5-day Asian Tour to Malaysia/Singapore
[Day 1 - Genting, Malaysia]
We had to wake up quite early to catch a plane to Kuala Lumpur via Singapore. Singapore Airline's service was exceptional! Now I see what all those CEOs and GMs were talking about! The stewards and stewardesses were so extrememly friendly that even when I dropped my food in the aisle by accident (which happened more than once =S), their first reaction was to see if I was OK. WOW!! They didn't even give me a single dirty look. Every seat had its own mini TV screen lodged into the headrest in front and not only could you watch your choice of movies/TV shows and listen to the music, you could also play video games. I spent quite a number of hours playing all those old school Nintendo games: Super Mario, Zelda (which I'm quite a master at having finished the game twice before =P)and Street Fighter. THE FOOD: OMG...it was not only edible but tasted really good! And to finish off the meal, we were served Haagen Daz and your choice of drinks which included cocktails. Needless to say, I got off the plane feeling quite happy. =)
By the time we finally landed in Kuala Lumpur it was almost dinner time. The coach, with our tour guide Alex on board, picked us up and brought us to Genting.
Up among the clouds in Genting, Malaysia
Genting is mostly an entertainment city with casinos, restaurants and theme parks which wasn't exactly my cup of tea. I wonder if anyone from our tour group actually did any gambling but the atmosphere was quite charming. I had my craving for cotton candy satisfied that night so yay! For dinner that night we tried some Malaysian milk tea which they call "lai cha" made with normal and condensed milk that is mixed together by "pulling". Sadly I wasn't all that impressed because tasted just like HK milk tea. One more thing about Genting is it's damn cold up in them hills! Word of caution to the wise: bring a sweater damn it! =P
[Day 2 - Kuala Lumpur]
After a not so yummy breakfast of soggy scrambled eggs and rock hard hash browns, the bus slowly made it's way down the mountain back to Kuala Lumpur. On the ride there, our tour guide introduced to us some famous products that are manufactured in Malaysia like some weird medicinal oil for relieving skin problems, Tiger Balm, the different classes of Malaysian chocolate and chocolates made with real fruit pieces inside. The last one sounded so yummy! =) As we passed by the high courts, we were also told some interesting tidbits about the Malaysian justice system. Apparently, capital punishment is still practiced in the country. Those convicted of drug traffiking and murder are executed by hanging. More interesting though (in a saddistic kind of way) is the punishment for sexual abuse and rape. Those convicted are sentenced to whipping with a giant stick that is first dipped in some kind of alcohol. The alcohol causes the flesh to break open. Alex described the aftermath of a whipping session as such: imagine a raw fish being steam cooked. The fish skin bursts open after a while and you can see the white meat inside. Pour some ketchup on top and there you have it. Convicts are whipped like this in the bum multiple times depending on the crime and sit in prison until all the whips have been given. It usually takes a few years since the person usually faints from the pain after 3 blows. Scary but no wonder the social security in Malaysia is so good. =S
Stops we made in KL included the palace where we saw the changing of the guards (just like in London!) and a Chinese restaurant where we stopped for "chicken bun", this huge bun that's bigger than a head with curry chicken wrapped inside. SOO YUMMY! In the afternoon we were taken to the twin towers for some upscale shopping (boo...nothing for me) then the chocolate factory for some of those chocolate covered fruits. I think I'm addicted. =) That night we stayed at the Regent Hotel which was *****!!!!!!! So grand inside that I felt like royalty. =P Shame that we didn't have much free time to enjoy the facilities.
The Lai women outside the gate of the Malaysian palace in Kuala Lumpur.
[Day 3 - Malacca]
Malacca is a very old city in Malaysia described as being very "heung ha" meaning very ancient styled. We visited a lot of old structures like a fort from the 1600's. After centuries of wear and tear, only the gate now remains intact. The place had such a historical feel that I was shocked to suddenly hear ABBA songs blasting from a flowered rickshaw that was passing by.
In Malacca we also stopped by an ostrich farm/orchard where we were supposed to go ostrich back riding. Sadly that didn't happen because of the rain which apparently makes the ostrich's stench unbearable. I was a bit relieved actually after seeing an ostrich face to face. They really don't look like the friendliest creatures in the world. And if you know anything about my fear of birds, I was pretty sure these ones were ready to peck my eyes out. Since the ostrich farm was also an orchard we also got to indulge on some tasty exotic fruits. We were given this strange kind of pineapple to try which didn't quite look like a pineapple. It didn't taste that good.. =(
At the ostrich farm. Those birds sure are big...
Next we went to the butterfly garden where we saw a cute little baby monkey dressed in a diaper. Some of us picked her up to take pictures with her. She acted just like a real baby, a really well-behaved one! =) There wasn't much night life in Malacca as the shops all closed at about 9pm. Shortly after, some kind of parade marched past our hotel which made us all wonder what the hell was going on. We spent the last of our Malaysian money on black forest and cheese cake and munched happily while watching the parade go by.
[Day 4 - Off to Singapore]
That morning we were wake up at 6:15 to set off on the 3 hour bus ride to Singapore because our tour guide wanted to beat the noontime rush. When we got to the border, we said our goodbyes to Alex and our bus driver and switched over to Joseph our Singapore guide. In my opinion Joseph was much better, definitely more funny and likeable. Our first meal in Singapore was Hainanese chicken. mmm...soo good and so oily. =P Damn...I really have to exercise more when I get back to Canada. After lunch we went to the Singapore science museum which was pretty much the same as the Science Center. Nothing special. Next stop was the beautiful Siloso Island. It looked just like a tropical paradise. I'll put pictures up as soon as I can get ahold of my uncle's digi cam USB cable. It was soft sandy beaches, blue skies, tropical trees everywhere and swarms of people sunbathing, volleyballing and having a good time. I wish we had that at home. =)
Strolling along Siloso beach
[Day 5 (last day) - Singapore]
For the last leg of our journey we did a little more sightseeing in Singapore. First we went to the theatre house which is nicknamed the "big durian". For those who don't know what a durian is, it's a giant spikey fruit that smells when you open it up. To most people the smell is disgusting, but a small portion of the population (my grandma included) really enjoy it. The smell is so strong that most hotels especially the upscale ones ban them from the premises. During this trip, my grandma bought tons and tons of cakes, candies and chocolate made from this stuff. =S Thank goodness I won't be here in a few days to endure that. =P
Durians are forbidden here.
Afterwards we stopped at Singapore's Chinatown which they lovingly called "cow car water" for lunch. Chinatown is located in "dai bo" which means big Singapore and there's a "siu bo" (small Singapore) across the river. Lunch was had at an outdoor foodmarket meaning no A/C but it was well worth it! We had Hainanese chicken again since that is afterall Singapore's specialty and flavoured soybean milk. For dessert we had coconut cake rolls. YUM YUM! After bringing my grandma safety back on board the bus, me and my aunt wandered around a bit and came across a Hindu temple. We had to take our shoes off in order to walk around inside. I think I got a blister from the hot sun-baked tiles. =(
Last stop was Orchard Road for some last minute shopping. By then most of the group was so beat from the last 5 days of walking we just slumped into the cushy chairs outside Prada for a nice long nap. At the last minute I decided to buy a sarong out of sheer spontaneity. Now if only I had the patience to learn how to use it. =P Then it was back on the plane to Hong Kong. Why did the fun have to end so soon?!
We had to wake up quite early to catch a plane to Kuala Lumpur via Singapore. Singapore Airline's service was exceptional! Now I see what all those CEOs and GMs were talking about! The stewards and stewardesses were so extrememly friendly that even when I dropped my food in the aisle by accident (which happened more than once =S), their first reaction was to see if I was OK. WOW!! They didn't even give me a single dirty look. Every seat had its own mini TV screen lodged into the headrest in front and not only could you watch your choice of movies/TV shows and listen to the music, you could also play video games. I spent quite a number of hours playing all those old school Nintendo games: Super Mario, Zelda (which I'm quite a master at having finished the game twice before =P)and Street Fighter. THE FOOD: OMG...it was not only edible but tasted really good! And to finish off the meal, we were served Haagen Daz and your choice of drinks which included cocktails. Needless to say, I got off the plane feeling quite happy. =)
By the time we finally landed in Kuala Lumpur it was almost dinner time. The coach, with our tour guide Alex on board, picked us up and brought us to Genting.
Up among the clouds in Genting, Malaysia
Genting is mostly an entertainment city with casinos, restaurants and theme parks which wasn't exactly my cup of tea. I wonder if anyone from our tour group actually did any gambling but the atmosphere was quite charming. I had my craving for cotton candy satisfied that night so yay! For dinner that night we tried some Malaysian milk tea which they call "lai cha" made with normal and condensed milk that is mixed together by "pulling". Sadly I wasn't all that impressed because tasted just like HK milk tea. One more thing about Genting is it's damn cold up in them hills! Word of caution to the wise: bring a sweater damn it! =P
[Day 2 - Kuala Lumpur]
After a not so yummy breakfast of soggy scrambled eggs and rock hard hash browns, the bus slowly made it's way down the mountain back to Kuala Lumpur. On the ride there, our tour guide introduced to us some famous products that are manufactured in Malaysia like some weird medicinal oil for relieving skin problems, Tiger Balm, the different classes of Malaysian chocolate and chocolates made with real fruit pieces inside. The last one sounded so yummy! =) As we passed by the high courts, we were also told some interesting tidbits about the Malaysian justice system. Apparently, capital punishment is still practiced in the country. Those convicted of drug traffiking and murder are executed by hanging. More interesting though (in a saddistic kind of way) is the punishment for sexual abuse and rape. Those convicted are sentenced to whipping with a giant stick that is first dipped in some kind of alcohol. The alcohol causes the flesh to break open. Alex described the aftermath of a whipping session as such: imagine a raw fish being steam cooked. The fish skin bursts open after a while and you can see the white meat inside. Pour some ketchup on top and there you have it. Convicts are whipped like this in the bum multiple times depending on the crime and sit in prison until all the whips have been given. It usually takes a few years since the person usually faints from the pain after 3 blows. Scary but no wonder the social security in Malaysia is so good. =S
Stops we made in KL included the palace where we saw the changing of the guards (just like in London!) and a Chinese restaurant where we stopped for "chicken bun", this huge bun that's bigger than a head with curry chicken wrapped inside. SOO YUMMY! In the afternoon we were taken to the twin towers for some upscale shopping (boo...nothing for me) then the chocolate factory for some of those chocolate covered fruits. I think I'm addicted. =) That night we stayed at the Regent Hotel which was *****!!!!!!! So grand inside that I felt like royalty. =P Shame that we didn't have much free time to enjoy the facilities.
The Lai women outside the gate of the Malaysian palace in Kuala Lumpur.
[Day 3 - Malacca]
Malacca is a very old city in Malaysia described as being very "heung ha" meaning very ancient styled. We visited a lot of old structures like a fort from the 1600's. After centuries of wear and tear, only the gate now remains intact. The place had such a historical feel that I was shocked to suddenly hear ABBA songs blasting from a flowered rickshaw that was passing by.
In Malacca we also stopped by an ostrich farm/orchard where we were supposed to go ostrich back riding. Sadly that didn't happen because of the rain which apparently makes the ostrich's stench unbearable. I was a bit relieved actually after seeing an ostrich face to face. They really don't look like the friendliest creatures in the world. And if you know anything about my fear of birds, I was pretty sure these ones were ready to peck my eyes out. Since the ostrich farm was also an orchard we also got to indulge on some tasty exotic fruits. We were given this strange kind of pineapple to try which didn't quite look like a pineapple. It didn't taste that good.. =(
At the ostrich farm. Those birds sure are big...
Next we went to the butterfly garden where we saw a cute little baby monkey dressed in a diaper. Some of us picked her up to take pictures with her. She acted just like a real baby, a really well-behaved one! =) There wasn't much night life in Malacca as the shops all closed at about 9pm. Shortly after, some kind of parade marched past our hotel which made us all wonder what the hell was going on. We spent the last of our Malaysian money on black forest and cheese cake and munched happily while watching the parade go by.
[Day 4 - Off to Singapore]
That morning we were wake up at 6:15 to set off on the 3 hour bus ride to Singapore because our tour guide wanted to beat the noontime rush. When we got to the border, we said our goodbyes to Alex and our bus driver and switched over to Joseph our Singapore guide. In my opinion Joseph was much better, definitely more funny and likeable. Our first meal in Singapore was Hainanese chicken. mmm...soo good and so oily. =P Damn...I really have to exercise more when I get back to Canada. After lunch we went to the Singapore science museum which was pretty much the same as the Science Center. Nothing special. Next stop was the beautiful Siloso Island. It looked just like a tropical paradise. I'll put pictures up as soon as I can get ahold of my uncle's digi cam USB cable. It was soft sandy beaches, blue skies, tropical trees everywhere and swarms of people sunbathing, volleyballing and having a good time. I wish we had that at home. =)
Strolling along Siloso beach
[Day 5 (last day) - Singapore]
For the last leg of our journey we did a little more sightseeing in Singapore. First we went to the theatre house which is nicknamed the "big durian". For those who don't know what a durian is, it's a giant spikey fruit that smells when you open it up. To most people the smell is disgusting, but a small portion of the population (my grandma included) really enjoy it. The smell is so strong that most hotels especially the upscale ones ban them from the premises. During this trip, my grandma bought tons and tons of cakes, candies and chocolate made from this stuff. =S Thank goodness I won't be here in a few days to endure that. =P
Durians are forbidden here.
Afterwards we stopped at Singapore's Chinatown which they lovingly called "cow car water" for lunch. Chinatown is located in "dai bo" which means big Singapore and there's a "siu bo" (small Singapore) across the river. Lunch was had at an outdoor foodmarket meaning no A/C but it was well worth it! We had Hainanese chicken again since that is afterall Singapore's specialty and flavoured soybean milk. For dessert we had coconut cake rolls. YUM YUM! After bringing my grandma safety back on board the bus, me and my aunt wandered around a bit and came across a Hindu temple. We had to take our shoes off in order to walk around inside. I think I got a blister from the hot sun-baked tiles. =(
Last stop was Orchard Road for some last minute shopping. By then most of the group was so beat from the last 5 days of walking we just slumped into the cushy chairs outside Prada for a nice long nap. At the last minute I decided to buy a sarong out of sheer spontaneity. Now if only I had the patience to learn how to use it. =P Then it was back on the plane to Hong Kong. Why did the fun have to end so soon?!
