Kuala Lumpur/Penang Malaysia April 5th & 6th

From this point on, all of the ports we visit will be new to us. We started out this morning in Kuala Lumpur. Tomorrow we have Penang Malaysia, then the day after we visit Phuket Thailand before heading off for India.

It was a beautiful morning in Kuala Lumpur (KL to us locals), so we scheduled ourselves for the shuttle bus into town. We were let off the bus directly in front of the Petronis Towers, the famous twin towers, which before Taipei 101, and the new tower in Dubai, were the tallest buildings in the world. A skybridge connects the two buildings at the 41st floor, adding to the buildings impressive appearance. In the plaza area of the towers, there is a large garden with beautiful tropical landscaping, and a large lake connecting to a water park on the other side of a bridge crossing the lake.

We had a good time, just exploring the city area around the towers. We had lunch at a restaurant on the plaza where we could watch the dancing fountains in the lake while we ate.

During the time we were in KL, the clouds began to gather, to the point that when we got on the bus to head back to the ship, the sky was pretty dark. By the time we reached the ship, lightning was striking all around us with simultaneous crashes of thunder, and the hardest rain I’d ever seen.

We were let off the bus near a covered walkway that led to the pier, but the cover over the walkway did nothing to keep us from getting drenched by the heavy rain. By the time we got to the ship, it looked like we had just got out of the pool. The storm continued for another hour or so, and it was very cool to watch from our balcony.

Some have asked how the food has been on and off of the ship. I think we both agree that the food on board has been excellent; as good or better than we’ve had in the past. Since we’re now on our 31st day on board, we’re seeing some of the same menus again. So far that hasn’t been a problem because there’s always something new to try.

As for eating off the ship, for the most part we’ve been very lucky and have had great food. Today, in Penang for example, we stopped at a little restaurant and ordered some spring rolls and calamari to have with our Tiger beer. While the beers were about $2US each, the food totaled only $2.50US for all that we bought. We had great Thai food in Thailand, and will probably try that again tomorrow in Phuket. We’re looking forward to trying some Indian food once we arrive in Madras. Thanks to all of you who continue to follow us.