Day one Kuala Lumpur

Friday morning in KL and this is the view down to Bintang Walk from the third floor of Lot 10, an upmarket shopping centre that is virtually next door to our hotel. We can't resist the Birkenstocks for around AUS $90 but we tire quickly in the face of so many other big brand stores.

The streets are lively with shoppers, students and workers but it is not too crowded, nor is it too noisy even with the monorail overhead.

We admire the food court in the LG floor of Lot 10. The Chinese corporate type who owns the block has ensured that Malaysian street hawker food is featured, hutong style in the food court. We didn't try the Frog Claypot on this occasion.

We walked on down Bintang Walk to the newer end of town, past the Farenheit shopping centre and to the super glitzy Pavillion shopping area. To stimulate thinking about world peace (!!) an exhibition of painted bears representing each country of the world was attracting a ton of attention at the entrance to the Pavillion.

Once inside the Pavillion it was hard to ignore that Chinese New Year is being celebrated on Monday - heralding the year of the dragon. Much of KL is festooned with red, pink and gold decorations at the moment in readiness for the celebration.

The Pavillion has more high end designer shops per millimetre than I have seen anywhere. But even in this setting Topshop and Topman have found their place.

We're obviously hopeless shoppers because we fairly quickly tired of all this too.

Luckily for us the Pavillion has a food court too, including lots of Japanese inspired eateries. It was fascinating to watch this young woman making fresh soba noodles.

But tired out from a few hours of looking at shops we found a good spot to relax with a Hoegaarden.

We'd booked ourselves into a Food Tour Malaysia Off the Beaten Track Tour on Friday evening. As newbies to KL we were quite challenged by the prospect of making our way by train to Petaling Jaya a satellite township on the SW outskirts of KL to meet Darren Teoh, the tour leader, at the Taman Paramount train station. So much so that we arrived at Taman Paramount with an hour to spare and quite relieved to have made it and be out of the crowded peak hour trains.

So we had to have a bit of a walk around the nearby streets, intrigued by our up close glimpses into life in the suburbs in Malaysia.

I didn't know it at this stage that I'd be eating later at the Restoran Lucky Seafood! in the background of the photo below. Nor did I know that darkness was rapidly approaching and a huge tropical downpour was almost upon us!

The thunder and lightning raged and the rain was so heavy that all we could do was wait it out under the cover of an awning by the roadside. It hadn't cleared by the time we were due to meet Darren at the train station so we both got DRENCHED making our way back. It was a good ice breaker though as the other couple who'd signed up for the tour were also soaked so we could compare stories and look a wet bedraggled lot together. (The new Birkies were also soaked unfortunately!)

The Restoran Lucky Seafood was right into the swing of celebrations for Chinese New Year. Darren ordered us a special Yee Sang dish that Chinese people try to eat at this time of the year as it is very auspicious for ensuring prosperity. We had to use our chopsticks to mix and toss all the components of the dish (ginger, toasted sesame seeds, horseradish, raw fish, various rice cracker things, plum sauce, grated carrot) mounding it as high as possible to ensure the highest level of prosperity for all.

The green juice served with it was fresh lemon with salted plum (surprisingly delicious). While starting to get to know each other a little and hearing a bit about Darren's background (and all about Malaysian food of course) I found Yee Sang a most beautiful, fresh and energising dish - a perfect meal starter.

A little drier by now the 6 of us squeezed into Darren's Nissan Levina for the drive back into KL city, via Little India in Brickfields.

This was my favourite food of the night. Indian food served on banana leaves and no cutlery, everything eaten with the right hand.

Darren's father is Chinese and his mother is Indian, making him very representative of modern Malaysia. He's completed his MBA in Lucerne in Switzerland and friend Sophie, along for the ride tonight has just returned to KL after a few years in Melbourne completing her Arts Communication degree at Swinburne.

Eating this delicious food with our fingers really loosens the conversation. Darren is prepared to talk (intelligently) about anything to do with Malaysian politics and society. He very cleverly makes us all feel relaxed, like we're in the company of friends.

We love this food! That milky looking drink served with our curries and breads is actually chai tea - a perfect combination.

The Hindu temple down the street looks like the grandfather of the merest facsimile that was built at Mawson in Canberra in the late nineties.

We'd talked so much it was already around 11.00pm by the time we arrived at the next eating place in the Kampung Baru district of KL just to the NW of the newly developed KLCC/Petronis Twin Tower district.

According to Darren we sampled the best satay pork and beef with chili/peanut sauce in KL at the little roadside eatery he selected for us in this district.

Close to midnight by now it was quite a thrill then to be driven around and right below the Petronis Twin Tower and KLCC, gorgeously lit for the admiration of the throngs of people and cars still lining the roads this late at night. It is definitely a beautiful and elegant building.

We end up in Jalan Alor, which Rob and I had found on our first night. The food outlets there obviously meet with Darren's approval.

We managed to squeeze in some bar-b-que chicken wings (sticky with soy sauce but so smoky and tender too) served with a type of bok choy with fermented bean curd and our first Tiger beer of the evening (or should I say early morning).

The young couple with us were from Melbourne. They were here to take advantage of Malaysia's extremely good reputation for high tech and high quality dental work at a third of the price it costs in Australia. Chris had just had a wisdom tooth removed this morning. He also gave me a blow by blow account of having his teeth laser whitened and his wife Tina horrified me with her accounts of having all her teeth capped in porcelain (for cosmetic reasons). Her smile was perfect but OMG what a process to go through. They were a lovely open talkative couple, well travelled and good company for the night.

Once again preparations for Chinese New Year result in random acts of noise, firecrackers and lion dancing in the streets, even by young children like these.

It's getting close to 2.00am by the time we walk the short distance from Jalan Alor to the Parkroyal. The night's experience will be one of the highlights of our stay here. It's been amazing!

Arriving Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur airport must be one of the most modern and efficient in the world. We landed, transferred terminals got through immigration, picked up baggage, changed money and were sitting in our prepaid taxi (no haggling) all within about 50 minutes. The airport is connected to downtown KL (the Golden Triangle) by a 70klm expressway so our 74Ring. (about $25) taxi ride to the Parkroyal on Jalan Sultan Ishmail seemed to take no time at all.

It just didn't feel like we were in Asia though. Where were all the people?

A quick walk around the corner from our hotel past the humongous shopping plazas, along Bintang Walk and then left down Jalan Alor revealed more familiar sights (and smells)...

Although by Australian time our bodies were feeling like it was around 3.00am we couldn't resist ordering our first Tiger beer and plate of Penang style Char Keow Teoh (very smoky, quite fiery chili with delicious morsels of tender prawns and bar-b-que oysters) at one of the little road side restaurants.

and a pack of 15 hand made Chinese cookies filled with beautifully flavoured fillings based on lotus root, bean paste and some other unfamiliar ingredients, for dessert.

and washed down with bottles of Seaweed Jelly Drink for later.

We're looking forward to our first full day in Kuala Lumpur. We've slept in after our late late night of exploring and feasting but that is compensated for by KL being 3 hours behind Australian time. So it's really only 8.00am here; time for breakfast.

Charlotte Pass (2)

This was our second stay at the Southern Alps Ski Club Lodge at Charlotte Pass, for a weekend of walking, eating and socialising in the company of friends. And this most beautiful part of Australia is so close, only 2 and 1/2 hours from Canberra.

Last year on our first afternoon walk from Charlotte Pass we'd had to turn back before reaching the summit of Mt Stillwell because of encroaching cloud and bad weather. This time we managed the summit walk easily, as we admired the profusion of summer alpine wildflowers and the fabulous views all around us. Mt Stillwell is 2040 metres above sea level but it's an easy climb (and only a 3.8km walk) if you approach it like we did from the end of Kosciuszko Road on the ridge above Charlotte Pass village.

Saturday we tackled a 6.4klm walk from Guthega village, over Blue Cow Creek and alongside the Snowy River to Illawong Lodge, later crossing the suspension bridge below this isolated spot to gain an up close look at some lazy trout in the Snowy River. For much of this walk we followed a narrow track along the relatively steep slope of the river valley. At Blue Cow Creek we chose to use the more modern bridge rather than the original flimsy flying fox contraption.

A wooden platform outside the old Illawong Lodge (hut) was a great spot for morning tea and a spectacular view of the valley below us.

Rob was the first one to walk across the suspension bridge. It felt like quite an adventure as it swayed a lot and felt quite flimsy as you made your way (singly) across it.

But from this angle the views of the river were just spectacular.

The walking was tricky on such a narrow, uneven and steep path. Maddy twisted her ankle on the return walk and had a difficult trip back to the car (with her Mum and Dad) and needed ice baths later back at the lodge.

Yesterday we completed another beautiful walk starting at the Perisher Valley Reservoir, to the spectacular Porcupine Rocks, overlooking both the Perisher and Thredbo River Valleys.

This was a gentle walk, only about a 5.4klms round trip, that led us through fields of button grass and groves of snow gums, now nicely regenerating after the devastating fires of 2003.

With spectacular views back to the Main Range and a clearly visible Charlotte Pass village in the distance.

J & J have done these walks before and have quite a history with this particular Porcupine Rock walk. The area has a "Picnic at Hanging Rock" quality and children have been misplaced here on earlier occasions (but safely found!).

At the spectacular Porcupine Rock escarpment Rob proved his confidence with heights to any doubters by getting this close to the fabulous view of the Thredbo River Valley and the small township of Bullock Flats in the distance.

The rest of us preferred to keep our distance while still enjoying this brilliant vantage point on Porcupine Rock.

The only small irritation in this part of the world is the humongous green eyed March fly. We proved that they much prefer denim to the synthetic material of outdoor adventure clothing. And Maxie proved they much preferred her NYDJ denim jeans to Rob's Rodd & Gunn denim jeans!!

You can see in the pictures below why this rock outcrop has been named Porcupine Rocks!

Rob was trying some "creative settings" in this shot - very suited to the way the skies darkened and the wind sprang up on our walk back to Perisher.

There was just enough time for some well made coffees at the Perisher Village outdoor cafe at the end of our walk, before the rain started.

The walking here is wonderful but so is the time with friends - great wine and food that is shared, plenty of time for talking, reading, Sudoku and Scrabble and watching the ever changing skies alter the mountain landscape outside the full length windows of the lodge. We're thinking this needs to be an annual event!

40 years ago today

40 years ago today Rob and I got married. We only look like we were about 16 in this photo but we were actually a couple of years older than that. Me and my two sisters had dark hair then (all natural) but mine has turned blonde as I've matured!! Rob's hair was longer and floppier then but he has just as much hair coverage now as he did then, lucky man.

Those hats and the cotton voile dresses were a bit of a tribute to the hippie times. My sister's dresses were made out of a Zandra Rhodes printed fabric featuring purple and brown feather and stripe motifs. Like Wow Man.

It was a perfect excuse for a celebratory breakfast and family get together after all our independent travels in the past few weeks. Ella enjoyed opening her belated Xmas present from London Eddie. She has always loved Russian dolls and never had one of her own before, but now she does thank you Eddie!


She's always liked baby dolls too, but never been encouraged to get too clucky over them........all girls need to aspire to a whole range of roles after all. With new baby sister's arrival drawing closer though it seems that Polly the Dolly is becoming a more constant playmate.

The three kids were so excited to be back together again after their holidays apart.

We used it as an excuse to celebrate Rob's birthday which is coming up in the next week and drink a toast to the longevity of our marriage with a glass of Majella (which is appropriately ruby coloured for this ruby anniversary).

Today's was a lengthy, laid back gathering lasting well into the afternoon. Everyone seemed happy not doing much but eating, chatting, playing games with the kids, making and flying paper aeroplanes................

and playing down and dirty games of backyard Volleyball. This got quite serious at some stages as Ollie and his "Parps" are both very competitive when they play any kind of sport.

In 1972 Rob and I:

• Got married on Saturday 8 January at the Mary Immaculate Catholic Church, Ipswich Road, Annerley Brisbane
  


• Spent our honeymoon at Port Macquarie
  


• Lived in a flat at 27 Wambool Street, Bulimba from January – Easter 1972
  


• Jude got her driving licence in Brisbane
  


• Moved to Canberra at Easter with all our possessions in our VW Beetle
  


• Stayed for a nice long time at the Brassey Hostel in Barton on our arrival in Canberra
  


• Rob worked for the Commonwealth Audit Office in Canberra
  


• Jude got a job at Georges Fabric Store (where Ken Cook is now at Bailey’s Corner) until a Public Service job came up in the Department of Navy later in the year
  


• Rented a 2 bedroom flat at Endeavour Gardens, Launceston Street Lyons when we had to move out of Brassey Hostel
  


• Both turned 21, allowing us to vote for the first time in the historic election in early December when the Australian Labor Party defeated the Liberal/ Country Coalition which had been in power for 23 years. Gough Whitlam became Prime Minister of Australia ending conscription and introducing universal health care, fee free tertiary education and legal aid, and ordered home all the remaining Australian troops in Vietnam. Such exciting times!

But look how far we've come now in the short space of 40 years!

Glebe, Newtown

Coogee has been crowded all week. Until yesterday the temperatures were very mild for January, so the streets, the cafes and the beaches have been filled with happy sunseekers.

We took a break from the Eastern beaches last night and headed over to Glebe; time to catch up with some family members there, particularly the gorgeous Z and 10 week old baby A.

Z has grown a lot and seems even more bright and sociable than when we last saw her a few months ago. She was fascinated with our cameras and pretty determined to operate them (correctly too) on her own. Not surprising really!

Baby A was very serene and cuddly throughout our visit and while his mummy and daddy plied us with the most beautiful food (and drink), served outdoors in their Glebe courtyard garden.

We took C's very well informed advice about the best cafes and shopping in Newtown on our visit there today. We were on light rations though after last night's beautiful meal so all we could manage at Black Star Pastry on Australia Street was a cup of tea. The famous watermelon and strawberry cake will have to wait for another day. We sat on the pavement with the other patrons and enjoyed observing the inclusive, diverse and quite bohemian character of Newtown.

I could just manage a papaya salad at Tre Viet by lunchtime. That should last me the rest of the day the way I feel.

We were home in time to see the wonderful (and surprising) Iron Lady at the Randwick Ritz, the first movie we've seen so far in 2012. Meryl Streep does another amazing job (as does her make up artist) with this role.

Summer days

We've done the Coogee changeover with J & J & E, having caught up with them on New Year's Day for lunch at our favourite Cabramatta Vietnamese restaurant, Thanh Binh.

Ella rated her week in Sydney as 100/10 with the highlights being her day at Luna Park and the time spent at Coogee Beach. It was also clear that in the past week she increased her love affair with Coogee's Gelatissimo and her New Year's Eve fish and chips meal at the beach seemed to be highly rated too. She told me all this over lunch.

Ella was also able to advise me on the functions of my new very much smarter phone. She shot this nanosecond long segment of a video clip to explain to me how this function works on my phone (all new to me). Ella is the proud owner of a Christmas iPod so knows all this stuff backwards already. J & J said Ella made a video of them cleaning the apartment with her iPod the morning they left. They had to check through all the footage in case there was anything incriminating. I'm still at the level of trying to build my new contacts list on my iPhone......so sad.

Coogee is very crowded, today being a public holiday. We were glad we didn't have to use the car. It was an absolutely perfect Sydney day: 26oC and a cool sea breeze all day. We went for a long walk along the headland and spent ages after reading in the shade of a tree....a really lazy day. We just snacked on what we could find in the apartment today; every cafe, eatery, checkout and movie theatre has a queue, all the buses to and from the beach are full and the roads are clogged with traffic. Things should start getting back to normal tomorrow.

All these photos were taken with my iPhone, then downloaded to the Macbook, then uploaded to the blog (how good is that?).