I - City

I love weekends when we get to do fun things with the family. This weekend Moira had a "surprise" for us. We were given strong warnings about dressing warmly and wearing closed shoes. Where on earth would we be going if we have to dress warmly? I had to raid Nick's cupboard for jackets and put on socks and ,my running shoes and together with friends, Perla and daughter Celine, we were off to the "ICE" city that Joshua spoke about.

This is the most amazing place ever. It is a digitally lit up wonderland. There are two sections, the Prosperity Park outside and Frosties Wonderland inside. The outside section is a magical forest beautifully lit up and lovely for the children to play in. As it got darker the lights got brighter and more fascinating. In between the forest of trees there are activities for the children to take part in.


Inside the hall EVERYTHING is made of ice. It is an entire village including castles, statues, igloos, toboggan runs, slides etc. It was FREEZING! Despite all the extra clothes, I was freezing cold. I even developed a pain in the back of my head. The little ones had a wonderful time and did not seem to notice the cold until they left the hall and Joshua said he cant feel his nose.

The entire set up is amazing and has to be one of it's kind. When Malaysia does something they do it well. It is another highly recommended attraction for anyone living here or visiting here.

Back in Kuala Lumpur.

 

It is always good to get back to base. We are staying with Nick in his apartment in a suburb called Mont Kiara. I would describe this suburb as “Flat land” as there are so many blocks of flats about and no single standing houses.  Within a stone's throw from our block, is a “kampong” which can be described as an urban village or a traditional village. It is in total contrast to the surrounding high rises.  I love looking out from the twenty fifth floor of our "condominium" as it is known, to the kampong and watching the activity down there. 

The Kampong squeezed in between the condos.

The condos in K.L. are really great places to live as there is usually a swimming pool, gym, functional room and we even have a little shop selling an array of things. A park is provided with equipment for children and a large play room with a selection of toys is available. This is where the child minders or “kakas” as they are known, gather with their charges most afternoons! The pool is totally under used during the week so I have much fun going down in the morning and swimming my lengths.

We live on the twenty fifth floor.

Joshua spends a couple of afternoons here and he has enormous fun in the pool as his dad tosses him in the air and he tries to catch clouds!!

Joshua catching clouds.

The only negative is that we do not have easy access to the LRT (public transport) but there is a bus which Warren took into the city and it took  a whole one and a half hours….so I am not sure he will do that again!

Last weekend, Moira, Joshua and the two of us went off to the Lake gardens for a breakfast picnic. Because of the intense heat, one needs to get out as early as possible. These gardens date back to the 1880’s and are built around an artificial lake. It is an amazing place and has many different things to see and do.

We were so impressed at how beautifully the gardens are maintained and the selection of things to do.

The gardens are really worth a visit when next you are in K.L. I know we are going back!

India has the last word.

 

India always has the last say!!

I have just finished reading “Slowly Down The Ganges” written by Eric Newby.  Eric Newby and his wife Wanda, take on the challenge of a twelve hundred  mile journey down the Ganges, starting at Hardwar and finishing at Calcutta, in 1963.  By the time day six arrived they had run aground 63 times!! They never gave up!

 One of the phrases from the book that I think is true is that “India always has the last say!! This was so true for us as we checked in a the airport at the end of three wonderful weeks in India. Warren had bought two cricket bats for two grandsons. One fitted into the suitcase but the second would not. Oh dear….What to do. Will we be able to take it on as hand luggage or not? The check-in officials shake their heads firmly…oh no now what. No problem. The official found a roll of  tape and Warren managed to tie the bat to the outside of the suitcase. I even offered the long scarf I was wearing. The officials all had a good giggle and once it was checked in I really did not believe we would ever see the bat again!   Oh ye of little faith, this is India not Africa…..there it was, a few hours later on the caravelle in Kuala Lumpur all intact and fine!! Thank you India, your final message is a good positive one. We will be back!!

The Rickshaw Run.

During the last few days we had left in Cochin,  I noticed a great deal of activity on what had been an empty piece of ground, just along from our Homestay. Then a “welcome” sign was erected over the entrance which I took as a welcome to enter the grounds. It is was not meant for me but for the seventy teams arriving from all over the world to take place in the The Rickshaw Run from Cochin to Shillong. The vehicles that were to be used have 7hp.engine, three tiny wheels and the top speed is 55kmph!!

The entrants are  a bunch of very brave or maybe a little crazy people! The person who told me all about the race was a Dawn. Her and a girlfriend (heading for fifty) were from England and had taken on this challenge as they wanted to have some adventure in their lives. Their team was called 2posh2push. Each team pays an entry fee plus they are all asked to raise a thousand pounds, which goes to Charity.

Dawn before her rickshaw was "pimped"!!

 In total fifty thousand pounds was raised which will go to Franks Water programme which supplies fresh drinking water for villages in India!

Everyone is encouraged to pimp their rickshaws so they blend in with the  vibrant colours of the country.

A crazy thing to do but loads of fun. I am so pleased to know that Dawn and partner Flo won the race according to the blogs I followed. 

Our South African boys in their Golden rickshaw.

The next adventure planned is a cheap way to get to the moon!!

Anyone wanting to know more about this adventure will find info on

www.theadventurists.com

Wandering around Jew Town in Cochin.

There are many wonderful shops put there specially to tempt ME!

They are filled with beautiful things just waiting to be snapped up. Clothes, quilts, carpets .....just lovely, lovely stuff.

More silk!

Charming salesman wearing tea cosy!

Stunning silk!

A divine little  jewelled carpet.

Enough to drive my husband crazy!

Tree of life design.

I Just LOVE this piece.

Fun things to buy for gifts.

There is no doubt that Cochin is the perfect place to do some serious shopping or just to feast your eyes!!

Jew Town.

A visit to Jew Town in Cochin is an absolute must. To get there we take a tuk tuk and enjoy winding down the narrow streets dodging the big trucks unloading or loading  of goods. This is where the real business takes place. Cochin was the centre of the Spice trade for India and is still very busy!

The Paradesi (meaning foreigners)Synagogue was built in 1568 to serve the needs of the early traders who settled in this area. Most of the Jewish settlers have moved on or converted but there are reputed to be three Jews living in the area. I have tried to get into the Synagogue three times without any success however it is reputed to be lovely inside with a floor created from Chinese tiles.

The area is filled with wonderful antique shops where one is welcome to spend time browsing. One of the"best buys" for us were door knobs which we installed on our Toti flat. A lovely reminder of a lovely place!

Jew Town

and the old and not so colourful.

The narrow winding roads are lined with buildings which have bright, colourful doors and windows to add to the charm of the area.

Closet Drinkers.

It is no secret that come time for the sun to go down, Warren and I enjoy a little something to celebrate our good day. We had run out of our normal tipple. The next best thing to drink is beer and even that is not so easy to purchase. When asked, the fellow working at the Homestay told us where to purchase some supplies, however as the hotel does not have a liquor license it is illegal to have any on the premises. As for keeping it cold in the fridge .....well you can imagine.
 So off Warren goes off and gets supplies and then has to wrap it up and disguise it,  sneak it into the communal fridge so we can have some lovely cold beer later on.
When ready we pack a bottle into our kit bag and find a quiet spot and pour the beer into our yellow plastic glasses and then hide all evidence.

 The first night we took our drinks down to the beach and got a bit nervous when anyone got too close. Sitting on the promenade is the only place you can find a lovely gentle breeze and we need it after a HOT day of exploring.



 One evening we got a bit braver and took chairs outside so we could watch the boys at play. When chatting to a bunch of boys Warren was told that one of the fellows plays hockey for Kerala, so Coach spent a bit of time sharing a few handy tips.

Other folk just chill wherever they find a comfortable spot!
I think I need to write to the Lord mayor of Cochin and tell him that his city is in danger of losing its reputation for being the cleanest city in
India! 





If you happen to get there during tea time there may not be any place to sit and watch the ancient fishing nets.

 Our Homestay is very close to  the famous St Francis Church. The church was originally erected by the Portuguese in 1510, was built of wood and dedicated to St Antonio the patron saint of Portugal. The present brick structure was built in 1546.  Vasco da Gama was buried  in the cemetry here. Fourteen years later his body was taken to Portugal for reburial.

The beautiful floor of the church.

St Francis Church

Many tourists come by every day however the exterior of the church is in desperate need of a facelift.



 I was lucky to attend a service there on Good Friday. The singing was beautiful although I did not understand much as the service was conducted in Malayolam. There are services in English if you time it right. Kerala and more especially Cochin is a religiously active place and there is tremendous co operation between the different groups. our hotelier also went to church despite being a Hindu as he went to a Catholic school and just likes to participate in the religious ceremonies. There were many ceremonies and parades in the streets during Holy week.It was a good time to be in Cochin.




Another fascinating tourist sight are the Chinese cantilever  fishing nets.

They were originally built between 1350 and 1450. They set up along the beach near the harbour and now they are used to keep tourists happy and to make money!