hear about news back home, and show-off this beautiful country of Malaysia. Last night we tried a new dining spot…Brussels Beer Cafe. We all tried different brews but ordered the same meal…pork cheese burger with fries. Today the Chisholm’s are going to visit an elephant sanctuary. Hope they share pictures. Gotta rush…if we don’t get on the road before 6:30 we’re doomed to traffic snarls.

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Our last post from our little holiday to Pangkor Laut….animals of Pangkor Laut.

The jungle on Pangkor Laut Island is close to 2 million years old…TWO MILLION. We took a trek through the forest with a naturalist guide and learned so much….but not adding any more monkey facts!!!

Malaysian Fruit Bats
The Malaysian Fruit Bat are second in size only to the bats in Australia. Each morning they make their way to the same tree, make a bunch of screeching noises, and settle in upside down wrapped in their wings. Then at dusk, then make another ruckus and fly off in search of fruit…mostly the almond nut. It is rather amazing to see them all congregate in one tree. The naturalist shared an interesting fact…when the temperature gets a bit too hot, the bats will urinate on themselves to stay cool. If you happen to wander under the bat tree, you may also be cooled off but perhaps not in the manner you would have preferred. They are rather harmless to humans.

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Water Monitor Lizards
Malaysian Water Monitor Lizards are second in size to the Komodo Dragon in Indonesia. But unlike the Komodo, Monitor Lizards are rather harmless to humans….unless you messed with them. They get BIG…up to 200 lbs, and when they lay on the sand they look like alligators. In the early morning, the Monitors go hunting for food: crabs, snakes, rodents, fish, birds, even carrion. Then they crawl up onto the sand and just lie there to digest…they look nine months pregnant. By the end of the day their stomach is back to the regular size and off they go to hunt again. They are very good swimmers. They are able to lift up their dorsal spines and use their tail to propel forward. They can hold their breath for about 5 minutes. We saw one swimming and decided that beach was not for us. They also hunt on land and can actually run quite fast.

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Green Tree Viper
Also known as a Pit Viper, “affectionately” called the 100 Pace Snake, if bitten you have about 100 steps before you keel over dead. Walking along the jungle trail, our guide, Heidi and I plus the young boy behind us all walked by the viper without even noticing it. The next person in line said, “Oh, look, a snake.” And there on a branch was a Green Tree Viper. They are rather docile and won’t bother you unless bothered first. We decided not to bother it, but our guide touched it with a stick and it barely moved. There are many things in this jungle that can do harm to you. Wouldn’t want to spend a night lost out here.

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Oriental Pied Hornbill
Finally an animal that doesn’t scare us..unless it is hungry. The Oriental Pied Hornbill is quite amazing. They are native to the island and like the seagulls back home have learned to live with humans. They visited us once while we were eating lunch. Heidi was enjoying her French Fries when all of a sudden a rather large Hornbill landed on a chair behind her and started giving her “the eye”. Heidi was rather hungry and preferred to not share. Once rebuffed, the Hornbill tried another tactic…fly over Heidi and try to grab the fry. Heidi was way too quick for him (told you she was hungry) so he flew off to find an easier meal. Hornbills mate for life. Rather a cool bird.

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Below are just a few misc. pics from the resort.

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That’s it for our trip to Pangkor Laut.

There could not have been a more perfect day.
Slept in…so incredibly peaceful here. Made our way down to a ginormous breakfast buffet. Then off to the pool to just veg, read, sun and swim. To the spa at 2:00 just as the clouds covered the sky and the rains began. We signed up for the three hour “Couple’s Treatment” but were told to arrive an hour early as there is a Pre-treatment.

Now you must imagine this spa….serenity and calm meet your eyes, your ears and nose..pools of water filled with koi and turtles, bamboo, water lilies, fountains, frangipani (plumeria) blossoms perfuming the air, rain falling off the eaves….you can already feel layers of stress being washed away.

The Bath House Experince
This was traditionally practiced in feudal China where it was a status symbol to have a three inch lotus feet. It started between 960 and 976 BC when the Prince from the Sung Dynasty requested his concubine to dance with her feet bound because of his fetish for little feet. This initiated a new tradition where the feet of young girls were to be bound to keep them small. Women with bound feet frequently received foot pounding to seek relief from pain. The foot was carefully unwrapped and soaked in a basin of warm soapy water, dried and the soles pounded. We were a bit worried we were going to have our feet bound…we had everything but the binding. First our feet were washed in a basin of warm scented water, experienced hands soaped and scrubbed our feet and dried them off. Then the soles of our feet were pounded gently with a special mallet to promote circulation.

At this point we were separated and led along a little paths to the changing rooms. Here we disrobed and were helped into a sarong (Heidi was also offered what looked like a pair of “granny underwear” but declined). You lock up your clothes and any valuables and are guided to a soaking tub. In the traditional Malaysian villages, the Malay family walked to the nearest river to bathe, wrapped in sarongs. Instead of a river we each had a large pool of cool water. Water pours from earthen jugs into the pool and you just soak away your cares. Next you make a wish at a wishing well, then led up a platform where at each corner is a steaming vat of water… Each with different herbs and spices….at each corner you breathe deeply of the scented steam. Next was the Japanese bath house….you scrub your body with a Goshi-Goshi cloth soaked in scented bath gel, and use the dipper to rinse off with warm water. Then you enter the Rotenburu Pool and soak for ten minutes or so in hot water while sipping an herbal tea. Next comes the Shanghai Scrub…where an attendant scrubs you with a body brush and rinses you off with very warm water. This has taken about an hour, we are brought back together, lost our wet sarongs and selected a new dry one (to wear and keep afterwards) Now we were ready for our treatment.

First we lose the sarongs and lie on the massage tables, professionally draped using our own sarong, in this Malay style hut, soft massage music playing and real tropical birds singing outside. For the next hour and a half we enjoyed a traditional Malaysian Style Massage from two lovely ladies from Bali. Wow!!! I thought we might be done, but no….next was the scalp and hair treatment with scented oils….Heidi’s attendant had to work overtime with all her hair…mine just massaged my scalp. Next was a facial. Then a complete body exfoliation….wrapped you up to allow the brown gunk to harden, then scrubbed it all off. Next a shower and a soak in this huge tub filled with warm water, rose petals, lime slices, and chrysanthemums. Kind of felt like you were part of a salad. Then back to the massage room where we sat in these individual steaming chairs….a special herbal/floral mixture was added to the steam, your covering around the chair was zipped shut and the sweat began. It all ended with a special tonic drink….you leave with some complimentary bath salts, your sarong, and not a care in the world….so relaxed you feel like putty.

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But the day didn’t end…we had made reservations at Fisherman’s Cove Restaurant. Our table overlooked the water. Fine wine (Argentine Cab-Merlot), impeccable service, Chilean sea bass for Heidi, local grouper for me….Chocolate Almond cake for dessert, live music playing in the background….and Heidi got to get all dolled-up. At about 10 o’clock we drifted back to our room….a day to remember.

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Too much information for one post…we have decided to split this into several sections.

First, getting there and the resort.
Pangkor Laut is about a four hour drive from Kuala Lumpur. On the map it looks like you just head up Highway 1 and then take a left on highway 18, wind around a bit and come to the marina…no problem. I boldly stated we would drive ourselves. Heidi, who is much smarter and wiser than I, suggested we hire a driver. Mr.”Internal GPS” was a bit put-off by this suggestion, pouted for awhile, but finally conceded.

The driver picked us up at 8:30 am sharp and out of our driveway we went. He went left, I had planned to turn right. I wanted to tell the man he was heading in the wrong direction but bit my tongue. Heidi appeared quite relaxed and confident in our driver’s ability. First left on one highway, right on another, round about, over and under, and after about 20 different turns and maneuvers I was completely turned around but we landed on Highway 1. I had to admit that I never would have found my way..Heidi, bless her soul did not say, “I told you so”…she just continued to sit there with a most contented look on her face. You see, directional signs are practically non-existent in Kuala Lumpur, or they point you in three different directions.

Highway 1 is a modern 6 lane toll freeway that travels the distance of peninsula Malaysia from Singapore to Thailand. Once off the freeway, the side roads were rather enchanting. (we never did get on Highway 18). By now I was best friends with our driver, quite content to sit back and enjoy the views and before long we rolled into the resort marina. The sun was shining, we were offered a chilled towel and a glass of rose water w/ soda. We were led to the motor craft and off we boated to Pangkor Laut. (the “a” in Pangkor pronounced “au” like in “author”) You head south into the Straits of Malacca, skirting big Pangkor Island, past the little fishing villages and then you see it…Pangkor Laut Island and all the little houses on stilts…such a sight.

We were led to the reception area, seated in cushy chairs and Anna, from Poland, checked us in and gave us a complete overview of the resort. Now, you are probably thinking we selected one of those amazing huts over the water. Well, we thought about it and after much research, we decided on the Hill Villas. The huts are truly lovely, but not as private. Boats zip by, the huts are right next to each other, and most of the balconies can view other balconies, and when the wind picks up the waves can be a bit noisy. On our reservation form we requested the villa with the “best view”…and that is what we got. Room 372…All by ourselves at the tippy-top with a killer view. It was sooooo quiet. You hear the birds, the cicadas, the breeze rustling in the leaves, and silence…lovely, peaceful silence. At night we sat looking down on the resort and up at the stars as one by one they began to peak though the dark sky.

Heidi and I have had the good fortune of staying at a few nice resorts but none compare with this one. The service is world class, the facility so well laid out, the food….oh, the food…tell you more about that later, and spa is ranked every year as one of the best in the world. (more on that later also)

Our room was exquisite, spacious and homey. Included was a two person soaking tub with bath salts (of which we took full advantage of…the tub and the salts), a rain shower, comfy bed, and of course our view. Our room was made up in the morning and freshened up twice a day including a turn-down service The only downside and one we were warned about…MONKEYS!!!! Let me tell you a little more about monkeys. The monkeys on Pangkor Laut are long-tailed Macaque monkeys and if they attended school they would quickly be enrolled in the gifted program when not waiting outside the principal’s office…smart little boogers they are. They have learned to check the sliding doors to the rooms. They push against the door to see if they are locked. If not, they call to the other monkeys that it is check-in time and they team up on the sliding doors and open them. They know from experience that they have about 10 minutes before security will make their rounds. They head straight for the mini bar…you know, those ultra expensive candy bars, the chips, and drinks They open your suitcases and grab any item they think you might not want…like sunglasses, cell phones, jewelry. And before leaving they thoughtfully leave a “remembrance or two” on your pillow as a way of saying, “THANKS”. We dutifully locked our doors. I also found out that you do not want to smile at these monkeys. You see, people see these “cute” little monkeys and squat down to take their pictures. Monkeys don’t seem to mind having their picture taken. The monkeys may even do something “adorable” Then the tourist smiles at the monkey…now there is a problem. When the monkey sees your teeth, he thinks it is a sign of aggression and will “smile” back at you. He may even jump over and bite you if your grin is too wide. They have these big canine teeth and are strong, strong, strong. They chomp on and don’t let go. A couple we met from New Zealand were coming back to their room one night but there in front of them were about twenty monkeys. When they saw our Kiwi friends they started making a ruckus, jumping here and there and over the top of them taking a grab at their camera, showing their teeth, and acting very un-neighborly. Then they just disappeared into the jungle. Heidi and I prefer to keep monkeys afar.

The resort is divided into four separate areas…the Hill and Garden Villas, the Sea Villas, the Spa Villas, and the Estates. The Hill and Garden Villa area includes the check-in area, the Feast Village Restaurant (breakfast, lunch and dinner, casual attire), the library, the workout facility, the infinity pool, tennis courts, squash courts, and the Royal Bay Beach Club (lunch and drinks) On the far side of the pool area you enter the Sea Villa area…the rooms on stilts. You follow the narrow boardwalk and come to two fancy-dancy restaurants, Uncle Lim’s and Fisherman’s Cove (both dress-up spots…button up shirt, long trousers and shoes for guys…anything goes for the girls except shorts and swimwear). Continuing around the island you come to the Spa and then Spa Village. Here is another huge infinity pool, another set of huts on stilts but no children allowed in this area. On the other side of the island are the Estates…amazing rooms(homes) complete with butler, house staff, chef, etc. This is where the rich and famous stay. (meaning, not Heidi and Bob) This is also where the rich and famous leave a large portion of their bank account. Also on the other side of the island is Emerald Bay. A crescent beach with baby powder white sand, a bar and restaurant. The water in the bay is warmer than the swimming pools.

For us, Pangkor Laut Resort was a little slice of heaven.

Here are a few pics.

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Since moving out of the hotel we have been without internet service, until today!!! Hooray…we are connected again to the world..and all of you back home!!

We’ve been pretty busy moving into our home. Earlier we wrote a bit about our condo so I won’t mention much here except to add a few more pictures to give you a better idea of the place. We moved in on Friday, June 28th and cooked our first meal on Sunday the 30th…spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread, a bean and pea salad, and a mango/orange/watermelon bowl for dessert, all washed down with a couple of glasses of Argentine Malbac…Mmmmm, Mmmmmm…nothing like a home cooked meal. Two days ago we entertained our first guests…Will, Allie and Grant Chisholm. It was so good to talk with them and share travel adventures. They just found their home…a condo on the other side of the polo grounds from us…a little more than a stone’s throw (maybe five stone throws if you have a strong arm!!)

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It is quite common here in Malaysia to have help at home. Our condo is complete with an additional bedroom, bathroom, living area for a maid. We are so lucky to have contracted with Flor to help us. Flor is the most wonderful, sweetest, hardest working person we have ever met in our lives. We have adopted each other and have become a family of three. I am in awe of her abilities and feel a bit spoiled. You set a dish down, turn around and it is washed, dried and put away. Every stick of clothing has been ironed and hung up. I used to have a 5 second rule when I dropped food on the floor…I have upped that to 10 minutes!!!! Heidi says I have a lot to live up to when we return to Washington….hmmm, what do you think she means by that???

Been spending time at school getting acclimated…long days. Probably won’t be blogging much about school but I will add some pics of the school for you to see. It is quite different from the public sector….this school is quite well resourced. Example: Science time and you are teaching using a Foss Kit….you do not try to quickly set up in your room, no, you take your class to one of the two science rooms where a science assistant has set up all the materials you will need for the explorations/experiments. You just bring your laptop, hook-up, and teach the lesson. Once the lesson is complete you take your class back to your room. It is rather astounding. The library is humungous…about three Kenroy/Lee libraries would fit into the space. The gym is massive with unicycles, lacrosse sticks, earth balls, etc. etc. The pool is 6 lanes, 25 meters, with starting blocks and touch pad timing. My favorite spot is the Koi pond..very peaceful. The grade level blocks are similar to Rock Island in that they are designed with a pod concept where all six rooms surround a central teaching/meeting area. Each grade level pod has its own copy machine. Each classroom, grades Prep Reception through grade two, has a teaching assistant (aka, Para), grades 3 to 5 have one assistant for each grade level. All students take a foreign language (Spanish or Mandarin) and all fifth grade students play an instrument. Art is taught…not crafts, but art, taught by three certificated art teachers. Heidi and I are astounded and feel so lucky. Here are a few pictures of the school.

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Finally, the fruit of the week!!! Heidi and I are trying a different fruit each week…except Durian. This week, MANGOSTEEN. It is the size of a plum, sort of an acorn shape, with a leathery covering. You slice around the circumference, just through the outer layering, then twist, and off comes the bottom half revealing the segmented, white flesh. Pop it in your mouth be ready for taste-bud ecstasy!!! So sweet. Mangosteen is not related in any way to Mangos except perhaps the sweetness. It has taken over as my favorite fruit.

Mangosteen

The segmented inside is so sweet!!!

Tomorrow we are taking a break from school and going to visit Chinatown….should be fun.

Kuala Lumpur is a foodie’s paradise. Everywhere you go you see food….in little stands (Hawker stands), sidewalk food, grand buffets, ethnic restaurants galore, everything imaginable…and so tasty!!! It is going to be very hard to diet here.

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Tonight is our last night at this wonderful 5 Star Hotel….we move into our place tomorrow. Once we get it all set up, we will post more pictures. It is about a 15 minute drive to our school and we’re located smack dab in the middle of the Embassy area. The US embassy (or should I say Fortress) is about three blocks away. The Qatar Embassy is a block north, the British and Russian Embassies five blocks away… Our condo is about 20 years old and while it may not be sparkling new, the rooms are larger, the deck is spacious, and the building is low density and quiet. There are only four units on our floor. We have three bedrooms, two and a half baths, spacious dining room…about 3000 square feet. It will serve us well. We haven’t met the other tenants but we did view their cars in the basement parking garage…we saw a Bentley, 12 Mercedes, a Jaguar, 8 BMW’s, ….and our little Proton Waja!!!!

Our Condo.

And speaking of our little Proton Waja….I drove today and Heidi navigated….and we made it to our destination all in one piece and to the best of our knowledge we didn’t hit or maim anyone. It was like being a brand new driver all over again. We’re creatures of habit and those habits take a while to change. Just getting into the car, I find myself getting in the passenger side, you shift with your left hand, at round-a-bouts you circle left…..it is so hard to re-train your brain. Go to YouTube and search for “driving in Kuala Lumpur.

Skyscrapers abound in Kuala Lumpur but none can compare to the Petronas Towers. They are definitely the landmark buildings in the city. They were completed in 1994 and were the tallest buildings in the world until 2004…they still remain the tallest twin towers. They are simply stunning…at night they are all lit up, from the top you see the entire valley.

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Heidi and I are learning so much about acclimating to a new country. Things are the same but different. Going to the bank you need to have a sponsor…someone who already has an account and can vouch for you. (We luckily had the school) When you go to get a phone you first buy a SIM card…we found ours in a rather seedy mall….the cards are displayed on a board with the telephone number attached so you get to select your number. Then you go and purchase a phone…stores everywhere for phones. Then you go to a service provider to select your plan….multiple steps but the service is so friendly you just don’t mind. We went shopping for a TV, printer and other small electrical items….we didn’t bring any of ours as the outlets here are 220, not 110. Every item in the store of course had a tag….but we would ask, “Is that the best price?” And invariably they would reduce it anywhere from 5 to 10%. Again the service so friendly…when people say hello they place their right hand over their heart….the hello comes from the heart. When eating out you are not presented a bill until you ask for it…we didn’t know this at first and waited and waited and waited…they are in no hurry to push you out so they can fill the table. It’s funny to see hookah pipes in cafes. Being a Muslim nation it is hard to find pork items, dress is conservative, you see a fair number of women in burkas. All in all we find we must go into every new encounter with an open mind, with patience, and a sense of humor.

We are going to be without internet service for a week or two until we can get it installed at the condo…so until then…sehhinga kita bertemu lagu (until we meet again)
Bob and Heidi

Remember last fall…how can we forget…the endless smoke, the masks, the indoor recesses, reading the smoke index….what ghastly memories!

Well, two days ago smoke descended upon Kuala Lumpur. The culprit….Malaysian Palm Oil companies. Seems Palm Oil is a gigantic business but it takes a lot, A LOT, of palm trees to produce the amount of palm oil the world thinks it needs. Palm oil is used in cereals, margarine, sweets, baked goods, cosmetics, laundry soap and as a bio-fuel. To make room for the planting of palm trees, the companies used to slash burn the jungles here in Malaysia. There are laws now prohibiting this practice…so, like all good profit-seeking companies, they find a way around it….they go to nearby Indonesia and the Island of Sumatra to burn and plant. On Sumatra, the soil has this peat base…you can imagine what happens when that catches fire…it smolders for weeks. The winds this time of year blow from Sumatra right to Malaysia. The smoke index was up to 700 yesterday. Our summer school was cancelled as well as all the public schools. We were issued a super-duper face mask. Our eyes are burning and the Wenatchee inversion memories are flying back at us. Hoping for rain, favorable winds, and an end to the slash burning.

Smoke from Sumatra.

Cough, cough, wheeze.

Precautions!!!

Bad memories….could have used this when we visited the durian!!!

Decided to go shopping yesterday…there are more malls here than you can shake a stick at. Some of them with well over 400 stores. (Kuala Lumpur is a city of over 6 million people and is the fourth largest shopping city in the world) Heidi was on a mission to find the perfect purse. At one mall we came across some beautiful Burberry and Coach purses for only $20.00. Such a deal I say. Heidi was tempted but whispered something about knockoffs and some legal mumbo jumbo. Ended up at another mall and she found it, the perfect purse for only $40.00. The same purse goes for $140.00 back home. She felt quite proud of herself and I must say…the purse looks quite nice on her!!!

The happy shopper.

The perfect purse!!

Close-up of that awesome purse.

If all goes well, we get to move into our Condo on Wednesday. We also found out our shipment from the US, with all our dishes, sheets, bed, supplies, etc. etc. will not arrive until July 27. Definitely was put on the slow boat to China. Once it arrives in port, it has to pass through customs and then will be delivered….We’re talking August before we have all our items. So off we went to IKEA…called “Ick Eee Ah” here in Malaysia. It was so funny to us….two Americans shopping in a Swedish store in the middle of Malaysia. We stocked up on some furniture (dining room table, chairs, night stands, desk and chair, lamps, some plates, cups, utensils, linens, sheets, etc.) We paid a minimal fee for them to deliver and to PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER for us. I would have spent twice as much for them to assemble everything….Have you ever tried following IKEA directions??? Another note on shopping…Heidi has done an excellent job keeping her self-esteem intact. While looking at fashions at a large H & M store, a salesperson came up to Heidi and said, “Those are only in Malaysian sizes.” Heidi translated for me, “She is saying, We don’t have sizes for you fat Americans.” We left the store without buying anything.

I have been working up my courage to drive. We pick up our car Wednesday. For those of you who believe in prayer, please keep us at the top of your list, as well as all the KL pedestrians, motorcyclists, and innocent drivers who are unaware that we will be on the road.

I took Heidi to Jalan Alor this evening….for the food but also for her reaction to this unique street in Kuala Lumpur.

During the day, Jalan Alor is just an ordinary street, but when the sun sets it is transformed to an epicurean playground. Tables and chair, food stalls, rotisseries, lanterns, hawker stands, vegetables stands….they are all pushed out onto the street and crowds of people come to feast. It is really hard to describe Jalan Alor in words, you need to experience it.

Heidi had no idea what to expect…I just told her it was a great place to fill your belly. We get out of the cab and immediately we are welcomed with the scent of durian fruit. Durian is a large, prickly fruit considered a delicacy to many but to most they are one of the most odiferous, foul smelling objects on this planet of ours. They smell a lot like rotting garbage mixed with sweaty socks. Anthony Bourdain calls it “indescribable, something you will either love or despise…Your breath will smell as if you’d been French-kissing your dead grandmother.” Mmmmmmm, makes you want to chomp right into one!

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Those of you who know Heidi can imagine the look on her face when she was barraged with this foul odor….it was priceless. But she is quite the trooper and deeper into Jalan Alor we went. Chinese lanterns overhead, music blaring, people everywhere, cooking smells, true sensory overload. We finally decided on a spot….Heidi ordered satay chicken with peanut sauce and a bowl of rice. I ordered black pepper crab (fresh, as in alive just prior to cooking), rice and stir-fried garlic vegetables. We washed it down with Tiger Beer! DELICIOUS!!!!! Even Heidi had to agree, it was the best meal yet.

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Today we ventured away from the comforts of our hotel and took a trip to Batu Caves. Instead of taking a cab, we opted for public transport. First on the elevated train and then transferring to a commuter train. Took about half an hour. But first…to get to the elevated train we had to cross a busy, and I mean busy road…six lanes of traffic careening at breakneck speed with kamikaze motorcycle riders zipping between the lines of cars. We tried waiting dutifully at the corner hoping the WALK signal would beckon us across….no luck. So we instead did as the natives do…wait for the traffic to back up to a stand-still and walk half-way across…then wait the traffic going the other way to stall and weave in and out the rest of the way. Once on the other side you feel like high fiving each other for the accomplishment and the fact you’re still alive.

Batu Cave is a sacred Hindu site, one of the most popular outside of India. It is set in these limestone cliffs at the edge of town. When you enter the site, you are first greeted by the 50 foot statue of Hanuman, a Hindu deity. He is ripping his chest open to show everyone the Hindu God Rama and his consort Sita inside of his heart. Rather ghastly sight to be sure. In addition to Hanuman, you are also greeted by MONKEYS…lots and lots of monkeys. They look cute and cuddly but be forewarned…they are ten times worse than the most thieving chipmunk in Mt. Rainier National Park. They have peanuts and bananas for sale to feed the monkeys but they are not content with food. Anything that is loose on your person they feel is their property. We saw monkeys with cameras, monkeys with water bottles, monkeys with scarves. Poor Heidi stopped on the stairs to take some handi-wipes out of her backpack and she was accosted by three monkeys intent on having her pack….men around Heidi yelled at her to quickly put her backpack back on. Once she did they left her alone.(the monkeys…and the men) Lesson to self: Don’t monkey around with monkeys.

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To get to the actual caves you must pass by the 140 foot statue of Lord Muragan, the Hindu God of War…it is quite a sight…this golden God protects the entrance to the caves. You then must climb 272 steps up to the entrance. There are three caves in the limestone cliffs…the first one is called Dark Cave…it is home to the rare Trap Door Spider….for those who use Read Naturally you will recognize this arachnid. The two upper caves have Hindu Shrines inside. Heidi and I both were given a blessing…received a red dot on our forehead and a smudge of ash. We were sweating so much that the smudge soon became a smear and was dripping into our eyes. (This is when Heidi reached into her backpack and was monkey-whipped !!!)

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There is something about visiting sacred sites. There seems to be powerful spiritual energy…we felt this same feeling when we visited Pearl Harbor on Oahu and the leper colony on Molokai and the heiau’s on Kauai. Whether it be Stonehenge, Machu Pichu, the pyramids in Egypt…something, besides tourism, brings people to these spots. People come from all over the world to worship at Batu Caves. For many it is a trip of a lifetime to get to pray here and receive blessings. Riding back to town we felt very fortunate indeed to have experienced this special spot.

Oh, and another note on monkeys….they smell !!!!

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