A Visit to Cameron Highlands...

It was a beautiful morning May 21, 2014. We had planned to visit Cameron Highlands a town which is 1268 meter above sea level, on the top of the main range in the state of Pahang. Just after 8am in the morning I drove the Honda taking the DUKE Highway into the North South Highway toward the north. I had planned to get into the Highlands via the Simpang Pulai exit 137 in the state of Perak, just south of the town of Ipoh. My nephew who lives in Kuantan came along to help in the driving. I drove all the way to the Tapah Rest and Recreation area and had a short break there while enjoying an early lunch and refreshments. Then my nephew took the wheel. This is the first time that we took that road toward Cameron Highland and found the road is less winding than the Tapah one. In the past there was only one way to get to Cameron Highland and that is via Tapah. Now there are three new roads; one from Simpang Pulai that we are taking that day and the other two are from Gua Musang in the state of Kelantan and the latest one is from Raub in the state of Pahang. Although Cameron Highlands is in the state of Pahang before the new roads was constructed the only way to get to Cameron Highlands from any other districts in that state was by driving through the state of Selangor and Perak before one get back into the State of Pahang where the district of Cameron Highland is. After a leisure drive of one hour from Simpang Pulai we reach Kampng Raja. Then drove slowly toward the Copthorne Hotel in Brinchang where we would stay while in the highlands. The road was winding all the way but was not as bad as the Tapah Ringlet stretch and sort of heavy with local traffic collecting vegetables and other produce to the market all over the country. Cameron Highlands is the biggest producer of temperate climate vegetables for the country as well for Singapore. [Above is the view of the Bharat Tea Plantaion]

We eventually arrived at the hotel, a sprawling complex which was the former Equatorial Hotel. We had book two rooms on-line and the checking in was in a breeze. We were given two adjacent rooms on the eleventh floor. On entering the room we found it has a splendid view of the countryside below. Had a short rest and then went out for lunch at Tanah Rata, the main town of the district. After going around we soon found a place call Hotel Titiwangsa that served food. We sat down and ordered a variety of Nasi Goreng and enjoy it at the lobby of the hotel cum restaurant in the cool comfort of the mountain air. After a while we decided to drive on toward the town centre to do a bit of sightseeing of the town and the greens around. We then got back to the hotel for a rest and refresh ourselves. Just after seven in the evening we went to the town of Tanah Rata again and had dinner at a Mamak restaurant there. The place was already thronging with tourists enjoying their dinners. I saw many backpackers’ tourists around, mostly Europeans walking around and enjoying their food there. Cameron Highlands has always been popular with foreigners because the weather is always cool. We ordered Tandoori and Chicken Tikka and sat to enjoyed it. After dinner since there were hardly any night-life activities we decided to get back to the hotel and call it a day.

I woke up early at about 4.30am in the morning because of the cough that I had been having for months already. My son in law who is an ENT specialist says it because of dry throat and give me some medicine for treatment; it sort of an old age problems. I could not sleep again until around 5.30am. Then I heard my spouse who had waked up saying that there is light coming out of the mountain range and it look like a sunrise. I woke up and went to have a look and sure enough it was the sun rising. I went to wash up and took my camera and wait for the sun to slowly rise against the horizon. Slowly the sun began to make its appearance with a spectacular display of light; Orange, Yellow, Amber and Red against the dark blue sky. It was indeed a magnificent sight to watch in that early morning. The time was just past seven in the morning. Soon the whole areas from the mountain range and the lush green of the lowland was ablazed with light, thus the morning begin with a wonderful display of light from our glorious sun. It was a wonderful welcome to us on our first day here in Cameron Highlands.

Our room come with breakfast for two. Since the breakfast is served from 6.30am to 10am we decided to get ready to enjoy the breakfast at the Coffee House downstairs. Just after 8am we went to enjoy our breakfast. As usual with Malaysian hospitality industries the breakfast come with a large buffet spreads.  So it is always wise when making booking for room at the hotel in Malaysia to see to it that it includes breakfast as well. We take our time to enjoy the breakfast. I found that the local spreads including the Nasi Lemak are as good as home made. After enjoying that breakfast we then got back to our room and refresh up before going out to play tourists. The weather outside the hotel was cool and not normal to us who live in the lowland so we have to wear light jacket or sweater. And I like it, it felt really good; cool and fresh.

With my nephew driving the Honda we took a spin of the town up to Ringlet, then make a turn back to Tanah Rata. On the way we stop for tea at the Tea House of the Bharat Tea Plantation, the second largest tea plantation in Cameron Highland. From the tea house one can see a sprawling tea bushes, green, green and greens as far as the eyes could see. We ordered tea and sat at a table with a view of that sprawling tea bushes below. It was a panoramic view of lush green like a postcard. Magnificent indeed!

I felt real good sitting there enjoying that peace and tranquillity of the place, atop the world with the lush tea farm below. I was at peace with myself and felt so nice that I wanted to stay there forever. It was a feeling that touches my heart; a special feeling indeed. It felt so good. And the Teh Tarek was heaven! I had brought my camera and the necessary lens to do photography and had a field-day photographing the scenes around the tea house.

After a while we left and got to our hotel in Brinchang to freshen up. Flowers grow well in the highlands. The hotel that we are staying took advantage of this and landscapes its front with colourful flowers thus enhancing the approach of the hotel. I love to see such display of flowers and took some image of the scene. On the morning of May 23, 2014 after having a hearty breakfast at the hotel we check out and on the way to Ringlet we bought the local vegetable and Strawberry to take home. We were thinking of taking the new road that would take us back to Kuala Lumpur via Bentong but could not find the exit. Since it was only less that 50 kilometres to Tapah where exit to the North South Highway is we decided to forgo going back via Bentong but instead chose the Tapah route. On the way we stop at the Lata Iskandar to watch a Water Fall there. As usual the place was throng with tourists making a stop on the way up to the highlands or going down toward Tapah. We left the place and soon got into the highway again. We proceed south on the highway and make a stop for lunch at the Tapah Rest and Recreation area  Then proceed on and reach home at just 4pm in the afternoon.  All in all our short holiday was a colourful one indeed. We did enjoy it.

Have a nice day.

The Machines enjoying its Breakfast...

Well folks everything on this planet need energy to work and that includes all the little computers that we cannot do without nowadays. Above is an image of a few of my smart appliances that are having their breakfast together while I wait. 

 

Have a nice day.

Wandering Around...

April 15, 2014 was a beautiful day so I decided to go for a walk. Yes for a walk. During that week it always rain in the afternoon, a welcome rain indeed. So I decided to do the walk in the morning part of the day. Normally it would start raining just after four in the afternoon. I love walking and take the time while walking to enjoy the scenes around and do some photography. I drive the Honda to the KLCC car park and then start walking using the tunnel-walkway from the KLCC to the Bukit Bintang area. Carrying a haversack with my camera, my iPad and a bottle of drinking water I start walking slowly, snapping some image using my camera. I dangle the camera and walk slowly. The Tunnel-Walkway from KLCC to Bukit Bintang at the Pavilion is 1.3 kilometres long one way. I have Blog about the tunnel/walkway here. So it was just a nice walk in the cool comfort of the air-condition walkway. I just take it easy and wander along enjoying the walk with my mind running wild. There are many people walking both ways in this busy walkway. Folks would walk to and fro KLCC- Bukit Bintang- KLCC. It sort of a short cut from both areas of the city. Both sides of the tunnels were decorated with painting or advertisement turning the area into a colourful walkway. There is a small food court near the Aquaria and since it as yet a lunch time the place is not as crowded as it would. I just took a slow walk and move on toward the Convention Centre and then take the escalator and move forward toward the Pavilion. [ The image above is in the Pavilion]

At this part of the walkway one can see both sides of the Bukit Bintang road from the top with cars rushing on both sides; a busy road indeed. I continue my walk into the Pavilion Mall and then went to the food court below to have my lunch. I decided to just have a light lunch of Ipoh Chow Kwey Teow at the Little Ipoh stall there. I sat down at one of the table and enjoy my food. Soon the place became crowded with the lunchtime crowds. Then two young men join my table to enjoy their lunch. They are strangers who eventually became  my friends. I finished my lunch and continue to sit there and chat with the two. I soon found that both of them are working at the banks nearby. One grew up in the rural area of Kedah while one in Kelang.. Both of them are from the generation of my kids. It was really nice to talk to them. After having their lunch they left to get back to their office nearby. I continue to sit down and while my time on Facebook and enjoying the day. 

After a while I walk along the Bukit Bintang Street toward the Low Yat Plaza, my destination. The street was already crowded at that time with tourists and the local, perhaps going for lunch or shopping. I notice that everywhere there are detour path to allow folks to get from one point to the other since there are construction everywhere for the MRT. For a while folks had to bear the difficulties but when the MRT system is completed folks would be able to get to the other parts of the city much easier. I move on with the crowds and eventually got to the Low Yat Plaza. 

The Low Yat Plaza is the mecca of all things electronics. Everything electronics under the sun are sold there. Just before moving on I stop at the Starbucks along the corridor there and order coffee and then set at one of the table to enjoy the free Wifi. After a while I move on into the mall. It was already throng with folks looking for computers, electronic parts, cell phone and others electronics gadgets. I browse around and found a shop where I enquire about the applications for TV reception. Got a friendly salesman to explain of how some gadget works. He knows his stuff well indeed and since the items that I wanted to purchase is a bit expensive I was happy to have been provided with extra information on that. I thanks him and would most probable go back to buy it. 

I decided to leave the Low Yat Plaza and walk back toward the Pavilion. I thought that its best I get to the Pavilion before it start to rain. As usual the street is still throng with tourists walking on both directions. I stop and took some picture of the buildings alongside the road as well the construction sites where there are crane and workman doing their work on the MRT project. 

After a while I reach the Pavilion and got inside. After browsing along I decided to get to the food court again and this time I ordered a Teh Tarek and some Curry Puff. I sat at the table at the food court and enjoy my snack. After a while I start walking back to the KLCC via the Tunnel and Walkway. With that it ends my adventure of the day. 

Have a nice day.

Interior Deco; the Curtains...

Both my spouse and I love to decorate our house; it a passion that we both share since we start a family some fifty years ago. We love beautiful things and wanted our home to be a place of fine living; thus over the years we collected furniture’s and other works of art to adorn the space of our house. To keep it need and beautiful we would change the concept of interior decoration from time to time and that includes changing the curtains. Furniture would be move around to enhance it look in a new position in the house. Curtains that we have used would be wash and keep to be use later when we do another change. Today I took out the old curtains at the lounge for washing. Asmah my spouse quip which one to replace. We have many set of curtains that we kept over times and all are still in good condition. We thoughts about it and think of a mix match concept. We open the containers where we kept the old curtains and found what we wanted. We start hanging it and viola it turn out to be a great choice as seen above; another beautiful setting that we like. 

Have a nice day.

A Beautiful day at the Pavilion...

It was a Saturday 10th May. May spouse wanted to get a gift at the Pavilion so to avoid driving in the rain which usually happens in the afternoon we decided to go early, just before lunch. I drove the Honda taking the old road toward Bukit Bintang. Since it was a Saturday the traffic was not that high and it was pleasant to drive. After a few minutes’ drive we got to Jalan Tun Razak and then after the traffic light I turn into Jalan Bukit Bintang. As I drive on I notice there are many detour sign placed on the road so I just follow the direction indicated and soon found myself on an unfamiliar road. For that few minutes could not recall where I am driving. Luckily my spouse could remember and she said that we are now on Jalan Imbi. It a parallel road with Jalan Bukit Bintang but we just could not get to the Pavilion using this road. There is nothing I could do but just to follow the detour sign and eventually saw a familiar road that may lead us to Jalan Bukit  Bintang. So I just drive on following the signage and eventually came out at Jalan Bukit Bintang but passed the Pavilion. I then drive on and try to find a way to get into the parking lot of the Pavilion. Eventually found a signage saying Jalan Raja Chulan. I follow the signage and got into the road and after making a wrong entry at the delivery area I eventuality got into the parking area. I parked my car and we went up to the mall. As it was already lunch time we decided to have lunch first before going shopping. We browse along the many food stalls at the food court and decided to enjoy the Young Tow Foo as in the image above. It was indeed a delicious dish and we did enjoy that simple lunch. After enjoying the lunch we went for a walk looking for an outlet to buy the gift. After going around and got what we wanted we decide to go and have coffee at the Dome situated at the open lobby of the mall. The place was already throng with folks enjoying their drinks. 

We got ourselves a nice table and ordered our coffee and sat there to enjoy it.  A young couple nearby decided to change their table and got the one nearer to ours and soon we got into talking and chat on various subject about living. They introduce themselves as Mr and Mrs Lim.  They are from the generation of our kids and enjoying their free time together on this Saturday away from their kids. Before leaving we exchange information and promise to meet again in the future. It was really nice to get to talk to them. After a while we decided to move on after having a great time whiling our time at the mall this Saturday afternoon. 

Have a nice day.