Don't forget; most images on this webpage are thumbnails. If you click on the image, a larger version will appear.
29 January
So... a brief outline of the trip back to Switzerland; I hired a car and drove up to Sydney and directly to the airport. Once boarded the plane didn't seem to want to go anywhere. In fact we sat on the tarmac WITHOUT airconditioning for about an hour. It being about 38 degrees that day, we all sat and slowly roasted in our own juices until finally the airconditioning started and soon after we took off.
I stayed at the same hotel as last time: the Pan Pacific. My main goals for this stay in KL was to get my butterfly! Remember I am buying a gold butterfly for each country I visit... I must post up a photo sometime! I visited the Indian markets where I saw lots of lovely fabrics and some lovely gold, but no butterfly. Not to worry, I knew that there was a butterfly in a jewellry shop near the sentral train station (the spelling of central with an s is deliberate as that is how it is labeled). I headed out there and found my butterfly. Its just a wee small thing (and I strongly suspect that I was overcharged) but it has a very Malaysian feel to it. I also bought a keyring for myself and a friend here in Switzerland: Lanora. Its absolutely impossible for either of us to find things with our names on it. There was a man making keyrings with names on them: cut freehand from brightly coloured plastics.
That goal fulfilled I was able to wander happily around the city, checking out the twin towers (too late to get a ticket to go up) and the rather impressive mall that is beside it. I didn't spend any money apart from "spending a penny", which was in itself quite amazing. My own little moist towlette, then as I exited my stall the lady came forward, washed my hands, rubbed Body Shop moisture into my hands and arms and gave me a shoulder rub! Now that's service!
The decorations in the mall were cool too; up for Chinese new year (I rather wish I had been able to stay in KL for Chinese New Year).
I also visited the tourist centre and arranged to do a morning tour. In the evening I enjoyed a lovely curry from a nearby restaurant, called "Restaurant Putra". Dinner cost me about 4 dollars Australian... gotta love that.
Early in the morning I was up and ready waiting for the driver. Unfortunately the other people going on the excursion were not, so I had to wait around for the driver. Damn but I hate to waste a potential sleep in.
First stop: Batu Caves. These natural caves have had 272 steps built up to them (which I CLIMBED!) and have become a Hindu temple. As you can see there are some colourful statues spread throughout the caves. But for me the highlight would have to be having my photo taken with a lovely python. I payed far too much for the photos (maybe 10 dollars Australian) which were taken on my own camera, but I don't care!
After the caves we stopped off at what used to be a rubber plantation:
Then to a pewter factory, followed by a Batik factory and a leather factory. I did lash out on a couple of pretty little pewter pieces and a prezzy for my mum. By that time I was running out of time so got the driver to take me back to the hotel. I had a quick shower then went across the road where I got a nice massage before racing out to the airport. I arrived, concerned that I would be running late to discover that I had mis-remembered my flight time and was 4 hours early. It got worse. The plane was delayed. Two and a half hours late. So I spent 6 and a half hours in the airport... joy. I tried going to the airport hotel to see if I could have a soak in the spa there, but the spa was closed by that time.
When we got on the plane, we sat there for a bit when suddenly the power went down. As in the whole plane went dark! Not good. Shortly afterwards the power came on again and not 5 minutes later suddenly went dark again. Not an encouraging start to a very long flight! Still, I got home in one piece so all was well.
24 January 2006
I have figured out that the reason why we like potato and leek soup is that its just an excuse to eat mashed potato. I made a big batch of potato and leek soup last night and having just pulled it from the fridge I put some in a pot and really realised it is just glorified mashed potato... so I am having mashed potato for dinner!
Back to KL... well actually, the end of it. After enjoying swimming in the pool in the rain (I figured there were many many larger things for lightning to hit than me!) and sleeping sweetly, I spent a morning wandering the shops then grabbed my giant crucifix and got on my plane to go home sweeeet home.
Did I mention the giant crucifix before now? <smacks forehead> how could I have forgotten! You remember me mentioning in December's journal that I had gone to pick up an antique? Well it wasn't just anything... it was a rather large and very ancient crucifix. I had been told that it was half a metre long. It isn't. Its almost a metre long! How frustrating though... I was sure I had taken some photographs of it, but can't find them anywhere. Just believe me, it was stunning.
But, you need to picture this.... me carrying this large sandwich made of two pieces of board with some stubs of wood holding them apart, wrapped up in tape and with bubble wrap and fabric in between. String tied around the parcel and padded with fabric forms a handle. I place it on the xray conveyer belt. Now picture the expression on the faces of the security guards!
I arrived in Sydney and discovered that there was not a hire car to be found in Sydney, so ended up catching the train into the central station and booking a train to take me to Canberra. Only problem? It was now 9am, and the train didn't leave until after 8! No problems: I went and visited my friend Sarah.
Then on the train to home sweet home.
Now I am not going to get into everything that happened while I was at home in Canberra, but will offer this small montage of photos to show a sample of what I got up to!
21 January 2006
Can you believe the luck? Just as I start recovering from the fever and cough, the universe hands me another "petit cadeaux" - gastro. sigh...
19 February 2006
Feeling a bit better today, although still haven't managed to get my temperature down to normal and didn't venture out of the apartment apart from going to the doctor.
So where was I? Ah yes, KL. After eating lunch at the bird house I walked on, past a rather grand house that has been turned into a museum in honour of an ex-prime minister, with lovely views...
then to the Museum of Islamic Art, only to discover, much to my disappointment, that it was closed.
I visited Times Square in the afternoon, which is a large shiny shopping mall, and there I bought a jade bracelet for my mum. The shop lady told me that it was good for long life and good health. How could I resist?
On the way back to the hotel I popped into the mall across the road to buy drinks and just had to buy these interesting looking 'snacks'. I was happy enough to try the pea snacks, but admit I wasn't up to the seafood flavoured twisties!
18 January 2006
As I am off work sick today you would think I would have done lots of updates. But let me tell you that a 39.4 degree temperature kinda precludes anything but lying down and occasionally making my woozy way towards some aspirin and the loo.
But I am now down below 38 and it is suprising how much lucidity a degree or so can bring. I feel crappy but at least human.
So... where was I... Malaysia
Breakfast in the hotel rocked. My brother asked me when I was in Australia what I would like to eat for breakfast if I had a choice. (I had been saying that I can't face sweet things first thing in the day) I have decided that I would happily eat beef rendang every day! The buffet at the hotel included the usual eggs, omelettes, baby sausages, fruit... no bacon but smoked turkey stuff, but also had noodles, rendangs and other yummy curry stuff.
I headed out to one of the only things on my list of things to see: the butterfly house.
I caught the trains and walked to the butterfly house, apart from getting a bit lost it was ok. But I did have a lot of walking, and boy was it hot and steamy.
After seeing the butterfly house, I walked on past the bird house, where I had lunch. I first decided to sit inside in the airconditioning and then changed my mind and went and sat on the verandah. As I sat there, there was a visitation!
Uh oh...I can feel my steadiness slipping away, fever must be going back up. Better finish for now.
16 January 2006
Happy New Year!
I am going to do a bit of freeform writing to cover the end of December and beginning of January.
On 10 December I flew out to Kuala Lumpur, there to stay for a few nights en route to Sydney. KL was steamily hot and as green as can be. A huge contrast to icy Geneva I can tell you!
I made my way to KL Sentral, via the superbly efficient KLIA express train. 35 ringgit each way and taking just 28 minutes! From there it got a bit more complicated, as the local train/monorail/lrt system is a bit odd and a tad awkward to negotiate with suitcases in hand. There is no actual connection between the different systems and you have to buy tickets separately for each; no central daily ticket system or anything like that. Still, they are blessedly cool, all airconditioned and very clean.
It was only a short walk from there to the hotel where, even though I had said I would be arriving early, there was no room free. But they did find a room for me rapidly and I was able to enjoy a loooong shower. Then it was off across the road to "The Mall" to buy some drinks (so I didn't have to use the minibar). Here is a shot out of the window of my hotel... pretty cool huh?
