Paradise in Perhentian

Over Hari Raya weekend, we jumped in our car and drove across the country (literally!) to the east coast of Malaysia. Our destination was a beautiful tropical island called Perhentian Besar (meaning "big"). What a jewel we found!

The journey was an adventure itself, a lovely 6-hour drive past rice paddies and over windy, mountain roads leading across the central range. As it was a national holiday, there were no food stalls open and petrol stations were our only rest options, but I enjoyed watching the locals dressed up for prayers in their brightly-colored clothing. As for wildlife, I spotted a tapir, but wasn't lucky enough to see an elephant this time.

We arrived at the jetty and parked our car just in time to catch the 30-minute speedboat ride to the island. Upon arrival, we were greeted with lemonade and cool towels and given keys to our rooms: two adjacent bungalows with large porches overlooking a stream. No Wifi or TVs available here (though being resourceful parents, we brought Ipads for kids' downtime). Adam and I enjoyed the serenity as we sipped our brought wine, surrounded by the beauty of nature. We also saw fruit bats and monitor lizards, heard tropical birds, and watched coconuts fall.

Of course, that's not why we came to this island. Authentic tropical paradise abounds, and here, it's all about the ocean! Crystal-clear water, unspoiled coral reefs, and hundreds of tropical fish were in our "temporary backyard". What fun we had exploring the underwater world! The amazing variety of sea life was astounding; we saw black-tipped reef sharks, stingrays, and even a green sea turtle.

The Perhentian Island Resort where we stayed is fronted by the best beach I've ever seen, and certainly the best on this island. The water clarity and sugar-fine sand was phenomenal, and coral reefs were literally right in front of the hotel. I would definitely recommend the location! As for room facilities, they were comfortable enough, though better and cheaper food can be found at the adjacent Coral View Resort.

 
This was the best tropical escape we've experienced thus far; paradise really is out there! I think I am finally done peeling on the back of my legs from our long days spent snorkeling but it was totally worth it. Abby even found Nemo, but his picture is blurry!  =)

 

Back in the USA!

After two years living in Asia, it was definitely time to go back home and reconnect with family and friends. For a little over three weeks, we enjoyed comfort foods like Tex-Mex, barbeque, donuts, and Bluebell ice cream, and we laughed and soaked up simple pleasures, like playing in the backyard, tossing balls to the dogs, and watching the kids run through sprinklers.

We began our trip with a short but fun holiday in Los Angeles. After a very long day traveling across the world, we arrived (on the same day) at LAX and headed to lunch at an American classic, In-n-Out Burger! We then visited the famous La Brea tar pits and museum. Here, thousands of long-extinct animals have been found perfectly preserved in the sticky tar "grave". I remember going here as a kid with my geologist dad (still very cool)!

Our Santa Monica hotel was right across from the famous Pier and a short walk to the 3rd Street Promenade. We checked in, enjoyed an early Mexican dinner, then fell exhausted into jetlagged sleep. 13 hours later we emerged well rested and adjusted to the new time zone. =) We spent this first day appreciating art at the beautiful Getty Center. This limestone and glass complex is an architectural gem perched at the top of a hill overlooking Beverly Hills and boasts amazing gardens and an international collection of masterpieces by artists such as Renoir and Van Gogh. I was pleasantly surprised at how much my kids also enjoyed the exhibits, and the tram ride up the hill was a bonus!

Afterwards, we drove along the famous Mulholland Drive and gawked at the mansions of Hollywood’s rich and famous. The next day we spent playing at Pacific Park, the famous amusement park on the Santa Monica Pier.  We ate corn dogs and rode coasters and bumper cars, then wandered over to “Muscle Beach”, a playground/gym/showcase for the VERY fit of America. Plenty of eye candy, and the kids enjoyed swinging from the rings and bars! That night, we found some stars on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

I spent our next three days in Austin visiting friends; too bad Adam had to work those days! Highlights included Tex-Mex at Hula Hut (“chile rellenos, how I’ve missed you!”), rock climbing at Main Event, swimming with friends, and hosting a street party of old neighbors. Then it was off to Fort Worth to see family!

Over Fourth of July, we stayed two nights with my parents and sister’s family at the Great Wolf Lodge. What wonderful times we had together: getting soaked in the huge indoor waterpark, watching fireworks, doing Magic Quest, dining together. It was just so much fun!!

Other USA highlights included: discovering LegoLand; feeding the koi fish and perfecting our martial arts skills at the Japanese gardens; gorging on a homemade Mexican feast at Susan’s house; seeing millions of dollars fly past at the Fort Worth Bureau of Engraving and Printing; dropping cash in style at the classy American Girl store in Dallas; trying out a new American trend at a food truck park; dining at home on meals made with love; eating ribs and watching the cattle drive at the Ft. Worth stockyards; learning about aviation at the American Airlines museum; watching Despicable Me 2 with cousins; swimming at Aunt Hannah’s and having a cousin sleepover; shopping and girly time at the Silver Spoon Bakery; shopping without kids (“Target, I know you’ve missed my wallet lately, so I’m making up for it!”); getting high on sugar at Krispy Kreme; “blast”ing it at Sonic; taking guitar lessons with Uncle Matthew; watching Mark and Abby play with Bella (“Oh man, they still want a dog!”)