Malaysia Diaries - Day 13 - Back to Calgary

We woke up early on Friday, in Singapore, to finish packing for our flight to Kuala Lumpur. Then we had a leisurely breakfast, checked out of our hotel and took a taxi to the airport. After going through exit immigration, we waited at the gate for a little while. The flight took off late by half an hour but the flying time was only 30 minutes so we landed in Kuala Lumpur a few minutes before 1 pm. As on most flights during this trip, our little queen needed a diaper change so the half an hour passed very quickly. We didn't even have time to eat our hot chicken pocket so the flight attendants packed it for us. The immigration line in Kuala Lumpur was insanely long and it took us almost two hours to get from our plane to a taxi. The hot pockets were a life saver!

After the efficiency and organization of Singapore, the Malaysian taxi system didn't feel as impressive as it had been earlier during the trip. The taxi driver was on his phone the whole time which was off-putting. It was a long taxi ride to Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC) where we were staying for one night at the InterContinental. The hotels in Malaysia are definitely superior though. For slightly less money, you get much larger rooms in much more advanced and luxurious hotels. We gave Sereen a bath and helped ourselves to hot showers too. Standing in the immigration line had tired us out. We ordered in-room dining and had Malaysian fried rice with shrimp (Nasi Goreng Kampang) and Chinese fried rice with chicken and beef satay skewers. Then we worked on repacking our suitcases so that on our stay in Seattle, we wouldn't need all suitcases. The packing took almost 3 hours so any sightseeing was out of question. We headed downstairs to have dinner. We shared a chicken tikka pita wrap and chicken satay skewers. Then we came back to our room and went to bed for a few hours.

We woke up at 4:30 am and headed down. After checking out and loading our luggage in the hotel taxi, we were on our way back to the airport at 5:15 am. In retrospect, we should've booked a hotel next to the airport since the taxi ride to and from the city center wasn't worth it for just one night. I didn't realize it at that time but the taxi driver didn't take any toll roads so the ride took almost an hour. This was despite having paid a premium for a limousine taxi so tantamount to cheating. We checked in our bags and then waited for our flight that was scheduled for an 8 am departure. The first flight was from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo's Narita Airport. It was an All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight. The flight attendants were super nice and we were impressed by the fact that the washroom with the diaper changing station was extra spacious and had a curve in the table so that the baby doesn't fall out. The Japanese do know how to design things in the best possible way! For the first time on a flight, we were able to get a bassinet for Sereen. She slept in it for a couple of hours on the 6 hour flight.

Our transit in Tokyo was less than two hours and the long line for security made it even tighter. We hurried to the gate as quickly as we could since we had to check in and get our boarding passes. The plane was full so we didn't get a bulkhead seat. The flight was delayed by an hour so we had time to buy some Japanese chocolates. The 9 hour flight to Seattle went as smooth as it could without a car seat and a bassinet. We improvised to create a makeshift bed for Sereen by joining the seat tray tables of both our seats by covering the gap between them with a sturdy magazine and covering the surface with the blanket provided by the airlines. For the dinner and breakfast service, Samia would hold Sereen in her arms while I fed Samia. Since it was night time in Seattle, the lights were off during most of the flight which helped Sereen think it was her night time so she slept through most of the flight. It was the toughest flight with Sereen because it was long in duration and we didn't have the respite of a car seat or bassinet that we had on long flights earlier in the trip. To fix our sleep schedule and to make sure we kept Sereen safe, I stayed awake on the flight and had coffee twice.

We landed in Seattle at 9:45 am local time on Saturday, almost a day after leaving our hotel in Kuala Lumpur. After going through a smooth immigration and collecting our bags, we were out around 10:30 am. Samia's cousin Mariam's husband Sameem was there to pick us up. We loaded our luggage in their car and drove to their place in the University District of Seattle. Mariam and Sameem are excellent hosts and took great care of us. We had lunch and chatted with Sameem and played with their daughter Undaleeb who was born two days after Sereen. She is super cute and smiles a lot. She was recovering from a cold but the sweet baby was still very responsive and playful. Mariam was at a conference and got back by 2 pm. After chatting, catching up, playing with each other's daughters and sharing notes as parents for a few hours, we decided to freshen up by taking showers and get ready for dinner. Then Mariam's brother Taha came over so we had a good time catching up with him. We walked to a Persian restaurant in the neighborhood for dinner and the food was really good. After dinner, we came back and went to bed.

Next morning (Sunday), we had extremely delicious omelettes for breakfast made by our generous hosts. Then Samia, Sereen and I met up with my friend Omair, his wife Urooj and their daughter Zahra for coffee at a nearby cafe. It was good catching up with them and seeing their daughter all grown up and talking. After catching up with them, we walked back to Mariam and Sameem's place. For lunch, we ordered in burgers. We had our flight back to Calgary at 7 pm so we left their place around 4:30 pm. Sameem was nice enough to stay with us to give us company at the airport until we were ready to go for security checking. The flight took off on time and after a flying time of a little over an hour, we landed in Calgary at 9:30 pm local time.

Sarim was at the airport to pick us up. He had gone to our place, shoveled our driveway, started our cars, done grocery for breakfast, brought over food lovingly cooked by Samia's mummy and had then come to pick us up. Such a gentleman! It's so great to have family living close to you! After reaching home, we unpacked our essentials while Sarim played with Sereen and then we went to bed. It was a memorable trip and I love the fact that I was able to spend time with Samia and Sereen without having to worry about work or household chores. Hope you enjoyed the updates! Till our next trip to Australia in April, take care and goodbye!

Malaysia Diaries - Day 12 - Singapore Part Three

On our last full day in Singapore and our last touristy day of the trip, we woke up around 8:30 am and went down to have breakfast. The specialty item of the day was pooris with aloo. It was delicious but so filling that we skipped our customary omelette. However, to balance the oily richness of the pooris, we had cereal with milk. After breakfast, we went back to our room to relax and Sereen took a nap. Around 11 am, we had the chocolate mousse cake from the previous night which turned out to be quite good. After getting ready, we headed out around 2 pm.

We took a taxi to Chinatown and were dropped off near the entrance to the main touristy street. At the entrance is the Sri Mariamman Temple, the oldest Hindu temple of Singapore and was built in early 19th century. Similar to mosques and Chinese temples earlier in the trip, we had to take off our shoes to go inside. The temple also serves as a community center so lining the central prayer hall are rooms for community events. The outer facade of the main prayer hall building is decorated with hundreds of colorful statues of Hindu gods and goddesses displaying their special powers. Tourists cannot go inside the prayer hall so after making a quick round around the building, we headed out.

We turned left from the temple and were on the Main Street of Chinatown. We walked along the road, passing by souvenir and merchandise shops on both sides that were extending on to the street, making the walkable area narrower than the actual width of the street. We bought a few things and then reached the Chinatown Heritage Center. The Singaporean government has taken steps in the last few years to showcase the heritage of its people and the Chinatown Heritage Center is a result of that, similar to the Malay Heritage Center that we visited a couple of days earlier.

The Chinatown Heritage Center walks visitors through life in Chinatown as it was for the early immigrants from China. The ground floor used to be a tailor shop so the audio guide explains the day to day business of the shop, complete with audio effects to make it sound like you've been transported back in time. We walked through the front of the shop where measurements and new orders were taken and then explored the back of the shop where workers and apprentices not only worked but also lived. The master tailor who was the owner of the business and the house lived on the same in a small room and solid wood furniture was the only indication that the occupant was more affluent than the apprentices. In the back of the building was the kitchen and toilet. The life of these hard working immigrants was quite tough and the living conditions very humble.

The second floor has rooms that were rented to other Chinese immigrants. The rooms are small and the kitchen and toilet were shared by 40 people. The Heritage Center showcases lives and challenges of people who lived in each of the 8 rooms including a Chinese herbal medicine physician who used his room as his clinic and a family of 8 that lived in one small room. The audio guide is quite detailed so we spent almost almost an hour exploring the tailor shop and the residential quarters of the second floor. Then the audio guided portion of the Heritage Center ended and we were in a regular museum style section that chronicled other aspects of the lives of Chinese immigrants with displays and charts. There were displays about the differences in customs and traditions of immigrants who came from different parts of China and the widespread opium addiction among immigrants who had tough lives. Another section was dedicated to the funeral customs of Chinatown inhabitants of Singapore. The Heritage Center gives an excellent account of the Chinese community and its roots.

When we were done with our tour, Sereen needed a diaper change but there were no change tables in the restrooms of the Heritage Center and it was raining outside. We walked under the covered area in front of the shops and made our way to the main road where we flagged down a taxi and headed back to our hotel. We relaxed in our room for a couple of hours and then headed out for dinner. We took a taxi to Clarke Quay (pronounced 'key') which is a pier along the Singapore River lined with restaurants and cafes. It was rush hour so the taxi ride took almost half an hour.

We had chicken and lamb shawarma at a food stall. The quality of food was great, as it has been on the entire trip. Then we walked along the river for almost an hour, taking a break in the middle to sit on a bench to admire the scene in front of us - skyscrapers with their neon signs and lights lining the skyline and cruise boats transporting tourists in the calm Singapore river. The weather was perfect so we could have walked more but it was getting late. We walked to the Fullerton Hotel and took a taxi from there back to our hotel. We ended up getting a limousine with a chatty driver so the ride back was interesting. After getting back to our room, we went to bed since we had to start our journey back the next day. Singapore is a great place to live and we wouldn't mind moving there - it's one of the main financial hubs of Asia with English as their official language, food and weather is great, amenities are top notch, it's very child friendly and not too far from Pakistan. For now though, we are glad to be going back to our home, Canada. Till the final update that will combine a couple of days into a single update, take care!

Malaysia Diaries - Day 11 - Samia's birthday and Singapore Part Two

We slept in and woke up around 9 am. Sereen and I wished Samia a very happy birthday, her first as the mother of our cute chunky monkey by cuddling with Samia. We went down for breakfast around 9:30 am and had cereal, omelettes, choley bhaturay and fruits. After breakfast, we came back to the room to relax. Samia and Sereen took a nap while I caught up on previous updates. With Sereen as a new member of our travel party, writing updates daily is a challenge so I have been a couple of days behind on the entire trip. We gave Sereen a bath and were getting ready when Saim called to wish Samia. Our doll Sereen reached the 5 month milestone and dressed up in a new chambray outfit to celebrate her mom's birthday. Then we left our room around 1:45 pm. We had a dinner reservation for Samia's birthday at 7 pm which was a few hours away so we decided to grab something to eat before sightseeing.

Our hotel is connected to a mall with its back entrance opening into the mall. We had a little difficulty in finding the food court at the mall but eventually found it. It had a lot of variety but we decided to stick to familiar items and had Nasi Goreng (fried rice with chicken) and Nasi Biryani. We also tried the special coffee variant of this region called the Kopi. It's sweeter than regular coffee and was a bit too sweet for our taste buds. We also had iced Milo. Yes, it's the same chocolate mix Milo that we have in Pakistan too. By the time we got back to our hotel lobby, it was almost 3 pm since maneuvering the stroller at the mall through handicap accessible ramps (and a short flight of stairs) took a bit of time. On that note, to get to our hotel room from the lobby, we also have to take the stroller up and down a short flight of stairs every time. On our first day, we initially thought about requesting for a different room but when we were checking in, the hotel representative had told us that this was one of the biggest rooms that they have and with Sereen's stuff, we need the extra space so we decided to just brave the short flight of stairs for a few days. Every time we have to go past those stairs, Samia holds Sereen and I take the stroller up/down the stairs.

It had started raining quite heavily so we had to change our plan. We had originally thought about going to Chinatown to walk around and explore the area but our hotel concierge told us that it won't be a great idea with a baby in a stroller. We had short listed a couple of museums and asked the hotel concierge for a recommendation between them. Without hesitation, he recommended the National Museum of Singapore. The heavy rain meant that taxis were in great demand so we had to wait for 15 minutes before we got one. The National Museum of Singapore was less than a kilometer away and if the weather had been better, we could have walked. The taxi ride took about 15 minutes because of rain and rush hour induced traffic congestion. We reached the museum a little after 3:30 pm. After changing Sereen's diaper and buying our tickets, we started exploring the museum around 4 pm.

Sereen was sleepy but the first exhibit was a colorful educational display of the natural ecology of Singapore so I held her in my arms so that she could see it. She was mesmerized by the screens displaying trees, animals, rain and falling leaves. By the time we got to the next exhibit, she was really sleepy so we rocked her to sleep in her stroller and continued exploring the museum. The history section was very extensive and extremely well done. It chronicled the history of Singapore from the time it was named Singapura in the 14th Century to all the way to the present day. The colonial influence, the Japanese invasion, union with Malaysia for a couple of years and eventually the formation of an independent nation in 1965, it was all covered with concise and apt displays. The ascent of Singapore as a technologically advanced city-state since 1965 powered by industrial manufacturing was also documented. Focus on family planning, urban housing development projects and green spaces was emphasized.

It was such an engrossing display that we were only able to see one level of the museum by 6 pm and then it was time for us to leave. It was still raining heavily and everyone leaving the museum was getting a taxi so they were in high demand. Our hotel has provided a smartphone device called Handy with data and local calling to aid our touristy ventures in the city. A security guard at the museum used the Handy device to help us call a taxi. While chatting with her, Samia found out that she was a law school student and had previously worked in the hotel industry. She pointed out a few buildings of the Singapore Management University and a few top hotels in the city skyline. She also mentioned that if our hotel check-in person was paying attention, there might be a small cake waiting for Samia when we get back.

The restaurant where we had made a reservation for dinner to celebrate Samia's birthday is called Colony and located inside the Ritz-Carlton hotel. It's a very nice hotel and after reaching there, we first attended to Sereen and then headed to the restaurant for our 7 pm reservation. It was a dinner buffet with 7 different varieties available - Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Malaysian, Western, local Singaporean and desserts. We tried Asian salads, English lamb chops, Indian tikkas, Malaysian satay skewers, sushi and a few different types of desserts. The winner were the succulent lamb chops. In retrospect though, instead of a buffet, a sit-down dinner with table service would have been better since choosing from a buffet is tough plus we've been spoiled by the world's best buffet in Las Vegas which is hard to match. When we asked for the bill, the servers brought a small piece of cake out for Samia with a candle and a piece of chocolate that read "Happy Birthday". That was a nice gesture to cap off the birthday dinner, Samia's first with Sereen.

After dinner, we took a taxi back to our hotel. When we entered the room, a small chocolate cake was waiting for Samia. It wished her Happy Birthday but got the gender wrong and read "Happy Birthday, Mr Siddiqui". Nonetheless it was still nice of the hotel to pay attention and try to lend a personal touch to our stay. We were too full from dinner so decided to save the cake as a brunch treat for the next day. We relaxed for a couple of hours and then went to bed. Till the next update, take care!

Malaysia Diaries - Day 10 - Singapore Part One

On our first full day in Singapore, we woke up around 7 am and went down to have breakfast. Like the lavish breakfast spreads of our Malaysian hotels, the buffet at InterContinental Singapore offers a wide range of options too. Perhaps the fact that the Malay peninsula, home to both Malaysia and Singapore is dominated by three main groups of people (the Malays, the Chinese and the Indians) means that to cater to them, the range of options in a buffet has to be extensive. Whatever the reason, we are not complaining! We had omelettes, cereal, a variation of Indian potato cutlets called bonda, yogurt and fruits.

Then we came back to our room and relaxed while Sereen took a nap. We left the hotel around 1 pm and took a taxi to the Malay Heritage Center. It's a cultural center with a museum that celebrates Malay history, culture and arts. There were galleries that outlined the growth of Singapore and the contribution of the Malay people towards that growth. Singapore is an island south of the Malay peninsula. It's strategic location meant that it became a trading hub quite early on in the 14th century and connected traders from Arabia, India, China and Europe. When Singapore reemerged as a major port in the 19th and 20th centuries, that brought in an influx of migrants from the nearby islands that today form the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, southern Thailand, Cambodia, Brunei and the Philippines. The shared religious and cultural values led to close interactions between these migrants and eventually they came to be collectively known as the "Malays".

We also saw a royal family tree that showed conversion of Parameswara from Hinduism to Islam with his new name Iskandar Shah and the journey from Singapura to Melaka kingdom to the Johor-Riau kingdom. We also learnt about a family spat between two brothers that was exploited by the colonial powers that eventually resulted in Singapore forming its own identity, separate from Malaysia. The contribution of the Malay people in the city of Singapore towards commerce, film, literature, politics and education is very well documented in this cultural heritage center that's located in a building that used to be a palace of the Sultan.

After that we walked to the adjacent Sultan Mosque which is Singapore's largest mosque that was founded in 1824 and can accommodate up to 5000 people for prayers. It incorporates architectural elements from different parts of the world with golden colored onion domes, balustrades, arches and minarets. We took turns to check out the interior since Sereen's stroller couldn't go inside. We then walked on the nearby Arab Street which has clothing and handicrafts stores. For lunch, we stopped at a highly rated restaurant called Zam Zam that was founded in 1908. It's a hole in the wall place but the food is great. We tried their specialty Martabak which is essentially a paratha with a filling of omelette and the meat of your choice. We chose mutton. We also had noodles with beef and boneless chicken bites. Samia tried a local variant of the fizzy drink Fanta. After lunch, we walked back to the Malay Heritage Center to quickly check out their temporary exhibitions.

Then we took a taxi to Gardens by the Bay. Covering a vast areas alongside the waterfront, this horticultural attraction features thousands of rare plants in landscapes gardens. We first explored the Flower Dome which has flowers and plants from all over the world. Sereen loved all the brightly colored flowers. In the center of the Flower Dome, there was a special display for Chinese New Year. Then we went to the Cloud Dome which has the world's largest man made waterfall. We spent almost two hours exploring these two domes. Then at 7:45 pm, we saw the dazzling light and sound show in the Supertree Grove which are 16-story high vertical gardens that collect rainwater, generate solar power, act as venting ducts for the conservatories and look like giant trees. Suspended between two supertrees is a walkway. In the sound and light show, different songs from various Asian cultures were played and the lights changed colors based on the music. The famous Indian song Chayyan Chayyan was also part of the show.

After the show, we walked to Satay by the Bay that's a collection of street food stalls in the premises of the gardens. It was a refreshing ten minute walk along the waterfront. We had chicken satay skewers with customary mouth watering peanut sauce, Turkish Kababs and Malaysian fried rice (Nasi Goreng). We also tried the chendol dessert that has coconut milk, ice shavings, red beans, rice flour jelly with pandaan leaves juice and Palm sugar. It had an interesting taste but the concept of beans in a dessert was quite funny. Then we walked back along the water to the entrance and took a taxi back to our hotel. We reached back around 11 pm and went to bed. It was going to be Samia's birthday in a few hours and I had planned to stay up till midnight to wish her but fell asleep. However with our new parenthood sleep routine, I was able to wish her at 4 am. Till the next update, take care!

Malaysia Diaries - Day 9 - Langkawi to Singapore

Our wake up call in Langkawi was at 6 am but Sereen was up at 3:30 am so we didn't need any additional help in waking up. We finished packing and left our room at 6:30 am. At checkout, we were given packed breakfast to go so that we could eat on our way to the airport. We had the chicken sandwiches and croissants in the taxi after leaving the hotel at 7 am. Then we had our packed fruit platter while sitting at the gate. The flight departed a few minutes late but after a flying time of almost one and half hours during which we ate hot chicken pockets and changed Sereen's diaper, the pilot made up for the delay and we landed in Singapore a few minutes earlier than the scheduled arrival time. Our pilot was the same one who had flown our flight from Kuala Lumpur to Penang a few days ago as well. He gave us a tour of the islands as we passed by them. We knew he was the same pilot because of his unmistakable American accent and a local name.

The Changi airport of Singapore is super organized and thoroughly impressed us. From baby change tables in the male washroom to super fast ATM machines to organized taxi dispatching system, this has to be the most advanced and baby friendly airport we've seen. We took a taxi to our hotel InterContinental and after checking in, reached our room a little after noon. We had the remaining croissants, chicken sandwiches and pastries and then decided to relax and took a nap for a few hours. After we woke up, Samia was starting to get a migraine from not having had a proper meal so we ordered room service. We shared chicken satay skewers and fried rice with chicken and both were delicious. Then we gave Sereen a bath and got ready.

We left the hotel at 8:30 pm and took a taxi to the Singapore Zoo for the famous Night Safari. The taxi ride was almost half an hour as we were traveling to the other end of this small city-state/country. We reached the safari around 9 pm and decided to have dinner at a burger cafe before the two main things we wanted to do. The burgers were quite good for a tourist attraction food joint but on the pricey side. We saw a fire dancers show while having our dinner. Then at 9:30 pm, we saw the "Creatures of the Night" show. It was way past Sereen's self-appointed bedtime but she was refusing to sleep and was in great spirits. She really enjoyed the outdoor setting with a decent level of humidity in the air and perfect Goldilocks temperature of not too warm, not too hot, just right.

In the creatures of the night show, we saw owls, raccoons, an otter, a spotted hyena, African serval and a giant python. It was a captivating twenty minute show with great messages of conservation and recycling for the kids and adults alike. The highlight perhaps was the African serval (that looks like a Cheetah) jumping almost 15 feet high to catch its prey. After the show, we got on the safari tram that was a 45 minute ride through the park with scores of animals on display in habitats closely resembling their natural environments. The most notable ones were elephants, lions, Malay tigers, several species of deer, hyenas, wolves, zebras and hippopotamuses. It was past 10 pm but Sereen was still awake and chattering away.

If we had more time, we would've done the walking trails but it was quite late for our little queen so we decided to head back to the hotel. We took a taxi back to our hotel. Before leaving, we had applied a smidgen of mosquito repellent on Sereen's cheeks and arms so we didn't want her to sleep like that. We gave her another bath and to make sure that we didn't have any traces of the mosquito repellent on our bodies, we also took turns taking showers. We went to bed around 1 am after a tiring travel day. The temperatures in our four days in Singapore are forecast to be the highest of our trip with thundershowers expected as well so we will coordinate our sightseeing such that during the daytime we are indoors. Till the next update, take care!

Malaysia Diaries - Day 8 - Langkawi

On our only full day in Langkawi, we had breakfast at the same restaurant where we had dinner the previous night. We chose the best resort on the island so that we could dine at the hotel and minimize the planning and travel time required to choose a restaurant. The spread was quite elaborate, not as extensive as the ones in Kuala Lumpur or Penang but it made up for that in quality. The service was again splendid, the best of our trip so far. The server even remembered that Sereen was sleeping when we were there the previous night for dinner. We had omelettes, Samia had pancakes and I had waffles. Sereen woke up when we were finishing breakfast so we decided to go to the swimming pool.

We went up to the room to change Sereen into her swimming costume. The idea was to dip her in the pool but Samia heard a kid tell his mom that the water was so cold that he couldn't hold in his pee and then we decided to not take Sereen in the contaminated water. We chilled by the pool in a shaded cabana with a view of lush green hills and the bright blue ocean sparkling in the blazing tropical sun. A server brought us cold water which was perfect for the weather. When it started getting too hot, we decided to escape back to the comfort of our air conditioned room and relaxed there for a couple of hours.

Having recharged our batteries, we decided to head out for the most popular attraction of the island, the cable car ride up to the tallest peak of the island. We took a taxi there and it was only when I got on the cable car that I realized that it wasn't going to be a pleasant ride for me. The cable car ride was almost 15 minutes and covered a distance of 2 kilometers but to a person like me with a fear of heights, the ride seemed like it went on for eternity. I made the mistake of sitting on the wrong side of the cable car where I could see how much higher we had left to go. Samia tried her best to calm me down but I couldn't take off my eyes from our destination. It was a terrifying ride for me and seeing me that afraid, Samia also froze and didn't look outside. Sereen was in my arms and every time she moved, I pleaded with her to stop moving.

We got off at the first stop which was a vista point with wooden floor. Samia took some pictures while I sat on a bench with Sereen, trying to mentally prepare myself for the ride down. Then Samia gave me bad news that we had another short segment of upward climb before we could head down. This segment wasn't as scary since there wasn't much of an upward climb. Once we reached the second and final stop, we had the option of going to the so-called sky bridge that's a bridge between two peaks and definitely not meant for a person afraid of heights. I declined to go and Samia didn't want to leave us. She told me later that she actually really wanted to go on the bridge but my fear had guilted her so much that she decided to not go because she was scared that I would get upset again. This stop comprised concrete structures surrounded by bushes and even had a restaurant. I was comfortable walking around on this stop unlike the previous vista point. We took some photos on the top level that was above the restaurant. We had magnificent views of the ocean and the beaches but it was too hot so we had to get back down to the shaded area after a few minutes. Then we headed back down on the cable car and the ride back wasn't scary for me for two reasons - psychologically, I knew we were getting closer to the ground; and there were two other gentlemen in our cable car and the extra weight helped stabilize the cable car, as opposed to our ride up where to my horror, even the slightest wind would move the cable car. Sereen was chattering on the ride back down too whereas she had been quiet on the ride up. Maybe she shares the fear of heights with her dad!

I was glad that we reached back to the safety of the ground. We decided to check out the 3D center. It's a very interesting concept where the walls and the floors are painted such that if you take photos, the people standing in front of them blend in as part of the scene which makes for some splendid pictures. We spent almost an hour in there and took lots of fun photos. The best one was an accidental shot where Sereen cried for an instant while I was holding her in front of a scene of the jungle with a tiger ready to pounce. In the photo, it appears that she spotted the tiger and was screaming whereas I was oblivious to the tiger's presence. Sereen was getting tired so we decided to head back to our hotel. She fell asleep while we were walking to the taxi and kept sleeping even when we reached our hotel.

It had been an exhausting afternoon so we took a nap in our air conditioned room. When it was dinner time, we didn't feel like going out of our room so decided to order room service. We had vegetarian spring rolls and chicken soup for appetizer. I had the chicken karahi and Samia had a trio of rendang - beef, chicken and lamb. The food was amazing and it was our first experience of fine dining in the comfort of our night suits. After dinner, we stayed up for a little while and then went back to sleep.

Langkawi was the relaxing leg of our journey but the tourism resumes in the last leg of the trip, in Singapore. The tropical weather in Malaysia has been a great respite from the cold weather of Calgary albeit too hot at times. Our impression of Malaysia is that it is like Hawaii but with exotic food and colonial history. It's family friendly, has great weather and welcoming people. It's quite advanced and is similar to Turkey in that respect. We will head to the city-state of Singapore next. Till the next update from the lion city, take care!

Malaysia Diaries - Day 7 - Penang to Langkawi

After waking up early, we finished packing and then checked out of our hotel in Penang. We got a seafront lawn table for breakfast and enjoyed our food with the splendid views of the Strait of Malacca. The taxi driver from the previous day, Mister Hussain, picked us up at 8:45 am for a ride to the airport. The flight took off on time at 11 am and after a very short flight of 25 minutes, we touched down in Langkawi. The flight was so short that our prepaid chicken hot pocket meal was packed to go since the flight attendants realized that there would be no time to eat.

Langkawi airport is small, like the island, and there was no bridge so we had to walk to the terminal. We took a taxi to our hotel The Danna and reached the hotel by 12:30 pm. The check-in process was very comprehensive and the staff even arranged for our Langkawi departure taxi to the airport. As part of the check-in process, we were offered a complimentary drink, a two minute shoulder massage and a tour of the amenities offered by the hotel - the island's largest infinity pool, a library, a kids lounge, a spa, an adult bar with live music and three restaurants. Our hotel has a private beach and a central courtyard that looks like a part of the rain-forest jungle with thick foliage, a waterfall and a fish pond. It's another colonial hotel with high ceilings and spacious verandas.

Our room wasn't ready but upon our request, they were able to give us a different room right away. We were in our room at 1 pm, had the hot chicken pocket which was actually lukewarm now and gave Sereen her usual post-flight bath. The room had a huge balcony similar to our hotel room in Penang with views of the ocean and green hills. Sereen was tired and fell asleep. After relaxing in the room for a couple of hours, we got ready and headed down at 5 pm for afternoon tea at one of the restaurants.

It was a very hot day so instead of tea, we opted for iced drinks - caramel coffee for me and chocolate for Samia. The spread included smoked salmon and tuna sandwiches, chicken curry patty, scones with clotted cream and jam and a selection of desserts - pandaan flavored cheesecake, mango pastry, raspberry tart and coconut panna cotta. The scones were fresh and absolutely delicious. Sereen was still sleeping so we sat in the veranda for about half an hour and once she woke up, we decided to check out the infinity pool and the beach.

We got a cabana next to the beach with the pool behind us and lay down to soak in the warm weather. It was too hot for Sereen initially but when the sun started going down, she was her usual chattering playful self. We chilled in the cabana for about an hour and then went back to our room to relax for an hour in the air conditioning. For dinner, we came down to another hotel restaurant where the food turned out to be exceptional. By this time, Sereen had fallen asleep again so we were able to fully appreciate the fine dining experience. I had murgh makhni and Samia had sliced braised beef in coconut curry. The food was superb and the service was even better. After dinner, we headed back to the room and went to bed. Till the next update, take care!

Malaysia Diaries - Day 6 - Penang Part Two

On our second day in Penang, after having breakfast, we came back to our room and relaxed. We spent time playing with Sereen and made her laugh. We were also able to preserve the memory of Sereen's baby laughter by capturing that on video. We took our time getting ready and left the room around 1 pm. Our hotel concierge was able to arrange a taxi for us that was going to stay with us the entire day and whose driver was trusted by the hotel. The driver was a fellow named Mohammad Hussain but our concierge introduced him to us as Mister Hussain. He was a very polite person and pointed out things of interest as we drove by them.

Our first stop of the day was the Khoo Kongsi Temple which is an ornate temple built by the Khoo clan. Unfortunately, the temple was not going to open for another two hours because of Chinese New Year schedule so we couldn't go inside. We saw some street art while walking to the temple and took some photos on the way back. Then we drove by the Kapitan Keling Mosque which was built around 1800 by a Tamil Muslim named Caudeer Mohudeen. Tamils were known as Kelings and he was their leader. The mosque has Indian styled copper domes, turrets and a minaret.

Our next stop of the day was the Kek Lok Si Temple. It's the largest and most celebrated Buddhist temple in Malaysia, spread across a hilltop. The most striking feature of Kek Lok Si is the giant bronze statue of Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy. The temple has multiple prayer halls and a fish pond. The temple complex reminded us of Japan's Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto. The bright tropical sun was blazing down so it was a challenge to move around while trying to protect Sereen from direct sunlight. There were stairs to go up and see the giant bronze statue up close. Usually that area is closed but it was open for Chinese New Year and our driver encouraged us to make use of this rare opportunity. He watched over the stroller while we explored the statue and took some pictures in the shade.

Our next stop was Penang Hill. It is Malaysia's oldest hill station and was built by the British as an escape from the heat of Georgetown, the main city on Penang Island. Our hotel and the attractions that we explored the previous day are all in Georgetown. To go to the top of the hill, we rode a 7 minute long steep funicular line that was built in 1923. Before the railway was built, a horse track was used to go to the top. It was a challenge getting Sereen's stroller on the funicular since the boarding platform didn't have a ramp, only stairs. The best our express ticket could do was that it got us to the head of the queue. The hill summit offers panoramic views of the Strait of Malacca, the mainland and the island of Penang.

Our original plan was to have afternoon tea at David Brown's restaurant but due to lack of stroller access, we abandoned the idea and instead decided to eat at the food court. Samia had Nasi Goreng (fried rice) with black pepper chicken whereas I had fried rice with grilled chicken. We also got a couple of popiah spring rolls and samosas from another stall. Sereen was taking a nap till that time but then she woke up because of the heat and was very restless. Another perk of the express ticket was that while waiting for the return funicular ride, we could wait in an air conditioned room. That cool break calmed her down so she was fine during the ride down. Our taxi driver was waiting for us when we got to the base of Penang Hill and then he drove us back to our hotel. We liked the service provided by Mister Hussain so we asked him to pick us up the next morning for our ride to the airport as well.

After reaching our hotel, we freshened up and then headed for our hotel's infinity pool. When the pool is built such that it gives the appearance of continuing on into the sea or ocean, it's called an infinity pool. Sereen dressed up in her sunhat, swimming suit and swimming diaper and I helped her take a dip in a swimming pool for the first time. The water was colder than her usual bath water so the experience was novel for her but she seemed to enjoy it. After chilling by the pool for about an hour, we came back to our room and relaxed before dinner.

We had dinner at the same restaurant where we had dinner the night before. This time we put the mosquito net on Sereen's stroller and got a table outside by the ocean. It wasn't too busy so Sereen didn't get disturbed and kept sleeping. We had an appetizer basket comprising fried items - spring rolls, samosas, moneybags (they look like moneybags and the filling is where the money would have been) and batter fried shrimp. For our main course, I had the beef rendang and Samia had the nasi goreng (fried rice) with chicken satay skewers. It was a quiet night. The soothing splashing of ocean water against the shore rocks and the warm tropical night created the perfect setting for a relaxing meal. After the delicious dinner, we walked along the seafront lawn of our hotel under the moonlit sky. It's the largest seafront lawn in the world and boasts manicured lawns and lush gardens overlooking the Strait of Malacca. It had been another tiring day so we fell asleep almost immediately after reaching our room. Till the next update, take care!

Malaysia Diaries - Day 5 - Penang Part One

On our first full day in Penang, we woke up early, having slept a lot on the previous night. We went down for breakfast to the restaurant called Sarkies, named after the brothers who built the hotel. The spread was quite impressive. The service wasn't as attentive as it was at our Kuala Lumpur hotel but to compensate for that, they were making fresh parathas on order. We had omelette and paratha with daal and curry. The lattes in Malaysia have been great and have been our preferred breakfast beverage. We went back to our room to relax for a bit and then headed out for the day.

We walked a few blocks to the nearby Cheong Fatt Tze mansion, also called the Blue Mansion. It gets that name from its blue colored outer facade. Our guided tour started at 11 am and went on for almost an hour. The mansion was built by a Chinese businessman who was called Cheong Fatt Tze. He had ventures all over Southeast Asia and was a rich man. He built the house to showcase his wealth and it originally stood in the center of his estate, of which only the mansion now remains intact. The mansion is a traditional Chinese house with a central courtyard but as its owner was an international businessman, he also wanted to use the latest trends of the day so he used English tiles and stained glass windows. The mansion also features Qing dynasty latticework and cast-iron balusters. Cheong Fatt Tze wanted the house to serve his family for eternity so there is a lot of symbolism based on Chinese beliefs. For instance, the central courtyard has 8 pillars as 8 is considered a lucky number. There are enough rooms to house 9 generations and 9 signifies eternity. Cheong Fatt Tze had 8 wives but only three of them lived in this mansion including his favorite one. She was the mother of his last son and according to his will, the house could not be sold until his last son died. The house was put up for auction in 1988 after the death of the last son and that's when its current owners purchased it. They are a husband and wife team of architects who took it upon themselves to restore the house to its original splendor, with minor adjustments to fit in electric wires and indoor plumbing. The house opened to the public in 1998 and also serves as a hotel with 18 rooms. The mansion doesn't have air conditioning so I had to make sure I kept Sereen cool by keeping her in the range of fans.

After visiting the mansion, we got a strawberry flavored bubble tea from a stand outside the mansion and then walked a few more blocks to our next stop of the day, the Penang State Museum and Art Gallery. Located next to Saint George's Church, this small museum gives an excellent account of the history of Penang. It has maps and records chronicling the growth of Penang since the arrival of the British. The first floor showcases the various ethnic groups that constitute Penang's population, with exhibits of clothing, photographs, household items and artifacts associated with Penang island's Malay, Chinese and Indian communities. The second floor is devoted to Penang's history with special emphasis on the colonial era, the Japanese occupation, the Chinese and Indian settlements and the gaining of independence. There were two different couples at the museum who took pictures with Sereen after asking us. This baby is a hit wherever she goes! The museum was air conditioned so Sereen was her usual playful self and gave both couples lots of smiles.

After that we walked to Little India and stopped at a vegetarian South Indian restaurant for lunch. We had Mushroom 65 and samosas for appetizer and I had a sweet lassi. For our main course, we had an aloo paratha, paneer manchurian and Szechuan fried rice. Then we walked by clothing stores, jewelry stores and music shops blaring Bollywood music before taking a taxi back to our hotel. We rested for an hour and then took our hotel shuttle to the other end of the island, the beach town of Batu Ferrenghi. The shuttle took about an hour during which time Sereen took a nap in my arms. We were dropped off at a sister hotel of the Eastern and Oriental hotel. We had thought that the beach would be nice but perhaps because of too much commercialization, it was crowded and didn't look too appealing so we decided to not go near the water. We had a banana milkshake at the hotel cafe and then walked along the patch between the hotel and the beach that had very old and tall shady trees. Originally the plan was to relax at the beach and then take the shuttle back at 9:45 pm but since we were done earlier than that, we decided to take a taxi back to our hotel. It was a nice drive along the beach. Sereen started crying so we had to keep her distracted by playing her favorite Coke Studio songs. When we reached the hotel, we rested in our room for a little while and Sereen fell asleep.

We went to the old wing of our hotel to dine at the Sarkies Corner restaurant. We decided to sit inside because all the people were sitting outside and we didn't want Sereen to get disturbed while she was sleeping. Usually when we go for dinner, Sereen is sleeping so we transfer her to her stroller where she keeps sleeping peacefully while we have dinner. We had chicken satay skewers with peanut sauce for appetizer. I had the beef rendang with rice and Samia had Kapitan chicken curry with rice. After dinner, we went back to our room and decided to call it a night. We aren't walking as much as we usually do on our vacations but still we end up walking around 10,000 steps or around 7-8 kilometers. In this heat and humidity with a stroller to manage as well, that's probably the most we can do. Till the next update, take care!

Malaysia Diaries - Day 4 - Kuala Lumpur to Penang

Maybe it wasn't a great idea to go to bed early the night before. I was up at 2 am and couldn't sleep after that while Samia woke up at 4 am. It was an odd time since we couldn't go out for sightseeing and breakfast wasn't going to start till 6 am. We just lazed in bed, played with Sereen and then started packing at 5 am since we had a flight to Penang in a few hours. We left for breakfast at 6 am and took our sweet time, enjoying the marvelous spread on offer. We had their omelettes every day and also tried the roti canai which is very similar to our Pakistani paratha. The roti canai comes with either daal or chicken/fish curry. Everyday, I also had the cereal whereas Samia had yogurt with fresh fruits. One day we tried the middle eastern breakfast and one day we tried Singaporean fried noodles. The bar has been set really high for breakfast buffets now!

After yet another elaborate breakfast in Kuala Lumpur, we checked out of the hotel and took a taxi to the airport. The ride was almost 40 minutes long so we installed Sereen's car seat in the taxi and she enjoyed gazing outside the window from her comfortable seat. At the airport, we dropped off our check-in bags and changed Sereen's diaper before going to the gate. For all local flights in Malaysia and Singapore, we chose the budget airline Air Asia but then upgraded for a nominal fee to get seats in the first row and a meal. Sereen needed another diaper change after we got on the plane so we changed her on the floor at the base of the seat, thanks to the extra leg room. It was a short flight with a flying time of less than an hour. The meal was a chicken hot pocket that was quite delicious. We landed in Penang around noon.

We took a taxi to our hotel and due to traffic congestion, reached there by 1 pm. Our room wasn't ready so we were given the option of relaxing in a lounge. Our hotel is the historic Eastern and Oriental Hotel that was established in 1885 by the Armenian Sarkies brothers who also established the Raffles hotel in Singapore. A few years back, a new wing was constructed; our room was in that wing. The hotel backs on to the Strait of Malacca so the views of the water are spectacular. The waiting lounge had free drinks so we helped ourselves to lattes while Sereen stretched out on the couch. When our room was ready, we gave Sereen a bath and then showered and got ready for our afternoon tea reservation at the hotel's restaurant called 1885.

The afternoon tea had a two tiered stand with one tier for sandwiches that had 7 types of sandwiches - smoked salmon roll, egg salad croissant, smoked beef brisket, tuna sandwich, cucumber tomato cream cheese, chicken vol-au-vent and cheese tomato roll. The other tier was for dessert that included a cheesecake, a macaroon, a small piece of chocolate cake and panna cotta. There were also scones with clotted cream and jam. I got a tea called mint and fresh whereas Samia got a more exotic flowery black tea blend called Darjeeling Jungpana. To our surprise, Sereen didn't create any noise and we were able to finish our tea and snacks in peace. When we went back to the room, I was really tired and fell asleep almost immediately. Sereen fell asleep too but Samia stayed up for a few more hours, hoping that we would wake up. The cycle of sleeping early and waking in the middle of the night that had started the day before had happened again. The only difference this time is that after we woke up, we stayed up for a couple of hours but then forced ourselves back to sleep so that we could get back on track the next day. Till the next update, take care!