Travelogue 5: UK - Scotland Trip Part 1

It was a short 10 days vacation, 5 adults with 2 kids traveled from KL en route to London via Abu Dhabi. We took Etihad Airways (not because of MH17 and MH370 tragedy) as after few months of analysis thru www.skyscanner.net,  the cheapest fare on the range of date that we have fixed was Etihad.

The journey from KL-Abu Dhabi-London went off very well indeed not as bad as expected. My little Hafiey was cooperative, no crying like usual.His big brother slept all the way from KL to Abu Dhabi. And for the remaining 7 and half hours journey to London, he was busy watching cartoons and movies.

Alhamdulillah we arrived around 2pm London time. After settling down with customs, baggage and car rental, we departed to our first destination.

The kids with the baggage at Heathrow Airport. Part of the baggage were car seat, booster seat and loads of food for the rood trip. Cost saving. Car seat and booster seat can cause you GBP 10 per day each. 

Destination #1 - BATH

It was 8pm, windy, drizzling and the conclusion COLD. We checked in at Toghill House Farm. Our dinner was nasi impit, serunding ikan and sambal kacang..is like Hari Raya! Our food supplies for the 10 days vacation was 30kg. So do expect this kind of food to come out from the bag..

Morning at Toghill House Farm, Bath

We had breakfast at the cottage. Typical vegetarian breakfast was provided i.e. eggs, mushrooms with bread, cereal, fruits and yogurt.

We checked out and our next destination was Bath Town. The famous tourist attractions here are the Roman Bath, The Royal Crescent and the Pulteney Bridge. We walked from one place to another. As the weather was nice, though it's quite a distance, we managed to cover all the attractions half an hour ahead of schedule.

City of Bath..

Kimi was on the car seat which can be converted into a stroller. Hafiey in his stroller sleeping as usual with no excitement.

The Royal Crescent. This impressive landmark forms a sweeping crescent of 30 terrace houses, and is without doubt one of the greatest examples of Georgian architecture anywhere in the UK.

Bath is very scenic. Kimi was very happy to see so many clocks here. His obsession..

Destination #2 - LIVERPOOL

And saying good bye to Bath, we departed to our next destination, the Liver bird city. Our next lodging was at Stalbridge Guest House not far away from Liverpool water front. It was a 4 hours journey to Liverpool. We had a quick late lunch i.e. nasi impit again but this time around with kurma daging and ayam at the guest house. We spent our evening at Liverpool waterfront. It was damn cold..10 degree Celcius with a strong wind by  River Mersey.

Us at the birthplace of the best band in the world

Waking up in the morning on the next day was the most awaited moment for Abah and Adik. We checked out from the guest house after having a self prepared sardine sandwiches and visited Anfield..We already pre-booked a stadium tour ticket online i.e. GBP 17 per adult. The tour was conducted in a relax and informal way which make us free to take as many pictures as we can.

Hafiey was not giving his full commitment at the end of the museum tour. Hmm..We were not sure the purpose of him crying in front of the REAL Champions League Trophy (the only one in England. Champions League Trophies at Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford are replicas). Until Mr Hubby figured out that he was actually hungry. Stupid Mama. While we window-shopped at the Liverpool FC Store, Hafiey was eating in the car with Mr Hubby.

Our next destination, Old Trafford....

To be continued.....

New Addiction: Infused Water

I'm a fruit lover. I prefer plain water and juices rather than coffee and tea. So Infused Water is the perfect match. Sharing of my new addiction. You might be interested to try.

By adding a few slices of fruit into our daily intake of water, we can heightens minerals and vitamins that our bodies can easily and quickly consume, and at the same time are so delicious that we may find ourselves tricking our mind into drinking more water than we have in the past.

Put any fruits you like in a cold water and let the infused water in the fridge for at least 8 hours but not more than 24 hours.It is refreshing, healthy and improve your digestion system. Less cost, no drugs, no supplements, no pills etc.Some of the recipes that I've tried so far...

1. Kiwi 

This is my favourite. Kiwi is a superfood and is packed with vitamins. Kiwis also helps flush out toxins from the colon, which improves your overall health and well being.

Tips

Use overripe kiwi if possible. Kiwi and strawberry, a perfect combination. 

2. Strawberry

Strawberry can gives anti-oxidant effect. And if it is combined with kiwi, you will get booster : Cardiovascular health, immune system protection, blood sugar regulation, and digestion. And it is super delicious.

3. Lemon

• Lemon-infused water may lower your chances of developing diseases like cancer, slow weight gain and even prevent the common cold. .
• The citric acid in lemons helps to keep kidneys healthy. 
• Lemons are also high in vitamin C, which means they will improve your immune system. 
• Another bonus: Lemons reduce skin blemishes and can improve your complexion.

Tips

Your infused water likely tastes bitter if you did not cut off the rind. Peel the lemon skin, remove the rind and slice the lemon. Mint leaves can add colour to your drink as well as cooling effect. 

4. Pineaple and Grapes

Pineapple is a great metabolism booster, and it’s full of healthy vitamins and antioxidants like Vitamin C. Pineapple will give a sweet tart taste but grapes will not contribute so much taste into the drinks. Taking the juice from the grapes will however benefits your health as it contains cancer-fighting and cleansing compounds.

Tips

Too much pineapple will resulted in extra "zinc" to your infused drink. One wedge of pineapple with 8-10 cut into half grapes are just nice for one tumbler of cold water. 

5. Apple and Cinnamon

This is my mom's favourite. Apples have a slew of benefits including maintaining bone and tissue health, and cinnamon is one of the most efficient boosters of metabolism. Cinnamon is also excellent for regulating blood sugar, improving alertness and concentration

Tips

To extract significant flavor from the apple slices (cut as thin as possible) and cinnamon stick, put them in a boiled water for few minutes and pour in the cold water.

By the way, my new routine is to make my infused water after my dinner and having it for my 'breakfast on the go' for the next day with hubby. Mr hubby is against this idea anyway.."is too healthy". My tumbler is as  pineapple and grape infused water above and the goal is to finish it all by the time we reach KLCC parking. It has been 2 weeks and we never fail. More weeks to go.....

The upcoming infused water among others will be cucumber with limes, orange with mango,  peach and pear. Can't wait to try peeps!

Travelogue 4: Amazing Krabi

To summarize the trip, I would say it was amazing and we will come again!!!

We went to Krabi in last June, a day after my birthday. The trip to Krabi is not for my birthday celebration though. Is just that's the only date that all of us can gather during weekend before Ramadhan.

It's only 50 minutes journey via Air Asia. We arrived in Krabi very early in the morning. None of the shops were open yet.

Front view of Baan Santhiya Private Villa

It was a 3 days weekend retreat and yet we had so many places to cover in 3 days. Travelling with two babies and one toddler was not that easy. So the schedule cannot be too pack or else it will be tiring for the kids and grandparents..LOL..

We booked Baan Santhiya Private Pool Villa from booking.com. I would say the facilities are tremendous, fabulous, well maintained and  it is perfect for a family of 6-10 to stay. They provide a free Tuk Tuk service where ever you want to go around Ao Nang. The owner of the villa, Mr Rob was very friendly. Kudos to Mr Rob and team for their excellent services provided to us. The villa has 4 rooms, 3 bathrooms and huge living hall with kitchen for you to cook and washing machine for laundry. The swimming pool is just for us. Their team even provide the island hoping package to whichever island we are interested in, airport transfer, prepare BBQ set for our dinner..Nice rite...And it is affordable.

Day 1
Walking around Ao Nang Beach, shopping at the pedestrian street (hubby bought a tailor made pants), food testing and Mama&Abah had their massage at the spa. We had lunch at Bamboo Restaurant. The food was so-so and quite pricey. Is quite easy to locate halal food at Ao Nang. So no need to worry on the ground arrangement. Be your own travel guide and travel agent, and you can have your own space and time.

After late lunch, we went back to the villa by the provided tuk-tuk (Mr Rob provided handphone for us to call the tuk-tuk..so damn convenient).

Local fruits

Around 5pm, the tuk-tuk brought us to the Ao Nang Market (Just like Pasar Malam in Malaysia). We bought some prawns, squids and fish for BBQ at night. Mangoes and watermelon are a must here. Please include in your food wishlist.

Day 2

We went to Hong Island by the long tail boat. It took 1 hour++ to reach there.

Hong Island

Hong Island has a reputation for its secluded and peaceful white powdery beach. “Hong” in Thai means room. Perhaps referring to the many inlets and lagoons and limestone caves on this unique and interesting island. The package include Hotel transfer, Soft drink & fruit Life jacket, Lunch (Muslim Thai food), Entrance fees Equipment for Snorkeling, Insurance, Drinking water and Guide. There are plenty of islands to choose. Chicken Island, Phi Phi Island, Tup Island, Poda Island etc. But according to the local people,  Hong Island is not as crowded as Phi Phi, so we decided to choose Hong Island.

View from our Picnic Bay

And believe me, this is the best experience ever. Tenang dan menakjubkan. Even without snorkeling, you can see the fish from the water surface.

We spent 3 hours here and had our lunch at the other side of Hong Island which is called Lading Island. And the beautiful part of it, there were just 10 of us plus the boat driver. Lunch was superb.

Hong Island Lagoon

Next destination was Hong Island Lagoon. The water was like greenish blue, ankle to knee level. I fall in love with the lagoon.


We had a rough journey back to Ao Nang as it was about to rain. But the experienced boat driver was calm and maneuver the boat well. Our dinner on the second day was at a very humble muslim restaurant at AoNang Mosque. Though we took 45 minutes to walk to the restaurant from Ao Nang beach, it was worth it.Recommended menu:

• Tom Yum Gung
• Green Curry Chicken
• Salted Squid
• The juices-superb

Day 3
We are going back!!! We dropped by at Krabi Outlet Village.

Conclusion: I love Krabi and the food. The next wishlist in Krabi are Phi Phi Island and Emerald Pool.

Projek Rumah Berhemah

Selepas 9 bulan Projek Rumah Berhemah complete, baru hari ni berkesempatan untuk menulis dalam dear diary. I bought this house in Sunway Kayangan, Shah Alam nearby my mom's house. Cam biasa la anak mama. Bought in March 2013 but the transfer title took much time than expected though transfer from bumi to bumi. The house is semi furnished with grill, lighting and fan.

Nama projek pun berhemah, untuk menunjukkan betapa ciputnya budget yang ada to call my house a home. Bahasa ringkasnya..memberi roh kepada rumah.

First Floor
Superlink Sunway Kayangan

Ni adalah floor plan first plan. No major change. Just new painting and installation of laminated floor at the family hall. Also, benda-benda kecik like water heater, towel holder, sink cabinet and built in cabinet inside master bedroom and the boys' room. Nama je benda kecik..tapi ongkosnya..berpeluh.

Since we are moving from a 850 sqft apartment to a double storey terrace house, till now rumah tu bergema lagi sebab still kosong. Kumpul duit dulu la ye nak penuh kan rumah.

Built in Cabinet in the boys' playroom

Ground Floor Superlink
Sunway Kayangan

 For ground floor involve structure renovation. I just habiskan 5' at the backyard to avoid kucing berak etc. Size rumah ni agak pelik dr normal terrace house. It is square 30' by 30'.After my reno now it become 30' by 35'. Dah terlanjur rumah berhabuk, buat sekaligus plaster ceiling kat ground floor, painting and my play room..kitchen cabinet. 

Tak de la panggil ID bagai, I designed my house with a very limited budget. But hasilnya alhamdulillah. But ID memang one of my skill..hehe..

Overview sikit-sikit je la kan. This is dining area.
Tampal korean wallpaper.

Dapur yang paling banyak kos sebab ni kan tempat melepaskan stress. So belanja lebih sikit la kat sini. Hubby pun kata OK sebab nak feed perut dia jugakkan. Hehe..Yang paling best sebab hasrat aku nak buat laundry area ala2 IKEA menjadi realiti.

Drawing that I passed to the tukang kayu.
Dah lama teringin nk kitchen cabinet with aluminium roller:)

My kitchen cabinet.
Material bawah is alumunium.
Senang nak lap kalo goreng2 sambal.
Atas and the tall unit is nyatoh.
Why putih? my dapur is so sempit.
Lantai is 4G laminated floor from Floor Depot

Small dining area. Hubby poyo nak tempat letak
kicap, sos kat dinding ala2 restoran katanya

Travelogue 3: Guangzhou, China Part 2

Day 3 - 26 January 2013

No picture taken as photographer were busy buying stuff i.e. gadgets, computer's hardware and accessories. Some of it were fake and some were up to standard. My brother bought the original XBOX 360 at Ganding Computer Digital. It was a great bargain. But seriously don't ever buy hard disc in Guagzhou. It's appearance looks promising but it's actually a pendrive that packed into a big case so that it will look like a hard disc.

Camera (DSLR) accessories were easily available along Dashatao Road. In conclusion, the whole day was spent for gadgets and camera accessories.

We had our lunch at the Muslim Restaurant nearby and pray at Huasheng Mosque

Sate again

Masjid Saad Abi Waqqas aka Huasheng Mosque

.
At night, we had some photography session at Pearl River.

Day 4 - 27 January 2013

We went to Haizhu Square to shop for clothing. Afternoon until evening, we went to Shangxia ju Pedestrian Street. Not only for shopping, but looking at the local people's culture and scenic view.

On day 4, we need to find formula milk for Kimi. Luckily, my brother in law can read the kanji..as he said it is almost the same as Japanese kanji. Other than that, we were also running out of Maggi, bread and tuna. At the apartment lobby, we met a group of Malaysian tourists and they gave us a contact number for Malay cook in town. So for the next day's breakfast, we had Nasi Lemak..Ooh I missed Malaysia's food.

Day 5 - 28 January 2013

After having a great breakfast, we went to Baiyun Shan or also known as White Cloud Mountain.We took a cablecar ride to witness the scenery from the peak of Baiyun Mountain. Lots of local people from all walks of life walking up the mountain using the jungle trail. According to our translator, if we walked up, it will take around 4 hours to reach the peak at normal walking rate.

Morning activity - choir after a long walk

Negren Temple

Us.

Cable car

Our last destination was Baiyun World Leather Trading Centre. High grade AAAAAA branded handbags...

We stopped by at the nearby Mosque accidentally found using Google Map.

Day 6 - 29 January 2013

As mentioned before, shopping at Zhongda Fabric Market was considered as unsuccessful . Therefore, we had extra of 20kg untilize luggage despite of my cuzzy and abah bought a stainless steel pipe. My hubby bought a heavy computer power supply. Other than that fabric for few metres, handbags and toys.

Our flight that morning was on schedule. I had a tremendously delicious Nasi Beriani in flight. Ahha, maybe I missed Malaysia's food badly and Nasi Beriani in Air Asia kind of hit the spot.

-The End of Guangzhou Trip-

Travelogue 3: Guangzhou, China Part 1

Finally, I got the opportunity to share on our vacation to Guangzhou, China. We went there in January 2013 and I was pregnant at that time. Luckily no vomit, no headache yet. Together with me are hubby and kimi, my newly wed sister, mama, abah, lil bro and cuzzy.

We took a midnight flight on my abah's 50th birthday, 23 January 2013. The 4 hours journey via Air Asia was smooth. Kimi is not crying or not even awake. Arrived early in the morning, our translator, Dorinky and the hired driver (wearing army shirt everyday) brought us to the booked accommodation. We booked a serviced apartment nearby Beijing Road named, Sunny Private Apartment Hotel of Grand Continental.

Day 1 - 24 January 2013

We brought sambal ikan bilis (hot dried anchovies), serunding (beef floss) and nasi impit (rice) from Malaysia. So that was our breakfast for first day.

Our first destination to visit was Xiang Jiang Wildlife Safari located in Fanyu District, Guangzhou. The ticket price though pricey but it's worth it.









The animal here are well-fed compared to Zoo in Malaysia.

Hippotamus

Siberian Tiger

Koala on the Eucalyptus Tree

Elephant Show

Cuddly Panda

Giraffe and Zebra

Dinosaur park also appeared to be attractive here.

Next destination on the first day was Baomo Graden also located in Fanyu District.

Among the highlights are the Bao Zheng culture, ancient architecture, carvings, sculpture and the river cruise.

Day 2 - 25 January 2014
We went to Zhongda Fabric Market. Not as expected. The worst shopping experience ever. It was so difficult to choose from a 2" x 2" sample. And we need to wait for 3 days for them to bring the chosen material to the shopping centre and pick up the fabric at the shop. There were hundreds of look alike shops in the Fabric Market and it was so confusing.

sample viewing

The translator assists the price negotiation

Us in front of the shopping center

We had our lunch at the nearby Muslim Restaurant (walking distance).

After that, we continue shopping at Beijing Road (Beijing Lu). Walking distance from our apartment. It was a nice walk here and we had a delicious halal sate there.