Malaysia (Post Covid-19 My Staycation No 40 to Lake Titiwangsa & Saloma Bridge, Kuala Lumpur) Sunday Sept 24 2023

Tasik (Lake) Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur

Saloma Bridge, Kampung Baru
Kuala Lumpur

" The Tanks, No Thank & The Things. The world does not need a war of tanks. There is a serious need to save the planet, no thank to the drastic climate change fueling extreme weather affecting all living & non-living things on earth. So raise the SOS (Save Our Ship) mode to the highest level before it is too late to mend in order to hold the world together " 

Sunday Sept 24 2023 - today is my elder sister Inn's birthday so together with my wife & sisters Peng & Mei, our group had a small outing & eating; visited 2 touristy places ie Tasik Titiwangsa (an urban recreation park) & the iconic Saloma Bridge (near the 88 storey Petronas Twin Towers) in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur. As for my elder sister birthday, our group had a Hakka food lunch in Taman Equine, Selangor so a happy outing & gathering for this Sunday weekend in conjunction with my elder sister's 75th birthday ! Happy birthday, my dear beloved sister ! 

My travel buddies: my wife & sisters Inn, Peng & Mei

1) Tasik (Lake) Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur  - an urban recreation park, designed in 1980 by a Japanese landscape architect to ease the congestion at the Perdana Botanical Garden (formerly known as Lake Gardens) in downtown Kuala Lumpur; occupying over 95ha the main attractions here are the vast Titiwangsa Park & a picturesque lake left over from tin-mining activity during the British colonial era ! My 3rd visit in recent years, due to parking problems, we just drive round the lake & our visit was a brief one ! But my main objective was fulfilled after spotting the largest inflatable iron (sponsored by Mr DIY) on the Tasik Titiwangsa & took a few pictures of it from one of the lakesides ! 

2) Saloma Bridge, Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur - a 69 metre combined pedestrian & bicycle bridge across the Kkang river in Kuala Lumpur, joining the districts of Kampung Baru & Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), best to visit during the evening when the bridge is lighted up with changing colors, opened to public in Feb 2020, my 5th visit since the opening ! 

2) Cityscape as viewed from Saloma Bridge, Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur

3) My elder sister's birthday lunch in Restaurant Ker Jia Zhuang, Jalan Equine 10B, Taman Equine, Seri Kembangan, Selangor; ordered from the menu 5 Hakka food dishes ie Hakka stuffed bitter gourd (Rm42), fried squid with salted egg (Rm30), steamed chicken with Hua Diao wine (Rm28), stir-fried choy sum (Rm16), Jiang Nan style Shang Mee (Rm27) + 1 pot of Chinese tea (Tie Guan Yin Rm12.50)  + white rice totalled Rm164.85 (US$35.50) 

Hakka stuffed bitter gourd
(Rm42 = US$9.15)

Fried squid with salted egg
(Rm30 = US$6.50)

Steamed chicken Hua Diao wine
(Rm28 = US$6.10)

Stir-fried choy sum (Rm16 = US$3.50)

Jiang Nam style Shang Mee
(Rm27 = US$5.90)

Century egg & pickled ginger

Thursday Sept 21 2023 (10.00 > 12.30) - took a Rapid KL LRT from Subang Jaya > Pasar Seni to meet up with my travel buddy Thompson to discuss a potential South India trip in Jan 2024 & developing a travel plan for a jointly committed free & easy 19 days trip (together with our spouse) to Taiwan (March 7 > 26 2024). Prior to the meet up, I made a visit to Chan She Shu Yuen Clan Ancestral Hall & Petaling / Sultan Street area - so it was just walk & walk, a refreshing outcome compared to my usual morning walk near my neighbourhood every morning ! 

1) Chan She Shu Yuen Clan Ancestral Hall, Jalan Petaling, City Center, Kuala Lumpur - admission fee Rm5 (US$1.10), Cantonese style heritage building with gilded carvings, rooftop figurines & a small museum, my 4th visit ! 

2) Walkabout in City Center, Kuala Lumpur near the Chinatown Petaling & Sultan Street area (10.00 > 10.25) - I burned off some calories of my body in doing this spare time morning walk (or called it stray walking as my travel buddy advised that he would be late by 20 minutes) in Petaling / Sultan Street prior to my meet up with him ! But there were joy & fun as I could observe the daily life of urbanites especially workers tending their small businesses & tourists shopping / enjoying their breakfast & loitering around the souvenir & eatery stalls in this area ! Another beautiful day ! 

3) After the REXKL meet up & discussion, both of us took a small walk from Sultan Street, Kuala Lumpur to Merdeka MRT station & took a MRT ride to Ampang (transit in Taman Maluri Station) & had a lovely lunch in a Kopitiam in New Ampang Town before heading home ! A long day (09.00 > 16.00) for me as I missed my afternoon nap ! 

4) Walkabout in old & new Ampang Town (12.45 > 13.00) 

5) The Yong Tau Foo (Hakka Chinese dish, tofu filled with ground meat mixture or fish paste) Street, Ampang Baru, Selangor - 3 "Charlie Angels" yong tau foo stalls in this street in Ampang Baru for you to cherry pick & enjoy the famous Ampang yon tau foo in Selangor !  

6) This eatery stall was closed at the time of my visit. Understand from my travel buddy this stall serves the best Thai Laksa in town, so no luck today but I shall return soon ! 

Wednesday Sept 20 2023 - met up with my travel buddy, KF Wong in Tropicana Gardens Mall, Tropicana Indah, Petaling Jaya, Selangor to discuss a potential visit to Southern India in Jan 2024; after the meeting, both of us took a MRT from Surian station to Bukit Bintang (well known as Kuala Lumpur's fashion & entertainment hub) & a visit to Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. 

Giant Paint Roller (sponsored by Mr DIY) at Fahrenheit 88, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur  - took a few pictures of a Giant Paint Roller in front of Fahrenheit 88 shopping mall, Bukit Bintang. 

Monday Sept 18 2023 (09.00 > 10.00) - paid a visit to Hong Thai Tours & Travel, Pudu, Kuala Lumpur to submit my passport together with my brother Weng's passport for a China visa application; both of us have signed up a 9 days 7 nights package tour to Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Guilin, Yangshuo, Longsheng, Lipu & Hezhou; package tour price is Rm2,198 + Rmb550 (5 compulsory side tours) totalled approx Rm2,548 (inclusive of visa fee, food, transport & hotel accommodation) excluding travel insurance, travelling period Oct 26 > Nov 2 2023; my last package tour visit to Guilin, Yangshuo etc was in 2004 (a lapse of 19 years); My last package tour visit to China was in Nov 2019 (prior to Covid-19 pandemic) together with my wife & visited Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Jade Dragon Mountain & Chuxiong organised by Airlink Travel & Tour, Puchong, Selangor ! Also took the opportunity to do a walkabout in downtown Pudu, a busy district around the traditional Pudu Wet Market.

1) Hong Thai Tours & Travel (M) Sdn Bhd, Lorong Brunei 3, off Jalan Pudu, Kuala Lumpur - an established local travel agency specialises in Asian & China tours.  

Hong Thai Tours & Travel
Lorong Brunei 3, Pudu, Kuala Lumpur 

2) Pudu Plaza, Pudu Kuala Lumpur - a shopping center selling all sorts of merchandise catering for the local community. 

3) Kung Min Chinese Primary School, Pudu, Kuala Lumpur 

4) Walkabout in downtown Pudu, Kuala Lumpur - a morning stroll & familiarisation visit, Pudu is famous for its Pudu Prison, Pudu Sentral (oldest bus station) & Pudu Wet Market. 

5) Pudu LRT station, Kuala Lumpur - took a Rapid KL LRT train from SS15, Subang Jaya to Masjid Jamek & a transit to Pudu LRT station followed by a 700m walk to Hong Thai Tours & Travel. 

The pleasure of eating - Makan Makan (Small Eat) during the month of Sept 2023. LIFE is uncertain, eat the dessert first ! You don't have to eat less. You just have to eat right ! 

Thursday Sept 21 2023 - Lunch (13.30 > 14.00) with my travel buddy, Thompson in Restoran Chuan Hupp, Bandar Baru Ampang, Selangor before heading home. 

KM Delight Sarawak Laksa
(Rm9 = US$1.95)

Thompson Delight - Barbecue Pork Rice
Rm7 (US$1,50)

Monday Sept 18 2023 - my wife's birthday lunch in Oomph Petaling Jaya, Ground Floor, Mega Risa, Taman Megah, Petaling Jaya, ordered from menu - 1 plate of Summer Salad (Rm25) + Dark Miso Korean Fried Chicken Rice (Rm23), + 1 Passion Fruit / Spearmint/ Lemon/Sparkling cold drink (Rm15) + 1 Pandan Crepe + 1 Latte totalled Rm103.20 (US$22.50) inclusive of tax. 

Summer Salad (Rm$25 = US$6.40)

Dark Miso Korean Fried Chicken Rice
(Rm23 = US$ 5)

Latte Driver (Rm9 = US$1.95)

Pandan Crepe (Rm17 = US$3.70)

Passion Fruit/Spearmint/Lemon
/Sparkling Drink (Rm15 = US$3.25)

Sunday Sept 17 2023 - lunch with my wife in Restoran Ooi Noodle House, SS15/4B, Subang Jaya, Selangor - a famous pork noodle house in Subang Jaya, each of us savoured a bowl (big) of pork / offal mihoon soup (Rm15 = US$3.25). 

Pork / Offal Mihoon Soup (Rm15 = US$3.25)

Saturday Sept 16 2023 - dinner with my wife & siblings in Putien, 1st Floor, SS15 Courtyard, Subang Jaya, Selangor, a treat from my siblings in conjunction with my wife's birthday; ordered from the menu 6 of their " Fresh Ingredients, Original Taste " Chinese dishes ie Chicken in fermented red rice wine (50.94 = US$11.10) + Fried Heng Hwa Beehoon (Rm52.83 + US$11.50) + Sweet & sour pork with lychee (Rm28.30 = US$6.15) + Stir-fried yam (Rm19.81 = US$4.30) + Braised bean curd with Chinese cabbage (Rm35.83 = US$7.80) + Stir-fried kailan with bean curd skin (Rm30.19 = US$6.60) + steamed rice + chrysanthemum tea (free flow) totalled Rm258 (US$56.10) inclusive of tax. 

Sweet & Sour Pork with lychee
(Rm28.30 = US$6.15)

Chicken in fermented red rice wine
(50.94 = US$11.10)

Stir Fried Yam (Rm19.81 = US$4.30)

Braised bean curd with Chinese cabbage
(Rm35.83 = US$7.80)

Fried Heng Hwa Beehoon
(Rm52.83 + US$11.50)

Stir-fried kailan with bean curd skin
(Rm30.19 = US$6.60)

Friday Sept 15 2023 - morning stroll around the Chinatown / Petaling Street area before & after my meet up with my travel buddy, Thompson in KLREX, Jalan Sultan, Kuala Lumpur.