Today is day 1 of our trip to Malaysia. We're here for Gan and Renu's wedding, and before then will have some time in KL, Penang and Langkawi.
We are flying with AirAsia which meant flying out from Coolangatta. This meant a nice prelude to the trip staying in the Spring Hill Hilton (aka Mum and Dad's place) the night before and even getting a roast chicken cooked by Mum (thanks Mum).
I'm writing this in the evening and today is coming back to me in highlights, so I will record it in the same manner...
Favourite bits:-
The sign just before Coolangatta Airport - which says "Merge Left NOW" and requires an instant merge left across several lanes... always a good idea for people desperate to make their flights. Just a good idea in traffic design generally.
The airline meal - which was amazingly tasty. We opted for the Malaysian meal of curry chicken and rice. It came with a delightful little plastic container of nuts and dried fish products. This evening we realised we had both, independently, coined this 'the allergen container'. For those without a deadly allergy to nuts/fish/mysterious Asian tasty things, it was a promising sign of the exciting flavours to come.
Customs - I was a bit worried that my supply of vitamins could be misconstrued as dangerous drugs. It turned out that Customs consisted of two people sitting at an x-ray screen and, well, just keeping an eye out for suspicious people who might give them cause to actually use the x-ray screen. It was almost as good as the time in Paris when I had to lift my suitcase over the drug-sniffing dog because he had fallen asleep and was blocking the entire pathway. Too much foie gras perhaps.
The hotel - thanks to a good old "buy 2, get 1 free" deal, we were able to upgrade rooms for no extra cost and with the upgrade, gained access to the "Horizon Club". Apart from a snazzy room, this means access to the Horizon Lounge for Cocktail Hour (two hours from 5-7) where there is free alcohol and food. And they save money on the bar by letting you serve yourself.
This turned out to be quite a civilised way to spend the evening.
The cognac - I don't recall drinking cognac before, but it was so strong that just inhaling it made my nostrils burn. Even when I learnt not to breathe in, the alcoholic fumes burnt my eyes. I managed to take sips by holding my nose and screwing my eyes shut to keep the fumes from getting in. Classy.
And the final highlight - the coffee machine. Engaged as ever by gadgets, Matt has enjoyed making himself a couple of cups of coffee since we returned to the room. But there must be something wrong with the coffee because he's just gone to sleep.
Maybe he didn't keep his eyes closed tight enough while drinking the cognac.
We are flying with AirAsia which meant flying out from Coolangatta. This meant a nice prelude to the trip staying in the Spring Hill Hilton (aka Mum and Dad's place) the night before and even getting a roast chicken cooked by Mum (thanks Mum).
I'm writing this in the evening and today is coming back to me in highlights, so I will record it in the same manner...
Favourite bits:-
The sign just before Coolangatta Airport - which says "Merge Left NOW" and requires an instant merge left across several lanes... always a good idea for people desperate to make their flights. Just a good idea in traffic design generally.
The airline meal - which was amazingly tasty. We opted for the Malaysian meal of curry chicken and rice. It came with a delightful little plastic container of nuts and dried fish products. This evening we realised we had both, independently, coined this 'the allergen container'. For those without a deadly allergy to nuts/fish/mysterious Asian tasty things, it was a promising sign of the exciting flavours to come.
Customs - I was a bit worried that my supply of vitamins could be misconstrued as dangerous drugs. It turned out that Customs consisted of two people sitting at an x-ray screen and, well, just keeping an eye out for suspicious people who might give them cause to actually use the x-ray screen. It was almost as good as the time in Paris when I had to lift my suitcase over the drug-sniffing dog because he had fallen asleep and was blocking the entire pathway. Too much foie gras perhaps.
The hotel - thanks to a good old "buy 2, get 1 free" deal, we were able to upgrade rooms for no extra cost and with the upgrade, gained access to the "Horizon Club". Apart from a snazzy room, this means access to the Horizon Lounge for Cocktail Hour (two hours from 5-7) where there is free alcohol and food. And they save money on the bar by letting you serve yourself.
This turned out to be quite a civilised way to spend the evening.
The cognac - I don't recall drinking cognac before, but it was so strong that just inhaling it made my nostrils burn. Even when I learnt not to breathe in, the alcoholic fumes burnt my eyes. I managed to take sips by holding my nose and screwing my eyes shut to keep the fumes from getting in. Classy.
And the final highlight - the coffee machine. Engaged as ever by gadgets, Matt has enjoyed making himself a couple of cups of coffee since we returned to the room. But there must be something wrong with the coffee because he's just gone to sleep.
Maybe he didn't keep his eyes closed tight enough while drinking the cognac.
--kk
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