Malaysia for Chinese New Year

Since I'm in the updating spirit- new laptop and procrastinating writing my paper for my Masters- I'll update our last trip up to Malaysia. We drove over the bridge up to Johor Bahru, Malaysia for Chinese New Year. We shared a large 2 bedroom apartment with friends. The guys went golfing one day and we went to Little Big Club which features Thomas the tank engine, Bob the Builder and Barney. Caiden wasn't really into any of those at the time, but now he loves them so we can't wait to go back. It's basically just a big play gym and amusement park for toddlers. Oh my, how our vacations have changed.

Watching the Thomas show. 

Barney's play house. Kinda boring, to be honest. 

 Meeting Barney.... actually quite terrifying. 

Overwhelmed. 

Christmas in Bali

Just realized it is now April June and that maybe I should update this with our Christmas vacation or I will probably never get around to it. You might have already seen the pics on FB or "The Gram" so I won't post too many here. This was probably our 4th trip to Bali which is easy, convenient (only 2.5 hour flight) and cheap (about US$700/week for a private villa and meals are about US$3-10). Which makes it pretty appealing. But let's not forget this is a developing nation. Yes, it's incredibly touristy and everyone speaks English and it's so easy to get around. BUT there are also random disease-ridden stray dogs everywhere, broken sidewalks- if any at all, taxi drivers who refuse to use the meter and demand 3 times the actual amount, petty theft in the form of motor bikes who drive and snatch your bag off your arm, Bali Belly- common food poisoning due to improper hygiene and dengue-infested mosquitoes. So yes, while the pictures look amazing and it was incredibly relaxing, I think the realness of the holiday needs to be presented too. It was really nice staying with friends who have become like family which is what happens when you live overseas. Caiden had a great time with his partner in crime. And we even ran into friends from Egypt days who are now living in Korea- such a small world!

 

Gotta love Mexican food in Indonesia on Christmas Eve. 

The last few days of our trip, we flew over to Yogyakarta on Java, which is known for having the largest Buddist temple in the world. This is the kind of travel we miss. The time on the beach is great, but it's also nice to get out and see something new. We "splurged" on a colonial style hotel with an awesome pool. I say splurged because it was a really nice hotel, but only cost about $70/night. We hired a driver for the day and headed out to explore these temples. With me being pregnant, Owen carried Caiden in a backpack carrier which caused quite a scene. Obviously, the other visitors at the temples had never seen white people before, so mania ensued. They were lined up to take their pictures with us- sometimes not even with Caiden, although he was definitely the star. We got to a point where we had to tell people no more photos, as I can imagine how celebrities feel. I can't even remember what the temples were like because the rock star treatment was so distracting. 



It was a great trip and we look forward to our next big family trip- probably not until next Christmas since we've been living and saving money(!) on one salary the past 2 years. Don't worry, planning for Christmas has already begun....where to next?? Chaing Mai, Perth, ?? Stay tuned.