TUN FUAD STEPHENS PARK (BUKIT PADANG)

Tun Fuad Stephens Park is the biggest public park in Kota kinabalu. The park has a restaurant, hawker center, a water world, a lake and a 2 kms walking track along the jungle trail. I started walking here 2 weeks ago. The jungle canopy provides good shade along the track - making it a ideal place for jogging or walking at any time of the day.Walking in this jungle environment is just great. I like the sound of insects and birds calls. The running water of the jungle stream is just refreshing.For those who like jungle trekking, there are jungle trails like this one.

Another trail leading to the top of the hill.

A beautiful wooden bridge for people to enjoy the view at the the centre of the lake. Located at the entrance to the park is the popular Kampung Nelayan Seafood Village and a hawker centre. Both of these places have open air building structure.The Kampung Nelayan Village is popular with tourists and locals for its seafood and nightly cultural dance performance. The Kampung Nelayan Seafood village - "Fisherman Seafood Water village."

The Hawker Centre.

This is the only Water Theme Park in Kota Kinabalu featuring a very big swimming pool and lots of water slides providing great deal of fun for kids and adults alike. I could hear happy screams every time I walked pass this water park.I will be stuck to the jungle track here for quite some time to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

MANGO TREE - THAI RESTAURANT

Our friends in Bangkok took us to this superb Thai restaurant in the heart of the chaotic business district of Silom road. This restaurant served great Royal Thai cuisine, something a bit more special than other regular Thai restaurants.

Cosy setting inside the restaurant. My wife's favourite Thai papaya salad.

Simple stir fried vegetable that was just delicious.

Panang chicken curry -mild panang curry cooked with coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves

Larb gai - hot and sour minced chicken salad

My favourite - "Gaeng khiao wan gai" Green curry with Thai cherry eggplants, fresh chili and basil leaves Thai Fish Cakes (Thod Man Pla) with cucumber relish - a famous Thai dish.

To finish the wonderful lunch, we had some sweet Thai desert. I opted for this Thai style tasty Ice tea. It was indeed a good place to dine.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN.. HO, HO, HO!

You better watch out, you better not cry,

Better not pout I'm telling you why,

Santa Claus is coming to town.

These pictures were taken in Bangkok - outside the MBK shopping center.

MERRY X'MAS ..HO, HO, HO!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

So it will be Christmas in 4 days! A time to celebrate and also to welcome the New Year. Best wishes to all - MERRY X'MAS + A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! For the very first time, the local government built a giant Christmas tree at the Merdeka padang in Kota Kinabalu.Christmas is widely celebrated in Malaysia. Major shopping malls put up beautiful Christmas decoration as seen in the pictures taken during our brief stopover in Kuala Lumpur 2 weeks ago. A Christmas tree right at the entrance of the latest shopping mall, the Pavilion, in Kuala Lumpur.

Inside the Pavilion

A great place for Christmas shopping.Some of the Christmas trees.

Finally, our own Christmas tree at home. Once again, MERRY X'MAS and A VERY HAPPY 2011!!!

THE COLOURFUL THAI TAXIS

Looking out from my hotel room, the roads were jammed with colourful vehicles. I did not realized that they were taxis. My last visit was about 10 years ago when there were only two kind of taxis painted with either red/blue or yellow/green. Thailand, perhaps is the only country where the taxis are so colourful. I believed this pink panther colour was a favourite as there were so many on the road.

The yellow/green one was still around.The rush hour.

"Tuk-Tuk" is another colourful public transport.

Riding the "Tuk-Tuk" in Bangkok was more comfortable than those in Medan. The "Tuk-Tuk" here were bigger and longer with plenty of leg room.

MBK FOOD COURT BANGKOK

We enjoyed shopping at the MBK and were delighted to see such a big food court on the 6th floor. There were more than 20 stalls offering Thai and Asian food at very reasonable price. This place was popular as it was packed even on a normal weekday.A good spread of food ranging from Thai curry to beef noodles and desserts. All for around 40-60 baht.

The beef noodle - a hot favourite.

Stewed geese with their gizzards and other body parts. Vegetarian Thai.
Fish ball and seafood with fried noodles or soup. Chicken and roasted pork rice corner.
Fried noodles, Pad Thai dishes.

All Thai - fried rice, curry, hot sour soup........

The stewed pork "Khao kha moo" - I couldn't resist in getting a plate. The pork was tender & juicy and the flavour of the stewed was really good. The steamed rice was excellent with the gravy.

Thai Kuay chap - nearly all parts of the pig. Different varieties of food as shown in the pictures above.

The red hot chilli padi ready for the taking - Thai people love this..........

Just like Malaysia, Thai dessert are sweet and tasty, somewhat similar. The Dessert stalls offered almost everything. The durian mixed with sweet sticky rice and coconut milk was just marvelous. We spent about an hour in the food court sampling whatever we could eat. It was a day of food tasting and a very good one too.