Bye Bye Kuala Lumpur--Hello Teda

Sunday...alarm went off at 4:21 am.  Got ready, grabbed our stuff, and were in a cab by 5:00.  Rode to the airport.  Grabbed some McDonald's and proceeded through all the things we needed to.  Found a spot to sit and wait.  Boarded at 8:00 and took off for Tianjin.  2:30 Back to Teda and reality.  Cameron goes back to school tomorrow.  It has been so long that he probably has forgotten everything.

Acting like Ronald.

Back in Teda.  Todd went to the store to buy us some food.  He made salsa.  Then him and Cameron busted out the new Weber grill to cook chicken, brats, and mini sausages.  I did laundry.  We showered and relaxed and then went to bed.

Saturday in Kuala Lumpur

Saturday...dream came true today finally.  More on this later.  Headed out after eating subway sandwiches again for breakfast.  We grabbed a taxi to the KLCC tower.  Highest lookout in Kuala Lumpur.  We could get a view of the city and the Petronas Towers.  We decided not to go in them. After the tower we drove simulator cars.  I stink at that.

These guys were flying around the tower.

Waiting to go up.

Another area at the tower.

Petronas Towers out the window.

Petronas Towers again.

And again.

Downtown Kuala Lumpur.

Driving a simulator car.

Outside the tower.

We waited for the Hop On Hop Off bus.  This bus takes you around the city and allows you to get off and on at whatever attractions you want to do. We rode it to the cultural shopping center which is a bunch of shops inside and outside.  Walked around.  Bought collapsible water bottles.  Why? Because they are cool and we have never seen them before.  Cameron got some bookmarks with Malaysian dressed people on the ends.  Todd and Cameron decided on a Malaysian snack.  It is made in bamboo, steamed, then rolled in coconut.  They are served warm.  Kind of looked like green sponge cake.  They ate them all so they must have been good.

Waiting for the bus.

Fun with mirrors.

The bus has arrived.

Riding along.

Thought this was a cool billboard.

Paying to use the bathroom.  Really?  Turnstiles?

The outdoor market.

Trying the treat.

These are being steamed.

Continued to walk through the mall when all of a sudden...there it was...a fish spa.  The kind you put your feet in and the fish nibble away.   Cameron and I immediately wanted to do it.  I have talked about this since moving to China.  Shoes off, feet going in.  Cameron laughed.  I put my feet in, started laughing, pulled my feet out.  Try again.  Same thing.  3rd try.  By this point I'm cracking up with tears rolling down my face.  It feels so weird.  A small crowd gathered around also laughing (I'm sure at me). Finally able to enjoy my 10 minutes.  I don't know how my friend Megan sat down inside with these fish when she did it.  I would be completely freaked out.  As we were getting out a BIG guy was just putting his feet in.  You could tell he was trying to be tough but then a smile and then a giggle...out came his feet.  He tried again but more giggling which caused me to laugh and even Todd.  He finally got them in.  Good stuff.  Our feet felt weird for a little while afterwards.

Me trying hard to leave my feet in.

Finally enjoying the nibbling.

This feels so crazy but good.

Back on the bus.  This time we rode to the Petronas Towers which was about a 3 hour ride.  Bus was packed, it was warm, but at least we saw all of KL.

Picture for Grandma Janet:  St. Mary's Church.

Picture for Grandpa Casey:  A car show.

We have arrived at the Petronas Towers.

They are tall.

Neat view.

In the towers we went to the discovery center.  The first thing you do is get in a black car thing and venture into the dark.  It showed rain forest and things as it took us to a half way point.  We got out and entered the center.  Lots of hands on activities. Continued to work our way around for a couple of hours until we had to get back on the ride.  This time it talked about Malaysia, thanked us, and let us off in the gift shop.

Inside the towers.

Playing at the Discovery Center.

Cameron's twin.

Digging in the dirt.

Trying to build a Lego car to race.  No good pieces.

This was a reactor race. 

Cameron in a bag going down a fast slide.

We decided to get dinner.  We went to Malones again but in a different location.  We ordered almost the same as the night before.  Todd got steak instead though.  When we got the food Cameron's pasta had a bunch of red peppers.  He tried a couple of bites but it was too spicy so Todd traded him. It was pouring.  We were eating under a cover but a couple times it blew hard and we got wet.  No big deal.

Watching the rain come down.

Caught a cab back to the hotel.  Packed up and went to the lounge.  They had funky appetizers that did not smell good.  Todd and Cameron tried a few of course.  Back to the room, watched a movie, off to bed.

Doing the 2 things he loves.

Friday in Kuala Lumpur

Friday...ate subway sandwiches (and not the breakfast ones) for breakfast then met our same driver as yesterday to go explore. Our first stop is the National Zoo. On our way there we drove down Embassy Road.  All the major embassies were on this road.  As we were driving over the car were huge birds.  I asked our driver what they were but he didn't know how to say it in English but he said there were a lot in the zoo.  We paid our entrance fee and an extra 15 rm ($2.50ish) to use our video camera...weird! Once inside we got a map and headed out,  we turned the first corner and there in front of us to walk through were 100 or so of those birds I had asked about.  We prayed we didn't get pooped on as we walked through them.  The grandpa, as we called him, was about as big as Todd.  There were also some huge pelicans inter mixed with these other birds.  We continued through the zoo for about 2 hours. There were wild monkeys all over as well.  It was a pretty nice zoo.  

Never had to pay to use our own video camera before.

Monkey behind bars.

So many big birds.

Hi big fella.

This is who we called grandpa bird.

Zoo Negara or National Zoo.

Entering insect world and butterfly garden.

Butterflies are pretty cool.

Cool picture.

Right next to you Cameron.

Triplets.

Almost our name.

I framed them in the sign.  Pretty cool huh?

They have a frog named after us.

He was a tricky little guy to find.

Cameron holding a snake.

A Flying Fox eating some fruit.

Pretty good zoo.

After the zoo we went to Royal Selangor Pewter Factory and Showroom.  It was interesting.  We were shown the different techniques to make the designs on the pewter.

Animal money they used a long time ago.  They would break off a leg to buy something.  It was based on weight.

Petronas Towers made of pewter.

A cold soda in a pewter glass.

The factory.

This lady was making this glass.

Largest pewter beer stein as listed in Guinness Book of World Records.

Royal Selangor is the name of the pewter company.

Next stop was a rubber tree.  Our guide showed us a rubber tree and pulled out a piece of rubber.  Also interesting.  Next stop was Batik Factory and Showroom.  A lady explained how they make the Balik designs on shirts, skirts, or sarongs.  The lady showed me how to wear a sarong 3 different ways  and a scarf as a sexy shirt or scarf.  Cameron thought this was funny.  Interesting but we didn't buy anything. It was quite expensive but neat.  Next stop was a watch shop.  Our driver promised there were cheap watches.  He was right.  I found one I liked and I bought it.  There were also more expensive watches as well.

Part of the rubber tree.

Close up of a rubber tree.

Learning how to make Balik fabric.

One piece of material is so versatile.

Dress.

A scarf can be worn as a "sexy shirt" as the lady told us.

Or make a flower and wear it on the scarf.

Last stop was Batu Cave.  It is a limestone cave temple.  There are 272 steps to climb to get inside. The steps are narrow and crazy monkeys all over wanting food.  They were cute but also creeping me out. Once in the cave there were a lot of birds flying around.  There were also shops all over trying to sell stuff.  There were Hindu people praying.  We went up the steps to the other side and then worked our way back down, up again, and out to the dark cave.  Cameron really wanted to go in.  It was a 45 minute tour. The sign said something about dark, spiders,  and I was out.  Nope, not doing this tour. Plus it smelled really weird.  Headed back down monkey steps and checked out the shops then got back in the car to head to the hotel.

Neat statues on the building.

This is a big statue.

Headed up.

See the baby?  These monkeys were crazy.

Making our way to the top.

We made it but now hot and tired.

Inside the temple.

Going back to the cave.

Outside the dark cave which I would not go in.

Safely back on the bottom.

Hot, sunny day...perfect.  At the hotel we went to the pool.  It was nice.  We then went to look for the restaurant we were going to go to.  It is at the Kuala Lumpur

Nice pool.

Whose big feet?

China Bear.

Denmark Bear.

Indonesia Bear.

USA Bear.

Malaysia Bear.

Mexico Bear.

Another cheers.

Cameron's zodiac prediction for 2012.

The DC Comic Store.

Every comic book.

Outside the store.

Back to the hotel.  Rested up then went to the lounge for drinks and snacks before heading to dinner. We ate at Malones.   Dinner was great.  We had a salad and beef stew for appetizers.  Todd had fish, I had black peppered chicken which was hot, and Cameron had seafood pasta with mussels, clams, and shrimp in it.  He loved it.  Back to the room.  A little tv then bed.

Like father like son.

In the lounge playing Bedazzled Jewel.

At a restaurant you can rent one of these tobacco smoker things.  Oddest thing I have ever seen.

Cameron broke his sandals, then broke the hotel sandals on the way to the restaurant so we had to switch shoes.  I walked like I had a broken foot.  He tore the toe thing out.  Hard to walk in.

Cameron enjoying his seafood pasta.

They only have yellow and red balls to play pool.