People have asked, 'Why travel by train?' To fly would have been much faster and efficient. The trip back to Kuala Lumpur in August was originally planned for me to spend time with my mother in hospital. After Mum passed away in June, and with a dear friend facing terminal illness, my thoughts turned to my own mortality and what I would leave behind for my children. How can I share my heritage, family history and traditions? Especially when it is so different from what we have in ...
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Ever have a synchronised massage?
We had time to kill in Haadyai. We arrived here by car, bought our train tickets to Bangkok and had 5 hours before the train leaves. So we checked out the massage places near the train station. 2 hour Thai massage for 240 baht, i.e. £5! Yes, that is correct - I did not forget to put in a zero, it is indeed £5. This was not going to break my bank - so we had a family massage with three of us in a row of mattresses with David in the middle. It was unlike any other massage I have ...
A Drive-Through Immigration!
We left Penang island very early in the morning on the ferry. We met two girls on board the ferry who have been backpacking in Malaysia and were now on their way to Thailand too. They were catching the same train as we were. John was very happy to chat with the girls and hoped they would be in the same train carriage as us. The distance from the ferry terminal to the train station was not far at all and we soon got to the platform and boarded our train. To John's delight the two girls were ...
Childhood memories of train travel
When I was young, we could not afford to fly to Bangkok to see my mother's sister (this was before the days of cheap air travel). Therefore we will make the long trip from KL to Bangkok by train, which would have taken 2 nights and a day. The train schedule is still the same 40 years on. In fact, the train I was on 2 nights ago looked like it was in service 40 years ago too!!! First class on a Malaysian train is nowhere near first class travel on British Airways! Don't even mention the state ...
Nothing like home too
It is lovely to be home! Just in time to pick up David from school, with this being his last day at school. I wanted to have the chance to thank his awesome teacher who had been so patient and kind, dealing with David's cheekiness throughout the year. This is the end of my travel in luxury. Boy, was it FUN! First Class on British Airways has been a real treat. Who would mind having a handsome young man constantly top up your champagne, cook for you, make your bed and tidy up after you? ...
The W Hotel is way too cool for me
I admit I am not cool or funky. My good friend Tim, with whom I am travelling for work, suggested staying at the W Hotel at Times Square. He is the cool kind of guy. Me? I am showing my age.... On arrival as I was stepping out of the taxi in front of the hotel, I thought this was the first time I am encountering a friendly New Yorker - a gorgeous young man with a trendy stubble on his chin dressed in a white shirt with rolled up sleeves, unbuttoned collar and a pink tie hanging off the ...
First Class on British Airways – Woohoo!
I had the opportunity to travel First Class on British Airways to New York this time round. I was so super excited and garnered as much information as possible from my well heeled and well travelled friend, Tim. As usual he was a fount of knowledge on all things British Airways. So I came well prepared at Heathrow Terminal 5 to be indulged and pampered. First stop was to Elemis Spa for a mini massage. And then to the Concord Lounge - the exclusive lounge only open to First Class ...
