"You want us to watch the children WHERE???"

[Editorial note from Mary: A huge THANK YOU to our guest blogger, Daniel "Grandpa" R. Garibaldi. We are thrilled to have you here with us in Malaysia.]

When Brian, Mary, Violet and Tyler left for Malaysia in mid July, Kathy and I had mixed feelings. We were excited for them because they were embarking on a life's journey that few other families would ever get to experience. But, of course, we were sad because we would now be separated from an important part of our lives by a few continents and thousands of miles. Brian suggested, half in jest I thought, that we could come and visit them in Malaysia whenever we chose. At the time, Kathy and I had been to many places in the states, including Hawaii and several islands in the Caribbean. We had never once considered traveling to Southeast Asia. Knowing that part of our family would be gone for two years and missing them so much already, we went on-line and made plane reservations for the end of January. Since we wanted to visit other places in that part of the world, we also booked a family vacation for all of us in Phuket, Thailand. Brian and Mary, meanwhile, as a Christmas present, booked us a side trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia, the sight of many historic temple ruins. More on that later. Two days before leaving New York for Malaysia there was a major snow storm. The following day, all major airports cancelled hundreds of flights. The dreaded "uh oh" feeling set in fast. But things got better very quickly and we took off for Malaysia without delay. I won't attempt to bore you with details of the flight. Suffice to say, it was LONG but we got to Hong Kong first, then Kuala Lumpur on time and in great spirits arriving to 80+ degree weather.

Dan and Kathy riding a tuk tuk. [Editorial note from Mary: !!!!]

Passing through immigration and customs in Malaysia was quick and painless. Brian, wearing a bright red shirt (as promised) and holding a "Garibaldi" placard, met us at the airport. In about 45 minutes we were at Brian and Mary's apartment. The first person we saw when exiting the elevator was our beautiful Violet. She ran to us, arms outstretched and jumped into Grandma's arms. I didn't feel neglected for long as she soon was jumping into my arms as well. Next we hugged and kissed Mary and walked to the apartment. There on the door was the cutest Violet/Tyler-made sign that read "Welcome to Malaysia, Grandma and Grandpa." After drying my eyes a bit, I asked for Tyler. It turns out he waited up as long as he could before passing out. Violet woke him up and he ran into his grandma's arms. When I gave him that "what about me?" look, he remembered our private little joke and said, "You're chopped meat!" After a good night's sleep, Grandma and Grandpa were ready to soak up the culture. [Editorial note from Mary: No jet lag at all.]

Kathy enriches Garden International School's 1S class as part of
their current integrated curriculum topic --Toys and Game

Malaysia, meaning Kuala Lumpur, was nothing like Kathy and I had imagined. Growing into adulthood in the sixties, Southeast Asia, to me, was synonymous with the war in Vietnam. But this city is huge, beautiful and so international - just like New York, including the traffic. So many cars!! And the malls - mall after mall, each one bigger than the next. What about the food, you ask? You can eat something different every day, from every culture imaginable, again just like New York! Thankfully, for Kathy, it seems that every restaurant in Kuala Lumpur serves chicken and rice!

The first few days were spent exploring the city, mostly malls and food courts. [Editorial note from Mary: We wanted to ease them in...] Tyler's teacher had invited the children's families to discuss games from the past. Great timing with out visit. Kathy went to Garden International School and taught "The Farmer in the Dell" to Tyler's class. You know what they say, "Once a teacher......" One night we had dinner at an outdoor restaurant named "Lillian's." The food choices were eclectic to say the least. My personal favorites were the sting ray and the "chicken" fish. 

Welcoming in the Chinese Year of the Horse with the God of Good Fortune

The new 7 seater car with Henry

After a few quick days of acclimation to KL, Brian and Mary then went on an adult only diving expedition to the Philippines for a few days. Kathy and I more than welcomed the chance to spend quality time with Violet and Tyler. Since the children had an extended vacation in honor of Chinese New Year, Mary planned an extensive itinerary for the four of us. Since I knew nothing about getting around by car in Kuala Lumpur and wasn't used to driving on the left side of the road, Brian and Mary arranged a driver for their car to take the four of us around the city and surrounding areas. Henry, our driver, was wonderful. He regaled us with local history and culture while carefully transporting us to our various destinations. Violet, Tyler, Kathy and I visited the Bird Park, the Elephant Sanctuary, the Petronas Twin Towers, the Discovery Center, the Aquarium and the Science Center. Our last stop was Kidzania, a virtual city, where children role play every aspect of city life - firefighters, policeman, bankers, postal workers, doctors, pilots, etc., etc., etc. What a brilliant concept! I'm surprised this idea has yet to reach the U.S.






 

Violet played newscaster and
Tyler worked the camera!

  


A few days after Brian and Mary returned from the Philippines, Kathy and I were off to Siem Reap, Cambodia. After a quick two hour flight, we were met at the airport by a car from our hotel. We checked in at 9:00 AM and our private bungalow was ready by 9:30. We had pre-booked a tour guide to show us around the city and surrounding areas, the main focus, of course, being the temple ruins. ChanSarak, our guide, met us at the hotel at 11:00 AM. He had prepared an itinerary for us to encompass our three-day stay in the area. We first took a boat ride on a large lake and viewed floating villages inhabited mostly by Vietnamese immigrants. What a difficult way of living! We even saw children in a floating schoolhouse that was in session. Remarkable! We ended the first day of touring visiting various locations in the city. The city was easy to navigate since Cambodia accepts U.S. currency everywhere. FYI - if you are planning a Siem Reap trip, skip the crocodile farm! It's hot, vile-smelling and very crocodile "UNfriendly." 

 

Our visits to the various temple ruins were breathtaking beyond description. Our particular favorites were the massive structure of Angkor Wat at sunrise, Angkor Thom and, Kathy's favorite, Banteay Srey, the "citadel of the women." Reading about them does not do justice to actually seeing them up close. The workmanship and labor involved in their construction is mind boggling to say the least. Each temple had its own history and uniqueness and our guide, Sarak, explained everything in minute detail. 

We decided to spend our final day in Siem Riep exploring the city on our own. After a sumptuous breakfast (included in the price of our bungalow), the hotel arranged for a "tuk tuk" (free of charge) to take us into town and remain with us for the duration. What is a tuk tuk, you ask? It is simply a type of rickshaw attached to a motor bike, the latter being the preferred mode of transportation in Cambodia. See our tuk tuk riding picture above. We returned to the hotel in the afternoon, relaxing by the pool with a few cocktails. Later that evening, we had reservations to a restaurant and show consisting of traditional Cambodian dances. The people we met during our visit here were very accommodating and extremely friendly. The hotel staff, in particular, went out of their way to ensure a pleasant stay for Kathy and me. I, myself, loved the swim up bar. [Editorial note from Mary: NY style tipping goes a long way in Southeast Asia.] My new favorite beverage is called a "Sojourn Sunset" named after the hotel - rum, tequila, triple sec, mango, et al!

We returned to Malaysia on Wednesday afternoon and soon began preparing for Friday's trip to Phuket, Thailand. [Editorial note from Mary: Stay turned for Grandpa Garibaldi's Malaysian Adventure Blog Part II.]