Kuala Lumpur: Day 3

First day was a washout. Checked in at 12 midnight (flight delays_ missed connections),
Dat 2 : AWesome.
Pics to folow.
iPad mini is not rechargibg. On pc tablet. Thanks VICKY!


Hot. HUMID, 30C,
METRO. SYstem is amazing. Got to four sites in one day.
Tons of tourists. From al over Asia. Many MUSLIM couples and families alobg side mant 'lady boys" and 'trannies' - a big wow factor for me and Vicky ( who is very straight but not bent)

Our pre-arranged driver and trip to the next town seems to have fallenthrough as of midnight tonight. No money paid (thank goodness).

Will sign off - using paid for WiFi
Love youall
Xoxo Mom/MARY

Getting to Malaysia was a nightmare, but it,s worth it!

Shanghai flight to Guangzhou was late. Missed my connection to Kuala Lumpur. Re-booked for 4 hourz later and hoped Victoria would get my email sent on my dying iPad. Silly me- read book on the 3 hour flight ans it needed to be "fed'.

No SIM card for Guangzhou. In CHINA, you 'register' your cell for the city you live in. I could have bought roaming minutez, but didnT.

Arrived. Customs. Thirty minute walk and AEro train to another part of this huge airport.
Vicky is right there. Yeah! She hung around for 6 hours hoping I Was on the next flight. Tears. Laughter. Taxi. Hotel 40 minutes later. Midnight.


NO place to upload photos from phone. iPad mini will NOT be charged????????

Photos when I return.......

Shanghai to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia tomorrow- yup!

I've booked my "wake-up" call for 6 a.m and a taxi at 7 a.m. I am flying out of the "domestic" Hongqiao (Hong-Chee) Airport at 9:45 a.m  for my connection in Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport @ 1 pm. I have just 40 minutes to find the gate- I'm a little worried about that………

My much-travelled Russian friend, Victoria, will meet me at the Kuala Lumpur Airport at 4:55 pm. She is flying in from Bali, Indonesia, where she has been soaking up the sun since January 17th.

Hope the Melia Kuala Lumpur hotel is as nice as this picture…..

I got moved from Room 1805 to Room 1903

After breakfast - same as yesterday- No buffet- No patrons. But, they saw me coming and brought out yesterdays identical breakfast. I had cutlery this time, so it was "hot" when I ate it.

I was finishing up my novel before heading out, and the phone rang. The bell boy will be up in 20 minutes because "we are moving you to a another room". If you are like me, I move in and spread out when I'm in a hotel. It feels less "sterile" to see my stuff around. So, I raced around gathering up my stuff - including a freshly sink-washed pair of underwear- swearing under my breath.
The bell "boy" was very nice and explained that they were "preparing the 18th floor" for guests coming  in for the Spring Festival/Chinese New Year. Now , why they did not know this when I checked in is beyond me. My "Eurocentric" logic would have put me on the 19th floor on Friday. ( That's where they put Murray and Adelia- they're here somewhere on this floor)

 Pretty much the same room - except there's a cute little "cubby" in the wall with a plant- a REAL one!

Same view- except one "nose-bleed" floor up…………….

I Found the Foreign Languages Bookstore!

I bought a map of Shanghai with a great map of the Metro lines ( in English) back in October. I bought it when Sunshine took me for Dim Sum and then we toured around the Nanjing Rd Pedestrian area and the People's Square. It was all very new to me, and it was very crowded and I did not really pay attention to the zigs and zags off Nanjing Rd.

I have gone by myself once before - in warmer weather to try and track it down- but no luck.
MY English map does not always correspond to the Pin Yin names on the streets. I have learned that it might be "Shanxi" on my map- but Shang Xi Lu ( road) on the actual street. So, I was determined to wend my way to that darn book store today. Success!

Not that I didn't make a few wrong turns. In fact, I exited out of Metro Line 8 at a different area and found myself underground in a MAZE of shops- which had no Exit. Yikes!

 A "Tea House"

 A totally enclosed underground shopping mall

 "Happy Tee: Cool and funny Tee shirts" Not so cool and funny- I checked.

 Sales everywhere……...

 I HAD to get this store- it's blurry- sorry. "Come Buy" Just come and buy-  lol

I  was lured by these two little exhibits. I THOUGHT I was entering into the Shanghai Exhibition Hall. So, I thought "What the heck. I'm here and I have not been" I knew it was in the general area of the Peoples Square Metro Line 8.

But, these two little exhibits (from the 1930s Shanghai it read) ended and the mall opened up.


When I DID manage to surface, I realized I had stumbled upon "The Hong Kong Shopping Centre"- all underground and HUGE! ( Dawn - you and I will go back here- jewelry, silk scarves, shoes, junk and more junk……….
Here is the Shanghai Exhibition Hall- I had to walk by it to get to Nanjing Road. I KNEW it was close! Many Metro (major Interchange stops) have many, many exits. Some will bring you right into a Shopping Mall ( the "above-ground: version), Major Hotels, Food Courts or Tourist Attractions. It's super-easy - IF you KNOW which exit to take.

Here is my "landmark" to get to Nanjing Road. Hope they NEVER change the "Ad"

Hello! I've been on this road five times now and never seen YOU before!

It warmed my heart to see a WHOLE display in the Bookstore of Alice Munro's books. Be proud, Canadians!!!!!
I bought TWO books- ONE is a gift, so I won't post it here. This is the one I bought for myself!

Can't wait to crack the spine!!!

"Breakfast Buffet" at the Wisdom Hotel

First of all, I was the ONLY one in the Dining Room at 9:15 this morning. They were mopping the floor and there was NO SIGN of a buffet anywhere………………The "buffet" is supposed to run from 6 a.m to 10 a.m, so I thought 9-ish would be perfect!
I presented my coupon to the woman mopping the floor and she ran to the kitchen. A "cook" came out and gestured for me to sit down. Awkward…………..thank goodness I brought my novel with me.
About ten minutes later, this appeared:

 Bottom left - the famous "congee"- a rice-based "porridge". I still can't get used to it. Just above, a small bowl of beans and (what I thought was ) tofu. Small bowl of marmalade ( this comes from Korea- at the least the stuff I buy- and it's good! A cup of "hot milk". Two toasts, one fried egg, two steamed dumplings - one with pork and one with vegetables. A slice of "ham"

The dish of fruit was lovely: watermelon, dragon fruit and melon. I was also brought an "Expresso" coffee that was very good- especially with the hot milk added.
Did I mention there was no cutlery? Not even chop sticks. I had to knock at the door of the kitchen- then someone took an elevator up and about five minutes later I had a fork and a knife. It was tasty (except for the congee and bean concoction- disappointed!) - but very. very salty.

It continues to boggle the mind that vegetation and flowers still bloom and grow in zero temperatures.
These are the ground:

 It was 14C yesterday and will hit 14C again today -then plunge to (the more "normal") zero

The Wisdom Hotel

Murray and Adelia and I walked to the Wisdom Hotel at 11 a.m  The "ayi" ( literally "auntie"- the women who clean our Dorms)  seemed anxious to start her holidays and waved us "good bye".

I was impressed with the lobby when I visited yesterday. The room is actually quite nice.

Today it's 14 C (a REAL surprise to all!), so after getting some lunch, it was a perfect day to sit on the grounds in the sun (minus my coat) with a book.

If the weather turns cold again- and it's supposed to in two days- here is a sectioned off part of the lobby where one can sit and watch TV or read a book. It's actually quite lovely!

 The Front Entrance……..

 The "quiet"part of the lobby……….

 English and Chinese reading material available………..

After lunch, I did drop by my regular grocery store for "snacks" and fruit and wine. And, I guess because of Spring Festival ( or, I don't know - one can only guess at these things…) my "regular" cashier threw in  one-half dozen eggs. I was so surprised - and of course disappointed that I have to give them away. There are no "kitchen facilities" available to us - and no "mini fridge". I was pleased nonetheless

Lastly, when I checked in I got tokens for 14 breakfasts- open from 6 a.m to 10 a.m Bonus! Does this mean I have to "check out" when I leave on holiday???( see yesterday's Blog). Still not sure…………..
Here's a video for you Dawn so you can check out the spaciousness and cleanliness of the room. This is where we will be staying starting June 27th. Hope you like it!

Moving to the "Wisdom Hotel" today

I pulled this off the Internet. We'll see how my room ACTUALLY compares with this photo. The Dorm closes down today until Friday February 7th.
Sunshine - my translator- did not respond to my texts. ( She might be in Australia with her Mom-  I can't remember the dates- but she promised to confirm my transfer to the hotel and she did not).


So, I walked over to the Wisdom Hotel to confirm that's where I was moving. NO RECORD of my name on their list. The fellow at the desk - Kevin- was very nice, but insisted I was not booked into their system.  Murray and his wife, Adelia- were registered to move, so I asked Kevin to call Murray's contact person. "Lily" was quite sweet on the phone and offered to make a few calls and call me back.

In the meantime, I realize that my SIM card has run out on my phone. Panic. Walk to the closest little shop with a sign for China Mobile. Another very nice young man helps me figure out which card I need. Cell phone rings- it's Lily telling me I AM booked into the Wisdom Hotel - BT HERE'S THE KICKER:
January 24th to the 28th - that's when I leave for Malaysia- I have to "Check out". Then, I check back in February 5th to 7th. I DON'T GET TO  "KEEP" THE ROOM!

I have a bag of belongings from Victoria for HER room- hah! And, I have a bag of warm clothing for myself- and a "carry-on" suitcase for 30C for my travels.

With any luck, I will be able to ask Murray and Adelia if they will kindly keep the two bags of warm clothing in their room……..sigh……….typical of SFLS.

Shanghai Science and Technology Museum

Line 2 - two Metro Exchanges and Voila! When I looked up the Metro Line, I found a little Ex-Pat Blog that RAVED about this "underground "fake" market" under the Line 2 at this Museum. I have not been to one since arriving- so I was thrilled! Technology AND cheap junk!!!! My kinda' day…….

The Chinese like to do things BIG- they replicate architecture from around the world and build it TEN TIMES BIGGER! The top photo is just the PLAZA surrounding the Museum. The photo above is just a "glimpse" of the total size of the Museum.

 This Innovation walk-up greets you at the door

 Reminds me of Expo '67 in Montreal

 The "Robot" Exhibit

 Patrons shooting arrows guided by computers to the target.

"Inter-active" computer screens tell you about Earth and Endangered Species. Some were in English- but not all.

 All about "Environmental" dangers - in  a country where pollutions levels can sometimes be 10 times the acceptable limit for human consumption - lol!

 Dangers to the water: Fishes!

 Fishes!

Birds that are now "extinct" in Shanghai
This feature allowed you to hold different "aromas" under his nose and he tells you what it is….in Mandarin only- but weird!!!!

More "species" that have disappeared…..

"Year of the Horse" Exhibit

 Horses in "famous" paintings in history…………..

The "underground "fake" market" at Line 2. I got only one shot. It's hard to shoot pics and negotiate for T-Shirts………..

The three I bought at this underground market were marked 120 rmb EACH ( You gotta be kidding me!) I got the three for 200 rmb ( roughly $10.00 each)

Has anyone seen this Tee in Canada? I thought it was hilarious…..

The Plaza outside . Six degrees C and sunny- a wonderful place to just sit and watch.
The first  skateboarders I've seen since I've been in china. I KNOW they exist, they just need a good space to practice