18th Feb, 2016

We had a superb dinner the night before at the hotel, (after our fireside episode – a few photos to remind you),

but unfortunately Nick volunteered to be the first casualty of the tour with a bad case of the Malaysian malaise. He has been followed by yours truly (mild), Tristan, Georgie and Shivonne (interestingly none of the ‘Malaysian’ Benns!), though the odd funny tummy has been around the whole trip.

This left Chris, Shivonne, Claire, Tristan, Georgie and Nick to sign up for a jungle trek with their guide, Bob. By all accounts it was an excellent walk and not too muddy – indeed there were few mossies and no leeches (unlike the last time I went for a jungle walk in the 1970s). And best of all, everyone returned. I say this as the Cameron Highlands was where Jim Thompson, the founder of the Thai silk industry went for a stroll on Easter Sunday, 1967 and was never seen again.

Val and I decided to reenact something my dad and I did way back in August, 1979 and play a round of golf. It was HARD work! The hotel kindly lent us some clubs and we paid and went round to the caddy shack to see about some balls and gloves only to be told that the pro shop was closed. Oh dear, tricky to play golf without balls, as we pointed out. However someone produced 10 used balls for 10 Ringgit and off we went. There are a LOT of water hazards, effectively storm drains about 15 feet deep and it soon became a question as to whether we would make it back to the clubhouse after 9 holes without running out of balls. We did manage with about one or two to spare and bought a further 10. It was tough going as at nearly 5000 feet the air was a lot thinner and it was a very hilly course. Still, we made it, but I will not be publishing the scores! We did have 11 balls spare at the end!

That evening we decided to have steamboat, which was fantastic, the high point possibly being the photo of Chris surrounded by vegetables. The restaurant did not do pudding, so we sauntered over to the hotel opposite where we were much entertained by the waiter Siva – and by the size of the puddings!!

19th Feb, 2016

We were sad to leave the CH, but it was time to set off for Penang. Claire, Tristan & Georgie got up early for one more jungle trek and we stopped off at the BOH Tea Plantation en route which was both beautiful (I do love tea plantations, they cater to my need for order!) and interesting about the development of the industry in Malaysia. We even had time for a cuppa before driving back down the mountains to the motorway and the bridge that you now cross to get to the island of Penang – unlike in my day when you took a ferry. On one occasion I managed to lock my keys in my Toyota Corolla and had to break in to prevent me spending my short holiday going back and forth on the ferry to Penang.

Our new home is the Bayview Beach Resort on Batu Ferringhi in the north of the island and, guess what, where I stayed with my mum and dad in August, 1979! This is a coincidence, I would add, as the rates were really good. The hotel though, like much of Penang, is unrecognisable from those days with a huge amount of development. It still has a certain seaside charm though and a feeling of separation from the mainland. More on that soon – I know how keen you are to see another hotel room!

17th Feb, 2016

Much to the delight of our resident Scot, Tristan, it was time to take the high road and leave KL for the Cameron Highlands for the next leg of our Malaysian adventure with the kids et al (you remember Al, don’t you?). This was, of course after the previous night’s revels, so not everyone had a happy face on first thing…

We were due to set off at 1000 hours, but the first glitch was that our sturdy (or so we hoped) chariot was stuck in traffic. The idea was that from hereon we would be transported via a minibus driven by yours truly. We had hired a Nissan Urvan and were a little bit worried that we might not all fit in with the luggage. We need not have worried, though the boot looked like one of the best Tetris solutions ever.

First up we had to have the group photo as Nick had organised our very own t shirts. Without further ado…

The numbering idea was good as we could then check that everyone was there (see earlier comment about school trips), except that Chris never seemed to know what his number was, so ‘numbering off’ stopped at 4. I am sure those of you educated at Emanuel may have noticed that I have been demoted from Colonel to Major. This, apparently, is due to the fact that I shaved my moustache off (about 10 years ago!). For reference, ‘rambut’ means ‘hair’ in Malay. I will try to get a photo of Nick to illustrate why he has been given the nickname (no pun intended). Everyone crammed into the bus and I tried to concentrate on the driving. It wasn’t easy! There was a certain amount of singing…

First stop was my old house. It is still there, but is now government owned and the security guy asked that we do not take any photos, so sadly it is not possible to show you what it now looks like. Equally sadly, it is not in the pristine condition in which I left it in 1982, but it was fun to show everyone.

Next it was the Batu Caves, a Hindu shrine north of KL. It was a baking hot day, so we really looked forward to the 276 steps up to the cave itself. It is really impressive with an enormous, cavernous interior. A flavour herewith….

Next we stopped off at Val’s old home in Rawang. Her family’s old house is in sad disrepair, and a local developer has grabbed a sizeable chunk of the garden. There are all sorts of legal problems surrounding it, so at the moment her neighbour is very kindly keeping an eye on it. He also kept an eye on all of us and he, his brother who was visiting from Australia and mother very kindly fed us with snacks and plied us with beer! Note the great picture of three of us having lunch in Rawang!

Finally it was up the motorway and then turn right for the winding road to the Cameron Highlands. The last time I made this journey was on 26th August, 1979 and, astonishingly I stayed, with my parents, in the same hotel. I remember the date well, because the next morning I was shaving and heard via my shortwave radio (a huge apparatus not much smaller than an old vhs player) that Mountbatten had been killed.

We were welcomed at the hotel, the Cameron Highlands Resort with face towels, drinks and a group photo in front of the open fire. It is a lovely hotel and the staff were excellent. It prides itself on being quite olde worldie, as does the whole region with huge high rises with mock Tudor ‘wood’ beams. The kids were suitably impressed I think, not least by the 4 poster bed. The Cameron Highlands are about 1500 metres above sea level and nice and cool. During the day it is a bit like England in the summer and is home to a lot of vegetable and flower growing.

As per tradition, here is the photo of our room!

Well, that is another day done, but I do feel that I will never catch up. We shall try harder!

 

16th Feb, 2016

I know, I know, where have I been, why no blog? Well the simple explanation is that trying to organise 9 Benns/Bennites is reminiscent of a school trip and takes quite a lot of time. Luckily everyone has been behaving (unlike one or two school trips I can recall) but it has been pretty full on, as I am sure you can appreciate now that you are familiar with the tight ship that is a Benn World Tour (reasonable rates available, especially for good mates like you!)

So we last left you in Jalan Alor, having enjoyed some street food after the bus tour of KL. So 16th Feb saw some of us (Caro, Nick and me) at the Petronas Twin Towers early with the rest, except Val, setting out a little later to meet up with Nick & Caro at Bukit Nanas nature park in the centre of the city and to go up the KL Tower (a telecommunication tower with a viewing platform).

I can only vouch for the first part, but I have invited bids from the rest to provide guest blogs, but nothing so far. The Twin Towers are very impressive and you do get a fantastic view of the city from the 86th floor. First though you go to the 41st floor to the walkway bridge that links the two towers. I hope the pics give you a flavour of it all, including a long-range shot of the swimming pool at our apartment block and the window cleaners some 75 floors up!

 

The rest of the day was spent relaxing and to some extent recovering. It was also, in hindsight a valuable restful preparation for what we suspected would be a riotous evening with two marvelous friends, Bash and Zee (Val was at school with Zee). It all took place at the Royal Selangor Club (the Dog, as I mentioned before), initially on the verandah of the Long Bar. This was required as the Long Bar is still a male only bar (except on New Year’s Day).

We then had a fabulous meal in the Chinese restaurant (courtesy of Zee’s excellent choices from the menu).

And it all ended in the Cellar disco (I think they still use that word) with dancing and some karaoke. Now this was no ordinary karaoke, this was karaoke in Tamil, Malay, Chinese, Hindi and English. Not being a shy group, as you may have picked up by now, we naturally joined in with the spirit of the evening (and there had been quite a few spirits involved), singing along with as many songs as we could get our western tongues around. We also contributed with a fine rendition of American Pie (boy did that go on a long time) and Love Me Tender (Bash and I have a career ahead of us, I feel). I believe one member of our party also did a pretty good example of Indian dancing – but I will leave that for you to judge from the photos below (by the way, I have no idea why Nick is holding a broken chair leg!)

More soon, I promise!

 

15th Feb, 2016

Benn Tours had another busy day ahead of us with a visit to the Petronas Towers at KLCC – which was immediately scuppered by the fact that they don’t open on Mondays! So it was Plan B – a trip on the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus tour of the city. It was brilliant (if a little warm on the top deck) and we managed a few stops amid the sightseeing.

First of all some pics of some of the sights (including my old office, not mentioned for some strange reason on the bus commentary). Also included is the Twin Towers, the fabulous Pakistan Embassy building, the KL Tower and the gate to the new royal palace.

Our first stop was to a craft area, which was nice, but it was nothing compared to our second stop – the Bird Park. Now you were warned – and honestly, I have only included a fraction of the pics I could have done, but here goes.

Sorry about that, but they are so sweet!

And now the rest of the tour…..

It was then back to the apartment for a much-needed shower and then off again to Jalan Alor for supper. We met up with Mano Maniam, an old friend (he was shot quite early on in Indian Summers, TV series) and had a wonderful time – as I hope the pictures below testify….

OK, that was a biggie, at least on the photos, so I will save up what we did today to another post.

13th to 14th Feb, 2016

I seem to spend every blog post apologising for my tardiness – but it really has been frenetic over here in Kuala Lumpur. I may have to do this in two goes and I will not apologise if it ends ups as three.

13th Feb

This was the day we had been waiting for – the day the children arrived with partners in tow. Caroline and Nick arrived first and duly made their way to the Shangri-La where they managed to sneak a shower and we then transferred over to our new accommodation, the Somerset Ampang apartments. This is excellent – we have a three-bedroom apartment and a two-bed one (with 3 beds) and, possibly best of all, they have a washing machine. It has been running almost non-stop, but it looks like we are well equipped for the rest of the Malaysia leg with nice crisp, clean clothes. As ever, here are the photos (honestly this is beginning to look like I am competing with Tripadvisor). There is also a pool – on the roof!! Note the view from the bath!!

The four of us then walked down the road to Ampang Park, one of the first shopping malls in KL (and under threat of redevelopment) for some lunch and then back for a rest and a swim before supper in the conveniently located Souled Out restaurant attached next to the building (and also the venue for breakfast, provided you remember to pick up the coupon from the front desk!). It was very convenient not least because it absolutely tipped down and we were able to get back in the dry. At about 1100 pm the rest of the crew appeared – Chris & Shivonne and Claire, Tristan and Georgie amid much joy and hugging and snacking and eventually sleep as Benn Tours had planned a full day for the morrow!

14th Feb (Happy St Valentine’s Day!)

A leisurely start, but if anyone was suffering from jet lag, they hid it well. The plan was to do a bit of sightseeing, so we all set off for the underground to take us into the heart of the city. We got out first at Masjid Jamek or the Jamek Mosque and walked to what in my day was know as the Padang, but is now called Merdeka Square. It was the centre of town in the colonial days with the government buildings on two sides (especially the beautifully designed Secretariat – the one with the clock tower in the pictures below), the club (The Royal Selangor, affectionately known as the Dog) opposite and St Mary’s Church (now a cathedral) at the other end. The area in the middle was used for sport and parades and there is still a cricket pitch there. I, dear readers, have in fact played rugby (VERY hard work), football, cricket and lawn tennis there and I hope you can picture a youthful me nearly dying in the heat from the photos below. A more recent addition is an ENORMOUS flag pole with a huge Malaysian flag. Note that with the arrival of the children, the silliness has begun!!!!!!!

We were already on the warm side by now (it is around 33 degrees and humid), but we managed a diversion to a set of market stalls called Little India and then back to the Central Market, a converted market that was originally built in the 19th century with the present building going up in the 1930s. It used to be a wet market, but now houses some excellent arts & crafts stuff and some good restaurants as well. MOST impressive and well worth the walk. From there Val and Tristan set off back to the apartment (it was VERY hot) and the rest of us ventured to Petaling Street which is a covered market and effectively is Chinatown. It was great, though I suspect it gets a lot busier later. We then haggled for a taxi and made it back to get ready to go out for the evening.

The evening was reserved for a visit to Val’s (and the children’s) cousins – or at least some of them. It was absolutely fabulous – great company, wonderful food and lots of laughs. Nick was especially impressed as he was able to watch Arsenal – Leicester as the house seemed full of Arsenal supporters. I successfully predicted a late Arsenal win which they duly delivered (the good news was that Spurs also won later that night!). It was fantastic for the families to meet up, though name badges and a family tree would have been useful.

OK, that is it for this blog. I will start on the next one forthwith – I hope you like bird photos!!!!!!

8th Feb to 12th Feb, 2016

Well, here we are in wonderful Kuala Lumpur. We arrived last Monday, the first day of Chinese New Year (Kong Xi Fa Cai!!) which meant that the roads were relatively empty. If you had never been to KL before you could be forgiven for thinking that it is a remarkably easy to get around, but sadly it is only like this for this week. Soon it will be back to normal with one enormous traffic jam, just in time for my venturing out in the minibus I have hired for next week.

A bit of background for those who are unaware. Val was born here (though she lived just north in a place called Rawang) and went to school and worked here. I too worked here from 1978 to 1982 before being posted to Papua New Guinea. I worked for a very old British company called Harrisons & Crosfield who were one of the largest plantation owners in the country (rubber, oil palm, cocoa and coconuts), though they sold out all their interests here some years ago. I would add quickly here that I was very much the Head Office wallah in case you were hoping to see me in my tropical shorts and sola topee! I did go for a bit of a walk today and photoed my very first office – now a car showroom! It is a fantastic 1930s (I think) building, often described as looking like a ship. Note the high rise new buildings behind it! All VERY nostalgic!

Ah yes, of course you want to know where we are staying and what our room is like. Sorry, I forgot how interested you are in the accommodation east of Suez. Well, we are ensconced in the Shangri-La Hotel in the centre of town and very lovely it is too with some pretty spectacular views out of our 15th floor suite!.

Most of this week has been spent catching up with old friends and EATING! Well, we are in Malaysia, national religion food! All that hard work in Thailand is beginning to creak at the seams (almost literally) (is that possible? Almost literally??). Still, we are now skipping breakfast which is helping.

First night we saw Ad & Babes in their fabulous apartment, then it has been lunch with Bash and Zee at the Royal Selangor Golf Club, tea with Babes’s brother, his family and lovely 96 year-old mum, then the Twins at their home for dinner, lunch with Saniah and her two daughters (and three grandchildren), dinner with Babes’s sister Mahes and her husband Rajan, lunch with a few of Val’s old school chums from the Methodist Girls School, dinner with Bok and Mano Maniam and lunch today with Vivienne and Jeff. We are not having dinner tonight!

Other than all of this we have been whizzing around in taxis having wonderful chats with the taxi drivers (you get a very strong response to any enquiry about the current PM!) and today we ventured out so that Val could get her fix of a roti for breakfast. It also gave me a chance to have wander with the camera ending up with two new friends (Jasper & Jack – surprisingly both Sikhs, father and son living respectively in Australia and Vancouver) in one of KL’s oldest landmarks, the Coliseum where one beer miraculously turned into four. The following is a brief taste of some of the old KL and the new.

Tomorrow the invasion starts! More soon.

9th Feb, 2016

Welcome loyal readers and apologies for the long delay between posts. To be honest, we have not really been up to very much – and are now in Malaysia. Anyway, I thought I would whiz through some thoughts on our time in Thailand, so here goes (with a few pics)…

How do we feel?

I will let the photos do the talking – but basically – GREAT!

 

Ko Lanta

We can really recommend this lovely island. Yes, it is touristy, but more in a family friendly way than a party time way. The big pros are that it caters really well for tourists with lovely beaches, some excellent resorts and great food. The downside is that it does take a bit of getting to – but then it possibly would not be as nice if it didn’t. It did feel a bit like Ko Skanda at times, but that was not a problem. Good diving (I am told), good snokelling (I can attest to that), not too hot on the weather front (nice breezes from the sea) and nice people.

 

Table Tennis

We asked the hotel (Crown Lanta) if they had a table before we set out and they actually went to the lengths of buying one so that we could play on it. Most impressed! For those interested in these sort of things, Val usually had twice the number of wins to me – but don’t forget the handicap system described in the earlier blog! Great fun though and good exercise.

Massage

Now this is definitely the life. There is something other worldly about the massages we had. Our top spot was Serenity (check it out on TripAdvisor) and they lived up to their name. I would gladly have one every day if it were possible. I have no idea if it was doing me any good physically – but mentally (emotionally?) it was absolute heaven. We went completely mad on the last day and were there for 2.5 hours. I even had a body scrub which probably took a good inch off me all round. A bit like being rubbed down with sandpaper, but strangely worth it.

 

Scrabble

Yes, the great Scrabble battle is on again. Resuming at John 10 games, Val 2, we have now progressed to 13 – 3. This competition started in October 2014. Watch this space!

Swimming

I shall miss the pool at Crown Lanta, even though it was a slog to even do one length, but I certainly feel fitter and I think it was doing Val and her Parkinson’s a lot of good too. The sea is staggeringly warm!

 

Yahtzee

Val is making a comeback and is now only 10 games behind as we approach Game 200.

Warm Weather and Parkinson’s

OK, this is not very scientific, but it certainly seems to be the case that the warm weather has been helpful for Val – or it might be the lack of stress and lots of opportunities for exercise. Anyway, it has been a success, though her dyskenesia has been bad. It may be an argument for actually REDUCING her dosage, which would be a first – but we would need to see her neurologist first. Wait, I hear you cry, what about your hernia John – you are very kind, it seems to be holding out very well, thanks.

The Thais

Lovely warm people always willing to help, though, to me, surprisingly short on English, considering what a tourist spot Ko Lanta is.

 

Yoga

Well, I did it and I am sure it did me a lot of good, though it was quite hard going at times. I wonder if I am really made for this sort of punishment. Why can’t exercise be painless? Anyway, I will have to see if I can resurrect the yoga disc for the Wii at home and keep it going when I get back. Don’t hold your breath……

 

Food

It is excellent – and ridiculously priced for the most part. Val is already missing her daily coconut, but we had some really good meals, but still managed to lose a bit of weight. Favourite restaurants – Thai Cat (great waiters), Time for Lime and L. Maladhee.

 

We are now in Malaysia………

 

 

Did virtually nothing all day. Swam. Scrabble (won). Finished reading Game of Thrones (book 3). Table tennis. Rum & Coke. Off for dinner. Hard times……..

More tomorrow (possibly less).

30th Jan to 2nd Feb, 2016

Well, life is certainly slowing up over here in Thailand and I am delighted to report that we are starting to take it a little easier. Sunday we made a day of rest – no yoga and no cross-Channel swimming training. We did manage a game of Scrabble – phew! Val won, for the record, though the long-term score is 10-3 to me. Oh and I have opened up a lead on the Yahtzee of 92 to 78 of the 172 games we have played (we started before this trip you will be relieved to hear). If your maths is good you will notice that the scores do not add up to the games – one tie and one cock-up when scoring by me!

Monday we went on our  longtail boat trip to Koh Phi Phi (pronounced Pi Pi – yes, I know, we went to Pi Pi, very funny…….). It took about 90 minutes to get there but it was well worth it and the scenery was fantastic. Loads of (other) tourists, especially at Maya Bay, scene for the film,  The Beach, but it was still worth seeing. I managed a bit of snorkelling which was great – the fish come right up to you and brush past and look in through the mask. It was quite unnatural. I presume they thought I was just another (very large!) fish.

Other than that not much else to report. We have had some great food, great massages and are having a great time!

A glimpse of the trip to Koh Phi Phi… you even get a chance to see the large fish about to descend to the ocean depths. I think the light must have been a bit harsh on that photo as I swear I am not THAT white! The cliffs are much higher than the photos show – the effect of wide-angle. The last pic is of our resort from the sea.

 

More soon – if anything happens……