Saturday, May 22, 2010

Kuala Lumpur and Germany 2010

Life does not always turn out the way you want it. I thought that I was going to spend my twenty somethings travelling the world and having one adventure after another.... well I have had one adventure after another, just with nappies and school lunches.
Last week I had the opportunity to go and hang out with a friend in Europe. She was born there and had not been back for many years, so the trip was one down memory lane for her. My trip however, started in Kuala Lumpur with my stopover....



I felt so excited to be adventuring alone in an unknown place... I thought about staying at some backpacker place in China town but then decided on something a little more comfortable. After the train, a walk to the monorail and getting off at the wrong stop, walking in the stinking hot humid weather to who knows where... I decided that maybe it was not all that exciting and was instantly glad for the five star accommodation that I had booked over the internet some weeks prior!!



The two days in KL were spent visiting some tourist spots and doing a little shopping.



I really love the Malaysian hospitality and food... oh my heck! The hotel was amazing and kinda made me not want to go out and do anything else.

Almost three days later I arrived in Frankfurt airport. I had a few hours to wait until my friends flight arrived, I checked out the shops (tried to buy a magazine with Malaysian ringot) and enjoyed the uniquness of the airport. Check out the smoking rooms....



The staff working there rode bikes to get around from one side of the place to another, there were designated smoking rooms for smokers. I sat and waited for Debbie and Jocelyn. The highlight was the man at customer service who was so obviously annoyed at having to provide any service and sitting next to an African American lady and her daughter and listen to the lingo they spoke together.

Well the different lingo was one of the funniest things on the trip, my individual Aussie talk could be considered a little offensive to my American buddies. I ensured my traveling companions that my terms were all meant in an endearing way but they still provided a few laughs on the trip.

We met up with Jocelyns super cool friend Jeanette and spent our first night with her family the Gills in Darmshdart.



The Gills have lived all over the world, Jeanette American and James Brittish, they are however, Aussies at heart, so I felt very welcome and can not wait for them to visit Tassie in a few years when they come back to live in Sydney.

The warm welcome was also wonderful at Debbies best friend Krisits' home on an army base somewhere.... (I don't remember where they lived).



Kristi and her mum Vicky where the highlight of the house, Vickys honesty about hot Italian men cracked me up and kept me laughing to myself about her humor for the whole trip. I would love to holiday with her!! Kristi has been friends with Debbie forever and it was so great of her to let me stay in her home. Vicky and Kristi also hosted a visit the best shoe shop in the town of Heidelberg... Josef Seibel.... I promptly purchased two pairs of shoes and to be honest would have spent more time there had my companions been shoesy kinda girls. Kristi admitted to me latter in the trip that she had gone back to purchase more shoes herself that day... some too small but she just had to have them... (I get that!).



The shoes pailed in comparsion to the beauty of the town, the Heidelberg castle, the cobbled streets the great food, amazing views everywhere you looked.

The day prior we took pics of one of the funnier places we visited right next to the Rhine river... the cement works in Mainze.



All roads lead here as we found out, taking the '9' did no good. Perhaps if someone else had been driving we would have ended up somewhere else, but the driver has the 'power'. That someplace else we were looking for was the City of Kolne.

The City of Kolne was a few hours north along the Rhine River. When we finally found where we should be going we took in the breathtaking views along the waters edge. A few pit stops along the way for pics, including this motorbike and this gorgeous German man who did not mind jumping in the pic.



The Cologne cathederal was amazing!!


This day was Jocelyn and Debs finest day for laughs, oh my heck! I was sure at the KL airport last night (on my way home) I could still hear them laughing. Such fun travel companions.

Another night at Kristis house and then south We arrived in Füssen, Ostallgäu, Bavaria late in the afternoon,



now equipped with a GPS we found some authentic looking accomodation with views out to the alpes.



It was unfortunate that the host of the B&B was a little less authentic her name was Suzanne and she was from Georgia... Jocelyn managed to find the kindred spirit in Suzanne (whom we fondly nicknamed Gretel) and the stay was wonderful. A breakfast of brioche, pastries, meat, cheese, jam from the black forest and cereal. Would have liked to stay another night.

Neuschwanstein castle. Horse and carriage to the top...








So many more pics.... but another day.... that is enough procrastination for one day...I have an essay to write!!

9 comments:

  1. Awesome Fiona. Thanks for sharing :D
    Have you checked out the facebook discussion board about the Ottawa essay?
    And did you see Geoff's latest comments on MYLO?
    Whew! His words were really strong!!
    Facebook message me about what you're doing your essay on.
    Looks like you had a brilliant time while you were away.
    Reality Bites now Hey??!!
    Can't wait to catch up with you in July.
    Fiona xxx

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  2. As per usual a great commentary ... Had a few chuckles as well!

    Look forward to the next edition ...

    Luv Me

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  3. what an awesome trip. I would love to see Europe one day. For now I am living vicariously through others and their overseas adventures! Great photos.

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  4. woooo hooo!! Don't you love using offence langauge in front of the americans when really all your saying i flammin hell that is damn awesome!!! love these photos -especially the one with the hot bikie guy in it ;) Sounds like you HAD a BLAST.. and oh my heck that photo looking down into the pool - AWESOME!!!

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  5. Awesome stuff. What an adventure! Can't wait to see and hear more. Guten Tag.

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  6. Hey is that fantasy castle?

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  7. Yes Reality really does bite at times. But hopefully not on your trip away sounds like you had an amazing time. We totally need to sort out our next get away - it's been way to long. Glad to see you are still keeping it real and telling it like it is. The pics are awesome and I love it.

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  8. Did you really leave KL on the 20th? Peet, Lousa, Max, Joan and I left there on the 19th!

    Germany looks great.

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  9. Kim, I had seen that you were going to the elephant sanctuary and thought it might be the one near KL.... did not get time to send you an e-mail about it. Did the kids enjoy themselves? Where is your next trip?

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