Saturday in the rainforest

No rest for the weary. Brian's internal alarm clock is apparently set to 4am which means I have been waking up at the ungodly hour with him! We have a big day planned today...starting our morning off with 5 hours of hiking. But we'll need to have breakfast first...

After applying the ritual layer of sunblock and repellent and filling our day packs, we set out to the lodge for breakfast sponsored by Brian's aunt and uncle (Marc and Karen Garfinkel)...thank you! We had omelets made to order with a side of Malaysian potato curry and fresh mango juice with a consistency more like a smoothie than juice. The birds were singing and bugs buzzing in the wall of rainforest that surrounded the dining room. A fine layer of mist was settled in the canopy and as the sun rose was just beginning to lift.

Leech socks on, we set out with Mitch, Mike and a few other guests on what would be our longest rainforest trek. We started our hike on an easy path that gradually became more and more difficult...the neat slats of wood lined with wire turned into a rugged rainforest trail of tangled roots, vines and layer upon layer of leaves and foliage. Mitch pointed out a large centipede and demonstrated how simply touching it would cause it to roll completely into a perfect black and yellow striped ball. When held, Mike counted each stripe (10). Mike spotted a rare fungus known as bridal mushroom and noted that the characteristic veil is usually only obvious shortly after a rainstorm. Brian spotted a large beetle perched and perfectly blended in with the tree bark...completely still despite all the photos being snapped around him.

We continued on as our trail seemed to go up and up and up some more. At one point I looked behind us and wondered where we had even come from...As the rainforest seemed to just fill in our tracks. Mike told us to stay together because it can become very disorienting if you are not on the same trail with the group...I can now see what he meant! He also warned us in his safety speech yesterday that someone had once gotten lost for 5 days because they had been following a butterfly...I couldn't help but laugh at the time but now I realize, it really isn't funny at all...

Our trail meandered up and turned along a large rock formation on the right...up to an area high on a hill known as "coffin point" with ancient "coffins" made out of wood. Mike explained that there used to be tribal people living here and that they have found human skulls etc in this region. He showed us some pieces of what looked like it could be bone/skull but I found it hard to believe that these were all just sitting here...? We continued farther up the hill, slipping on wet leaves and rocks hoping to see some monkeys...Mike started imitating monkey noises but they must not be hanging out here today. The sun was up now and even though we were protected from direct sunlight by the canopy, everything started heating up and the humidity was close to intolerable levels...

We headed back down a bit then started going back up an incline along a different path. This one proved a bit more difficult and steeper and had a rope strung up along the right side (thankfully) to assist. I was completely drenched in sweat at this point both from the heat and exertion. We stopped a few times along the way for water breaks but now the 3 bottles we brought definitely did not seem like enough for this trip! Finally we reached the summit and the viewing platform...from here we were perched atop the canopy of Danum Valley and could see nothing but rainforest from here on out. It was really quite impressive. The fog had mostly lifted and we had a pretty clear view. We could see the lodge down below. We all took some time to get photos before carefully going down the narrow and slick staircase back to the rainforest floor.

Continuing along and just about halfway through our trek I began to feel a little disappointed that we hadn't seen much wildlife yet when all of a sudden there was an orangutan and her baby! This baby looked to be much older than the one from yesterday. They were just hanging out high up in the tree tops and unlike the baby from yesterday, this one was kind of going off on her own around to nearby branches while her mother just kinda let her do whatever she wanted...including just dangling from her arms and peeing! Their arms were so long and hands and feet so large they curled almost completely around the branches. Orangutans have opposable thumbs just like humans. I used our new binoculars to get a closer look at them...I could really only get a good look at the mother whose face appeared sullen. I always thought they looked so unhappy at the zoo because they were in captivity but maybe this is just their general demeanor? Mitch told us that orangutans are solitary animals and besides mother/baby couplets when seen in the wild, usually they are alone. Orangutans have the longest birth interval of all mammals- as their babies stay with the mother for about 7 years before setting out on their own. We all huddled below to watch the pair snack on the fruits of the tree and occasionally sway from one tree to the next. In the scuttle below to get the best photo ops we found ourselves slipping off the trail and sliding down the incline, tripping over each other etc but we barely noticed as our necks were extended back as far as our range of motion would allow to not lose sight of these gentle giants. Their orange fur as was caught on camera almost appears as an aura around them...surprisingly the orange color really doesn't make them stand out as much as I thought it would...if they had been perfectly still we might have completely missed them.

We stood and watched them for what seemed like hours. It is just indescribable how cool it is to see these huge animals in the wild. It made me think of how traumatizing and scary it must feel for them to be captured and taken to live in captivity. Any time I have ever seen an orangutan at the zoo, they are always covering their face- at the San Diego zoo 2 of them had climbed halfway down a wall just above a murky moat that separated off their habitat and both were holding pieces of trash (food wrapper and a piece of newspaper) up to their faces...it seemed as though they were trying to escape the glass viewing window just above them where upwards of 50 people were gathered waiting for them to come into view. Right now, these orangutans were at least 30-40 feet above our heads. It occurred to me now how unnatural it must feel for these socially anxious mammals to be so close to each other and humans as they are forced to be at the zoo...

We continued on through the forest as they day seemed to get hotter and hotter until it felt simply sweltering. Brian and I joked as we hiked about how a weather forecaster might describe this: "Oh you'd like to know the temperature today? Rainforest. Humidity? Rainforest." That would basically sum it up!

The only thing that kept us going was the promise of ending the hike at the "jacuzzi pool" which is a natural pool at the base of a waterfall where there are lots of carp fish. The carp will nip at your body and eat off dead skin. Mitch explained that this has become a popular practice all throughout Malaysia in spas. We did see a spa at the central market in KK where you could sit on the edge of a fish tank and dip your feet in for 10 ringitts/hour. But Mitch says the fish here are much stronger and more "effective" than the ones they usually have at the spas.

Mike, who was leading the pack, had seemingly endless energy in this heat. At every fork in the road he would tease us,"this way to jacuzzi pool but first we go this other way"...ahhhh! He did bring us to see a few waterfalls that were quite beautiful..."Fairy Falls" which was very misty and sparkly in the sun. He explained that we were lucky for the rain as this waterfall is only here after rainstorms. Next was "Serpent Falls" which I am guessing was so named for it's twisty appearance. At some point from one falls to the other Brian tripped and fell while holding his camera with it's fish rye lens on and exposed. He was fine but we were both sure that the lens was ruined...fortunately not even a scratch. Finally, we were en route to jacuzzi pool...and it was finally in sight- the light at the end of the tunnel- my legs ready to give out under me from hiking so much when a leech firmly adhered it's slithering black gooey body to my forearm! I just about lost it. Brian tried feverishly to get it off my arm while continuously telling me to calm down...but in the end I ran to Mitch who expertly (and quickly) removed it- ugh what a relief. I didn't waste any time finding my sani-wipes and wiping my arm down immediately. As I did so, Brian went to the makeshift changing area to switch into his bathing suit when he came out of the stall in a panic...I couldn't help but smirk a little now that the tables had turned and he was fighting with his own leech ;)

I took my socks and shoes off (which felt wonderful) and stuck my feet in the surprisingly cool water. Brian just went right in...cautiously of course because of the rocks lining the bottom. He looked like he was enjoying it but then every so often would jump because the fish were nipping at him! I laughed at his exaggeration at first until I felt a fish nip at my foot and had the same startled reaction!

We reluctantly put our shoes back on to trek back to the lodge. We were so excited to see the cabins coming up...both just totally exhausted, dehydrated and craving a shower like you wouldn't believe. Before we even made it all the way back Mike was already talking about setting up a time for the afternoon trek but Brian and I looked at each other and just laughed...we were both thinking the same thing...there was no way we were doing anything else today!!! We cut away from the group early to detour directly to our room...the shower was amazing...I don't recall a shower ever in my life feeling so incredible. I didn't even mind that the water was no warmer than lukewarm, I could have stayed in there forever. We both laughed and joked about how we wouldn't care at all if we missed anything on the afternoon hike...not even an orangutan riding a rhino...because after closer to 6 hours of trekking through rainforest jungle, we were just totally spent...and for once, showers, lunch and a concept foreign to Brian called "relaxation" was all we could imagine doing...


- Posted from abroad using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Lahad Datu,Malaysia

First evening at Danum Valley

Seeing the orangutan and her baby on our first walk really took off the pressure off :) now we can just enjoy walking through the rainforest and see whatever jumps out at us...actually nothing really jumps out at you around here, everything is very carefully hidden yet literally right in front of you. It started raining more so our guide led us out to the main road to be safer on the way back to the lodge and then the rain really started coming down. The storm generated a welcome breeze through the open air lobby though which felt really refreshing in this heat. We settled in a small conference room on the ground level to hear Mike's presentation on the lodge's rules, the history and conservation of Danum Vally, how we can be careful to leave "only footprints" behind, and photos of some of the wildlife we can expect to see.

I was surprised to learn that most of the island of Borneo had once been almost completely covered in pristine primary rainforest. I didn't catch all of what he said (and it is hard to look any of this up in the guidebooks and brochures that want to put a positive spin on the palm oil industry) but Mike showed us a map of the region and explained that much of the land was sold for logging and palm oil plantation monocultures. However, someone purchased the area now known as Danum Valley and created the Danum Valley Field Center (DVFC) and took measures to conserve the land in it's original state. They petitioned to the government to protect the rainforest and not to allow the logging and palm oil industry to take over Borneo as this was going to have a negative impact on the environment...but their pleas fell on deaf ears. Money talks and the palm and logging industries created the jobs and infrastructure that seemed to be a bigger priority. So, now, Danum Valley is all that is left and the DVFC is a leading and very influential tropical rainforest research establishment in Southeast Asia and is in the top 3 biodiversity research centers in all of the world. Danum Valley covers 432 square kilometers and more than 90% of the land is covered with 'dipterocarp' forest (remind me to look that up later). Anyway, Mike's presentation was very interesting...I was kind of glad to have not really done too much research on this area before the trip because it was kind of nice to be learning it now, when we are actually here :) I think this falls under the category of "spontaneity" -something usually that is foreign to Brian and I :)

Our first romantic dinner (a generous wedding gift from Ed and Mary Jean Mahan) was just about to be served and the smells wafting out of the kitchen were calling our names. We chose a table in the center of the dining room just on the edge of the rainforest viewing platform (we would soon learn that this location is not ideal for evening meals because of it's close proximity to lights and hence, a prime hangout for bugs). We sat down and were promptly greeted by the pleasant staff asking for our drink order...water was all we wanted right now...we were feeling pretty parched. I had a thick fragrant carrot soup to start (that was so good I helped myself to a second bowl) and fried rice with vegetables as my main course. Brian tried an assortment of Malay specialties including chicken sate with peanut sauce and a succulent shrimp curry over rice. For dessert we had a variety of fresh fruits (mango, pineapple, asian pear) and we tasted a few of the cakes including banana "steam" cake (which tasted similar to a very moist white, banana bread) and we also had hot pineapple "gobler"...we think they meant to say "cobbler" but day after day some version of gobler is served...it's either an endearing lost translation or is the name of an actual Malaysian dessert...we'll have to ask Mitch later. (Regardless, the "gobler" at Borneo rainforest lodge should not be confused with the "gobbler" found at Wawa convenience stores across southeastern PA.) And only once did Brian have to gracefully spit his water over the balcony for accidentally (almost) swallowing a bug...guess it comes with rainforest territory.

The rains continued and pounded on the lodge's metal roof. We met a couple from Bel Air and chatted with them for a while and we were secretly overjoyed that our night safari ride was canceled...all we wanted was to was go to sleep...we had had enough excitement for one day! We found loaner umbrellas (this place has thought of everything) and carefully walked along the slick boardwalk back to our room...coated in DEET and sunblock we opted for a quick shower and I was not happy to find lots of ants walking around the bathroom floor and most concerning- up and all around the toilet...(this problem will persist until tomorrow night when I discover that spraying the toilet bowl and under the seat with 30% DEET is an extremely effective deterrent). Lukewarm water for a shower never felt so good and soon we collapsed into bed lulled asleep by the persistent rain and buzz of insects (hopefully all of whom were outside our room)...

Special thanks to Brian's cousin Eric Garfinkel and his girlfriend Laura Vogelgesang for sponsoring our night here tonight as a wedding present :) we couldn't have imagined better accommodations this far off the beaten path!


- Posted from abroad using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Lahad Datu,Malaysia

Danum Valley

Brian woke me up super early again...I keep telling him just because he can't sleep doesn't mean I have to suffer, but it's useless to complain! So we were up before sunrise...so I decided to make most of it and organize all my clothes. Remind me next time I go on a trip like this to pack light! I have way too much crap! I set out everything I thought I might need while in the rainforest and packed it into a small black duffel bag...hopefully this will minimize my need to dig into my huge suitcase...

All showered and fresh we headed upstairs to the club level for a ridiculous breakfast spread -thanks to my cousin Joan Miller! Where do we start...? Well there was an assortment of fresh juices including pineapple, orange and watermelon juice (why haven't we thought of this before??). There were these tiny little dessert cups of something that looked like oatmeal but was whiter with pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top- I decided to give it a try. How to describe it...let's see: Imagine partially cooked ground oatmeal that was sweetened with condensed milk and served cold and that is basically what this was...can't say it was my favorite but it wasn't half bad. Next we tried a traditional Malay food which our waiter "Tommy" informed us is enjoyed throughout the day in Malaysia. Now this was really good...it is basically a semi spicy potato curry. Tommy (I'm quite doubtful this was his real name) asked if it was too spicy for us because some of the other guests had complained...we told him it was actually pretty mild and he thought that was pretty funny. It's too bad we have to catch a flight in a few hours because this guy was really nice and continued chatting it up with us while we indulged on croissants, eggs over easy and café Americanos with steamed milk. He said he hopes we come back to visit KK again because he would like to show us around his town...and he seemed pretty genuine. We got the sense that most of the people who come through this hotel (and the "club level" guests in particular) are a bit arrogant, high maintenance and demanding of all the comforts of 'home' wherever that may be. The Hyatt did a pretty good job appealing to the masses but we wouldn't have minded a more authentic Malay experience...

And onward to Lahad Datu...we went downstairs just in time for our teksi driver to pick us up for the airport. Fortunately the mix up with flights was taken care of (although we are pretty sure that if we hadn't discovered the mix up it we may be spending another night here) and we were all set for a 9am flight to the eastern coast of Sabah.

The check in process ran smoothly and we soon found ourselves at the gate. Our personal guide met us there at A9 and introduced herself as "Mitch". She was wearing black cargo pants, hiking boots and an official 'Borneo Tours" shirt. Her hair is shoulder length, tied back in a loose ponytail. She would- for the next 6 days at least- be at our beck and call.

We boarded the small aircraft and despite such a short flight I somehow managed to fall asleep. I'll blame my fatigue on Brian not letting me ever sleep in! We landed and found ourselves at a tiny airport where the baggage guys actually used hand trucks to move the luggage from the plane and then piled them up on a counter for their respective owners. Outside we met 'Mr. Man'- our driver who threw our luggage into the back of his pick up truck and then drove us across the street to the bakery to grab some lunch to go. Mitch treated us to a variety of Malaysian pastries- including cheese bread (which was a cross between a sugar donut and a long white bread roll with a slice of kraft melted on top...) potato curry filled pockets which were very good and much spicier than this mornings variety.

We drove through heavy traffic in the small town of Lahad Datu at first...with political posters and signs adorning both sides of the road and school children spilling out of school and huddled at bus stops. Girls wearing smock like uniforms with head scarves and boys wearing clean white shirts and dark pants. We soon entered the protected area known as Danum Valley and the landscape changed dramatically. The road narrowed and was filled with rocks that bounced up and hit the truck on all sides...I was sure the next one would come right through the glass but fortunately it didn't.

Dense forest surrounded us on all sides with trees towering over. There were also a few scary bridges we had to cross on the road to the lodge...and when I say scary I mean, scary. I mean, like 2 extra long planks of wood with chain linked fencing material to form the sides over a moving and very muddy river. Mr. Man seemed to gun it right before we hit the bridges-I couldn't decide if I was relieved about this or if his actions were actually justifying my fear that the bridge wasn't strong enough to support our weight?

Three + hours later we turned a corner and arrived to the magical Borneo Rainforest Lodge...a structure supported on stilts literally in the middle of nowhere. We were greeted by smiling women dressed in green polos and khakis who handed us cold scented washcloths (was it jasmine?) and refreshing clear drinks that tasted (surprisingly) like coconut sticky rice...lemongrass and pendant (sp?) leaves. They placed green garlands of pendant leaves (I suppose the rainforest version of the jasmine welcome garlands we saw in the city) over our heads and asked us to remove our shoes to enter the main lodge. We walked up a ramp to the second level open air lobby which boasted rich teak (and shaky) flooring and furniture to match with large linen pillows in a multitude of colors and giant woven lanterns hanging from the sloping ceiling...swaying gently in the breeze. A woman handed us our room key and led the way down the elevated wooden boardwalk to our cabin which was at the far end on the left. She removed her shoes before entering (a sign of respect in Malaysia).

We were pleasantly surprised to enter a spacious airy and bright cabin complete with wide french doors that opened to a small patio overlooking (you guessed it) jungle. Teak was the common theme with hints of bamboo slatting off the bathroom and bedroom. We had a hot water heater (can't really imagine needing it) electricity, a ceiling fan and even a refrigerator! Can't really ask for much more in the depths of the jungle! We nodded our approval and she left us to getting settled...

We changed into our "Bugs Away!" Clothing (we are such nerds but couldn't pass up the appeal of clothing already doused with premetherin repellent so we didn't have to apply it ourselves)...and after taking our second dose of Malarone, we sprayed a healthy layer of 30% DEET on any exposed areas -special thanks to family friend Jeanne Trout for sponsoring our mosquito repellent and prescriptions as a shower gift!

We were now jungle ready. We headed back up to the main lodge for our first guided walk through the rainforest. But first we had to purchase leech socks. We have been reassured time and again that leeches are harmless but we'd just as well avoid them entirely if at all possible. The "leech socks" were nothing more than one size fits all very thin and plain Christmas stockings that tie at the top- in a variety of colors. I went with grey to match my pants and Brian chose navy blue. We would late discover that the lighter color the better when it comes to leech socks- there's a helpful hint for the next time you go on a jungle trek!

The group assembled (8 in all) with Mitch and our Borneo guide Mike (that makes remembering names easy) we just as we were about to start walking, a sudden and violent thunderstorm ensued. Let me take a moment to recount a conversation we had along the way...Did I mention that earlier Brian had asked about orangutan sightings and how many we could expect to see and Mitch replied with "oh they are rare, can go days without seeing any at all"...?!?!?!?!........what?! With all the planning for this trip it never once occurred to me to ask how many sightings we could expect! Now that we've traveled halfway around the world Brian's going to come up with the good questions?! Really Brian?! So we waited 20 minutes (for the rain to let up) and needless to say, we started the walk with deflated expectations.

First it was a simple path, a slightly elevated boardwalk of sorts made of slats of wood covered in some kind of metal wire -presumably to prevent slipping on the slick wet leaves. It was hot, extremely humid and a rumbling of thunder could be heard every so often, seemingly just above us. The air was thick with the smell of...rainforest I suppose. A complex mix of fresh, dead and wet leaves, healthy as well as rotting tree bark, gently fragranced flowers...water...and DEET. Lots of sounds could be heard all around us yet no wildlife was in clear sight. Mike talked about the different trees...the presence of ebony, he said, is an indicator of 'primary' or 'virgin/original' rainforest. Buttress trees have wide root systems but go no deeper than 30 cm yet could reach hundreds of feet high. Every single tree was covered top to bottom in ferns or moss or a combination of both. We rounded a corner and the path took a more authentic turn...melding into one of more tree roots and a piece of wood here or there for reinforcement. Mike pulled a small leech off his leech socks and demonstrated how easy it was to remove them to the group. I inspected my socks- thankfully still leech free.

We came to a viewpoint just as we heard a very loud clap of thunder above us. I waited patiently for the strike of lightning that would surely come next and knock down one of the towering trees on us. Fortunately this didn't happen. Mike and Mitch laughed and told us that it was just God re-arranging the furniture. I found it amusing that halfway around the world, here in Malaysia, the same stories my grandparents used to reassure me as a child were also being relied upon here.

We continued along, my brain unsure whether to keep my neck cranked back to see the tree tops for a chance to catch an orangutan or if I should keep my eyes on the ground to avoid falling flat on my face. Fortunately I didn't have to debate for long because Mike received word on his walkie talkie that a mom and baby orangutan were spotted just behind us!!! How on earth could we have missed them I wondered?? We quickly and as quietly as we could...and there they were, nestled up in the tree top, baby clinging to the mom and she moved slowly from one tree to the next stopping to eat along the way and letting the baby wander about just alongside her. It was really really amazing, I can't believe they just "live" here! Brian swopped into high sports shooter gear and the click click click of his shutter was going a mile a minute. I tried to capture a few shots but was too much in awe just watching that I doubt I got anything good...

But we were super excited to have seen not just one, but a mom and baby orangutan on our first walk! Maybe the heat, humidity and swarming bugs will be worth it after all :)








- Posted from abroad using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Lahad Datu,Malaysia

Our one and only day in KK

Disclaimer- photos will no longer upload because the internet is too slow :(


It was good we went to bed at a decent time last night because we had to get up early for our flight to KK- Kota Kinabalu. It is the main town on the island of Borneo and was about a 2.5 hour flight. Our "teksi" driver picked us up promptly at 6am despite the monsoon like rains...(had it downpoured like this all night??). We set off for the hour long ride to KLIA, still rather sleepy. Once at the airport and after a bit of confusion at the check in desk we breezed through security (with an open bottle of water no less) and headed off to our gate. Starving, we defaulted to the only restaurant in our terminal where Brian ordered what he thought was an egg and cheese sandwich on toast. But what he actually ordered was one egg sandwich and one cheese sandwich. So whatever. But then the food arrived and I simply had to send it back. It was white bread with the crusts cut off (how thoughtful) and a single slice of kraft cheese product with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and a rather large dollop of an unpleasant appearing red condiment. Maybe this is the Malaysian version of ketchup? I couldn't be sure but I was not about to try it. I sent mine back in exchange for a completely plain cheese (product) sandwich.

There were lots of men at the airport...and as we walked the cold extra air conditioned corridor I couldn't help but feel scantily clad even though I was wearing a long skirt and had a shawl wrapped around my shoulders. Then again maybe they were all just struck by my icy blue eyes ;)

It was freEzing in the airport (and on the plane for that matter), mental note: no more skirts and flip flops for travel days. We watched as they loaded our bags onto our plane and as they methodically wrapped an entire cargo pallet with saran wrap- not sure what that was all about? We boarded our flight and were seated next to a Malaysian man who insisted Brian try the prawn dish for lunch? But I think it was really "breakfast". He was a good sport and even acted like he enjoyed it :)

It was about 2 hours before we landed on the island of Borneo and descended to Kota Kinabalu. There was a glistening blue green shoreline and lots of greenery on the landscape below. We got off the plane and headed for customs again (now that were are in the state of Sabah we had to "reenter") and then to the baggage terminal...where Brian couldn't contain his excitement:


We learned that there are lots of restricted items including birds' nests, turtle eggs and butterflies and that smugglers could face up to 5 years in prison!


We picked up our bags and headed out into the empty terminal where we looked around for our driver who we were told would be holding a sign...we didn't see him right away and walked up and down until he finally appeared. The Malaysians definitely do not keep time as well as the Swiss!

We climbed into the teksi and headed to our hotel. Our driver handed us a bottle of wine, compliments of our tour company, and along with it a package of all of our travel documents. Brian's eagle eye noticed that our flights for tomorrow actually said Saturday May 25 instead of Friday April 25...we'll have to get this taken care of asap!

The roads to the hotel were very modern and intersections seemed to be well landscaped. Political flags adorned almost every available space. The homes that lined either side of the road seemed to be small yet colorful ranch style simple dwellings. On the left side of the road were homes set up on stilts. As we got closer to the hotel, the scenery became more urban with store fronts lining the bottom of buildings whose 2nd and 3rd levels had clothing out to dry. Open air restaurants and motorbike parking abounded. We arrived at the Hyatt and were escorted to the Club Level on the 13th floor. This posh lounge was furnished with marble countertops, neutral colored upholstered chairs with wooden tables and windows from floor to ceiling for picturesque views of the sea below. We requested the receptionist to contact our tour company about the incorrect date for our flight tomorrow- she called for us and demanded that they send an updated itinerary to her at the hotel via fax within 45 minutes- she's on it!

Our room of course wasn't yet ready so we decided to go for a walk to the waterfront. We slathered on some sunblock and Brian dug out his fashionable safari hat and we headed out into the sweltering heat. We crossed the street and walked down a narrow sidewalk with stores and restaurants lining each side. We got lots of stares and smiles...we were very obviously the only foreigners. The stores seemed to be selling a variety of plastic products (surely full of bpa) and sleeves of styrofoam restaurant containers. The women all seemed to be wearing headscarves and we even saw a little girl no more than 3 wearing one. At the end of the block we came upon the Central Market where one wrong turn led us to a butcher hall where the smell of dead animals was completely overwhelming especially mixed with the noxious odor of the sea. The sidewalk was wet and dripping with whatever was spilling off the butcher counters and I dragged Brian quickly back to the main road (while holding my breath).

We walked by the food stalls selling everything from fresh mangos, sliced papayas and green coconuts to dried chilies and fish to bags of things that looked like Bugles and cheese puffs(?)...all with their own sampling containers. We came upon the "waterfront" area which seemed rather desolate this time of day. It was basically restaurant upon restaurant all smushed together on a dock...only a few tables were taken. There was an Irish pub, an Italian restaurant, Malay, Thai and Indian. Brian was in the mood for pad thai so we sat down at the Thai orchid cafe. I got a lychee martini and Brian got a frozen margarita(?)- I reminded him what country we were in but he stood firm with his drink choice :) We sat at a table closest to the water and were able to look out at all the ships lined up. I felt like we were in the goonies or something...there were boats out there that looked so old and lived on. Not like I would really know what a pirate ship looked like but that's what they reminded me of. Instead of a name on the back, these boats only had license plates.

My red curry with tofu was served to me first in a makeshift double broiler of sorts with a sterno flame below. I wondered silently why in this 100 degree heat they felt it necessary to serve it over a flame? It was delicious- very complex flavors, spicy but not too much. The tofu turned me off as it was really very soft and yellow instead of white but Brian really liked it. His pad thai with shrimp came out a few minutes later and we enjoyed a leisurely lunch thanks to a gift from Lisa and Antonio Esposito :) it was yummy. We even had dessert of mango with sticky rice, chocolate ice cream and watermelon. Brian almost sent the mango back because he thought there was something wrong with it since it "wasn't hard like the mango we get at home"...what am I going to do with him?

We headed back to the Hyatt and on the way meandered through the Handicraft market packed with a labyrinth of tiny stalls all selling the same things...magnets, fake pearls, sarongs, t-shirts, wood carvings, jewelry boxes, knock off watches and purses etc. Lined up outside of the market were ancient looking sewing machines and small sewing tables with piles of tailoring to be done...it seemed as though all the tailors were on their lunch breaks. Brian of course wondered how it could all these businesses could exist and possibly turn a profit when they are all selling the same things. The economics of it I'm sure are beyond our comprehension. Besides I was so hot I could barely think straight!

We walked by the coconut market next and then the dried fish and produce market where all the shop keepers seemed to have fallen asleep right on their merchandise. Apparently it is siesta time in Kk and I could not agree with all if them more...a nap sounded absolutely amazing right now!


We headed back to the Hyatt and got changed for the pool just in time for a giant dark rain cloud to move in. No lightning today though so we stayed out there anyway despite the rain...in 100 degree heat what's a little rain anyway? Brian even let me fall asleep for all of 20 blissful minutes before bugging me to go into the pool.


Sunset was upon us...we showered and headed to the Hyatt club on the 13th floor for happy hour which turned out to be filling enough to be tonight's dinner. We were exhausted and couldn't wait to get in our nice comfy king size bed. Special thanks to Christine and Brian Liebel for sponsoring our hotel in KK.

- Posted from abroad using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Jalan Enam Belas,Kota Kinabalu,Malaysia

Goodbye Petronas and KL...

Turns out we were fortunate enough to be tired and head back to the hotel early yesterday afternoon...the thunderstorms continued for quite a while and from our room at one point the rain was so heavy we could hardly see a thing out the window. We had plans to go to a nice Malaysian restaurant but with the storm and timing of our Petronas tower tour (7pm) we decided to stay closer to the hotel and went back to the Suria (mall). We were able avoid the elements (almost entirely) by walking through our hotel's convention center then under a covered walkway to the adjacent Mandarin Oriental hotel...Brian has such great ideas :) this left us only a few steps away from the massive mall...we ascended escalator upon escalator to read the 4th floor food court where we had a tough time deciding where to eat...Indian? Thai? Vietnamese? Japanese? The options seemed endless.

We eventually settled on "Madam Kwan's" a traditional Malay restaurant...we only had 30 minutes and we got our food with just about 5 to spare. I chose "plain noodle soup" which was actually quite good but definitely not my mom's idea of "plain". There were bamboo shoots, green spring onions, shredded chicken and a variety of other spices with of course thin noodles (think: Ramen). It was just what I wanted after coming into the cold air conditioning after getting wet from the rain. Brian was a little more adventurous than I was and had chicken with a spicy red sauce, dried shrimp (fortunately this was served on the side), rice, and some side concoction that we learned today was some kind of traditional Malay spicy prawn dish.

The service, once again, was pretty bad though once we summoned our waitress she was pretty quick to get us our check. We bolted to the center of the building thinking that the elevators would be faster than the escalators but they still seemed to take forever...we didn't want to miss our one and only opportunity to see KL from the Petronas towers!

We made it down to the ground level just in time to slide in line. A Muslim Malaysian woman wearing a Petronas tower uniform and matching veil confirmed our tickets and handed us blue lanyards to wear to designate our tour time. We had to go through security screening complete with metal detectors and then Brian had to (reluctantly) give up his backpack. They directed us to a narrow hallway where we watched a space age safety video of a woman projected onto mist...it is literally impossible to describe this- felt like we had traveled in time 50 years from now...We boarded the elevator and it very quickly shot us up to the level of the sky bridge (40th something floor) where we had 15 minutes to walk around. The rain had slowed down but it was still very cloudy and overcast- too much to really enjoy a sunset of any kind...




But Brian made the best of our limited view by being a jokester:




It was only about 8pm but I was so tired and could not wait to just get back to our room and relax...but Brian was all about taking night pictures so he dragged me around the soggy city centre for at least another hour...




Finally we were back to the Traders hotel and I could not be happier. I put on my PJs, the hotel bath robe and of course my fuzzy slippers from home (which Brian can't believe I packed for a trip to Malaysia...) while Brian settled in to upload his masterpieces. All in all a great day albeit exhausting. Special thanks to Mary Jo and Zave Smith for our KL hotel accommodations tonight :) Moving onward to KK!
- Posted from abroad using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Batu Caves, Little India, Central Market

So after sleeping 13 hours we found ourselves wide awake at 5am which was way too early to do much of anything. So we broke out our room's coffee maker, had some granola bars to tide us over and took our time getting ready for the day. Around 7:45 we headed out for a real breakfast at Dome cafe- which Brian read was the first vendor to bring Western styled coffee to Southeast Asia. Their coffee menu certainly had many options:




We had a quick breakfast then headed for the line to get tickets to the observation deck of the Petronas towers. We had to walk through the mall again which -even though it was technically "closed" this early- was like a bustling city all unto itself of people commuting to work:




And grabbing quick coffees and breakfast:




We read in our guidebook that the Petronas towers tours allow only a certain number of people up to the observation deck and bridge daily...and that sometimes (depending on the time of year, etc) tickets can be sold out by 10am. Luckily we got there early and secured ours...we even had a choice of times so opted for sunset tonight at 7pm.
We hopped in a taxi and headed to Batu Caves...it is limestone caves and houses one of the most sacred Hindu temples outside of India. We weren't quite sure what to expect so you can imagine our surprise when we stumbled upon this site of menacing pigeons (apparently Philadelphia isn't the only city with a pigeon problem) as well as these scavenger monkeys! Here they are fighting over what looks like a bag of birdseed...




It was early so we had it all to ourselves...well us and the monkeys anyway. This golden statue was enormous and looks down on all of KL:




We headed up the 272 steps to the limestone cave and temple above and along the way dipped and dodged away from the monkeys that were just waiting for some scraps of food to be tossed their way.




It was hot and extremely humid and a looooong way up this narrow staircase but we made it. This little guy was basking in the sun at the top, seemingly in an appropriate, meditative state:




We walked through the dark, dripping limestone caves and eventually came upon a few Hindu shrines...they were simple and weren't at all what we were expecting. We had to remove our shoes (which is commonplace throughout Asia as the soles of shoes are considered extremely dirty- maybe you're onto something Wes?) and of course a "donation" was expected. We were handed small wax candles that we were asked to light from a large candle and then a man asked for our names and said a prayer for us for good luck. He also placed ashes on our foreheads and tied red and golden bracelets on our right wrists.




At one point he handed us a banana which I think was supposed to be an offering to the Hindu god but Brian didn't immediately place it in his pocket as he was directed to and a slick little monkey came out of nowhere and tried to swipe it! After this the man abandoned his idea for us to give as an offering and instructed us to throw it to the savage monkeys instead! Heading back down you can see all of KL...too bad it is so hazy.




We made our way back down the stairs and the crowds had come out of nowhere. We saw a couple of Indian families carrying sickly looking infants up and wondered if they were bringing the children there for some kind of healing ritual...? This one woman in particular seemed to have some kind of offering for the temple on her head and she walked up the steps on her knees:




Brian had just commented this morning at how KL was so much more "sterile" than he anticipated Asia to be...Once at the bottom I said, "now do you feel like you're in Asia??" His answer was a laugh and a yes.




After that workout I was parched and that's when we conveniently came upon this guy chopping fresh cold young coconuts...he read my mind. This was exactly what I wanted.




There is nothing like coconut water straight from a coconut! See Jul- this is what I was telling you about :)
We saw this sign and then a man completely ignoring rule #2:




But he put out the food just in time for this nursing mother monkey and her really young baby to come down from the tree and grab some...so cute I had to take video:


We met a family from Australia who informed us that the public transportation line was right here so we decided to take the train to KL Central and Little India. It was way cheaper (2RM) than a cab (50RM) and very air conditioned which was a nice respite from the sweltering heat. Unfortunately I had to ditch my coconut before I finished to make sure I was in compliance with the many rules:




Malaysia really knows how to take the fun out of everything...no kissing in public, no animals on the train, no cutting fence with scissors and apparently no kites either?!




Not quite sure why (perhaps to appease the Muslim population of KL? or maybe just general safety/comfort of women?) but each train had several cars designated just for women:




We disembarked in Little India and Brian insisted we eat at this place...the restaurantwas packed with locals so I figured it had to be relatively safe. Our meals were served to us on large banana leaves and Brian could not wait to dig in!




I ordered a vegetarian platter which had an assortment of vegetables and a creamy and spicy lentil based sauce. I also ordered side of roti with cheese that I thought would be filled with paneer but instead it turned out to be closer to a melted kraft single...it was still good though ;) We noticed that all the locals were eating with their right hand and that no one had any napkins. Us Americans are so high maintenance. The staff had to actually wash some silverware to get us the spoon and fork we requested!




Little India was mostly stores to buy saris and tailoring shops. We went in a few stores and then found our way to the central market where we picked up some rambutans and marveled at the pink dragonfruit which would unfortunately just be too inconvenient to tote around.








The central market had tons of stalls where you could buy the most mundane trinkets or elaborate pieces of furniture. We weaved our way through the mall but it is hard to commit to carrying around any souvenirs so early in our trip.




We continued on to the art gallery to see Philadelphia's sister sign halfway around the world:




Inside the gallery they had this huge miniature version of the city handcrafted by some very detail oriented people complete with lights and trees and traffic patterns.




And here are the masterminds behind it all:




By this point it was after 3 pm and we were hot, drenched in sweat, feet throbbing and pretty much ready to go back to the hotel. We showered and did something that Brian rarely wants to do..."relax". But sitting for 20 minutes proved to be just too much and when a thunderstorm hit he set up his camera to hopefully capture some lightning on the towers...




We are looking forward to a nice traditional Malay dinner tonight after our tour of the observation deck at the Petronas towers. Hopefully this rain will let up before we have to venture back out!

Oh and check out Brian's photos here:
Brian's Malaysia gallery
- Posted from abroad using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia

Finally made it to KL!

After what seemed like an eternity we finally made it to our destination...Kuala Lumpur as most people fondly refer to it as just "KL". The last leg of our flight was barely off the ground that it seemed like we were already descending. Here is a shot from inside KL airport:




Brian commented on the farms of trees all around as we landed at KLIA (the international airport). We later found out from our Taxi driver that they are palm trees and that they are subsidized by the government here to harvest palm oil- to create both cooking oil and "clean biofuel"- it is debatable as to how clean the fuel could actually be since the farms that harvest these trees have contributed significantly to deforestation of Malaysia and a significant reduction in the native trees that are quickly being replaced by the money making palms. This in turn has significantly altered the natural habitats and is threatening survival of rainforest animals including the orangutans.
According to our travel guide, over half a million people are involved in harvesting oil palm in Malaysia and while it has sometimes benefited communities through improvements in the surrounding infrastructure (building of schools, hospitals, etc), it has also had it's negative impact as well- forcing people off their land to make room for the palm farms and thereby decreasing production of other agriculture (i.e. fruit, rubber) and in some cases has polluted the water supply through use of industrial farming products, etc. Seems to be a very complex issue that at least this taxi driver was not a huge fan of. He went on to tell us that 50% of the palm farms are owned by the government- a government run by the same king for the past 55 years. He said, "people are ready for change" as the current government is "very corrupt" and he is hoping that this change will come on 5 May 2013 when they vote for a new prime minister (our visit is very timely...)
The drive to our hotel took about an hour...the landscape of palms slowly was gradually replaced by a more urban environment dotted with high rises with low lying clouds and overcast that the driver informed us was simply pollution. Not the best shot from the cab but you can just make out Petronas towers and KL building in the distance:




Dilapidated apartment buildings with clothes hanging outside windows and on tiny terraces to dry on every level soon morphed into modern glossy buildings with wide balconies and lush landscaped greenery. There were lots of large trucks on the road and surprisingly very few motorcycles- our driver told us that motorcycles really are not allowed to travel on the particular road we were on. He went on to say that you can have 3 people "maximum" on motorcycles in Malaysia and that everyone has to wear helmets (this is very strict compared to other Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam where helmets were rarely worn and if there were maximum passenger laws they were completely ignored). We drove on the left side although the driver sat on the right side of the car (felt strange!). They had something like EZ pass but he actually had to swipe his card out his window to get through the tolls...he taught us to say "thank you" in Malay (tarima ka-see- I am one step ahead having learned that already last night!). As we approached the downtown we were surprised at how lush and green the city was...there are trees that form canopies over the city streets complete with vines hanging down and everything.
We arrived to our hotel but we couldn't check in yet as it was only 11am and early check in was not available this "early". The space age check in process was pretty cool...glossy countertops were actually iPads underneath for all the documents to be signed. Barely any paper was exchanged!




We decided to change into our bathing suits and visit the skybar/pool while we waited...we were both craving hot showers like you wouldn't believe but the pool seemed like a close second. The upholstered couches lined the window seats all around the pool. It had a green house feel to it with large skylights- some open and some closed but was nice to not really have to worry about sunscreen. And check out the towers right behind me!




Brian was afraid to have alcohol as he was really ready to crash but the rose lychee martini just sounded way too good to pass up...it was absolutely divine:




We finally were able to check into our room on the 26th floor with a pristine unobstructed view of the towers. We showered for the first time in what-36 hours?! And it was everything we thought it would be! Our room is very nice- large windows and polished wooden furniture. Tons of closet space with a designated office/sitting area as well...we had no problems making a huge mess of it almost immediately with all our bags (and their contents) strewn about.
It was only 2pm and while we were exhausted we also didn't want to completely waste the day. We decided to check out the City Centre just outside of our hotel- a sprawling public park with beautiful trees, fountains and a large play area:




But as with any city park, along with enjoying yourself comes rules...and in this park's case- lots of them:




My personal favorite is #13 "no bathing in the toilet". I am pretty sure this rule was not being observed by one homeless man in particular. I was tempted to run off to the swings but Brian politely reminded me of rule #11 which stated that children over 12 and adults are not allowed to play on equipment meant for children. Also I found it amusing that throwing "sticks and/or stones" was also not allowed :)
We checked out the massive mall (Surias KLCC) just at the base of the Petronas towers...it is a serious 5 level monstrosity complete with domed ceiling boasting stores like Gucci, LV, Guess, Tag Heuer etc...any store you can imagine, you can be sure to find it here:




As turned off as we were of being in s shopping center that could have been in Anywhere, USA we ascended to the 4th level food court for what we thought was going to be authentic Thai cuisine. It felt promising when we were greeted by a woman wearing traditional Thai clothing who bowed for a "wai" and a polite "Sawatdeeka" but I was disappointed when my tea arrived...




Lipton, really? Halfway around the world for Lipton? The service was pretty bad which wasn't surprising after reading that Malaysia has pretty poor service standards in general. However, we were not expecting this:




What is this you ask? Well obviously it is s service bell...once pressed, it rings a bell at the desk and a robot like voice announces "table 10". Approximately 7 minutes later a man arrived with a notepad and an unfriendly demeanor to take our order. The red and panang curries were delicious though so we didn't really care.
Oh and this was my favorite part of their menu...the mocktail "Virgin Mary" highlighted in red for items that the chef recommends (also note drink entitled 'pussie foot' just below:




We found this store inside which reminded us of where our friend Wes would shop if he lived in KL :)




They really don't let you have any fun here...look at all the rules for the escalator:




And then we headed outside in the sweltering heat and late afternoon mist...where we saw a monk wandering along the pond:




And straight up could gape in the magnificence of the Petronas towers, named for the Petrona oil company:




It was only 4pm but being that it was 4am at home we had no problem heading back to our comfortable hotel room, drawing back the drapes and climbing into bed...for what would turn out to be 13 hours of blissful sleep...

Thank you to my friends Yetta Brinks and Patrick Most for sponsoring our first night here at Traders Hotel as a wedding present :)

- Posted from abroad using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia

Part 2: FRA to SIN

So we are on the same, enormous, double decker plane (the A380):




Brian is very excited about this (in fact I am almost certain this is why we chose this particular route). Fortunately this part of our flight was not full and we are able to stretch out across 3 seats, but it is still not enough room to get comfortable enough to actually sleep :( I am so tired and we are only here (note the night and day "bell curve"):




Earlier, they passed out these:





It's the little things :)

There are lots of movies to choose and you can only watch the lightning for so long (thanks for pointing that out Brian) so in the middle of my sleepless night I took advantage of some interactive language lessons. Thought it might be helpful to learn a few useful words and phrases in Malay. We'll probably be using this phrase a lot (gotta love the accompanying illustrations):




And how contradictory is this one? This'll be a tough one to remember...



I'm sure this will come in handy at some point (although hopefully they will just point because otherwise we'll then have to revert back to phrase #1):



And we won't get very far without this one:



Not particularly useful but the picture was nice :)



I did very well on all the post-quizzes:




Hours later I am now regretting not getting that Magnum ice cream bar this afternoon! I missed my window of opportunity :( Although my Indian vegetarian dinner was again -very good- I found myself (with 5 hours left on this flight) digging into our snack bag...this will surely hit the spot:




Ok 3 more hours still...really?! ARE WE THERE YET??



Getting closer...





My vegetarian Indian breakfast was delicious as was Brian's frittata. Since I haven't really slept it seems appropriate to eat "dinner" for "breakfast". This morning I noticed that their juices are named after my childhood nickname "albi" (Joe/Jul- is that how you spell it?). We'll be landing in Singapore soon and then will need to pick up our bags, go through customs and then take our last flight to Kuala Lumpur...soon we will be at our destination. We are just hoping to have some energy left when we get there!

Special thanks to Haim and Shalva Klement, Mary Jo and Zave Smith, and Yetta Brinks and Patrick Most for sponsoring our "best ever" international flights on our honeyfund :)


- Posted from abroad using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:T2 Link North,Changi,Singapore