Where in the World Is Kuala Lumpur? World Part 4

Destination: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Date: March 2012

Bailey & Clay on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
March 2012

As many of you have been reading about our most recent cruise adventure around the world here is the next installment.... Where in the World is Kuala Lumpur??

Kuala Lumpur was hard to get excited about since I knew so little.  Someone in our group said it had been mentioned in the movie “Entrapment” with Catherine Zeta Jones but that’s all this city really was to me... a name.   We had heard it was about an hour bus ride to get to the city from the port and none of us wanted to get on any tour buses after the previous day in Singapore.  So we knew we needed to find an alternative mode of transportation.

Trent negotiating with our taxi drivers
 Kuala Lumpur March 2012

Once we got off the ship we were able to take a shuttle bus over to a nearby mall and figure out a plan on how to get to Kuala Lumpur.  Trent is our best taxi negotiator and so he was able to find three drivers that would take our group of sixteen to the city, drive us around, and bring us back at the end of the day for only $16 per person.  That was a smoking deal and so we all jumped in the cabs and headed out.  

A sign on the side of the taxi that we had just "haggled" a price with the taxi driver
Tip#1 Just because it says no haggling that is 99% untrue
March 2012

So far our taxi experiences had been great and always in very good cabs that were clean and smelled good.  We were lucky again only this time our driver also had on American top forty music playing and so it felt like we could have been in any US city cab.  

Our first stop in KL was at the Petronus Twin Towers the tallest twin buildings in the world
March 2012

Driving to the city it looked a lot like the states.  The infrastructure of the roads were good and there were even plants along the medians in the highways.  Some of the buildings next to the freeway were very dirty and from the open windows we saw clothes flowing from the window sills.  It was evident that there was no AC’s, or clothes dryers, but in all it looked like we could have been in any big city in the USA.  

The Petronus Twin Towers that stand 88 stories high
March 2012

Our first stop was the Petronus Twin Towers in downtown Kuala Lumpur, a big financial hub for the people.  We wanted to go up to the connecting walkway between the towers and have a better view of the city.  However, when we got to the Petronus buildings we were told all 800 tickets that they sell everyday had been sold and we would be unable to go up.  This was disappointing because we saw online that ticket sales only go on sale everyday for that day, in the morning at 8:00am, and can’t be purchased online.  However, we were told many cruise ships purchase big lots of these tickets for their cruisers that go on their excursions and so we were out of luck to go to the top of the Twin Towers.  No matter how much negotiating with the guards they were unable to help us with our plight. 

The New Kings Palace, KL Malaysia
March 2012

Once we got off of the freeway we went over to the new Kings Palace.  It was beautiful and not much to see since we could only go as far as the gates, much like visiting the White House in the US.  But since we were there we started taking pictures.  In a short time a few of the Indonesian women that were taking pictures in front of the palace, asked if Bailey could be in one of their pictures.  

Bailey posing with some of the Indonesian tourists who wanted to capture a picture of her "yellow" hair
March 2012

Of course we agreed and soon a tour bus of Indonesians were asking to get their photos taken with her and with all of us.  Clay didn’t like them pulling and tugging on him to get him in to the photos exactly like they wanted and so soon he realized that being “famous” was not for him.  We posed for about 25 pictures and finally were released laughing from our little experience with fame.

We couldn't stop laughing when we realized the Indonesians really wanted pics with the kids
KL Malaysia, March 2012

Our taxi driver was waiting for us, as promised, and took us to the central market to do some shopping.  The market place was air conditioned and had great bathrooms that were clean and tidy but cost .40 rinngit about 10 cents in US dollars.  The man collecting the money for the use of the bathroom then gave me two tissues to use as toilet paper while in the stalls.  It was interesting to say the least.  There were three types of toilets to use.  Two were holes in the floor, 2 were just the porcelain pots that you could hover over and there was one American looking toilet.  I was glad the locals would pass this one over and go to the others so I was able to walk right in.

Our kids loved finding missionaries every time we got off the boat
Posing with the "R's" and missionaries from Utah near Chinatown in KL
March 2012

Again we ran into the LDS missionaries and we were excited that one of them knew one of the members of our group "D.M" (though "D.M." wasn’t with us at the time.)  One missionary was from Lindon, Utah and the other was from Farmington, Utah.  What a small world!  Across the street from the Malaysian Market was Chinatown and again we had a great time going through the deals to be had.  

Looking at Chinatown in KL
March 2012

Good friend whom I will call Mary Poppins (since everything you could ever want or need on a trip, is found in that purse of hers) and Bailey, sporting her Singapore pants, just outside the Malaysian market
This smile is what makes me love traveling with Mary Poppins  so much
March 2012

This was a much more fun experience since all the products they sell can be displayed and back rooms are not needed (like in NYC).  We were able to see all the purses, jewlery, sunglasses we could want.  We only had about 30 minutes here and I’d wished we hadn’t spent time at the more expensive Malaysian market but we still bought Oakley sunglasses, more iPhone cases, purses, roller bags, a back pack,  & umbrellas.  In all I think we spent $150 US dollars but we had so much fun doing it.  It was seriously one of my favorite places to shop during the entire trip.  I thought India would be better so I was a little reserved with my spending but when the entire trip was over it probably had the best selections combined with the best prices.  If only I'd known!!!

So happy to get cleaned up after a long day site-seeing and shopping
Aboard P&O Cruise ship Aurora
March 2012

Our time was running out though and our faithful cabby was waiting so we loaded up our booty and started our one-hour trip back to the boat.  We ended up paying our driver a hefty tip for his well planned out day.  We rolled back onto the boat to get some laundry done, and shower before our dinner, and get started planning the next days adventure in Pengang.

Don't be afraid to send me your travel questions.  I would love to hear about trips you have planned, or ask me of any places I may have been.  That way I can get a post up if I've been there!  I appreciate all of your kind words and happy and safe travels!!

Potato Farms & Sand Dunes in Idaho

Destination: Island Park, Idaho
Date: October 2012

Getting ready to go four-wheeling with these cuties
Island Park, Idaho
October 2012

Idaho doesn’t sound like a vacation destination but I was pleasantly surprised at what a great time I had communing with nature.  When we were invited by my sister and her husband to stay at a cabin they had access to, I was excited to hear the details.  Located in Island Park Idaho (west Yellowstone area) I knew it would be a beautiful location but what exactly would we do?  Since this trip was also scheduled during the school year we had to do a process of elimination to see which of our children could miss a week of school.  After it was all said and done our two oldest would have to stay behind and we grabbed our four elementary school aged kids, Clay,10, Lexi,7, Leah,7, and Bella,5, and headed for the mountains.  

The beautiful trees not far to the east of Island Park
October 2012

Idaho in early October is a beautiful place to visit.  The turning of the leaves, wildlife roaming the open land with a perfect climate of brisk mornings bundled in sweatshirts and Uggs, to warm afternoons shedding to flip flops and shorts.  I can’t describe how beautiful this area really is, because I don’t really consider myself a very adept writer. I'm not sure I have the ability to give an accurate description of the picturesque landscapes, bordered with rolling hills, and majestic mountains, all within driving distance of this beautiful location.  

Lexi, Bella & Leah are ready to get this party started
October 2012

Though most people would be happy laying around in a cabin with a good book, fishing off the nearby boat dock, or hikes, as any parent knows there has to be some sort of activity planned to keep the littles busy.  The day trip my sister planned with ATVs, Razor vehicles, and sand dunes was one of the most exciting day trips my kids have ever encountered.  We started the day off with ATV rides on nearby ATV tracks around the location of the cabin.  It was a great way to give us all a “skills” test to see if we were ready for the main event...the sand dunes.  

Our little group that got to vacation together in the cabin
West Yellowstone, October 2012

The kids loved taking rides with Trent and I and their other aunts and uncles that were on the trip.  Once we got warmed up we loaded up the ATV’s and headed south to Rexburg Idaho to meet up with some friends that had Razor Vehicles, (little six passenger Gator type vehicles) which we could go out with onto the sand dunes.  The best part about this adventure is that all the ATV vehicles didn't cost us anything so it was a free day of fun.

Trent and Clay pose by our six-seater Razor vehicle
October 2012

Since one of our friends had been raised on an actual Idaho potato farm she was gracious enough to first take us by her parents farm “Crapo Farms” to see the operation of a real working potato harvest.  Yes, we were lucky to be there for the fall harvest when even the local schools let out to give children the opportunity to help.  The house was a beautiful home straight out of a book.  When my friend “M” took us in to meet her mother, she and "M's" sister were making maple squares for the harvesters as a little treat at the end of the day.  Once we had a sample of this deliciousness the tour of the farm began. 

The potato pit where all the harvested potatoes are stored for the winter
October 2012

We headed out to the potato pit where four or five trucks were parked out front to unload their bounty into the potato pit.  When the truck backs up into the pit it unloads the potato’s on a long conveyor belt in which the children and hands pull out the bad potatoes and weeds as they shuffle past on the belt.  

Leah posing with a potato in the potato pit
October 2012

Then up, up, up, they ride on the conveyor that stacks the potatoes in the pit for their two weeks of “sweating” with fans blowing and getting the potatoes ready to be stored for the winter, and then ready to sell at the right time when the market prices are right.  Since this was the last step to the potato harvest we then loaded up onto our ATVs to head out the fields so we could show the kids close up how the process begins.

Trent and the kids working the conveyor belt looking for rotten potatoes
October 2012

One of the harvesters in action
October 2012

Trent with the kids exploring the inside of the tractor
October 2012

Out in the field the huge tractors that pull the harvesting equipment was running on a GPS system to go straight down the rows to pick up the potatoes.  On the combine equipment the potatoes go on to a series of chains that let the dirt fall out to the bottom, the potato vines shoot out the back, and the potatoes climb up a conveyor belt and get spit onto the waiting truck that will then take then back to the pit.  

Lexi was so proud for finding such a big tatter
Crapo Farms, October 2012

My kids were amazed to watch this whole process, not on a DVD shown in school, but up close in real life with the dust and dirt blowing in their faces.  I had no regret for taking my kids out of school for the week.  We were officially on an educational field trip that I think every mother would agree is better than anything they could learn in school. 

My niece, Summer, and me getting up and close and personal with the tractor
October 2012

 It was a fascinating experience to see first hand how a potato is harvested.  Even more rewarding for my kids was to learn that Crapo Farms sells a majority of their potatoes, on their 55,000 acre farm, to Five Guys Hamburgers.  Since FIve Guys is a family favorite, it was great for the kids to realize where their french fries were coming from.

Clay showing us some farm fresh potatoes
October 2012

After this educational experience we headed out to the dunes for the thriller side of our “day of fun.”  We loaded up into three Razor ATV’s, 2 four-wheelers, and two dirt bikes and road to the middle of the sand.  Located just about a mile or two from Crapo Farms we didn’t have far to go.  When we arrived to the middle of a sand dune we set up some chairs and took turns riding the ATV’s around a circuit that the experienced drivers had showed us.  The kids loved riding up and down the dunes, sliding and drifting on the sand and even when it wasn’t their turn they enjoyed rolling down the dunes close to where we set up camp.  When the sun started to set we built a small fire to roast hot dogs and marshmallows, and enjoyed the last few rides before the sun went down.  

Our little makeshift campsite in the middle of the sand dunes
October 2012

Of course what is an ATV adventure without a little bit of a mishap? So before I write about this, rest assured all those involved are fine and it really was just a little mishap.  I was driving one last time with Leah and Clay around the small track up and down the dunes that the “dune masters” had shown me.  Trent decided not to go one last time with me and that is why it was just two of the kids and myself.  We went around seventy-five percent of the track with no problem but then with the end in sight, the Razor I was driving began to drift out to the side sliding across the sand.  We were all hoopin' and hollarin', and without any error that I could see, our Razor tipped over on its side and began to slide across the sand.  As a mom my first concern were the kids.  Luckily we had taken precautionary measures and had them in seat belts with helmets on.  

The sand dunes just outside Rexburg Idaho
October 2012

After what felt like five minutes of sliding on our side the Razor finally stopped and I began checking with the kids if they were alright.  Fortunately they were in seat belts their legs were dangling down by my face, since I was the closest to the ground.  I tried to get up to help them but my foot was lodged between the Razor and the sand.  Then it was that crazy moment when I asked myself “Is your foot crushed?” “Can you feel your toes?”  It was surreal but what brought me back to the situation was that Leah began to take control.  It was interesting to see her be so calm and access the situation.  She kept saying “Mom get up, that would really help if you got out of the way and unbuckle our seat belts.”  I tried again to move my foot but was unable, so I started to feel with my hand to try and get the seat belts unbuckled.  

Bella and I earlier in the day sporting our helmets
October 2012

My level-headed Leah smiling before our tumble "accident"
October 2012

Because I was wearing a helmet as well it was hard to move my head to see the seat belts.  Once Leah was unbuckled she moved out of the cart and I reached for Clay who was dangling even higher since he was in the far passenger seat.  I kept reaching for him but it was a stretch.  I knew our rescue team would be arriving any second, if they had in fact noticed we had tipped over.  Once Clay was out of his belt, he moved out of the Razor, and our rescue team arrived.  They quickly picked up the Razor off of my foot and I was free.  

My sandy face after the accident  I was all smiles but inside my heart was racing
October 2012

When I finally crawled out of the wreckage I noticed how all of the Razors contents were strewn all over the sand around us, bottles of water, chains for towing, some rope, a child’s jacket,  but all that mattered is that we were all safe and didn’t sustain any real harm.  Beside a massive jolt of adrenaline, we were okay.  Trent soon took my picture as I pulled off my helmet and sunglasses to see that it looked like I had taken a face plant in the sand.  It wasn’t my prettiest moment but I was grateful no real damage to person or property had been done.  We were defiantly blessed with a day of fun and safety as we survived another “day of fun” on this wild Kimball adventure.

Bella, enjoying the wheel of the tractor
at the potato harvest
October 2012

Stay safe and happy travels!!

Found My Kindred Friend in PEI Canada!

Location: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island Canada
Date: August 2008

At the farmhouse of Anne Shirley in Prince Edward Island, Canada
August 2008

For my thirty-third birthday Trent surprised me with a trip to Prince Edward Island to visit the real home of the fictitious character, Anne, of Green Gables.  When I say surprised that is exactly what I mean.  He actually told me to pack for warm days, cooler nights and that was it!  I had no idea where we were going until we had to transfer flights in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Or maybe we were in Detroit, Michigan, either way it wasn't until we boarded the little puddle jumper that would finish the last few hundred miles into Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.  For those of you that may not be familiar, and to you I'm a little ashamed, Prince Edward Island is where all the magic of the book series by Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, takes place.

Seriously... my all time favorite book series

If you were a farm girl like me, you can probably identify with long nights of nothing to do except read. Our house had two TV's and no cable and so I was either on the phone or reading as a teenager.  My favorite books were these found in this series.  Then when the books were made into a mini-series for Canadian television, and shown on PBS in the states, my heart skipped a beat.  I watched them with my friends, by myself, over and over trying to recreate the romantic relationship the main character, Anne Shirley has with her biggest rival and most handsome boy in town, Gilbert Blythe.

Anne Shirley & Gilbert Blythe in the
made for TV version

I know I am embarrassing myself by letting you into by pathetic teen years by writing about this part of my life, but nonetheless I will continue.  For my sixteenth birthday I woke with a crazy notion that dreams really do come true and a beautiful Jeep Wrangler, red with a plaid (customized) cloth top would be sitting in the driveway. (Yes this is truly the car I had made up in my head) But then I remembered I was the fourth of seven children, my dad was a teacher, and my mom was a homemaker.  There were no funds for my Jeep Wrangler but my mom had bought me something special....two porcelain dolls that looked like the two "kindred spirits" or "bosom friends" Anne Shirley, and Diana Berry, from Anne of Green Gables.

My dolls I received for my 16th birthday,
now hold a spot on a shelf in my twins room
Though these are not the real dolls sold as Anne
& Shirley just ones my mom thought looked
like them  (Love you Mom)

The Anne & Diana featured in the mini-series
There's a little resemblance 

Funny thing... I still own these dolls to this day.  They represent so much more to me now than just the two main characters from the books, but thats another story.  Either way after reading these wonderful stories of love and loss, adventure and misadventure I was ready to go see where it all took place.

Took this pic as we roamed the beautiful countryside of PEI
August 2008

I should start by telling you a little about the author Lucy Maud Montgomery.  L.M. Montgomery was born in 1874 (exactly 100-years before me!) on Prince Edward Island.  Her mother died and her father left her with her maternal grandparents to be raised in a strict household.  Though she wasn't quite an orphan like her character, Anne Shirley, she was very adventurous and had a great imagination.  When she sent her book, Anne of Green Gables, off to be published in 1908 it was an immediate success and is now translated in many languages and has a world-wide following.  The best part for me about the "Anne" books is the character is a self-reliant, poor, farm girl with lots of determination.  (Ok I felt like I could relate a little ;)  However, the on again off again love affair with her arch rival, and best friend, Gilbert Blythe is what draws in any teenage girl long before Edward and Bella ever hit the written page.

Since Gilbert Blythe was my heart throb it only made sense that
I'd find someone just as good-looking (or even better)
Trent looking the part in PEI
August 2008

So when I stepped off the plane in Charlottetown, PEI in August of 2008 I was very excited to get started on my book tour of a lifetime.  I couldn't believe what a romantic husband I had to indulge me in this desire, and plan this trip without me suspecting a thing.  Our four night stay took place at the Stanhope Beach Resort, www.stanhopebeachresort.com, in Stanhope.  Though this was a great hotel and we had our own two bedroom, town-home type unit, it was a little far for touring the sights in Cavendish, where much of the book is based.  So if I was looking to do this trip all over again, and I really want to, I would stay in Cavendish.  One hotel that caught my eye that looked clean and accessible was called Kindred Spirits Country Inn and Cottages, www.kindredspirits.ca 

Trent standing outside the birthplace of the author,
Lucy Maud Montgomery
August 2008

Some of the sites we visited while in PEI was the birthplace of L.M. Montgomery in New London, PEI, (very close to Cavendish).  It is just a small house with lots of old period pieces of clothing and furniture from the late 1800's. Not all of the items were used by Maud's family but it does have her tiny wedding dress which was fantastic to see so I could imagine her tiny frame and little feet.  There was a minimal fee charged to enter and it is open most late spring to early fall days from 9-3.  More info can be found at www.tourismpei.ca

Visiting the Anne of Green Gables Village and posing with one of the
Anne-look-alikes.  That's the actual outfit I wore to the park that day. (Wink;)
August 2008

Trent will kill me when he sees this pic but I couldn't help myself
and dressed up like Anne with Gil
August 2008

Other cool sights were visiting Avonlea, Anne of Green Gables Village.  It is like a small amusement park that would have been around in the late 1800's.  If you're looking for roller coasters you've come to the wrong place.  Imagine root beer taste testing, dressing up in the attire of the characters of the Anne books, a small petting zoo, adult actors singing and dancing, an old train station, and shops of candy, Anne memorabilia, and old timey stuff.  Its cute. It does cost about $20 to get in and it makes every adult (especially those who have read the books) feel like a child.  More can be found at http://www.avonlea.ca

I may not look happy (in this pic) but I was thrilled to be there!
August 2008

I especially loved visiting the farmhouse that Montgomery based the character, Anne, in the books.  There is a great little walking tour that you can take yourself and since it is the basis of a fictional book there aren't any "real" items to see except to imagine Lucy Maud Montgomery visiting her cousins here as a child and creating Anne Shirley, and lending this farm house to her books, as Annes home.  With so many sites that were created in the books like, Lover's Lane, Haunted Wood or even Berry Pond aka Pond of Shimmering Waters it is fun to see on what she based these places.  This farmhouse is very recognizable from the books and has a great display showing the life of Lucy Maud Montgomery.  Just a short walk from the farmhouse is the site of the authors burial and it is lovely to see she was buried in a countryside that meant so much to her in this life.

The burial site of Lucy Maud Montgomery-MacDonald
In August 2008

Besides the little sites to see representing this great little series of books, there is so much more to see in Prince Edward Island.  If the snow didn't run six feet deep in the winters I would gladly pack up my children and move to this beautiful island.  The beaches are a beautiful red sand, and the fog in the mornings make for romantic walks on the beach.  The rolling country side of green farming and patches creating a beautiful quilt of greenery makes this an enchanting place to visit.  Trent and I enjoyed our drives along the country side almost as much as our walks along the beach.  Even the sand dunes mentioned in the books are there for the readers imagination.  It was so beautiful.

The red sand beaches off the coast of PEI
August 2008

What a romantic walk with my honey on the Cavendish shoreline
August 2008

I've also got to mention the food!  I love seafood and this is a paradise for great fresh catch of the day type meals.  The lobster dinner is so routine it is offered in almost all restaurants and it is the same in each; lobster tail, a potato, salad, a roll and a drink.  Just say lobster dinner to anyone from this area and they know exactly what you're looking for.  Though I loved the lobster, Trent fell in love with the mussels, and just like the shrimp are served in any which way in Louisiana, that's how they do the mussel's in this part of Canada.

Trent and his lobster dinner in Charlottetown PEI
August 2008

Though there are many tours that are offered on different PEI websites I truly think that this is an island you can do yourself without a tour guide or group to follow.  I can guarantee it will be cheaper to do it on your own as well.  There are also lots of plays depicting the Anne books.  The two I recommend are the Anne of Green Gables play that shows in Charlottetown all summer season and the Anne and Gilbert play that shows over in Summerside.  Though I loved the Anne of Green Gable play it was exactly like the book and shows Anne in her youth.  It is playful and fun but it wasn't what attracted me to the books as a teenager.

At the harbor in Sunnyside just after the Anne and Gilbert play
I am all tears
August 2008

The Anne and Gilbert play was amazing.  Trent got us tickets on the second row and the actors were so close and I could see the spit spray from their lips during a lively song or performance. This, of course, is the part of the Anne books where Anne (with an E) realizes her love for Gilbert and their attraction becomes more than just friendly rivals.  I walked out in tears wanting more from these two long lost friends of mine.  (Do I sound absolutely pathetic yet?)

Posing at Anne's farmhouse
August 2008

So in short if this is an experience that sounds attractive to you then fly into Charlottetown PEI, rent a car (very easy, just like renting in the US), stay up in Cavendish, see the sights both from the books and the real sights from the authors life, see the two plays, take a nice long morning walk on a beach, drive through the countryside and if you have time hike through Greenwich National PEI park.  Make sure you eat in a recommended restaurant in Charlottetown, visit the shops in Charlottetown and check the summer calendar at www.tourismpei.ca to coordinate your trip to the time of summer you want to visit. If you are red-headed (that means you Cassie) then take a costume from the time period, put your hair in braids, and take some pictures with international tourists, and make a few tips to pay for your trip!

Just the way we like to end every great story
Anne & Gil forever :)

Goodluck!  Safe and Happy travels!!