On Tuesday, after an authentic Indian breakfast at Devi's Corner, Cathe took us to the Batu Caves - not too far from the city. It was amazing to see the gigantic golden statue of Murugan, a Hindu deity, and all the little temples and other idols there. How can humans make a statue like that so large and intricate? I climbed the 272 steps to the upper caves while Cathe stayed below with Nelya and Taylor. Inside were colorful statues, and more steps to another area of the cave. I was so exhausted and shaky from the climb up that I took it very slowly going down. Cathe also warned me to stay clear of the monkeys on the stairs, as they heckle tourists for food. I certainly didn't want a monkey bite, so I heeded her advice!
Later that afternoon, Taylor joined Nelya for her baby swim class. I think it was much better than the class we took at the Y. There were lots of toys and games and songs to capture the babies' attention and help them learn. We had another class today and Taylor has already improved! She can now blow bubbles in the water, do the "monkey walk" along the edge of the pool, and kick a little when I swish her around.
On Wednesday, Cathe and I spend the entire day at the mall getting our hair done. Cathe had her hair rebonded, which is an extreme form of straightening it (perfect for the intense humidity of KL), and I had some relaxing and highlighting done. The highlighting is great, but I wasn't completely pleased with the cut. The "master stylist" seemed so inspired while doing my hair that I hated to express my reservations. I figured I could work with the new look and find ways to make it my own. I'm still getting used to it, though today I found a really pretty hairclip at the Central Market that I bought to style it nicely.
Thursday we left very early in the morning for the KL airport. We had a 1hr flight to Kota Bharu on Air Asia, the budget airlines of the East. Cathe ordered Roti Canai for us on the plane, which was a surprisingly filling breakfast. We were met at the airport by a driver affliated with the resort we were going to and spent another hour getting to the town where we were to catch our boat to the resort.
The resort was great! The sand was soft on the beaches and the air was refreshing. Cathe had me order a variety of local and regional dishes (Thai, Singaporean, Malay), which gave me a good taste of the area. My favorite meals were Thai style fish and the Tom Yam.
Taylor LOVED walking in the shallow ocean water and Cathe and I had several fun snorkeling outings while Angela (the kid's nanny) watched the little ones. The rashguards I brought with me work fabulously - I used them everyday. We were there until Sat afternoon, pretty much just swimming and eating everyday.
Sun and Mon we took it easy because we were tired from traveling. Today we went to the Central Market so I could shop for some local souvenirs. I was overwhelmed by the selection and have been milling over some additional purchases I'd like to make. It's easy enough to head back to the Market, so I think Cathe and I will go there again in the next couple of days.
Tonight, Cathe and I stole away to chat and have drinks at a nearby restaurant. The moderate temperature and light breeze of the evenings is so calming. It was a perfect end to an evening.
Tomorrow the plan is to visit the Sky Bridge at Petronas Towers early in the morning, then head to the Forestry Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) to explore their rainforest canopy walk (100 ft above ground level!). The babies will stay home with Angela and Leisan will be back at school.
Thursday is the babies' first gymnastic class and Friday we may drive out to ride on some elephants. I'll post more as it happens!
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