July 8 to 10, 2007

I’ve never been to Asia–so when an invitation to visit the Malysian Rainforest Festival, as well as tour Malaysia during celebrations for its 50th year of nationhood, landed in my email box, I was in! This travelogue journals my visit to Malaysia.

EVA Airlines to Malaysia

Canada is a long ways from Malaysia. Saskatchewan, being smack in the middle of Canada, is about as far as possible. So how long does it take to fly?

I left home on July 8 at 4 p.m. in order to fly out of Regina on a 6 p.m. flight, which was right on schedule. Supper in Edmonton airport was also right on schedule, with a few minute delay before departing to Vancouver. Flying time altogether about 2.5 hours. Airport time, well, until I boarded through the International terminal in Vancouver, that was 11 hours in total.

Kuala Lumpur from above

EVA Air was fabulous. Starting with the friendly faces at check-in, the 11 hour flight to Taipei in Taiwan, couldn’t have been more comfortable. The seats were large and reclining–and I was so ready to sleep. A quilted blanked and pillow, along with slippers, toothbrush and toothpaste, waited on my seat. However, it wasn’t quite naptime yet.

Four pretty young hostesses delivered warm cloths to freshen up, then followed that up with a tasty chicken supper or midnight snack or whatever meal you might prefer to name it. If you couldn’t sleep there were individual video and audio channels, along with headphones. I slept, at least until breakfast was served, which was again, a full hot service of sausage, egg, ham, cheese, croissant, grapefruit and yogurt. Ummm.
Kuala Lumpur

Street scene in Kuala Lumpur

We landed in Taipei for a layover, waiting for the transfer to Kuala Lumpur, with its flight time of 3 hours 55 minutes. That one landed right on time too, to the second! From there it was Kuala Lumpur Immigration and claiming baggage.

While Malysia doesn’t require visitors to apply in advance for a Visa, you are provided with one half of the immigration documents to carry with you, which you must also provide on your departure. Keep it filed safely away!

Kuala Lumpur, is the capital of Malaysia, as well as the second largest city in Malaysia. It is one of three territories that make up the Federal Territory governed directly by the Malaysian Federal Government. Together these three territories have the same collective status as the 13 states in Malaysia.

Sultan Abdul Samad Building built in 1897 with a unique Moorish-style design.

Locally referred to as KL, the city of Kuala Lumpur is an enclave within the state of Selangor, on the central west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Its name is from the Malay words for the confluence of the river (Kuala) and its muddy waters (Lumpur). The story of its growth from the 1820s is fascinating, showing how it has grown through the work of both Malay and Chinese people.

Tour Guide - Azlina Mohidin

I stepped onto the tour bus at 3:15, led by Azlina Mohidin, Registered Tour Guide/Tour Consultant. Total elapsed time seemed to be just short of 24 hours, however, real time was, um, 33 hours.

So, flying time between Saskatchewan and Malaysia is less than 18 hours without the airport transfer times. Great!

The ride into Kuala Lampur was quite interesting, although I must admit all I could really think about was the hotel at the end of the ride, and a whole night to stretch out in a bed and sleep.

I did, however, have a few first impressions.

Downtown Kuala Lumpur

First of all, I was surprised to see the bus driver behind the wheel on the right side of the bus. It was a little unsettling, considering the interior of the bus looked exactly like ones I’d ridden in back home.
From the air I’d noticed the forests of palm trees, and of course, along the highway, I could see how beautiful they were up close. Oil palms, Azlina informed us, are a very important crop in Malaysia, used for cooking oil and for cosmetics. We also saw a few rubber trees as well.

Once we got to city traffic, besides all the drivers being on the right side of the cars, I was quite amazed to see small motorbikes/scooters darting in and out of traffic. It was fascinating to watch them zig-zag between lanes of cars, then make a sharp turn and drive between two in the same line, weaving their way in and around everything during the rush to get home for the evening. I knew the guys at home would think that all was truly right with traffic in Malaysia!

Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Before long the driver was unloading our luggage and I was checking in to Istana Hotel, which, translated means Palace Hotel. And truly, the surroundings did feel welcoming.

My room was cool, spacious, and equipped with everything I could need. The most inviting feature was the white comforter covered twin beds (European style). Sleep!

If you visit:

EVA Air

Hotel Istana, Kuala Lumpur
73 Jalan Raja Chulan, 50200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: 603-2141 9988 / Fax: 603-2141 0111

http://www.hotelistana.com.my/

Tourism Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
17th Floor, Menara Dato’ Onn, Putra World Trade Centre, 45, Jalan Tun Ismail, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Phone: +603-2615 8188   Fax: +603-2693 5884 / 2693 0207
Tourism Infoline: 1-300-88-5050 (within Malaysia only)
Email: enquiries@tourism.gov.my

Tollfree 1-888-689-6872
Web : www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my

Contact tour guide: Azlina Mohidin

Copyright 2007 by Linda Aksomitis. Published August 22, 2007.  All Rights Reserved.

Downtown Hotel in Dawson City, Yukon

by Sourtoe Linda (Aksomitis)
That’s right–I’ve got the right to call myself a Sourtoe–even have a piece of paper issued by the Yukon Order of the Sourtoe Club to prove it. The Sourtoe Club was started in 1973, and my certificate, dated March 3, 2006, is numbered 20874, so I’m far from the first–or last–sourtoe!

Exactly how do you get to be a Sourtoe? Well, it’s not for the squeamish or weak of spirit (spirits however,  consumed in great quantities, do make the whole process easier to take). My liquor of choice was peppermint schnapps, a strong enough flavor to hide whatever taste the pickled toe in the shooter glass might have. Indeed, the sourtoe is a REAL human toe, complete with a brown-stained, cracked toenail and a few hairs.

The process is simple. Your ounce of alcohol is poured into a shot glass over the sourtoe. You, the inductee, need to down all the fluid while being carefully observed to make sure that the toe comes in contact with your lips as you drink. There is, of course, a chant and ceremony, as spectators all watch to confirm (or deny) the drinker’s claim to have touched the sourtoe.

This notorious Yukon Order of the Sourtoe Club was founded by Captain Dick Stevenson. Why? In response to a dare of course–what other reason could there be?

Legend has it that Stevenson discovered the petrified remains of a human toe under the floorboards of an old miner’s cabin on the Sixtymile River. The toe made the rounds of local saloons, until someone dared Stevenson to stop flapping his lips and use them to prove himself by putting them to a drink with the sourtoe in and swallow it instead. As chance would have it, a newspaper reporter happened to be present, and the legend was born.

Captain Dick, owner of the Downtown Hotel, carries on the tradition. The toes, which only a few brave (crazy) souls have swallowed, are donated by people, mostly Yukoners, who lose a toe to some calamity, such as frostbite. The Sourtoe induction ceremony takes place in the Downtown Hotel’s lower level, in the Sourdough Saloon.

During Trek Over the Top sleds fill the streets in front of the Downtown Hotel

The Downtown Hotel, as you might imagine with the Sourdough Saloon, is a happening place in Dawson City. During the 2006 Trek Over the Top, when I visited Dawson, it was our central location, where we knew we could sit down for an hour and always find either a friendly local Yukoner, or visiting Trekker, to talk with.

As well as activities that might not suit the faint-of-heart, the Downtown Hotel also provides a classy dining room that rivals any hotel. In the Jack London Diner, on the hotel’s main floor, you can expect to fine white linen and candles, along with some great food. I had the Arctic Char, a local favorite, and highly recommend it.

Jack London, who the dining room is named for, was a writer who brought the spirit of the Yukon to the World. His most well known book is Call of the Wild, although he wrote over 50 novels and stories. London, an adventurer born in 1876 in San Francisco, landed in the Yukon in the winter of 1897 and found his own kind of gold in the Klondike Gold Rush, when he began publishing.

Along with bringing the wild to life, London also was an activist somewhat ahead of his times. One of the most publicized figures of his day, he supported socialism, women’s suffrage, and eventually, prohibition. He was among the first writers to work with the movie industry, and his novel The Sea-Wolf became the basis for the first full-length American movie. He was also one of the first celebrities to use his endorsement for commercial products in advertising, including dress suits and grape juice.
Downtown Hotel in Dawson City

The Downtown Hotel is a great place for fun!

The name, Jack London Diner, seemed to fit right into the Downtown Hotel!

Of course, one of the key things people look for in a hotel is a comfortable place to sleep. We weren’t disappointed on that point either! Our room was one of the 34 in the main part of the Downtown Hotel, which was renovated in 2002. Although we didn’t visit the Annex, which has an additional 25 rooms, glass roof atrium, courtyard, and jacuzzi, we certainly heard about the fun other Trek Over the Top participants had!

During other parts of the year, when visitors don’t seem to be just on snowmobiles, the Downtown Hotel offers a limousine service to the airport and transportation around Dawson City. Mind you it’s only a block or two to some of Dawson City’s other attractions, including Diamond Tooth Gertie’s gambling hall.

So, when you check in to the Downtown Hotel, tell them Sour Toe Linda sent you!

For More Info:

Make a reservation at the Downtown Hotel: http://www.downtownhotel.ca/

Find out more about Trek Over the Top at: http://www.trekoverthetop.com/

Find out more about Jack London:  http://london.sonoma.edu/

Copyright September 2006 by Linda Aksomitis