Malaysia: all you (should) do is eat

If you're like Ry and me, and you love food...Malaysia is the place to go! We saw the major tourist attraction in Kuala Lumpur: the Petronas twin towers...but other than that, your options in KL are to shop and eat. As we previous alluded to, the beautiful Kuala Lumpur shopping centers don't exactly match our budget. However, the shopping centers are a tourist attraction in itself and they house great food adventures. Our hotel is beautiful and a real bargain too. It's also just a hop on the monorail to the bustling shopping and eating district of the city. There you will find even more extravagant hotels, tons of high-end shopping, and lots and lots of food. For about 10 ringit (or $3USD) you can great a huge portion of a delicious Malay specialty. This place is not for those worried about their waistlines, but it's still quite a bit healthier than typical American fare.

Onward to Malaysia

We didn't realize that the day we needed to leave Singapore was also a public holiday-- Good Friday. That's what we get for losing track of what day of the week it is. Our hostel manager called about six different bus companies before he found one with just two seats left leaving for Melaka, Malaysia. We grabbed the last two seats and headed for Melaka, a cultural and historically rich town in Malaysia. Getting across to Malaysia from Singapore is no quick trip...you need to go disembark the bus to get through Singapore customs, get back on the bus, and disembark the bus 10 minutes later to get through Malaysian customs (the line took about 1.5 hours). It was worth it though because Melaka was a charming place to visit. Our homestay was very modest, but it was much more genuine compared to the luxury hotels that line the main roads. We only got to see Melaka at night since that's when we arrived and left the next day, but we had delicous food and saw the notable mark the Portugese and Dutch colonists left on Malaysia throughout the small city. After one night in Malaka we headed for the metropolis of Kuala Lumpur-- known for the Petronas Trade Twin Towers (once the tallest buildings in the world) and its urban setting full of shopping, great eats, and affordable lodging. We're staying in our first real hotel on this trip!! So far Kuala has been pretty cool, but we haven't seen a lot. The Malay food is ridiculously good, and I'm determined to learn how to cook it back home. Today we went to one of the many multilevel malls nearby via the Monorail and got the most recent Harry Potter on dvd to watch back in the room (it cost the equivilent of $2). We're going to see the Petronas towers tomorrow!

Goodbye Melbourne, Hello Singapore!



Melbourne Center



Spending the day at Docklands and Crown in Melbourne

Our final days in Australia were full of friends, family, food, and sightseeing. It seemed like every night we were invited to a friend or family member's house for a delicious dinner.
I was truly amazed with everyone's generosity and their insistance on making sure there was plenty of gluten-free food and dessert around. During the days, we spent time seeing the highlights of Melbourne, including the docklands, the absolutely massive Crown Center, a picnic in a park where we hoped to see kangaroos, and Dandenong Mountain. Melbourne is a beautiful city with a lot to offer culturally, and despite only seeing a kangaroo from afar, we had an amazing time! The week really flew by and we found ourselves wishing we had planned to stay in Melbourne for a few more days. On Wednesday morning, Uncle Dariush dropped us off at the airport on his way to work, and we had our first semi-major problem with our trip.

Dinner at Aunty Lina's (one of several generous hosts who made gluten-free meals for me)

The MRT- a very efficient metro to get around Singapore

We had planned on flying into Singapore and then taking the bus overland to Malaysia, but when we reached the checkin counter, the person insisted that we had to show some kind fo proof that we had a ticket out of the country or else we wouldn't be able to fly.

A hawker stall in Chinatown

Since we had planned on buying a bus ticket when we got to Singapore, and because it was heading into Easter weekend, we found ourselves in a bit of a bind. In the end, we were forced to purchase a throw-away ticket out of Singapore in order to fly.

Just one of the delicious dishes to choose from in Singapore

It was a very frustrating experience, especially because when we made it to Singapore, no one asked us for proof of our departure plans...

Shopping is EVERYWHERE in Singapore! Too expensive for us...

Anyways, we arrived in Singapore, and took a shuttle to our hostel, The Mitraa. Accomodation is ridiculously expensive in Singapore, so the hostel was definitely not the nicest place we had stayed in, but it was good enough for what we needed, and the extremely friendly and helpful staff made it a much better experience than it would have otherwise been.

A popular Malay dish called Nasi Lemak (one of Senush's favorites)

We walked to a hawker center close by for our first taste of Singapore's famous food. I was overwhelmed by the selection and the cheap prices, but we ended up settling on some chicken rice, which was delicious. The next day, we set out on the MRT (Mass Rapid Transport) to explore the city.

Singapore: a view from the top (we snuck up to the 70th floor of the Swissotel for this shot)

I found that Singapore isn't a place for me. It seems like the primary reasons to go to Singapore are to shop and to flaunt your wealth. There were massive high-end shopping malls on every street corner, and I still have no idea how so many malls right next to eachother can stay in business. We spent the day trying food and walking around the city. We went to the iconic Raffles Hotel, which is known as the birthplace of the Singapore Sling cocktail. Everything about Singapore just screams decadence. If you decide to visit and do anything but eat, make sure your pockets are brimming with cash... Our next stop is a homestay in Malaka, Malaysia.

Suba Aluth Arudthak Vewa (That means Happy New Year in Singhalese)!

We arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday afternoon, and were met in the Airport by Senushi's Auntie Lina, who, (after a few wrong turns) took us to Auntie Menaka's and Uncle Darius' house where we have been staying. When we got to the house, we were greeted by Auntie Menaka, Senushi's grandmother, and her very entertaining cousins Keanu (age 10) and Kiara (age 6). Everyone was very kind and welcoming! After being there for just a few minutes, I realized that the house is really a hub for all of their friends and family. The phone is always ringing, friends seem to just show up at the door, and it's just a very fun atmosphere all around.

When we  were planning our trip, we just happened to schedule our time in Melbourne during Sri Lankan New Year, so I was told that I was in for quite a celebration, and it definitely didn't disappoint! All day yesterday was dedicated to cooking and preparing for the celebration later that evening. When it came time for the party to start, the table was absolutely covered in delicious looking curries and sweets, and as guests showed up the amount of food continued to grow! It was some of the most delicious food I have ever had, and although I quickly got full on the chicken, lamb, and salmon curries, I just had to try everything, so I ate until I was almost sick! We spent the rest of the evening getting to know all of the family and friends. Everyone was so nice and so comfortable with each other that it seemed like one big family, and we sat around talking until after 11 that night. Overall, it was a really fun night and a fantastic first experience with Sri Lankan New Year!

Today we had to spend most of the day in the passport office to get Senushi a replacement Aussie passport for the one that Cubby decided he would eat a couple of months ago, but after that we got to take the tram around downtown Melbourne and see a lot of  the city. It's a very diverse place, and it seems like there is delicious looking food wherever you turn! We have another 4 full days here, and we are both looking forward to spending more time seeing the city and spending time with Senushi's family!

We're in Oz!

We made it to Cairns, Australia a couple of days ago. We're staying at a great little hostel called the Traveler's Oasis, and we feel very lucky because a lot of the hostels here are hostel/nightclub hybrids. On our first day we bought some groceries at the Sunday produce market. We tried dragonfruit and bought a few other things to cook during our stay in Cairns. The next day we went on a day trip to snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef, which was a lot of fun. We didn't rent an underwater camera to take pictures this time, so I don't have any shots from our trip. You'll have to take my word for it being beautiful. We swam with a couple of sea turtles too! After a full day of snorkeling around we got back to the hostel, had some dinner, and got some much-needed rest. The next day we decided to explore the small, touristy town of Cairns. It's sunny and about 90 degrees here, so it's quite a change from southern New Zealand and even Melbourne (where we're headed next). There's also a ton of bats in Cairns-- specifically Spectacled Flying-foxes. They have a wingspan of up to 3 feet!! You can see them hanging upside down from the tropical trees even during the day. I know I shouldn't be scared of them because they only eat fruits and stuff, but they do scare me to death. Of course, Ry thinks they're 'awesome'. Our next stop is Melbourne where we're staying with my family...and no bats!

Milford Sound

We spent our last three days in New Zealand in the southwestern corner of the South Island called Fiordland. Te Anau is the major town in Fiordland and closest to Milford Sound. Most of Fiordland is dominated by the steep sides of the snow-capped Southern Alps, deep lakes and its ocean-flooded, steep western valleys. With an average annual rainfall of 22 feet on 182 days a year, Milford Sound is known as the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand and one of the wettest in the world. Rainfall can reach 10 inches during a span of 24 hours. Lucky for us, we had a whole day of sunshine to go see it. It's steep cliffs and "sea mountains" were all created by glaciers long, long ago. It's also one of the only places in the world where you can see rainforest vegetation along with snowy mountains, the Tasman Sea, AND several waterfalls. We booked a boat ride tour with a very small company, so there was only 6 of us on there. Milford Sound is probably one of the most beautiful places we've ever seen, so I can see why some people have said it's the eighth wonder of the world. Even the hour and a half drive there was gorgeous. Pictures won't do this place justice, but I hope you'll like them. Fiordland was the perfect end to our stay in New Zealand!

Okains Bay, Lake Tekapo, and Queenstown

Now we're going to cram a little. After swimming with the dolphins we made it over to the Banks Peninsula-- more specifically a tiny backpackers in the remote town of Okains Bay. I felt like it represented the real South Island of New Zealand in its quaintness and beauty. As the rest of New Zealand has been, Okains Bay was gorgeous. We stayed at a great backpackers owned by some Dutch expats called the Double Dutch. There we cooked up some mussels and pasta for dinner and just enjoyed the beautiful views. Close to the hostel was a little beach, where we looked at the tiny mussels living on rocks and enjoyed the isolation of such a lovely beach. In the morning, we were off to Lake Tekapo. It was the most beautiful lake I've ever seen! The water is such a unique shade of aqua marine because the glaciers grind up the rocks to tiny particles in the head water, which are then suspended in the water. When the sun hits the water, the water shimmers skyblue. We hiked up Mt. John to the famous Astro Cafe, where we had some coffee and took in the breathtaking panorama of Lake Tekapo and the surrounding summits. After descending Mt. John, we packed up the car once again to drive three hours to Queenstown (the adventure capital of New Zealand). On the way there, we saw even more beautiful scenes. When you're in New Zealand, don't plan on rushing anything. Half the fun is being able to stop, get out of the car and just stare at what's around you. We were pleasantly surprised to find that although Queenstown is quite commercialized, it's really pretty. There are mountains all around and tons of things to do. We chose to do the Shotover Canyon Swing AKA the tallest cliff jump in the world and one of only two canyon swings in the world. Not gonna lie, the added peer pressure from Ryan is probably what made me do it. After free-falling for 60 meters (backwards I might add), you swing the remaining 70 meters into the canyon gorge. It's terrifying, fun, and beautiful all at the same time. We treated ourselves to New Zealand's most famous burger joint afterwards-- FergBurger. Ryan said it was the best gluten-free bun he's ever had!

Swimming with the Dolphins in Kaikoura

Scenic drive to Kaikoura

 We arrived in Kaikoura after a stunning three hour drive through vineyards and along the coast from Nelson. We arrived in town in the later afternoon, and spent the day exploring the little town and taking in the beautiful scenery of the area.We then went for a drive a few minutes down the coast to a seal colony, where we saw a few lethargic seals that we at first thought were dead. Turns out they were just sleeping. Kaikoura is famous for its seafood, especially crayfish, which we decided to try for dinner. We ended up going to a restaurant called The Green Dolphin, and after discovering that crayfish cost around $100 each, we settled on the catch of the day instead, which happened to be the most delicious monkfish I have ever tasted.

Kaikoura at sunset

The seal that woke up for a picture

Anniversary dinner at the Green Dolphin

Panfried Lemon Monkfish with Hollandaise

Large pod of Dusky Dolphins

Getting used to the underwater camera

The dolphins weren't camera-shy.

The next day we got up early and headed to Dolphin Encounter, which is the company that we decided to use for our swim with the local Dusky dolphins. We were fitted in full wetsuits, including hoods, and then set out on a bus to the pier where our boat awaited. After that, it was a 25 minutes boat ride to where the dolphins had been spotted that morning. The Dusky dolphins are very gregarious, living together in groups called pods, which in the Kaikoura region can consist of individuals numbering anywhere from 100 to over 1000 in each pod. These are wild dolphins-- they're not fed or lured into the area nor are they trained to do tricks. Being able to swim and interact with them is entirely up to the dolphins, so we felt very lucky that we encountered a pod containing about 200 dolphins. They were very curious and weren't shy about coming right up to our noses to check us out. I took the guide's advice and dove down into the water to get the dolphins even more curious. When I did so, a few of them would play around me flipping over and showing off. Senushi and I really enjoyed the dolphin encounter and would highly recommend that you do it if you decide to visit New Zealand. We rented an underwater digital camera (it was pretty difficult to use), so a lot of these photos are taken below the water.