We are sat on the plane for a three hour flight so I have some time to write again! (naughty grin!)
The Asian gentleman next to me has ordered some food………. THE fishiest dish on the menu has just arrived (Nasi Goreng Ikan Pedas)
The little foil dish comes complete with, what looks like, chicken floss! So, feeling ever so slightly less tolerant of the aromas around me than usual (due to flight nerves) I got the tried and tested Tiger Balm out. (Smile) …..not because of the nauseating fish sauce smell but just in case he chooses to show his appreciation of the meal afterwards. (wink). Mmmm I think I have overdone the Tiger balm! It is burning my nose badly (i have had a cold this week) but it is taking my mind off his food and the turbulence……….He has finished now and is sleeping. I think I may have sent him off with the menthol fumes! No other fumes that I am aware of at the moment (smile) so all is good.
What I forgot to mention in my finial notes about Malaysia yesterday was that a very nice gentleman gave us a lift up a long steep hill to a temple the other day. It was a very hot day (again) and we had already been walking for a long time. I would have said no thanks, in fact i did but as Glen got in I thought i had better join him. I just kept thinking about what Glen’s Mum would say if she knew!! The man said “you both look so hot”. We were! it was a shame he hadn’t come by earlier, we had walked a long way. They test your faith here by putting the temples on top of hills. We thanked the driver when we reached the temple and as i got out i looked back and said “what time are you going back down?” He laughed…… I was serious!
I wish I could publish some of the emails we receive giving us updates from home(s!) they are often very amusing and would make a nice balance as the blog is obviously one sided. Don’t worry keep emailing us I won’t put them on here really!
We get lots of emails saying “it feels like we are there with you” well I wish you were, the back packs can seem like they are getting heavier when it is hot, we could do with some helpers (smile) Couldn’t do this length of journey without you all ‘coming along with us’ (smile) so keep the news and update emails coming.
I suppose I should write about all of the good food rather than just the suspect….I will try to come across more positive in future…. although it could get boring “this was great” “that was wonderful ” (wink)
Pigs blood soup….that was my last sight as we left the food court after breakfast on our last day in Malaysia. Squares of red-ish pink in clear broth. Mmmmm yum!
For anyone thinking “I wish Glen would write something on the blog for a change” I agree, he is so funny and has made me laugh a lot in the past month. I just said how lovely it was to see the young guy in the food court this morning put his plate down and then bow his head and say a prayer before he dug in to his chicken and noodles….. Glen said “he was probably praying that he would have more meat than bones in his meal” (chuckle) The thing is here that you can’t look at a piece of chicken or whatever and think, “the bones will be here here and here because they do not divide a chicken up like we do at home. They randomly chop it up with a cleaver ensuring you find splinters of random bone in your broth and huge unrecognisable bones when you least expect it… not forgetting they do not give you a knife to cut the meat off. The locals just put it in their mouth then spit out the inedible pieces of bone or gristle. Not that they consider much to be inedible as we have established! Lauren would hate it here as they eat with their mouths open and slurp the noodles out of the dishes with a little help from the chopsticks and generally make a lot of noise and mess. I fit right in. (smile)
We have learnt a lot so far about the history, culture and language. Keluar means exit, tarik is pull etc. but we still weren’t sure about the word Kiblat on a green arrow at differing angles on the ceilings in the hotel rooms. We googled it and apparently it shows Muslims which direction to pray towards Mecca without leaving the room. What a nice touch. (smile)
So, having got used to the currency, learnt a little of the language and now happily navigating our way around KL we are making our way to another country!
The pilot has just announced that we are about to start to make our decent and will be landing in Bali in about half an hour. I am a little bit more nervous today, Glen on the other hand is happily looking out of the window pointing out volcanos peeping through the clouds. (Sigh) I try to think about relaxation techniques I have learnt over the years. I remember Paul Mackena used to tell people to tap parts of their body which was supposed to help them overcome their anxiety. I asked Glen if he could remember which parts Paul said to tap but all he said was that Paul Mackena was tapping them for money. He’s no help!
OK all is well now. We have landed safely and we are In the hotel, the best yet! Not only a window but the whole wall is glass (most rooms have been windowless!) and we look out on to a wonderful little pool in a lovely courtyard and greenery….and nowhere near the most expensive. So far so good (smile)
