Monday, July 28, 2008

Hargraves Sunset


Hargraves Sunset
Originally uploaded by Just1Thing

Home Again....


At the end of the day
Originally uploaded by Just1Thing

It's been a couple of weeks since we arrived back home and the cold Sydney winter is something we're still getting used to. Those warm balmy days in Malaysia are now fading into pleasant memories as we look for wood to feed the fire.

I love the Blue Mountains as you know and it's been a while, so when the weather turned colder than cold I just had to head up to my favourite spot at Hargraves Lookout near Blackheath and try to capture the stunning winter sunsets.

I must have taken about 100 shots but only 2 worth keeping. It was freezing of course and as I was rugged up in my trusty DrizaBone coat I relished the biting southwest winds as I watched to sun dip below the distant hills. The next day they had snow out there!

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Not So Fast...!!!

I should have known, when at the beginning of this trip and we were delayed almost a day, that things would go wrong.

This morning wew turned up at the checkin counters, which were packed to overflowing, only to be told that our flight at 9am was delayed until 9:45am. Not a big deal, but then we were aksed if we would consider catching the flight at 10pm and in return we would get upgraded to Business Class, be accomodated for the day at the Pan Pacific with all expenses paid for plus 400 ringit ($130) cash each for spending money.

Who could give up the chance to fly Business Class AND the cash for more shopping appealed to Liz.

So here we are, hanging around until 10pm tonight when we'll fly home in comfort. A minor delay but worth it for better seats... we can even lie down!

The End of the Adventure

After the indulgence of the Eastern and Oriental in Georgetown it was a bit of a come-down to arrive at the Holiday Inn Batu Ferringhi which is on the northern end of Penang Island. Nevertheless, the Holiday Inn was pretty spectacular in it's own way... we've been spoiled.

Jan and Alan had checked out of Ali's Guest House as it was a bit rough even for them. Jan ventured aloft in one of the Para-Sails towed by a speedboat but the most adventurous we could manage was a foot massage. In the evening we hit the crowded and noisy Long Beach Food Market for a sampling of the local fare. The Malaysians love their food and after our few weeks of enforced spartan eating we felt like cutting loose so we ordered large bottles of Tiger beer and an assortment of local dishes. Nothing too rich and it all went down well.

Next day Jan and Alan left early for their Sarawak Trek and we hung around the main beach and got in a bit of shopping (Liz reckons she hasn't enough junk already and wanted to support the local traders) and sightseeing.

It all becomes a bit of a blur when one day blends into the next but we managed a visit to a genuine Malay Fishing Village where we found a seafood restaurant for lunch. It was run by a Chinese-Malay man who proudly showed us the fresh prawns and crabs, still swimming in tanks, and guided us as to the local delicacies bought that morning from the local fishermen. No risk is saying the best seafood we've ever tasted and as it was quiet, we had a chance to talk to the chef and the locals, always a nice experience.

Then it was up into the hills of Penang to Batik Pualau and the durian plantations. Durian, the "King of Fruit" which smells like a toilet, grow on large trees in the mountains and fall to the ground when ripe. It was Durian season so our driver stopped at a roadside stall in the cool of the hills and we (well Liz and I anyway) cracked open a durian and tasted the heavely pods which taste a little like custard apples but a lot sweeter. Truly the "King of Fruit" despite the smell.

Charlie and I finished our last full day with some stunning photos of the small coves and fishing villages around the island and to top it off the sunset was something to behold. As the big red ball of the sun sank to the horizon of the Straits of Melacca, we clicked away madly hoping to catch the perfect shot.

Then it was off to our favourite Penang eatery, the Sunset Bistro, complete with pet monkey and Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo, to indulge in some good old fish and chips and watch the remains of the day at Batu Ferringhi.

Our last day and a short drive to Penang Airport with a stop at Penang White Coffee on the way but we check in and find our Air Asia flight is delayed by 90 minutes. Not happy campers as our gate is the last one and a long walk. Then when we arrive at the LCCT (Low Cost Carrier Terminal) at KL, our A320 parks miles from the arrivals hall and yes, another long walk! Liz asks about a taxi to out hotel and is quoted 67 ringits (about $25) but I opt for a bus which costs only 4 ringit! Taxi drivers are the same the world over!

We finally arrived at KL International and the Pan Pacific Hotel which is right at the International airport. God knows how, but we are upgraded to a Deluxe Room complete with Lounge with free drinks and snacks ... and still Charlie wanted to go to dinner ... and it's all very swish. Liz has gone off to explore the Pearl shops in the hotel ... she is addicted to shopping I am convinced ... while we guys check our email and finalise things before we head of tomorrow morning.

We are up tomorrow (Sunday) at 5:30am and then check-in at 7am for our flight MH141 which departs KL at 9:00am. Our expected arrival in Sydney is 6:50pm so Tip and Heidi will be there to pick us up. Liz has chartered an Airbus A380 (larger than a jumbo) to carry all her shopping stuff!

Anyway, it's been an interesting 3 weeks and all to suddenly it will be back to the grind and we'll wonder where it all went. We'll post the last set of photos shortly.

To all who've followed our travels, thanks for coming along for the ride.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

E&O - Eastern, Oriental and Fabulous


Our room is the Bay Window top right.

Tonight is our last night at the E&O in Georgetown Penang and we'll be sorry to leave this once-in-a-lifetime hotel. It is sheer indulgence and a long way from the rough and ready of India. And to be honest, when I booked our room I had no idea it would be so good.

The restaurants in this hotel are something to experience and our first night here we indulged in the buffet, complete with fresh lobster, yabbies, prawns and other tasty delights. I overdid it of course and my India bugs are still in residence so I had another "no food" day and just coming good today.


The view from our room

Jan and Alan arrived from KL yesterday and they checked into their digs around the other side of the island at Batu Ferringhi. Apparently they are not impressed ... cold showers, noisy and very basic ... a long way from the 27th floor at Traders in KL. So this morning they moved to the Holiday Inn where we will be staying from tomorrow. It must have been a dive because Jan and Alan are seasoned trekers.

We all met yesterday afternoon and wandered around the back streets of Georgetown, Little India and Chinatown. It's a fascinating place but the description of Penang as "The Pearl of the Orient" is very appropriate. There is a mix of Malays, Chinese, Indians and a host of other Asian races all intermingled and all with their own unique culture. As the time approached 5pm, the street hawkers, for which penang is famous, began opening their mobile kitchens ready to cook up some of the best food in the world. Unforunately my guts were still personna non gratia so we settled for the buffet at the E&O. Maybe we'll do Gurney Drive tonight and sample some of the local food.


The pool area.

Liz has gone of shopping ... yes, again ... and Charlie and I visited the Kek Loc Si Buddhist temple, the largest is South East Asia. An amazing place but we reckon the Nan Tien temple down at Wollongong is better. Still it is a must see for any visitor. This afternoon is rest time, the heat here combined with the humidity is a killer so we'll have a siesta and tackle it again this evening.

Monday, July 07, 2008

The Big Surprise!


One of the reasons for this trip was to meet Wendy and Nick on the homeward leg of their world tour with their friends Jan and Barrie Billet. It had been discussed months before they left Australia 11 weeks ago and in the meantime, younger sister Jan and her husband Alan decided to join us in KL and surprise Wendy and Nick.

So Jan and Alan are on their way to KL, unbeknown to Wendy and Nick, and in the meantime we are still crook from the bugs we caught in India. By the second day in KL we'd had enough so we contacted the staff at Traders and asked them to organise a doctor. Barely an hour later a doctor and nurse turned up at our room and we were pleasantly surprised to know that he had lived in India for 7 years and knew exactly what the problem was. Most likely a bug caught from water, despite the fact we'd been meticulous with our bottled water and hygiene. So a collection of pills and tablets were prescribed and we hoped to feel better which we did by the end of the day. At least we could venture further afield and not have to worry about being caught short. Oh the joys of travel!

Jan and Alan arrived in KL on the 3rd and we met them for dinner at Madame Kwong's restaurant in the Suria KLCC centre for some real Asian food at last. Wendy and Nick were arriving the next day so we planned the surprise and then the girls got shopping in KL ... no shoe or clothing store was out of bounds! Meanwhile the guys wait around and watch the world go by. We then visited the Fish Doctor where tiny fish nibble your feet and legs ... an amazing experience ... and we all even had a full massage.



Wendy and Nick's flight didn't arrive until late so we headed to Jalan Alor, where the night street hawkers set up after sundown and the street becomes one large crowded restaurant with plastic tables and chairs set up in the roadway and touts vying for business. We had a sumptuous collection of Asian dishes drowned with bottles of Tiger beer ... a wonderful feast!

Back at Traders for the surprise we patiently waited for Wendy and Nick who duly arrived with the Billets for check-in at 11pm. We invited them to our room for drinks and Charlie called for "Room Service", secretly calling Jan and Alan's room. Shortly afterwards a knock at the door and as I had the video camera in hand I asked Wendy to answer it. The big surprise went down a treat and Wendy was completely stunned as Jan and Alan stood at the door. We all then headed to the Skybar which was in full swing and we caught up until the early hours. This had been the first time we'd all been together since Mim died back in February. A great time indeed.



We had the next day with all of them and we hit the shops and finalised our packing of parcels for sending back home. This was nightmare! We were quoted 250 ringit to send one kilo home by DHL. That's $85 Australian per kilo and we had 22 kilos! So we'd have to organise to send by regular postage and as it was Saturday it became a messy exercise. Anyway we left it in the capable hands of Russell and Vivienne from Traders. Crossed fingers it all gets back home!

Sunday am saw us at the old KL railway station which is now the bus terminal. We had a comfortable 5 hour trip north to Penang where we checked into the famous Eastern and Oriental Hotel. In a word ... WOW! On arriving we are handed cool drinks and cold towels to freshen up... and that's while we are at the reception desk! Then our butler Andrew leads us to our room. We are in the Noel Coward - Somerset Maugham Wing. As the door opens we are greeted not with your usual one room hotel room but a long dark hallway. Down the hall on the left Andrew opens the first set of doors to reveal an enormous bathroom, marble tiled floors and a wash basin either end, one for ladies one for gents.

Next it's another set of doors ... this is the change room ... racks either side for ladies and gents and a make-up mirror and seat down the end. Then it's the main room with two double beds, and finally to the drawing room with lounge, desk, TV and bay windows which open out onto a view of the Straits of Malacca. This is the stuff of legend and everything is just like it was on the old days when the likes of Mary Pickford, Orson Welles, Rudyard Kipling, Noel Coward, Somerset Maugham and Rita Hayworth stayed here. We discover that our room is one of the largest so who knows, maybe one of the famous people actually stayed here.

This hotel is unbelievable and I'll post photos soon enough but suffice to say ... we've never experienced anything like it anywhere before. Our butler is on call 24 hours a day and the restaurants and food are amazing. We even ventured down to the 1885 Rooms for afternoon tea of cucumber sandwiches and Darjeeling tea before heading to Sarkies Corner for an amazing dinner. Fresh cooked lobster and every type of seafood you've ever seen plus the usual indulgences like roast duck and thick steaks of Australian Wyagu beef. Maybe I overdid it a little after eating so little for so long, as my stomach is complaining again this morning so it's wait and see.

Just under a week to go and Wendy and Nick are heading home after 11 weeks and Jan and Alan join us here in Penang today. We're hoping to try some of the local food later today ... known as the best in Malaysia, but we'll see.

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Goodbye India... and the Brammadesam Village Photos

We spent an easy last day in Chennai with a little shopping at Spencer Plaza, Chennai's answer to Westfield Parramatta. Well, they try but it's really like the Parklea Markets on a Sunday afternoon. Still, Liz and Charlie managed to do some damage and came away with another suitcase full of "I just had to have it at the price.." items. I settled for a plastic model of a Chennai Taxi ... one dollar.

Bala had arranged a late check out so we rested until 6pm when we headed to the Mainstreet bistro for some light refreshments and then it weas time to go. Just as we boarded the taxi we were fortunate enough to meet the CEO of the Residency Towers Hotel, a Mr Rupe Chadda, to whom I had written regarding Bala and his excellent service. He was most charming and he thanked us for staying and wished us well. It's nice to meet the people at the top and personally praise the work of their staff. And really, everyone at Residency Towers was wonderful and made our stay memorable.

But it was time to venture out into the Indian traffic for the trip to the airport, some one hour away. Even at 7pm on a Monday night the roads are gridlocked with honking horns, buses, bke, trucks and of course the ever present buffalo carts... all trying to get who knows where. And the streets still full of people and the little shops and carts doing brisk business feeding some of the one billion hungry Indians.

Ian and I experienced Indian airports on our last trip and we'd had enough of the over eager security and officials. Yesterday was no different and it was 3 or 4 security checks and Liz got a pat-down in the ladies section. This is one part of India I wont miss.

Our 10pm flight was on time but no opportunity to get comfortable in some empty seats down the back ... the flight was full and added to the cramped seats, two or three young kids started performing just before take-off. I thought Charlie was gonna make them play outside but we managed to get through the 4 hour flight, with a missed apoproach into KLIA due to thunderstorms and then a short wait for our VIP train to the city.

The KLIA Express train takes 28 minutes and is a marvel of comfort and efficiency... definitely the way to get from th airport to central KL. Our limo was waiting and whicked us through a waking KL to our favourite hotel, Traders where we were greeted and shown to our Executive Park View room with a magnificent view of KLCC Park and the Petronus Towers. Even though he was tired, I think Charlie was impressed.

As KL awoke to a new day, we settled down for some much needed sleep and we awoke at 12:30pm to a hot and sunny KL day with the city lookig magnificent. Clean and sparkling and very much different to India. Still, as Liz and I say, "It's all an adventure."

After a delicious lunch in the Gobo restaurant where we see some of the staff who were here when Liz and I stayed here May last year, we're now in the KLCC Centre oppsite the hotel ... and it makes Westfield Parramatta look like the Parklea Markets on a bad day!

So here are the promised photos of our wonderful day with Bala and his family at their village Brammadesam in Tamil Nadu South India.