We headed to Penang Island from KL. Penang is just over an hour flight from KL. It’s a large island that sits just to the west of mainland Malaysia with George Town as its most popular (and largest city). Even after eating really …
Asia
A New Favorite: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
On a last minute flight, we flew from Osaka to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Because we were running almost a month ahead of some perceived schedule arriving, we had done no research and had zero expectations.
The iconic Petronas (Twin) Towers
Cambodian Elephants
We went to the Cambodian Elephant Sanctuary. We got on a bus and headed for the three-hour drive. This time (thank goodness) nobody threw up near/next to us.
When we arrived at the camp, we met the dogs. There were seven dogs in total, six let me touch them but I touched all seven. One had three legs and another had an injury on his leg. The pack leader was named Jack.
Then we sat around until lunch. While we waited, we listed to the rules. The lunch was the first Vegan meal of the week):
After lunch, we were off to “clean the ponds.” That involved getting buckets and emptying out three ponds that ducks poop and pee in. You could definitely tell that they used it that way.
We fed the elephants, there’s more info below.
We ate dinner and headed to bed….
A Short Stay in Osaka
Japan was a short lived adventure. The political and aggressive posturing between various countries in the Korean Peninsula was too nerve wracking for me to want to have the kids there. So sadly, we were only in Japan for about four days. Fortunately for us, it happened to be during the most perfect time of the year: cherry blossom time.
We wandered around Osaka on foot for an entire day. We found a beautiful park along the river that was overflowing with cherry blossoms.
We ate some really good sushi and some excellent ramen and some disgusting soba. All helped make our very short experience a good one.
The train system and subways were beyond impressive. Clean, easy to use, and I loved seeing women could travel in the mornings without worry.
I’m surprised such a sign is needed in Japan. Their courteousness is beyond reproach. We often saw locals stand up and move tables in the middle of meal in a restaurant so that a new group walking in could be accommodated with a properly sized table. The Japanese were extremely friendly and gracious even if we did have some communication issues to overcome.
We had a few giggles as we experienced some of the differences in Japanese homes. The toilet had more capabilities than our television at home (plus a pretty flusher). There was no couch. Instead, we sat under a kotatsu.
One other thing I loved: it seems fairly common for a large apartment complex to have assigned garden spaces for the residents. While a couple of spots were slightly neglected, most were pristine and beautiful.
We will definitely go back and explore Japan properly when the geopolitical situation is more conducive to having a worry free trip. (Let’s hope that’s in my lifetime.)
Video highlights of beautiful blossoms:
Checking out Shanghai, China
We landed in Shanghai, China, kind of late. By time we cleared customs and took the subway to our new apartment, it was after 10pm. The Airbnb host had sent really awful directions, so we wandered around an apartment complex with about 30 buildings in it, in the dark, dragging luggage, and picking up a few creepy …