Sunday, December 28, 2014

家鄉猪什 Kah Hiong Zhu Chap

Last Sunday, we decided to go to the "Kah Hiong Zhu Chap" coffee shop for breakfast. It has been quite some time since we last visited this shop. It was a full house when we arrived. Luckily, a family was leaving.  
 
This shop could take in about 80 people at one time.
Braised pork parts and intestines, the shop's specialties.
One of the best noodle in town - the shop own home made yellow noodle. 
We had the best combination - a bowl of braised pork parts + intestines, a pork bone soup and noodle for two.

Many people said that eating all the parts and intestines of pig was not good for health and I believed so. However, I do not think it will be harmful if you take these delicacies once a while.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Silver bells, silver bells. It's Christmas time in the City, Ring-a-ling,
hear them sing, soon it will be CHRISTMAS DAY.
 
Our Christmas tree is ready for the occasion
 
We are all ready to welcome Christmas. 
Wishing every one a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Saturday, December 13, 2014

GOOD BYE CHIANG MAI !

We had a wonderful time in Chiang Mai . Thanks for the exceptional hospitality accorded to us by our Thai friends.       
Chiang Mai International airport terminal - the fourth busiest in Thailand. Three millions passengers were recorded using this terminal operated by 17 airlines last year.
Waiting to board our flight.
Boarding the Thai Airways A330-300 to Bangkok.
A Bangkok Airways A319 lining up for take-off.   
Good bye, Chiang Mai !
The economy cabin of 2-4-2 in Thai Airways colour.
For this one hour flight, refreshment was served.
Approaching Bangkok.
Picturesque farmland before landing.
Landed at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International airport. 
It's a long walk to the baggage claim area.
The first baggage was on the belt 35 minutes after arrival.

We relaxed in Bangkok Pathumwan Princess hotel for 3 days before returning home. This was our second time putting at this hotel, located within short walking distance to popular shopping malls like MBK centre, Siam square and Siam Paragon. A very convenient and comfortable hotel. We put up in a well maintained and spacious suite room come with free wi-fi and daily breakfast. We spent most of the time shopping and dinning nearby the hotel - totally relaxed before our departure day.
It took us about 45 minutes to reach the airport by taxi. The check-in counters were jammed with several long queues. Waited for about 40 minutes. The lady staff attending to us was very polite and apologetic. I was told that the flight was full.   
An impressive piece of art in the departure hall.
The apron area.
Malaysia Airlines operated an older version of the B737-800 for this Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur sector. There was no inflight entertainment.
Inflight meal was definitely not up to their 5 star image on this International route.

We left Bangkok at 11:05 and with a transit time of 1 hour and 25 minutes in Kuala Lumpur, and landed Kota kinabalu at 18:05. Tiring but happy to be home! 


Sunday, December 7, 2014

CHIANG MAI - RATCHAPHRUEK GARDEN, FOOD AND NIGHT SAFARI

We spend an afternoon at Ratchaphruek Garden, Chiang Mai. It was a worthwhile visit as we could explore this 80 hectares park with awesome landscaping, exotic flowers and many beautiful sculptures. The park also featured some International gardens. 
 The impressive front entrance of the park. 
 Beautiful gate decoration - the replica elephant in white.
  Beautiful landscaping just outside the park !
 Flowers and plants inside the fallen tree - a Belgium story 
Spotted this beautiful duck in the pond.
 Chinese Garden
 A shaped flowers Paradise.
 
  The magnificent Royal Pavilion.
 The front view of the Royal Pavilion.
 Leaving the Pavilion through this grand walkway.
 Looking back at the Pavilion.

From Ratchaphruek garden, we drove back to the city.   
Motorcycles could be seen everywhere in Chiang Mai. They were not only used by the locals but also visitors. I was told that a small motorcycle could be rented from 300 baht per day.

Feeling a bit hungry, we visited the food court of a popular shopping mall in the city.
In one stall, there were 2 huge bowls of food on display and ready to serve.
The amount of food in the bowls could easily feed a few hundred hungry customers!
I personally preferred the street noodles.
A stop at the mango stall.
These mangoes were very sweet and juicy.  
Perhaps, these were the best Thai dessert - mango with sticky rice (glutinous rice). It's  delicious !

In the evening, our Thai friends suggested that we should visit Chiang Mai "night safari". 
Colourful lightings at the entrance.

The night safari featured a musical fountain, water screen laser light show, dances performed by the "lady boys" in their best costumes and two rides on the "safari tram" to the savanna zone and predator prowl zone. One of the main attraction at the gate was the white tigers.    
 
 This one was seen in the open.
Another one was in the cage.
  On the savanna zone ride.
 It's a great day, a tired but enjoyable day!