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!!!!!!