Kuala Lumpur - the 'City Of Lights' is a fusion of all the Asian countries we've been to so far. In a change from the usual economy-class, we spent £68 for 8 hours in 'premier class' on a train. A comfortable journey in old-fashioned seats with views of dense vegetation as far as the eye can see (if only our window was clearer!) We expected more than a kaya paste bun and a bottle of 'air' (water) each but the dining car had very little choice. We surprised ourselves when we checked into a 4 star Dorsett Regency Hotel (£60 a night) scruffy from travel into a luxurious en-suite larger than as my previous flat. In contrast the Hotel Novo (£17 a night) we got what we paid for with a view of the bustling ... read more

We managed to squeeze in a trip to Sentosa Island to visit Universal Studios taking us back 6 months ago to when we visited America. Being a smaller version than the Californian attraction, queues wasn't a problem. After our 2nd ride - The Lost World Rapids Adventure delivered us a thorough drenching, our afternoon was temporarily halted by the torrential storm that followed closing all the rides and giving the workers of (now flooded) Lost World ride an early finish. Within the hour followed glorious sunshine and on the way back to the hotel there was hardly any evidence of any rain. Our taxi driver had informed us the drainage system is so efficient they recycle the collected rainwater and filter it back into the city's water system. An average 171 days of rainfall in ... read more

"Suit or watch, sir... are you from Scotland?...I know you ma'am...handbag?... Taking stock of the markets - they have the Temple Street night market, an 'electronics' market, a sportswear market and a 'ladies' market (not women, but fashion and jewellery, etc.) Intriguing of all was the 'Goldfish' market where the fish is prepacked a la fairground win ready for adoption. There were also storage boxes lined with terrapins of all sizes on sale. Across the street a row of pet shops with various breeds of cute doe-eyed puppies and kittens to coo and sigh at. I had my eye set on a cat-in-a-box money bank. Tracing it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack such is the sheer scale of the number of stalls. Les has the art of haggling finely tuned. ... read more

Walking through Changi airport we instantly felt a zen-like quality about Singapore. It neither felt rushed or claustrophobic like other cities we have visited. The architecture - grandiously beautiful. The streets meticulously clean and well maintained. The countless shopping malls sparkle like jewels. The uncluttered treasure trove of goods shiny and new. It takes your breath away like a child opening up their first Christmas present coupled with that smell of newness. Outside the savoury aromas from countless food outlets lingers in the air. Authentic Oriental cuisine emulating my fathers' cooking unlike the familiar dishes catered for Western tastebuds. Across billboards fashion has a Western influence. The front cover models adorning magazine covers all having bleached white skin - appearing Westernized is a measure of success. It's the norm to see the locals with umbrellas ... read more

Chinese New Year. It came alive at 5pm when the first beats of the drum and cymbals crashed to introduce the first lion dance. How they manage the heat underneath the costumes is beyond us. The firecrackers were earsplitting and we were amused with the amount of people poised in recording mode (like us!) to post their wobbly fuzzy videos upon YouTube the next day. By dinner all the Oriental restaurants were full and the 'lions' were roaring their way to bring prosperity into every eatery which we found quite charming. Not so prosperous were my 'Prawn Tuk Tuk noodles' which contained just the 2 prawns...I'm sure we'll make up the difference when we get to Singapore on the 16th Feb. In contrast, a Buddha smiling serenely sits amidst all the chaos we were yet ... read more