FIRST FOREIGN FLIGHT 2000

We landed in Singapore Airport at 4 pm and stayed in HOTEL FORTUNE. After refreshments, we strolled in Little India, visited MahaKali temple and dined in KOMALA VILAS. Next day we reached WORLD TRADE CENTRE by rail and Mount FABER and SANTOSA ISLANDS by
cable car. We visited Asian village, Orchid gardens, Volcano land, Butterfly and Insects Park and the Point denoting the southern land-end of ASIA. We enjoyed many shows like Birds, Dolphin, MERLION, Under -water world and the famous Laser show in the Musical fountain. We took dinner in ANNAPORNA hotel. On SATURDAY, we went to MUSTAFA MALL and made purchases, took under-ground rail and visited JURANG BIRD PARK (largest in Asia) Show. We also went for NIGHT SAFARI, world’s first and only night show of bats, Lion, giraffe, storks, elephants, python, etc., of tropical rain forests. On Sunday we visited BALAJI TEMPLE and saw Radha Kalyanam and visited nearby Buddha, Chinese and Mariamman temples. We visited CHINA TOWN, Robinson Mall, Orchard road and TAKASHI MAYA super market. Took dinner in P's house. 
    

MONDAY we vacated the Hotel, kept the luggage in P’s house and proceeded to JOHA BAHRU, immigration Point for Malaysia. We took Express Bus CITIZEN at 11 am and reached KOLALUMPUR at 4-30 pm (we heard Tamil songs played in the bus)and stayed in HOTEL GRAND CONTINENTAL, 23rd floor, Room No 2139. We strolled out, took AC Train to PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS, drank Starbucks coffee (first-time) and returned to Hotel by 9 pm. Next day we went for COUNTRY TOUR (Anthony) sight-seeing city, Rubber trees, Batik paintings, Royal Selenger Pewter Factory, Butterflies/Insect world etc., We climbed the famous 400 millions year old BATU CAVES of MURUGAN (South Indian) temple and saw an Indian film shooting and visited Sultan BRUNOI Palace. We took a train to PUTRA station and bus to GENTING HIGHLANDS. We took SKYWAY CABLE CAR ride to 14000 feet high


 

   AMUSEMENT PARK, passing through clouds over jungles in the mountain range. We returned to MEDAKKA SQUARE to see the world’s tallest FLAG POST and reached Hotel (we could not open the room & slept in another room) Next day we reached TWIN TOWERS and went up sight-seeing the tallest tower in the world. We vacated the Hotel and reached PUDURAYA BUS STATION and took a Bus and reached SINGAPORE at 7 pm under heavy rains.
We took CATHAY flight and reached BANGKOK at 5 pm. The Tour Agent was waiting there to put us in AC CAR to PATTAYA, almost 220 miles away passing over some of the longest flyovers. We reached SIAM BAY BEACH Hotel by 8pm and after a hurried Indian dinner in ALIBABA Hotel we rushed to the world famous ALKAZAR SHOW scheduled at 9 pm. I took photos with the dancers. Next day we vacated and reached PATTAYA Beach and went for PARA-FLYING on a 
          

Motor-boat.  AJAY  went para-flying in a parachute over the turbulent CHINA SEA, followed by me later. It was a thrilling and memorable flying experience for me, especially 550 days after my heart-attack. Later, we reached the CORAL ISLANDS sight-seeing under-sea coral wonders in glass-bottomed motorboats. After lunch and sight-seeing we returned to PATTAYA at 5 pm and reached BANGKOK in the night and stayed in HOTEL ROYAL BENJA. Indian Dinner in Hotel BEL-AIRE PRINCESS was excellent. Next day, we visited SAFARI WORLD SHOW of Gorilla Boxing, Bird, Dolphins, Sea-lions shows, Circus, West-Indians Gunfight show etc., We went for WILD-LIFE SAFARI SHOW of lions, tigers, gorillas, bulls etc., and returned to hotel in the night.

   


We packed and left in Tourist Bus to visit all RAMA temples of Malaysia where we noticed Shivlingams etc.,. We also visited 6 ton real GOLDEN BUDDHA where we used agarbatis and camphours to worship. We also saw RECLINING GOLDEN BUDDHA, one of the longest and difficult to photograph statue. We saw the KING’s PALACE, PARLIAMENT and a GEMS FACTORY etc., Back to Hotel to collect our luggage and reached Airport at 3 pm Our flight was at 5-20pm and we touched BOMBAY at 8-30pm and reached home by 9 in the night

FIRST impressions of that foreign trip 1..The cab driver (Singapore) returned the exact change and did not demand a tip. When I insisted, he refused to keep the change, mentioning it as illegal. What a "CHANGE" 2.The cabs were charged extra during rush hours, just to contain traffic chaos. 3.Also You can't buy a car, without Govt. permission. 4.The night safari in Singapore offered a discount on entrance fee for seniors. I was amazed at such voluntary courtesy. 5.We strolled around the Asian market in Singapore, to see some of the most amazing collections of fruits. I recollect some of the signs in the elevators in Singapore that warned people against carrying a Durian (which has an obnoxious odor). I think we found the Rambutan a delight. 6.We found some of the words in local language very similar to(or descending from) our own Sanskrit or Tamil. The word "BHAHAYA" marked in Trains indicating Danger, was Sanskrit.The word " Abhayam" means Danger in Tamil. "DHANDA" was another word marked in Trains indicating Penalty/Fine, similiar to Tamil/Sanskrit. Toilet was referred as 'THANDAS". In Marathi we call it "CHANDAS". Not much difference. 7.The bus ride from Johar Baharu to KolaLumpur was itself a wonderful experience. Luxurious seating, efficient service and best of all - affordable. I had not seen such buses anywhere in India, until then.... 8.Another first in KL was our first doughnut !! Dunkin Donuts at the Jalan Puduraya station while we waited for a bus to Singapore 9.I happened to meet one Sivaraman for the first time in Petronas TwinTower, and again in Medakka Square and third and last time in the JP Bus station. He only told us about Sri Devi Restaurant where we would get South Indian food. 10.An underlying impact through that short trip was a sense of national pride what with most of these places having an ancient connection with India esp. Kali, Balaji and Mariamman temples,Tamil sign Boards, Iyer street, Tamil film songs played in Bus/Trains, Kamalahasan film "Guna" running in theatre,Bajaj M80 Motorcycles plying everywhere. In Thailand, with that temple of Rama and some references to Ayodhya, Kanchana Bhoomi etc., I could see some sense of attachment and also a discovery of pride at being an Indian.