Wednesday, 9 May 2012

Oz/NZ signs and labels

To add to my collection of great signs seen on our trip:

Billboard advertising a Woody Point hotel and restaurant, little about the place, just a huge picture of food and type saying:
BLOODY GREAT STEAKS

On the road, lest you should u turn up a slip road:
WRONG WAY
GO BACK

On a long straight highway:
DON'T SLEEP AND DRIVE

On New Zealand roads where lanes merge, a lovely descriptive:
MERGE LIKE A ZIP

Great beer label (last sentence):


Home

It's winter! Flip flops off, socks and jumpers on, heating cranked up and fire alight.
Nice to be back in our home though and thanks to Margaret, the house has stayed standing and safe.

Now, the joys of Tescos and garden taming...............




Thursday, 3 May 2012

Kuala Lumpur and home

Arrived in KL at dawn and taxi-ed through traffic to hotel. Renewed vigour (after little sleep on flight) managed to keep us going to sightsee the local gardens and huge shopping mall beneath the towers, then happy hour cocktails and sleep.
Our hotel room is on 30th floor overlooking the Petronas Towers, with mountains in the distance - great view.
On Thursday, we walked in blazing heat to Chinatown and saw another side of KL to the glitzy city centre. This city is decidedly pedestrian unfriendly with lumpy broken pavements (where they exist at all). The car is king and the traffic heavy and manic. Cars, trucks and motorbikes parked at random on walkways so that you have to negotiate around them.
The hyped up Petaling Street and Chinatown were a sea of stalls selling cheap fake designer clothes, shoes, bags and jewellery. No food stalls which I found disappointing. Still an experience we wouldn't have wanted to miss.
Malaysia continues to be a favourite, it's diverse cultures seem to mix together with ease. We have been woken by call to prayer from the mosque that is dwarfed in the gardens beneath the towers.

We now have to while-away Friday until our late flight out. An interesting area to hang out, we're glad we have the gardens and we probably won't walk too far today - temperatures have you dripping in seconds. What a shock it will be to be back in England, especially as its so cold there at the moment.