9th May 2012

We woke bright and early at 6.30 a.m., breakfasting on melon and pineapple we’d stashed in the fridge the night before. At 7 a.m., a bell boy appeared to collect our suitcases, and we ambled down to reception to settle the bill. While Sue waited for our taxi, I popped into the internet room to write up yesterday’s blog, managing to finish just in time for the taxi’s arrival.

Within an hour, we were at the airport with our baggage checked in. It was unexpectedly quiet, so we indulged in a spot of shopping before passport control. Sue treated herself to a pearl bracelet and picked up some postcards.

In a moment of questionable judgement, we had breakfast at McDonald’s. It looked promising; it tasted like the familiar cardboard we’ve all learned to politely endure. After that, we went through security into the departures area.

With few fellow travellers about, we wandered the length of the concourse before finding our gate. Half an hour later, we boarded a blissfully uncrowded flight and bagged a window seat. The in-flight breakfast, in stark contrast to McDonald’s, was surprisingly tasty.

We landed in Kuala Lumpur at 1 p.m. and enjoyed a brisk 10-minute walk to baggage claim, where our suitcases obligingly arrived without the usual suspense. Our taxi driver was waiting in the arrivals hall and whisked us to the Park Royal Hotel. Within 15 minutes, we were checked in, sipping much-needed coffee in our ninth-floor room with a splendid view of the monorail and the city skyline.

Energised, we consulted the concierge, acquired a map, and set off for the Buddhist Craft Centre. The map proved both accurate and blessedly simple. Even so, thanks to traffic that could have been classified as an extreme sport, it took us half an hour to arrive.

The centre consisted of small shops, some gloriously air-conditioned (where we loitered shamelessly) and others sweltering (where we didn’t). We chatted with a few of the artists, and Sue bought silk batik flower prints for our neighbour Doreen. Iced drinks in the cafeteria revived us before we headed back to the hotel at 6 p.m.

An hour later, showered and changed, we ventured out for dinner. A Taiwanese restaurant caught our eye; neither of us had tried Taiwanese cuisine before. I asked the waiter to surprise me with a typical dish, while Sue played it safe with her own choice. Both plates were excellent.

Afterwards, we crossed over to Times Square, conveniently opposite the hotel. It turned out to be the largest shopping mall I’ve ever encountered, twelve floors and some 3,000 shops. We agreed that Sarah and Charlotte would have been in their element. After sampling a few floors, we took a slightly scenic route back. Along the way, Sue bought Lucas a toy from a street vendor. I’m still not sure what it does, but Suraj will probably adore it, especially since we now own four.