TravelStream™ news feed for member lepakqueen on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/lepakqueen en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:10:22 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/2/1260423885/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/2/1260423885/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/2/1260423885/tpod.html Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:10:22 -0500 Cuti Cuti Malaysia

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Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia

Its the third day of our stay at Sunset Valley, I wake up to the noisy sounds of the birds and animals. I am not a morning person but I wake up happy because it's actually my favourite part of the day at Sunset Valley. I love sitting at the verandah, doing my quiet time and listening to the wind and just enjoying the lovely green, green paddy fields.

Didnt feel like doing anything but laze around the house but we finally decided to go to a nearby waterfall along Air hangat Road and then check out Tanjung Rhu. We reached at about 12.30pm and we owned the waterfall that is until some Arab tourists starting arriving and then more came. One of the Arab tourist was so excited with the waterfall , he jumped in only in his white underwear while his wife all wrapped up from head to toe in a burqa patiently holds his clothes and takes pictures!!

We left after a big group of locals arrived and left for Tanjung Rhu. We havent been to Tanjung Rhu in the last ten years and apart from the Four Seasons, the beach is exactly the same - white sandy beach, secluded and lovely blue still waters. This is a beach .... and the sand is so white , it glares. We had our lunch at Tanjung Rhu Resort , enjoyed the scenery and then left for our massage in Pantai Cenang.

Whoa Pantai Cenang has changed from 5 years ago. It's like Patong - 15 years ago - lots of stalls, eateries and massage parlour. But the massages are overpriced - Thai Massage at RM119 and it looked dinghy. We finally settled for Teratai reportedly the best refloxology in town. I got a biiiiiig lady whilst Chung got a ikan bilis. For the first time, Chung actually walked out of the massage - he said it was so bad , it was painful not physically

Final night at Sunset Valley and I slept like a log on the air bed which is literally like sleeping on air. For the first time, I sleep late but never mind, we were having a quick instant noodle. We check out but saying goodbyes to Ria and Andre is difficult as we are getting quite fond of the couple and their hospitality. As we check out, we were treated to coffee at their main house . They have such a lovely spacious home with a view to kill. Paradise on earth.....

We finally left but hey we rented a car an extra day and Ria has agreed to send us to the airport so we would see each other again We leave for Andaman and checked into this 5-star hotel , luxurious but minus the warmth of Ria and Andre. The beach here is perfecto.... white sandy beaches, calm waters and a shady rainforest that you could just lie down and chill. We spent the entire afternoon at the beach , then the pool before going off to Bon Ton for dinner.

Bon Ton a restaurant set in a man made swamp with lovely lilies in the pond serves great fusion food. Delicious food and a great ambience was a perfect way to end our last night in Langkawi.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/2/1260180572/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/2/1260180572/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/2/1260180572/tpod.html Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:19:22 -0500 Cuti Cuti Malaysia

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Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia

"Welcome to Langkawi" - was the first thing our host Ria greets us with when she met us at the airport. Strange to hear it from a foreigner. But Ria and her husband Andre , a Dutch couple has made Langkawi their second home. They had sailed from Netherlands in one of their voyage and fallen in love with the island.

They have done such a wonderful job with this lovely piece of land that faces a lovely green ricefields with hills and mountains forming part of the landscape. Their house which has a lovely verandah gets the view of a perfect sunset nearly every evening. Its a scene taken from "An Affair to Remember" - remember Kat Hepburn's home and the view she gets . That;s what its like. Even as I am blogging this - I am facing this lovely green rice field with coconut trees amidst an estate of trees and sound of wild birds. I do not want to do anything but just laze around the place.

We took the Farmers House which is a Malay traditional house with all the modern amenities - a kitchennette , a modern toilet and the whole area is Wi- fied.....No tv though which is fine by me. After being told of the house and estate rules, we took a dip in the pool which has a jacuzzi as well and watched for the sunset.

The vast grass field was too inviting and the guys started playing ball and we joined in. We decided to rent the car from Ria since Kuah was just 8 km always. She recommended us Wonderland in Kuah Town just in front of Bella Vista for the seafood.

The car a Cherry was a bit scary as the gear was Continental style where the reverse is on your far left. A couple of tries with the car sounding as if it would explode , we finally got it going and off we were. Because we were in Malaysia, we were a bit casual about where we were and as we drove to Kuah town, I realize that I wasnt really sure how we could get back. But what the heck, we were on holiday.

We finally did find Wonderland , ordered our Lobster dinner - how can we resist that??? Chris was really hungry and so the first dish - the fried vermicelli and the vegetables was gone in the jiffy. The whole meal with lobster, a fish , two vegetables and a noodle cost just RM150.

We quickly drove to Langkawi Parade just down the road to pick up groceries for breakfast and the snacks of course. Being a tax free island, alcohol is really cheap here compared to the mainland and I see myself picking up wines and specialty alchohol drinks.

The drive back was kinda scary especially since I'm not really sure where we were and had to rely on a really bad map and memory. Tough especially in the dark. The roads were typical country road - dark with no street lights . It reminded me of times when we use to drive back to KL or Malacca when were were kids . It is scary especially when you drive along the area which locals call Bukit Hantu which means Ghost Hill.

We finally get back and hey television is not missed. Great to just read and listen to music . For Chris , it was DOTA time and he hogged the laptop the whole night.



]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/2/1260440975/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/2/1260440975/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/2/1260440975/tpod.html Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:15:10 -0500 Cuti Cuti Malaysia

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Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia

When checking out Sunset Valley, there is an option for a personal cruise on the Pantai Rhei. You see, Ria and Andre had sailed from Netherlands through the Mediterannean via the Suez Canal across the Pacific and landed here in Langkawi.

Of course, I jumped at the opportunity and booked the cruise for the family. I had missed a sunset cruise when we were in Phuket earlier. We were joined by another couple from Netherlands, Edu and Jacqui who were staying at the Gate House.

My husband a typical Malaysian who doesnt really listen to instructions decided we should go to Kuah first , shop, lunch and be back by 4 pm . (it was actually 3 pm). Shopping in Kuah's largest Shopping complex the Fair Price Parade or something was really like shopping in Jusco or worse. The liquor of course was great and I pick myself another bottle of vodka lycee. Looked at Chris's DS - cheaper than KL but suspiciously not original. Decided it was too risky and will get it back it KL.

Again we had to rush through lunch when I reminded Chung that it was 3 pm and reconfirmed with Ria. In his usual cool self, he says half an hour should suffice - that's how its always been , me the anxious punctual one and liking some minutes to spare and him the laid back, breezing through and just in time schedule. We have so far been blessed as we had not missed anything major so far- from ferries in Mornington Peninsula to flights in Japan.

But we took a wrong turning and ended it Air Hangat - I am getting lazy and I just want to relax, so no checking maps and routes. The result an F1 driver on a Cherry zipping through quiet village and kerbaus grazing indolently to make the 3pm. We were late of course but only by 5min. Ran into the house to grab my stuff ( thank goodness I packed first - only to find out we are driving back the Air hangat route) .

We get to the jetty and hey surprise, we get to go through the mangrove as well ( haha Andre says- a bonus for us). The Pantai Rhei is docked near some floating restaurants amidst the mangrove. As we board the yacht, it is obvious that the boat is rather special - the interior is designed with love and care by Andre himself as it serves as their home during their seafaring voyage from Amsterdam. The water is really calm and still as we sail through the hole in the wall. I am so reminded of the fjords at Milford Sound minus the snow capped mountains. I have travelled thousands of miles and driven for nights just to see the fjords not knowing that right at our very own backyard , we have such amazing scenery as well.

Ria is busy serving us drinks and feeding us lovely biscuits and tuna on toasties as Andre gives us a brief run through the modern computerised maps - navigation is now paperless too. The boat is extremely stable and Chung who never fails to get seasick everytime we are on the high sea is surprisingly not sea sick at all. Ria explains that the boat has a very large keel that keeps the boat extremely stable. So it is the size of the boat above the water that matters, it is what is under...

I am sailing on a yacht - one of must do's in life and the sea breeze is exhilarating. We come to a stop near one of the islands where we can jump off an swim. Chung Sr and the juniors jump off but you know, we all cant swim well. Chris who has only 3 swimming lessons is the bravest and fastest of us all. He was paddling , I dont know whatever style that kept him afloat and hey with beautiful Jacqueline to keep an eye on him while Chung Sr and Clarissa are finding their way. Clarissa is totally not taking to the sea water and I shout for her to come back. Chung Sr disappears and I found him clinging on the dear life on a rope in front of the yacht. "Hey what are you doing there" "I cant do it.Let me catch my breath and I'll swim back..

And so ended that swim in the sea. I totally chickened. I can thread water but have never tried in such deep waters . Nay, I'll just keep myself dry and enjoy the sunset back. Enjoy we did,and Chung Sr and Jr all had their time as skipper.

We finally did docked and had dinner at the Hole in the Wall restaurant - dining alfresco under the myriad of stars. And as we went back on the boat back to the jetty, the ride back through the pitch black mangrove under a clear black sky with thousands of stars twinkling and lighting our tripback is indeed the cherry on the icing....


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/2/1257692032/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/2/1257692032/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/2/1257692032/tpod.html Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:54:05 -0500 Cuti Cuti Malaysia

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Malacca, Melaka, Malaysia

A group of us wanted to just pig out in Malacca. Since my aunt converted the old family home into a home stay, we decided we would spend a night there.

We left Kuala Lumpur at about 10 am and reached Ayer Keroh at about 12pm and drove into town and headed straight towards town and picked up Maggie. First stop - lunch at this restaurant that served great Mee Siam.

Then we went in to check in at Apa Kaba. Aunt and Uncle has done a great job of the place. Just 5 years ago, it was dilapidated, nearly abandoned and unkempt. Now , the compound is really clean, three of the rooms are air conditioned. Grandma's room looks great now with the bed, nice curtains and a fresh coat of paint. We took 3 air conditioned rooms and one non-air conditioned for the kids.

After checking in, we decided to go to Jonker Street for my aunt's famous cendol @ A1 Kopitiam. Ooi Leng decided to drive as she had little Yi Shan and two kids with her. Whereas, we decided to send the kids to Mahkota Hotel where my brother was staying for them to swim at the pool.

The ladies, myself, Maggie, Choy Yen and Marina walked towards Jonker Street.from Apa Kaba. It's just less than a 10 min walk and you get to see the famous sights like Church of Christ, and cross the bridge over Malacca river to Jonker Street. It's pretty and in Malacca , you, the roads are all one way so walking is sometimes the best option.

Got to A1 Kopitiam and we all have our lovely, refreshing cendol that has really fresh santan and yummy gula melaka. Yeow Seng and Chung, my husband meets us there after dropping the kids.

After, we start strolling along Jonker Street for shopping - nick knacks, souvenirs, local delicacies, Jonker Street is always full of life and on a hot afternoon, the shops with air-conditioning are such nice to walk in. Shops like these are a dying breed as more malls spring out. The locals of course prefer the malls with its lovely air condition and tons of franchised cafes and eateries. But Jonker Street - now that's character. I don't do such shopping much myself as it is rather hot and before I know it , I can't see the rest of the gang, too.
I call Chung and there are all at Geography , having a beer and enjoying the air-conditioning. Now, I know why husband just breezed past me as I was browsing. He needed his air-conditioning. I walk into Geography and I see the group - all grinning and each with a bottle of beer. " This is life , man " someone says. It sure is. We haven't done this for quite sometime - i.e walk around in the hot sun. Nowadays , its just hang out in some hotel lobby or nice air conditioned cafe in KL.

Soon, its time to go back for a shower and Chung suggest going to the hotel lobby of Mahkota Parade - we look at him and ask whatever for and his reply to "enjoy the aircon". We ignore him and go back. Some showered , whereas some of his prepared to go for dinner at Aunty Lee. Aunty Lee serves home cooked Nyonya Meal and has only about 4 - 5 tables so calling ahead and booking is a must. Yeow Seng had even pre-ordered the dishes which were excellent and we were so stuffed .

When we were driving back , we passed a massage and foot reflexology center and decided to book for a massage there at 11 pm . It was very near Apa Kaba , less than 5 min walk .We got back and again Chung was fussing about the heat. First , that the kids room didn't have air conditioned and then made us all group into one of the rooms . We opened a bottle of wine and drank and chatted about the good old days as the trip reminded us very much of the trips we use to take when we were in university.

Then, we got ready to walk out for our massage. The massage was so good that we extended it to two hours. After the massage, we felt so loosen up and just fell asleep like a baby. I just dozed that I didn't realized that it rained so heavily that night.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/2/1258179436/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/2/1258179436/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/2/1258179436/tpod.html Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:53:45 -0500 Cuti Cuti Malaysia

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Malacca, Melaka, Malaysia

The next morning, we got up to drenched slippers and shoes but it was really cooling. Drenched slippers and shoes because the home like most old traditional houses in those days has an open air airwell.

We decide to go for kopitiam type breakfast with toast , hard boiled eggs and old fashioned coffee not the Starbucks or Lattes etc. We found one at Melaka Raya and the place is a combination of old and new. Old fashioned traditional toast and coffee with modern new setting - but its not the giant chains like Kopitiam or Papa Rich.

We return to Apa Kaba and we are locked out because the reception didnt give us the main door key and he's gone to Church. We hang outside and I start trying to pluck the mangoes from the trees. But its not in season and the mangoes are not ripe enough.

Finally, my cousin and my aunt arrive with the keys. We start asking for directions for our lunch now ??? Didnt we just have breakfast ???? We also ordered nynonya dumplings from my auntie.

We check out and now start our food trek. First stop , the Nyonya Laksa at the market place , then to Bukit Cina for Char Kway Teow and Herbed chicken rice. We went on foot through the kampung at the back of Apa Kaba. Organizing a food trek for a group of 10 with kids is no joke I tell you.
After that pigging out session, we went over to Jonker Street for our second dose of Cendol and for me - that;s the end of the pig out session. Some of the rest stayed on, to shop and more pigging. Oh man, how do I get rid of these kilos'?
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/2/1257406807/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/2/1257406807/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/2/1257406807/tpod.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:44:11 -0500 Cuti Cuti Malaysia

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Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia

Yup, its the school holidays again and this time we're off to Cameron Highlands. I must confess that I never liked Cameron Highlands because I hate the road going up there.

Every time I go to Cameron, I tell myself , I will only come back in 10 years time. Therefore when I went in jan this year for my silent retreat, I enjoyed the tranquil and the natural surroundings so much that I said that I would take the kids up there in March.

And so we were all packed up to go but we took a side trip first to Tanjung Tualang for the famous fresh prawn lunch and then to Kellie's Castle. We've heard so much about it but never did go. And since it was just hardly 10 min away, we stop by the famous haunted castle. I must say it looks pretty beside the river but was is haunted? I didnt feel anything. I think the castles in England are scarier.

We climbed right up the top of the castle and looked down . Now, that was scary. We spent about thirty minutes and then off we went using the new highway up to Cameron Highlands. It was much wider and better than the old road and we would come to Brinchang and down to Tana Rata where we had booked Bala's Chalet.

The last time my husband and I stayed at Bala's was more than 20 years ago and it was really very basic. But we read in blogs about it has been renovated and decided to stay there despite some reviews about its poor service.

I was not disappointed as Bala's Chalet was really typically English and even had a fireplace. The gardens were really beautifully landscaped and the setting was quiet and serene. Perfect for a holiday. Tea and scones were lovely and the best is the famous Bala's curry we had for dinner

The rooms were a bit run down but I thought it had character . No tv - which was perfect for this break because I had told the kids and Chung , no electronic gadgets at all. So we spent all our nights reading and playing cards or board games.

We spent most of the time trekking the easy ones of course. We did three treks - two that led to the waterfalls and another which we only went half way. A map of all the treks can be taken from the reception at Bala's Chalet.

We also took a trip to Sg Palas tea plantation which had a cafetarie on a platform with fabulous views of the plantation. We thought it would be nice to have tea and scones at the cafetaria but it was so crowded with kids running and a long queue that we decided to run back to Bala's for our tea and scone.
On our way back , we stopped by a vegetable farm where we plucked strawberry and pulled the carrots etc. The roads were narrow but the views from Gunung Brinchang was breath taking and quite worth the drive.

I would go back to Cameron again and soon....



]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/6/1257150164/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/6/1257150164/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/6/1257150164/tpod.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:40:52 -0500 Camels, Trekking, Felucca Cruising and A Train Ride - An Egyptian Tale

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Cairo, Egypt

We arrived in Cairo 6 am sharp. We are happy to see Nora and Mustafa again but we are tired and we actually just want to check in and freshen up. It's too early to check in and so we were taken for trip to Coptic Cairo. Well, the good thing is we get to see Cairo , early in the morning. It is pleasant because there isnt much traffic and the sun is just to beginning to show.




We reached the Coptic Cairo area and again many, many police personnel , shields, weaponary - certainly not a common sight for us Malaysians. I am reminded again that an attack is very real but somehow, I'm getting used to it. Coptic Cairo is very interesting and certainly an eye-opener. For us in Malaysia, we hear arabic and we think Islam but the churches in Egypts is in arabic - songs, sermons and verses. It's almost like been in Mosque but we are actually in a church.

I am totalling soaking in the tales of the saints in Egypt. St George, the dragon slayer for one , I have always though was English. Well, he is Syrian. We are brought way down to the dungeon where he was tortured with spikes and iron balls.

We are brought to the lovely Hanging Church and then to the chapel where the Holy family stayed when they fled to Egypt. I am loving every second of it and Nora our guide is a Egyptian christian and so very well versed with this but then Clarissa is not feeling well. The group looks pathetic and at the end of the tour, we decided to skip the Khan-El Khalil Bazaar and lunch at Hard Rock Cafe. Whilst I was a bit annoyed with the travel agent for not being flexible enough to rechedule the Bazaar trip to later in the evening, it was actually the best decision we made.

When we checked into Holiday Inn City Stars, first they upgraded us to a lovely suite. Secondly , it was next a modern shopping mall and the group was so happy to see the mall.

And so we decided to spend the last night in Cairo in a shopping mall. First stop lunch and we were so happy to see Chinese food even though it was not a Chinese restaurant and was only a food court stall. Chris was delirious when he saw MacD. So we had chinese food and MacD and yeah shopping . First stop the supermarket where we bought all the nuts, nougats, sweets and even bedsheets with 100% egyptian cotton. No bargaining, no hustlers and guaranteed local price. In fact ,Annie was so engrossed in her shopping for nuts that a local looked at her and complained that she should be at some bazaar meant for tourist instead of taking up space meant for locals.

The kids went back to the hotel to enjoy the modern amenties of the hotel. We felt so at home that we decided against taking a cab to Khan El Khalil bazaar and decided instead to shop at the mini Khan El Khalil at the City of Stars. Annie and I picked up more souvenirs and again no stress of haggling. Finally, the shame of it all, we just picked up a bucket of KFC for dinner. The KFC had to go through security check to get into the hotel.

That night , we tucked into our KFC, watched movies, bathed in luxurious LOOCITANE toileteries and slept like a baby.

The next morning, chris and I had a lovely swim , then breakfast and then time to say goodbye. It was magical, adventourous, tiring, but definitely, we had a time of our life....
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/6/1256956604/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/6/1256956604/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/6/1256956604/tpod.html Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:25:34 -0500 Camels, Trekking, Felucca Cruising and A Train Ride - An Egyptian Tale

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Cairo, Al Qāhirah, Egypt

Okay, we've flown, rode camels, feluccaed, cruised , rode on a horse carriage and now a sleeper train. When I iwas doing my research on this trip, I had mixed feelings about the train. My old Nile travel book which I have had for nearly 10 years because I was planning for this trip did not advise sleeper trains because of the sniper incidents and recommended travellers take the normal local trains.

Thank goodness for Trip Advisor forum because I asked and no one there ( and this is one of the most active forums) had heard about the sniper. I also youtubed it and finally decided to take the train for the fun of it. Because there were 5 of us, we thought Ray had to share a bunk and we joked that he would get a fat, snoring stranger or he wished that he would get a hot, young female traveller. Well, not true at all because silly us, he was get ting his bunk all to himself . Finally, Ray has his privacy, no sharing with a sloppy 12 year old.

But my sloppy 12 year had a ball of a time in our berth which had door which we could open to Clarissa and Annie's berth. The cabin was a bit crammed compared to the European trains but each had its own basin Dinner was served by this extremely efficient waiter and of course , we had our hot noodle which I packed myself because reviews about the food on board was not great. That part was true...

The attendant then started to get our bed ready. The top berth was fixed in a jiffy and soon Chris was pretending to be "ladderman" climbing up and down the ladder - that boy sure has imagination. He can play with almost anything.....

We retired early and it was a nice smooth ride back to Cairo and soon we're back to dusty , crowded , overpopulated city.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/6/1256196769/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/6/1256196769/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/6/1256196769/tpod.html Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:58:40 -0400 Camels, Trekking, Felucca Cruising and A Train Ride - An Egyptian Tale

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Aswan, Aswān, Egypt

The ship finally departed Aswan in the afternoon and as we enjoyed the leisurely pace of the cruiser, my legs finally gave way. I had been limping, moaning and groaning at every step that I took but the pain was too excruciating and decided to go for a massage on board. I skipped the tour at Kom Ombo because every step was killing me and decided to go for the massage. The massage therapist was good but the pain went away for just a few hours and it was back again. I then too what today I call my miracle drug, my panacea - Panadol Actifast. 2 tablets and the pain went away. My massage cost me nearly RM500 (about US100) but the tables only RM4 ( barely US1).

I was really glad that Mona , my travel agent had decided with Mt Sinai first and then the cruise instead of the other way. I cannot imagine having to take the long flight back after the Mt Sinai trek.

We were just happy to lounge around the ship , playing cards , being fed and enjoying the room. Of course, being Malaysian , we could not resist the shopping and because it was minus the peddlars and touts, we felt happier to just buy the stuff on board especially when the owner was really, really very nice.

We ended buying the customised t-shirts, bracelets, pendants and even the egyptian cotton bedsheet that Raymond wanted( after hounding the owner for the 3 days, he bought it on the last day) - our largest purchase. The price was actually quite good comparable to outside minus the haggling and unpleasant, aggresive hounding...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/6/1256544215/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/6/1256544215/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lepakqueen/6/1256544215/tpod.html Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:35:43 -0400 Camels, Trekking, Felucca Cruising and A Train Ride - An Egyptian Tale

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Luxor, Al Baḩr al Aḩmar, Egypt

Finally, we are in Luxor where we will be taken to Karnak Temple, Valley of the Kings and Queen.

First stop , Luxor Temple at night. With the huge columns, courtyards and statues, the temple area was colossal and seeing it at night with all the lights made it all the more beautiful.

The next day, was the visit to ever famous Karnak Temple but to be honest, at this point, all the temples looks quite the same to me . Philae temple is probably the most unique for me because of its island location. All the rest were quite similar and we were getting an overdose of the Eygptian history, pharoahs, queen, gods and goddess.

The Valley of the King and Queen was the hottest day we experienced of Egypt and all we wanted to do was get off the sun and into the shade. . We had seen all of King's Tut treasure at the museum in Cairo to see his empty tomb. Well, we didnt exactly see his tomb because we had to pay extra and we figured that one King's tomb is a good as another. I think you know when you have an overdose of a country when all you want to do is take a picture and get out of there.

After a whole morning of sightseeing, we were back at Movenpick. Since Christopher was having his first stomach flu, we decided to just have lunch board instead of going to MacDonalds, which he has been craving since we arrived at Luxor. We said our goodbyes to Rifyat and the rest of the group and especially the Captain , who was really very, very nice and caring. Always making sure we had enough water, taken care of and our regular seats. Au revoir Movenpick
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