Taiping & Kuala Sepetang

Before the year came to a close, we squeezed in a short trip to Taiping and Kuala Sepetang. A must-visit landmark is the Taiping Lake, which was nice and peaceful.  We bumped into our son's classmate there, which was such a coincidence! 

We also visited the Taiping Zoo, which was quite sad, to be honest. Not a place I would want to visit again. It is sad how tourist attractions in Malaysia are so poorly maintained, and the heat and humidity just makes the experience even more unpleasant.

Next up was Kuala Sepetang, which turned out to be nicer than I expected. The hotel (Happy 8 Retreat) was cute, with fantastic views from the balcony. We visited a small village (Kuala Sangga Fishing Village) with no water nor electricity, marvelling at how they live (they have a school on-site as well, which is quite unbelievable). We also went on an excursion to see the fireflies, which was fun.

View from our balcony

US & UK Trip (Day 11): Museum of London

My last day in London, and I chose to spend it at the Museum of London. En-route to the museum, I managed to snap some lovely photos of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, which was near the hotel. I managed a pit stop at St Paul's Cathedral as well, but did not enter as the queue was too long. I got some nice photos of the cathedral though. 

The Museum of London is pretty cool (and free); allowing visitors to learn more about London and its colourful history. Definitely one for the kids in the future. There was a really interesting exhibition on the London 2012 Cauldron (for the London 2012 Olympics) as well.

Goodbye London! Till we meet again!

US & UK Trip (Day 10): Windsor Castle and Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

The next day, I made a day trip to see Windsor Castle. Very easy to get to, and it was a leisurely day out. It wasn't crowded, which was nice. There was a display of photographs in celebration of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, which lent a nice touch to the castle grounds.

When I got back to London, I made the crazy decision to make my way (on foot) from Paddington Station to Hyde Park to see the Winter Wonderland funfair. How stupid. It was a LOOOONG walk, and it was dark in some parts, so that was pretty scary.

At least I got some nice photos to show for it!

US & UK Trip (Day 9): London

London again- yay! It is always nice to visit this city, which is so close to my heart. Twice in the same year is really unprecedented for me. Blessed indeed.

Covent Garden

Watched Charlie & the Chocolate Factory musical

Bustling Leicester Square- it was the premiere of Star Wars!

More London stories to come!

US & UK Trip (Day 7 & 8): Chicago

Work brought me to Chicago next. Too bad I had very little time there; I really hope to come back in the future. One thing I do remember- it was COLD! Distinctively colder than in New York.

Interesting....

The Bean - isn't it fascinating?

So cute!

Wow- can you imagine doing this while having a meeting?

Trail mixes

US & UK Trip (Day 6): New York - Central Park and The Met

I moved to the JW Marriott Essex House across town, as work was about to start. It was right next to Central Park- and of course- I went there next. The weather that day was absolutely gorgeous. Bear in mind this was December! The sun was out, the sky was blue- and people were making the most of it with a day out in the park. 

Central Park is so beautiful, and an iconic New York landmark as well, having been featured in countless movies. I had a lovely walk in the park, heading towards The Met.

Watching the families hanging out made me wistful...

Bethesda Fountain

Next up was The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), which sits on the eastern edge of Central Park. If I had done more research on this place, I would have realised how HUGE and interesting it was, and left more time to spend here. I thought it was an 'art museum'- but really it was more like the British Museum in London. Arrghhh- kicking myself again!!

Temple of Dendur

Looking out into Central Park

Temple of Dendur at night

US & UK Trip (Day 5): New York - Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, Top of the Rock and Holiday Lights

I started the day bright and early with a ride on the Staten Island Ferry to catch (free) views of the Statue of Liberty. It was a lovely day, and the ride was a pleasant one. Once I reached the island, I just got down and hopped right back up again for a ride back to Manhattan. Easy- and more importantly, free!

The iconic Charging Bull

I then joined another walking tour by Free Tours on Foot- this time covering Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass). I didn't expect much from this tour- but it really exceeded my expectations. Brooklyn feels so different from Manhattan- cosier, almost.

One of my favourite photos of the entire trip - walking on Brooklyn Bridge

Iconic shot of the Empire State Building framed by the Manhattan Bridge

I really loved Brooklyn Bridge Park- such a great place with awesome views of the bridges, and the skyscrapers across the water. The weather that day was lovely as well, and people were just chilling and hanging out. I can so imagine having a nice picnic with the family, here!

Fulton Ferry Landing

Next up- Top of the Rock! Check out the amazing views from the top. I got there late in the afternoon and stayed until the sun went down. Got my money's worth- saw both the day and night views, hehe.

I joined yet another walking tour by Free Tours by Foot (!) and this time, it was the Holiday Lights tour. Nothing like pretty lights and festive decorations to get you in the mood for Christmas!

What an EPIC amount of walking today!