Moving on - transforming into a general travel blog

I can't figure out how to modify my vagabond map (yet) to include onward trips after the big RTW. I did re-post my earlier blog entries from other trips - so this becomes my generic travel blog again, not specific to the 'big trip'. 

Lots of pictures and stories coming from the vacay in Hawaii, soon!

Delhi to London - the last day of the solo RTW sojourn

After the quick tour of Delhi (see last post) I caught my 10 hour flight and officially ended my solo sojourn around the world. Tony arrived to London before me and did some sightseeing. 

Once I arrived we had some time on the next morning to walk around London just a bit - mainly a park called The Queen's Garden.  Then we caught the train to Birmingham.  We did a bit of walking around and exploring Birmingham.  I was still battling my Delhi Belly at this point, so basically I was happy to have Tony's company, happy to be in cool weather, happy to be walking around seeing something new - but I wasn't feeling too great.  I felt better everyday and by the end of the conference I was feeling pretty normal again.  While I did the conference Tony went to the motorcycle museum and did a few other things.  His album is posted on webshots.

After finishing up the work part in Birmingham we took a train up to where Cadbury World is located. It was a very interesting tour - fascinating history.  Since getting home I have read The Chocolate Wars and found it fascinating (written by one of the Cadbury descendents). 

Our next adventure was to hop on a plane to Oslo.  I ended up booking Lufthansa through Frankfurt for a variety of reasons (it's not such a great distance, Birmingham to Oslo, you would have thunk I could get a direct flight, but alas I could not).  We had a very German experience with security in Frankfurt.  I guess they had never seen a Kindle before!  Tony was starting to look a little wild-eyed and you could see the phrase body-cavity-search reflected there.  Eventually we got through it and arrived in Oslo late at night.  Troopers that they are, Pam and Rob were there to pick us up.  We finally got to see their new place - we didn't take nearly enough pictures, and since it was Tony taking them they are mostly of the dogs, but we did get the view from the livingroom.  The master bedroom is directly above with the same view - so that's what Pam and Rob see when they open their eyes each morning.  What a life!  The first morning we headed by train to Oslo Sentral to meet the bus for the hash-club trip to Lillehammer.  The same photo album has the smattering of photos of Pam's place, the dogs and the trip to Lillehammer.  I guess this is all we have of the hash itself.  Hard to believe, seems like there were more pictures, but I guess they were from other folks posting on Facebook.

After spending the weekend in the far North, we spent one last day in Oslo.  We did the standard Oslo-touristy things like Frognor park and the new ski jump and some general driving around to see everyone's workplace and school.  A nice family day out.

The last leg of the big adventure started with getting up at 4a and being almost late for the Flytogget (train to the airport) and watching Pam run at full speed carrying my large heavy suitcase up the stairs over the platform and back down in time to wedge same suitcase into the door to keep it from closing. Her fitness obsession does have its practical advantages!  :)  We caught the train, made our flight in plenty of time.  We had to get our bags and change terminals and go through the rigamarole to fly into the US.  The flight wasn't too bad - Virgin Atlantic.  Coach, but not the worst long flight I had experienced!  We landed in Miami and had to take a $100 cab ride home.  But you know what?  Why have the whole thing end smoothly?

Around the world in 41 days.  One lost forever.

Hawaii in Julaii - A ten day, three-island turtle-fish-horse extravaganza!

Oh, the summer Hawaii "blog" is commentary in the webshots album - you can see it here:
Hawaii - Summer 2011 - Three islands

Delhi - last morning.

Just a short morning tour on the way to the airport.
https://picasaweb.google.com/sljoslyn/20110320_Delhi?authkey=Gv1sRgCJPslOWe_KvBhQE&feat=directlink

Jaipur - second day. Amer Fort, Elephant Festival and more!

Once again we're going to make do with the album and some commentary... mmmkay?

https://picasaweb.google.com/sljoslyn/20110319_Jaipur?authkey=Gv1sRgCPOfwuCOhbm24QE&feat=directlink

The road from Agra to Jaipur, sightseeing in Jaipur

It is easier for both of us if I just post the album.  Many of the pictures have some commentary.

Jaipur - Day 1 of 2

Life on the Road in India

I’m actually starting to understand the driving and traffic.  It’s just a completely different approach to the road, the vehicles and the activity of moving along the road.  We, in America, approach driving with a somber formality.  We fuss over the wax job of our cars, watch for radar traps in rural areas and – even if some of us might scoot through a red light now and then, we follow the traffic laws.  Lane lines are sacrosanct.   Passengers and surrounding vehicles will actually ridicule a driver for moving out of their lane.  We also adhere to the guidelines inherent in the structure of the car.  Intended for two people, with two seatbelts, that’s who we will put there.  Every once in a while we might cram one extra person.  But not if it is someone else’s kid!  Here in India, it just isn’t like that.  The road is a road.  It is a flat smooth place along which to walk or ride.   It may actually be more like a river, with a natural yet relentless flow. There is nothing formal about how you move down the road.  You walk, you cycle, you power your two wheeler or you cram into a taxi if there is enough place for your foot to find purchase.  Then everyone moves.  It took me a little while to recognize the game in it – it’s a match.  It’s a bit competitive, yes, but it is a team sport.  Everyone is trying to get somewhere and everyone wants that to work out for everyone else.  So there are these rules – and of course there is the hierarchy of vehicles, animals, people.  It is actually starting to make sense. (Have I been in India too long?)

Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal

Agra Fort, lunch, Taj Mahal. Ho hum.  NOT!  I can't believe I finally really went to the Taj Mahal!!!

My personal Photos and commentary:

https://picasaweb.google.com/sljoslyn/20110317_AgraFortAndTajMahal?authkey=Gv1sRgCIv5zvvn5oSGZQ&feat=directlink

Background:

The Taj Maal is a mausoleum located in Agra, Inda by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, the grandson of Emperor Akbar, in the memory of his deceased queen Arjumand Bano Begum, who was more popularly known as Mumtaz Mahal who was also the niece of empress Nur Jahan. Construction began in 1631 and took 22 years to complete with a work force of more than 20,000 men. It was finally finished in 1653 at a cost of 32 million Rupee or $400 million in today’s prices.

Shah Jahan was born Prince Khurram in 1592, the eldest son of Jahangir, the fourth Mughal Emperor after Babur, Humayun and Akbar.  He assumed the title Shah Jahan, which comes from Persian meaning "King of the World" when, at the age of 36 he succeeded his father to become the fifth Mughal Emperor in 1628.After reigning 30 years he became desperately ill and the word spread, erroneously, that he had died. This sparked a save power battle between his sons for the throne. His third son, Aurangzeb, emerged victorious having killed two brothers with the fourth fleeing into exile.Shah Jahan, having been a mere spectator at the savage contest, was then imprisoned by in the Agra fort for the remaining eight years of his life.  He was tended by Jahanara, his eldest daughter, throughout his imprisonment. And, according to legend, on his death-bed, he kept his eyes fixed on the Taj Mahal which was clearly visible from his place of confinement. Laid in a separate tomb alongside his beloved Mumtaz Hahal, the Taj Mahal became the final resting place of Shah Jahan.

Delhi to Agra - Akbar's Tomb, Hindu Temples and Road Warriors

On the road before dawn for the five hour drive in to Agra.  Furiously snapping pictures out the window, eyes bugged, tongue sunburned... the driver? Amused.  His name was Sheersay - no idea how it is really spelled but that's the best I can say it. He was a great companion - a skillful driver.  I came to appreciate how skillful as I gradually grokked the whole life-on-the-road ... or maybe it is the-road-as-life.

This photo album is dedicated to the drive to Agra. The commentary is in the albums.
https://picasaweb.google.com/sljoslyn/20110317DehliToAgra?authkey=Gv1sRgCK6Irq7LoqTJxQE&feat=directlink

Happy Birthday to me in Southern India

Woke up on my 52nd birthday in Bangalore, India! How surreal.  When I went down for coffee my usual guy wasn't working.  The new guy responds to my request for coffee with the query:  "black?" to which I respond "milk please" and then he says "Indian coffee?"  Well, now I say "yes" because I don't care what that is, I want it. Turns out it is the coffee I've enjoyed every other morning since I've been here. So now I have to look it up.  I find the answers to the questions I had wondered about:

South Indian Coffee, also known as Filter Coffee is a sweet milky coffee made from dark roasted coffee beans (70%-80%) and chicory (20%-30%), especially popular in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. (Bangalore is in Karnataka.)  South Indian coffee is brewed with a metal device that resembles two cylindrical cups, one of which has a pierced bottom that nests into the top of the "tumbler" cup, leaving ample room underneath to receive the brewed coffee. The upper cup has two removable parts: a pierced pressing disc with a central stem handle, and a covering lid. The upper cup is loaded with fresh ground coffee mixed with chicory (~2 tablespoons of mixture per serving). The grounds are gently compressed with the stemmed disc into a uniform layer across the cup's pierced bottom. With the press disc left in place, the upper cup is nested into the top of the tumbler and boiling water is poured inside. The lid is placed on top, and the device is left to slowly drip the brewed coffee into the bottom. The chicory sort of holds on to the hot water a little longer, letting the water extract more flavour from the coffee powder. The brew is generally stronger than western "drip style" coffee.

And while I was on a google-roll, I looked up my breakfast: Poha - a vegetarian dish of pressed rice seasoned with cumin, turmeric and indian spices. It is served with a coconut chutney (complete with green and red chiles).  Yep, that's what I've been having.  I just thought of it as "breakfast curry". 

After breakfast I worked out, worked for awhile, organized my packing and then met my taxi driver - the same man (nickname: Nag) who took me to Mysore the day before.  Off to the airport - I took many pictures on the way again.  (Album here.)  Once in the airport I had a frozen coffee and then a very pleasant flight on Kingfisher Airline.

Arriving in Delhi I was met outside of customs by a handsome young man bearing a bouquet of flowers and a card with my name on it.  Turns out that Deepa remembered that I had mentioned it would be my birthday.  Not only did I have flowers at the airport - and trust me, lots of people were met by a guy with their name on a board, but NOBODY else had flowers waiting! - but the folks at guesthouse where I stayed had baked me a cake!  An incredibly yummy chocolate one!  Except for the part about not being near any of my loved ones, it was a very nice birthday!

Daytrip to Mysore - the Ides of March

Gaya's taxi-driver picked me up promptly at 7a and we were off on another madcap taxi ride.  It was about a three hour drive to Mysore.  There are a number of historical monuments - I didn't know much about them and the taxi driver didn't know much English.  He did get me everywhere safely and I took a lot of pictures. Back "home" in the late afternoon and an evening of work.  I'll just post the album with commentary for now.

https://picasaweb.google.com/sljoslyn/20110315?authkey=Gv1sRgCNu5rouC7ZjMhAE&feat=directlink

Bangalore some more

Sunday after the aforementioned breakfast I spent part of the day working with Gaya, a little bit of it using the little gym - I  wanted to try the pool but they put up a maintenance sign just when I would have.  The pool is actually very nice:

The pool at Woodrose Club

Gaya and her husband picked me up in their car for dinner. Harrowing! The traffic is just crazy. While I was busy ogling the “family two-wheelers” and the little golf-cart-ish three wheeled taxis and the teeming mass of humanity walking, cycling and driving by I am suddenly gazing through the chaos at the peaceful, pastoral site of three large bovines sauntering along with the crowd. After that there were many cows – along with many, many dogs. Gaya says it would not be surprising to see goats, monkeys and even camels just wandering loose in the city!

Dinner was at a place that serves food from the state of Rajasthan. It was very good and fun to eat because it was so many small dishes of various curries and lentils and lots of different breads to soak them up in.

 Dinner conversation was a lively comparison between lifestyle and culture in India and the US. Gaya and her husband lived in the US for about four years. They said that as astounded as I am by the crowds and disorder, they were equally astounded when they arrived in the U.S. at the lack of people outside and the orderly-ness of everything.

The restaurant was in a shopping center on a high floor. Have you ever been in an elevator with 800 people? Ok, it probably wasn’t 800.

Back in my room my goal was to watch a Bollywood musical. I found one that looked like it would fit the bill but I was asleep before I really saw any of it. I will try this again tonight.

Monday morning I had a tamer, smaller breakfast of some kind of bread and papaya. The coffee is different, premixed with what seems like it must be evaporated milk. It is quite good though.

Gaya and I worked all day and accomplished great things. I watched her son’s swimming lesson at the pool for awhile, then used the gym. It was my plan to go for a swim myself but there were too many people hanging around and I was a little worried about the immodesty of my bathing suit. I gave up.

The gym

We decided that tomorrow I should travel to Mysore and she arranged for me to have a private driver to take me there. It is about three hours over there. I will visit Mysore Palace and the temple at Srirangapatnam. So Gaya and the driver dropped by to make the arrangements. He will pick me up tomorrow at 7:30a. I went in to have dinner here at the Club. I got Mulligatawny soup because I love it (and it was really good) and a specialty of the restaurant that the waiter recommended called Dal Makhani. “Flavored robust lentil preparation with onions, ginger, garlic and cream. It was a dark brown and the flavor reminded me just a little bit of Mexican mole. I don’t know why. It came with papadoms and a little platter of veggies.

The weekend - Southern India

Saturday was kind of long and boring.  Started off with customer calls - if I get up early I can catch people at work late in the afternoon of their day before. Then  I was able to get a long bicycle ride in on the stationery bike at the little rooftop gym.  Showered, reorganized my bags.  Skyped with Tony for a bit.  Checked out at 11a (they would not give me an extension, meh.)  Put my bags in a locker and wandered around the CBD (Central Business District - what we would call "downtown", I guess.)  Thousands of pedestrians and lots of street performers.  I found my self in a little Chinatown section - closer to my hotel there seems to be a little bit of a Thai-section, but this was a proper China town.  I wandered into a dimsum place and pointed at some things and ate them.  Who knows?  Dumplings, rice.  It was tasty and filling.  The mango pudding was very nice.  I had thought about one last bubble tea, but then because I had the mango pudding I didn't really feel like it anymore.  Kind of bored with just wandering around I went on back to the hotel to get my bags, took the 1 mile hike (much harder with my big suitcase, pulling it upt he hill) to the skybus and headed over to the airport.  Really about an hour early but there just wasn't much for me to do for that hour.  I would have liked to have extended my room for a bit longer, but if I couldn't do that, the airport was a second choice.  Got checked in, through immigration and was at the gate relaxing when I was approached by a woman working for the government tourism board.  She politely asked if she could interview me after showing me her credentials.  That actually managed to pass 15 minutes quite pleasantly and afforded me the opportunity to figure out what I had spent while in Australia this trip.  To be honest, I've been careful and I did pretty well.

The flight to Kuala Lumpur was bad but not awful.  I was in that center section of five seats again, near the back.  This time I was in the dead center seat.  The lady next to me was small and the woman on the other side about the same size as me, so I wassn't horribly uncomfortable, but I couldn't really do anything and the movies are all the same ones from my flight to Melbourne from KL a week before.  I did find things to watch - and I catnapped.  And they fed us twice - the exact same food that I had on both other Malaysia Airline flights.  Eight hours later I was pretty happy to get out and walk!

The KL terminal train is under refurbishment, still... so it was a long walk and a bus ride to change planes.  I found a place to have a "frozen milk tea".  I felt very parched - so that was a pleasant respite.  Back onto a plane - this time a 3/3 configuration and I was stuck in a middle seat with large unpleasant Indian men on either side of me.  I have rarely been so miserable - and it was almost 5 hours.  I just put my head forward and tried to sleep through it.  I didn't eat or watch whatever video they were playing on the big screen. Just tried to use astro-projection and leave my body behind.  Ugh.  It wasn't over, yet, either.  Immigration guy just cannot understand why my passport is American and I was arriving on a flight from Malaysia.  When I tried to explain that I had actually come from Australia he started to get pissed and accusatory because my passport was American.  I thought I might be in trouble - but we smoothed it over and I went to get my bag (here's a bonus: it was waiting for me on the carousel).  Then out to find the taxi ... that was painless too, no waiting.  Little did I know that the pain was about to start!

Pedestrians step out into traffic, they walk along in the middle of the left-most lane. The cars then sort of straddle the other lanes and jocky for position.  There is no reverence given to blinkers, to staying inside lane lines and no quarter is given no matter what, ever.  The horn is a constant sound track.  At one point my driver honked at and passed an ambulance with its siren blaring!  There are dozens and dozens of mopeds careening around without thought to how much smaller and more vulnerable they are than the cars they are dodging around.  More than once I saw a whole family on a single moped.  One rode along side us and I kid you not, on a regular standard moped like a vespa or something there was a man and woman and their THREE children.    We dodged in and out of slums and then places that really weren't slums but were still gritty and crowded.  Mopeds lining the streets like shrubbery.  People out walking and sitting - and remember this cab ride was after midnight local time!

Finally we got into this area called the Milleneum Brigade - or that might be two areas, I'll learn more.  But its sort of an enclave near the big corporate campuses of more elegant apartment bulidings.  I am staying at the one where the itty bitty company has their contract.  Finally got checked in and settled into the room. 1:30a local time, 4a in Melbourne I think. A very long day of travel - so I crashed immediately and with much appreciation for the room to lie down.

The view outside my room

The place where I'm staying is a "club".  It is not much like a hotel, but it does have a restaurant.  It has a spa and a fitness club - but I haven't figured out where that part is or whether I am invited to use it.  I will figure that out.  They are busy this morning setting up for some sort of function on the outside patio.  I really haven't seen any other guests, not even during the included breakfast. 

SUNDAY MORNING: I go down to breakfast and I'm offered a menu and I don't know what one thing on it is.  There are three "combination breakfasts" so I point to that page and tell the waiter to please give me whatever he would have.  He recommends the Indian Pancakes and Lassi.  The lassi can be sweet or salty.  I decided to start with sweet.  He said it is a "cultured milk".  I would say that it is like yogurt that you drink, but it has the texture of buttermilk. I don't really like yogurt or buttermilk, but I didn't mind the lassi. The pancake was this huge "hollow" folded pancake - tasted like a normal pancake maybe... maybe a little more like a corn griddle cake or something.  Stuffed with a potato mixture with spices and served with two spicy side-dishes. It actually was very tasty and very filling.  Pictures of my breakfast are below for your amusement. I don't really have any plans for today - may just hole up and take a rest day. I will be out and about for the rest of the week - and will have little time to work, so may as well get ahead if I can.  I have this clean, relatively quiet room with a desk and internet. I am full enough from that breakfast to suspect I won't need to eat again for days.  I might venture as far as to figure out the whole fitness club part of this place, but that is the limit of my ambitions for today.

Milk coffee, lassi and the paper

Poori Bhaji - Indian pancake,  Sauce on left is spicy and tomato-based
the one on the right is also spicy and probably humus
and the waiter says coconut. 

Inside the Poori Bhaji - potatoes and who knows?

The lassi leaves legs on the glass like buttermilk

Finished - and you can see the potato
filling better.

Back in Melbourne for a day

Woke up in Sydney in that fabulous hotel.  Still just worked all morning but with a  lovely view both inside my room and out the window.  Then we had the rockstar pickup and off to another prospect.  They've just moved into a 'heritage listed' building for their office.  It's incredible:

Reader's Digest Building - Sydney

We had a great meeting and they even brought in lunch.  Rockstar limo pickup for the airport and a quick one hour flight back to Melbourne.  I caught the skybus again and then walked home.  Friday night was ramping up here in the CBD ("Central Business District"):



Gay marriage demonstration getting started

 


Of course walking home from the skybus terminal I had to stop off for a bubble tea!  http://www.easywaytea.com.au/

Jasmine milk tea with pearls

Easy Way Tea Indulgence
This one is near my hotel

And I decided that it isn't right that I only take pictures of the really nice hotels.  The ol' Vic has been my home for a long week.  She's a heritage listed building as well - each room has this large hardcover book just about the history of the hotel!  So here are some pictures of The Victoria Hotel:

Thursday Melboure-Brisbane-Sydney!

Early early early start.  Put the big suitcase in a locker, walk about a mile to the skybus station, hop the skybus to the airport for the flight to Brisbane.  Felt like a rockstar all day because Linda had arranged for limos to pick us up and take us to our client meeting, then pick us up from there and take us back to the airport.  We had a late lunch at the airport and caught our flight to Sydney.  Limo again.  :)  I didn't take any pictures in Brisbane - wasn't there for long.  It's pretty - tropical. 

Me in the bathrobe :D

Notice how I don't take photos of the crappy litte rooms...

Le bathroom with le bathrobe

We're staying at the truly beautiful Intercontinental.  Very elegant.  The buffet dinner was crazy good.  The room is very nice.  Here are some pics of the hotel... because nothing else today caught my camera's attention!

Blurry but breathtaking view out hotel room window
through my shadow.

Bedside controls

Yes, Adrienne, that is Creme Brulee

Dinner!

Wednesday in Melbourne - it's the small joys

It was very nice to be picked up at my doorstep - no walking, figuring out where I'm supposed to be, figuring out the train.  Just jump in Linda's very nice car.  We called on a prospect, had a great meeting.  Then we had a great lunch.  Then Linda dropped me at a coin laundry in the suburbs near her office - because I had not found one in the city where I'm staying and knew they would be more common out there.  I got my laundry washed and a pedicure across the street, then caught the train back to my hotel.  On the way home guess what I did?  If you guessed "tried another flavor of bubble tea" you would win the prize.  This one was a flower-based tea - a rosella.  "With pearls" is how you order it when you want the batch of tapioca balls rolling around in the bottom.  Still makes me laugh.  No pictures today, sorry.

Tuesday - pay me for that hamburger?

Just a regular workday - and just like every other Melbourne-ite I got up and put my shoes on and caught the train.  Of course it wasn't that simple... but it wasn't too bad.  I could do it again, now that I've done it.

So I don't have any adventures to report other than riding the train itself, walking to the station from my partner's offices and stopping for a 'bubble tea' on the way home. But I got some interesting photos, I think and I will let them tell today's story:

Commuter me

On the walk to the suburban train station

A little bar with a funny name

Still walking.  What is this thing?



As the train pulls back into the city centre




View across from the city station



Flinders Station

Street cleaner

Bubble Tea!

Green Apple Green Iced Bubble Tea
(this is what I had) 

Rather than a cup lid you get your drink sealed
by this machine and a wide straw with a sharp
end that you puncture it with.

Melbourne Monday

Is that like "It's Tuesday it must be Belgium"?

As if the Monday morning blahs weren't bad enough - exacerbated by certain travel related challenges - a phone call woke me up at 4a. And then, that's it,  I was up. So I got up and went back to work. Mid-morning I went to check out the little rooftop gym.  It's okay - the stationary bicycle works.  There is an upside and a downside to that - the upside, of course, is that I am not continuously taking my life in my hands in this very bicycle unfriendly country.  The downside is that you don't get anywhere - the view never changes.  I made it an hour by listening to my favorite podcast (SYSK - episodes on bartering and scooby-doo).  That came out to about 26km I think.  Hard to tell for sure because of stops and starts and technical difficulties with the device. I met an interesting man in the gym - an Englishman who relocated here 14 years ago and has no patience with the Aussie bumpkins.  We exchanged cards after a rousing political debate - turns out he writes the science column for the local paper.  Says Astrophysics is just a hobby.  :)  I can see now why he has such impaticence with the natives.  After cleaning up I went out in search of food.  I wandered a bit further afield – had a Thai lunch and got my nails done. Took a few pictures (see below). There are thousands of University students around here. On my wander back I decided to boldy try one of the weird teas from the many tea shops and stands.  They offer a wide variety of hot and frozen teas (no, that red bean one with my lunch is not the weirdest one I've seen).  Often they have tapioca in them.  I'll get a picture of it next time... it was strange, but repeatable - especially because there are so many flavors yet to try!  Back in the room I worked through the afternoon and evening. I am much more in control of things now after spending most of two days catching up on stuff.

Lots of students

Thai Chile Rice for dinner

Red Bean Tea (frozen/shaved ice)

Melbourne and the flight from KL



The Victoria Hotel

Saturday morning I caught my 7a ride to the airport for my 10a flight. Everything went like clock work and I had just enough time at the airport after clearing immigration, etc. to have a Starbucks. My flight was 8.5 hours long – on an aisle seat of the center 5 row. It was daytime so I didn’t sleep – I ate twice and watched three movies. I was kind of pleased with them – I’ve been wanting to watch Secretariat and the King’s Speech. I saw another movie, too, but I honestly don’t remember what it was, now. But I enjoyed it and the flight went by pretty well with good entertainment. 

It was after 11p by the time I got checked in to my hotel in Melbourne. I went straight to bed.



Up Sunday morning, some quick fruit at the hotel breakfast buffet ($17, I won’t do that again) and got to work – I had a lot of things that had piled up!

I only ventured out for a walk when it was time to find dinner. It was wildly crowded here in the city center, so I settled on a kebab simply because it wasn’t too crowded. Ate at a table on the sidewalk.



Dinner!



Back to the hotel and back to work.  I did make progress, though.. Went to bed relatively early, about 10p.



Last Day in Malaysia

Friday – 9:00a pickup in the hotel lobby by my new best friend Faizal with Shajasa Travel. I settled into the comfortable newish SUV and enjoyed watching out the window as we headed across Kuala Lumpur (which means muddy river, by the way) and out Eastward away from the city.

First stop was the pewter factory. The area is notorious for its tin rush, similar to the gold rush that we had in California, It was early in the day and I was the only tourist – they have stations set up where people are doing their jobs and you get to walk by and watch. I got some pictures – and I even got to try a couple of things. Pewter is no longer made with lead, so it is safe to eat and drink from, now. I bought a tea canister with a traditional Malaysian carving. (Had to buy something.)

No fences - cattle everywhere

Then we headed further East into the mountains. I took a few pictures of the road – you could believe you were heading over the Grapevine on the 5. Modern freeway, orderly traffic. We arrived at our destination – a little aboriginal village. They farm cattle and goats milk and rubber trees and palm oil.

The government is buying them houses – so they build a new square concrete house next to their old traditional wood/log/branch structure.



Aboriginal home - new and old



We had lunch in this little village – then we went to play with the blow-spears. 

Lunch



The natives would poison the tips and then blow them at their prey. Faizal did one to show me how. He missed a couple of times but popped the balloon target. I picked it up and immediately popped the balloon first try. He said “no way, a fluke, do it again”. So I did.  He was suitably impressed. Says lots of people don’t ever pop the balloon and no one ever does it without trying a few times. Except me, of course. I told him Americans are all sharp shooters. I think he believed me.



We had a bit of a wait because it was Friday. There are special mid-day services in the Muslim religion on Friday. So they open the elephant sanctuary about 45 minutes later. But there is a film about how they translocate the elephants and some museum exhibits and facts about elephants so I entertained myself. Then Faizal and I wandered outside to where the elephant activities would take place. We patted the baby elephants and watched the others swaying and grazing out in the pasture. They do a funny swaying thing – side to side or back and forth. They’ll do it for a long time, but I’m not sure why.



Then we fed the elephants, rode the elephants and swam with the elephants. All of this is entered into photographic evidence on Facebook.

After the elephant adventure we headed back the way we came, then across KL again and off to the North to where the fireflies, for some reason, light up the river banks along a fishing village near the sea. The village itself fascinated me. We had dinner in a big open air restoran (restaurant) – sea food, of course. (Pictures on Facebook) Faizal helped me go into the little grocery and buy spices. Instructions are in English in small print on the back of the packets! 

Then it was off to the fireflies. They are tiny – like large ants. Glow like crazy and there were literally thousands and thousands of them hovering in the trees along the water’s edge. We went in a row boat – three of us in ours – and paddled up silently to get close to them. It looked like the whole river was dressed up for Xmas. Fantastic!



Then the hour and a half drive back to my hotel. I continued to pepper Faizal with questions about his religion, his family, his life. He says the Muslims in Malaysia don’t understand the Muslims in the Middle East any more than we do. He says everyone in the tourism industry hates April and May which they have dubbed “Middle East months” because that seems to be when they come. He says that’s when you see a lot of the black burkas – and that the people are awful, mainly because they have oil money and think they are better than everyone. I asked Faizal if he thought that regular, every day Muslims felt they should contribute to the Mosques to support the jihad. He was flabbergasted at the idea. Of course not! That’s crazy! Those people are crazy! They are not religious, they obviously do not understand what it means to be a Muslim! He sounded a lot like the Christians I know when they are asked about Westboro Baptist. I even asked him what he thought of bin Ladin. He said “He’s a big fraud – he’s not religious. He’s just got a lot of oil money and a big ego.” So, there you have it.