Malaysia - Island Penang

This is not a little island...lots of people come to visit Penang.

Our hotel Naza - Talyya is right on the beach...nice! 

We hear the tide below...soothing!

So our first day yesterday we said "now we are going to take it easy today...just do a little stroll"  So we slept in and left the hotel at noon...you see! 

And we strolled over to a shopping center and had some coffee and a breakfast roll. We decided to take the bus into town of Georgetown..but decided to step out in Gurney 

a smaller town just before Georgetown. Well not so small after all...lots going on here! 

We thought that Georgetown was pretty close  by...well..how about a few miles..close? When we got there we were ready for lunch...built up quite an appetite with all that walking!

How thankful we were for the air-conditioned restaurant!  

An omelet, some veggies and a little rice - and some really cooool drinks....so' good! They have guava & mango drinks here - delightfully refreshing!

As we strolled through town a bit...Nick asked a question for directions to a couple...and heard a very familiar accent...yes your guessed it right...Dutchies!

Frank & Sandra - they were in their early 30's - had sold everything and also are traveling - 1.5 yrs - they left Holland and took the Serbian train to Russia and then to China...Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia...and will continue their travels to Indonesia (Nick made several suggestions!) Wow...can you believe that left Holland in Nov 2012 and will return back June 2014...such adventurer's! We said...just maybe we will see them in Indonesia...how fun that would be!  Just love meeting the people!

There was a free shuttle bus going through downtown Georgetown which we took...to get an idea of the area overall.

We desired to head back to the hotel and didn't realize everyone else including the locals were planning to do the same thing! We finally found the bus station to take us back "Bas 101" is what we needed and we were thankful again to have the air conditioning in the bus...it is hot & humid...and does take getting use to!

Back at the hotel...we headed for the shower and bed...my purse had given off it's black color around my shoulders...can you imagine that? 

This morning...the 2nd of July - we totally slept & rested...had breakfast downstairs and are napping, doing this blog...and resting up...smart huh? Dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Ding Dong!

Kuala Lumpur ....Another Hotel......ahhhhhhhh!

Nick was settling into our hotel...getting online to check on email's.

Hey that is a mirror in the elevator..."Nico...Look up!"

First thing we did was email Boy & Brandi de Jong ~ friends from Holland/Texas! Tineke my very best girlfriend in The Hague~ her brother Gerrie & Jannie - has a son...and Boy works as a engineer for a sub-contractor who works for oil companies all over the world!  So Boy met Brandi ~ an adorable Texan girl - and they have two beautiful children Bjorn & Bela (pronounced bay-la) darling!

Bjorn had just awakened from a nap...and enjoyed watching a movie about "Woody" Wow Bjorn you sure are cute!!!!

Little Bela is a 'live-wire" ...she gets around...and is going places for sure! 1 year...! Mommy & Daddy have two beautiful children!

Boy & Brandi were so sweet...they wined & dined us...it was wonderful to just relax and enjoy their company...what a blessing it was to spend the evening with them! And to Top it all ...we got to speak with Jannie his Mom on Skype (Holland is 6 hrs behind Malaysia time) Jannie & Tineke visited us in Bend when Boy was working in Houston 7-8 yrs ago) it was just great to talk to her...face to face...hardstikke leuk hoor Jannie!!!!!!! Jij hebt een reuze lieve zoon & schoondochter een schattige kleinkinderen...ja hoor! 

Their home was beautiful to say the least! My.. a private gate and protected home site.  Surrounded in a very lovely part of the town in Kuala Lumpur. 

Beautiful garden...

The children are having their dinner now...and sweet Arlene who is from the Philippians and lives with the family takes wonderful care for the children too...and so we went out for

 dinner the four of us that evening...thank you Arlene!! 

We had moved closer to the airport because we decided to head north to an island called Penang...desiring to do rest up a bit..it will be a week tomorrow since leaving the States....already! 

Found the Empress Hotel...and stayed one night...the next morning the hotel shuttle bus took us to the airport...and our day began with booking a flight (Sunday) at the airport.

  It was 11 am and our flight would leave at 5:20 pm...so a bit of a wait - "hang out" time at the airport.  Nick had a very nice conversation with a lady from Malaysia traveling with her high school daughter who were also traveling to Taiwan for a week's holiday.  She was married to an Irishman. 

I decided to catch up in my Journal...the days pass by quickly and we want to be sure to log some of the experiences in more detail.  

We arrived on the island of Penang right on time...6:30 pm..a decent enough time to head to our hotel and relax and go get a bite to eat - BUT- ....one suitcase arrived...and the 2nd one was not at the baggage claim area...yikes! So we got in line to notify AirAsia and then decided...we better wait for that next plane out of KL!

Which we did...an hour...no suitcase...next flight in 9:00pm...let's do it...and ahhhhh YES! there it was...yeah! 

Thank you LORD! - Those prayers work...Hallelujah!

Found a taxi and Lo & Behold...probably the most run-down taxi stopped to help us...they were standing in line at the airport...we were escorted to that one! Took a 30 min drive out of town...in a very "strong smelling gas" car...Nick & I were smelling fumes...heavy duty! The window's closed and the air conditioner running...I rolled down the window a tad...just to get some fresh air! The "new" experiences we encounter...ha! 

Our hotel Naza Talyya is right on the beach...very nice for only $28,- way to go Nick! Doing most of our booking through agoda.com (thanks Maralin!) 8th floor and we have a view!

Time to crash...it has been again a long day! 

Good night everyone! 

Kuala Lumpur ~ Malaysia

Arrived last evening by train from Singapore.  Did some running around at the border...suitcases & all....we stepped off the bus and walked through customs & border control and then found out the train was on the other side and we should not off passed through passport control...well...there was no signs anywhere...to direct us to the trains... we just followed the crowd (who were all continuing on which we thought was the train...but it was the bus over the border into Malaysia.  Anyway...we did get back again...they voided out the visa and we waited on the Singapore side at the train waiting room...and then when it was time to leave...well we had to go through the process again.  Interesting experience to say the least! We did get our excercise though (with our stuff!)

Ellen went over to the market place across the street and bought some banana's & raisen buns to hold us over - and Boy - did they ever!

The train ride

 

was about 7 hours - and we saw a lot of the countryside in Malaysia.  My oh my such density of trees and ferns and plant life. Miles & miles of palm trees and Nick asked about it...they use it for oil...and saw much poverty...so very different from Singapore where everything is very very tidy...even in the apartment district areas...everything was clean and well maintained.  Nick says this is more what Asia is like Ellen...better get use to it.  Well it is hard to see..how people can live in such sad conditions.  Seeing it from the train...while passing through villages & towns.  Garbage just stacked and burned in yards. 

We American's are spoiled - and European's too ~ We don't even realize how good we have it until we travel outside our country. Oh we must be more thankful for our lives...and daily needs! VERY GRATEFUL indeed!

Well we had a unique experience upon late arrival  - in Kuala Lumpur...we did not have a place to stay...and had received some suggestions on the train & train station...but ended up in a hotel that we wished we hadn't arrived at...to say the least! We were dead tired...and all we could do was crash...which we did!   Trying to see it in a positive light, this will surely happen at times...but I  pulled out the  "enclosed" mummy sheet so' fast out of that suitcase...you would of been proud of me...ha! 

A sign on the door told us enough! :(

When we woke up from a much needed rest - well Nick went on the hunt and did find something more suitable. Which we are staying at - and had a really nice continental breakfast which revived us.  Took a little nap this afternoon and went out into the town. 

So many people from so many places: Germany, Sweden, Finland, Holland, a man from Alabama with his son traveling for 2 months - son granduated from high school.  Many stories - fun to hear!

Well dear ones...keeping you posted the best we can~

Last Day in Singapore~

Today we decided to go to the Changi POW Museum
Changi Prison Museum Singapore 
Changi Prison  where Nick's father had been imprisoned and died.

  As a Dutch military Sargent serving in the Dutch military in Indonesia (under the Dutch colony flag) and with World War II breaking out was taken captive and sent to Burma (now called Mayamar) Burma Railway Dutch & British POW - to work in the jungles to build the train tracks through the jungle!  A horrific job as a prisoner of war, (my father and grandfather had also captured and sent there- my father made it through but my grandfather died as well!) 

It was also the plan today to get two one-way tickets to Malaysia at the Singapore border.  We spent most of the time in buses and underground MRT trains! We will take the bus to the border by way of Victoria Bus Terminal and depart on train to Malaysia - a 6-7 hr ride..departing at 2:00 pm.  We had planned to take a rest somewhere on the coast but it turns out the train to Kuala Lumpur was a direct line into KL.  Hmm..have to decide what to do in the morning...our check-out time is at 12 noon. 

Oh yes - we did have dinner at a Indonesia restaurant we found on Orchard Road in a shopping mall there that served Indonesian food....oh yum!  After ordering our meal we sat down and across from us was a very friendly couple who were visiting Singapore from Jakarta!  We had a lovely visit with them.  They were very kind and they noticed this Dutch girl (half Indo) eating the 'hot pepper paste' (sambal badjak) and smiled! 

Another Day here in Singapore...so much to See & Do!

 

We woke up bright & early and excited to enjoy the day - getting more rested!

We went to Orchard Road to find a bite to eat..and went to good ole' Starbucks' for coffee & croissant.  

As we strolled through the Mall we saw this store....lookie here ALL Flipflops! 

Pretty neat how they did that huh? I sure thought so!

Yes the whole store was all about flipflops!  

Personally - I thought it was a great idea for a shop! 

I tell you these shopping Mall's  are something else...

We had been told to be sure to go to Gardens by the Bay...and so we did...took the MRT underground train & a taxi to a most beautiful park!

Plant life from all over the world...and Super trees and thermal gardens...amazing!!!

Inside this dome was this perfect tropical area with everything growing so beautiful...it was cool and moist.

Beautiful Gardens By The Bay

There in the distance was that building again with that big ship on it??? 

...and then we went down this pathway and saw this King Size...we wondered ...huh? a floating baby...what could that be...and so' very BIG!

 The baby was having a good washing that day...ha! 

We so' enjoyed the layout of the gardens and thank our  creative Lord - for creating such beauty for us to enjoy! ...and He created with so much diversity.....just amazing what we had seen...even in that perfect contained garden - truly a overwhelming enclosed & perfectly temperature controlled.  

Nick & I did a whole lot of walking that day...we continued across the river to "the hotel with the ship"

oh my goodness - it had just been built and it was BIG!

The Marina Bay Sands is what it is called!

Nick & I had a good full day and enjoyed the all the sights!

Our First Day ~ Singapore

Gosh that felt so' good....we slept through to 6 am this morning! That was great! 

Nick & I were talking about our past....my mother & father met for the first time here in Singapore! Yes Pop was serving & stationed in the Dutch army here in Singapore...the year was about 1946..Mom who lived in Holland had decided to sign up and go to Indonesia (still serving under the Dutch flag & government) to do some volunteer work to assist the Dutch military. 
Well the ship departed from Rotterdam and made a stop in Singapore before heading to Jakarta.  My father stationed in Singapore hard that a ship had just docked in the harbor from Holland...so off he went in the military jeep down to the harbor to check things out!  Yes...in his sharp white military uniform.. Yes..Poppa came to check it out...as the story goes! He approached the ship and saw many young ladies up on the railing!  He called out to ask if they were allowed to disembark for a while and if so would they want to go for a ride into town with him to the nearby hotel for a cold drink and a tour through Singapore?  Yes!  they all said...so He invited the young ladies and took them in the jeep to the Raffles Hotel!
   

 

He offered to give them a ride in the jeep....and guess what? Yes he had "eyes" for Mom and she was invited to sit up front with him! How cute is that!!! These stories I heard as a kid...and he was so proud to share that! Mom's destination would be Jakarta (Batavia) and from there she would take the train to Bandung and Pop said..."that is where my family lives...here is our address and be sure to go by and say Hello!" Well that is how it all began...the "Baidenmann"...story that is! Mom & Pop later that year got married...such a romantic story huh?

Nick too had a story to share: Nick's mother who had become a widow after her husband past away unexpectedly - had decided to move from Java to Singapore with her 12 year old daughter -Maud...and begin a boarding house business here in Singapore! She seems to have been quite a woman...with so much entrepreneurship & guts...really! (remember she also went to America with Nick & Cecile when they were in their teens and she was in her mid-fifties starting a boarding house again in San Francisco...an amazing woman) ...anyway here in Singapore she did open a boarding house on Orchard Road and enjoyed the English & Dutch influences and of course and the activities & adventure of this English colony!  

Pretty interesting that Nick & I decided to fly into Singapore first...and this is also the City where Nick's father died in a Japanese prisoner of war camp in 1945 as a Dutch soldier.