After hours in front of the computer Ashwin and Aruna revealed the surprise family holiday. The initial plan to visit the South Indian temples we had missed on our last family trip was shelved, they said, to accommodate South East Asia (SEA). We didn’t realize it was going to be only a change of destination. Temples and Gods were going to be an intrinsic part of our travels.
With the wallets, passports and money in the safe custody of the ladies, we left the familiar landscape of Hyderabad for the unseen seascape of SEA.
Kuala Lumpur was our first halt and it was a family reunion of sorts. As in Preeti’s earlier Cairo, Barcelona and Singapore residences, here also it was ‘class’ we witnessed in every corner of the house. Sitting in a comfortable chair, Preeti seemed to preside over the drawing room conversation. The grandfather clock which has followed her everywhere made us more than aware of the passage of time. Sharath arrived a little after we did – from the Big Apple. It was nice to be able to spend time with Sharath. Of course, our schedule helped because we were in KL on two weekends.
A brief siesta energised us enough for us to decide to paint the town any colour. We started with one of the top priority places to visit. The landmark Petrona Towers was not a let down. The structure stands tall and majestic overseeing the city and its environs. Identical twin skyscrapers, they soar to a height of about 452 meters including the pinnacle and spire. They boast of 88 floors with a popular skybridge walkway linking the two towers between the 41st and 42nd storeys. We saw the towers only from the outside – that itself was a magnificent sight. The park and the lake in front of the towers provide plenty of selfie spots for stunning pictures. The clean and green space is a veritable haven for families and couples. Ashwin with his enviable camera slung around his neck looked quite a professional. A few discerning visitors even requested him to ‘shoot’ them with the imposing towers as a backdrop. We will never know if they later revised their view about his professionalism or cemented it. For all of us it was a good outdoor experience.
One can go inside the twin towers to the famous shopping mall called KLCC Suria. With its glittering, sometimes over-the-board X’mas decorations, it was chock-a-block with humanity. The festive mood was infectious. We stopped where we could, to gaze and gape at the splendour all around.
We motored to ‘Batu Caves’, a limestone hill that has a series of caves and cave temples. It takes its name from the Batu river which flows past the hill. An iconic, popular tourist attraction, it is the site of a Hindu temple and shrine. The caves attract thousands of devotees and visitors especially during the annual Hindu festival of Thaipusam. A steep challenging flight of 272 steps takes one to the caves. We were happy to stand at a distance and watch people huffing and puffing and struggling up the steps. But then that is faith in action. Pigeons are a plenty and will even pick (and sometimes peck) from one’s hands. Monkeys frolic around and look for a quick snack. But their antics should not distract us. A warning sign makes people zip up and hide their food bags from the alert and observant simians.
The 42.7 meter high, majestic gold plated statue of Lord Murugan in the foreground is reportedly the tallest Murugan idol in the world. A huge Hanuman statue and a temple in the vicinity give this tourist spot a religious aura.
Our Bangkok destination was beckoning us and we knew Preeti and Sharath would get enough breathing time and space before we swooped on them again.
Bangkok turned out to be a very friendly city. Everyone’s smiles and ‘Namaste's’ were heartening. We had accommodation in a comfortable service apartment. The foyer of the hotel had decorative elephant figures on both sides – Aruna is an ‘elephant’ person and she loved the décor.
We travelled by Sky Train in the evening to ‘Terminal 21’ - a huge mall with a slight resemblance to an airport. The girls at the information desk were dressed like cabin crew.
The unique aspect about this mall is that each floor is decorated with replicas of city landmarks from around the world. You could call it a one floor – one theme shopping mall. Each floor also offered unique food. The Caribbean floor was decorated with a beach and a light house. The Rome floor had exquisite marble sculptures, Roman mythological figures and well known paintings.
The Paris floor had the landmark Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. Designer boutiques and beauty shops would have thrilled fashionistas.
The Japan floor was decorated with sculptures of a couple of Sumo wrestlers in action. Meera would have been highly amused by them. The London floor had the iconic red telephone boxes and double decker buses. Istanbul had the market town theme with their typical street lamps. The life-like man from Istanbul was ensconced on a bench which I happily shared for a moment. 
The San Francisco floor had the celebrated Golden Bridge. Apart from these, there were privately owned shops on each floor, not just the brand names. The affordability and the range of jewellery and clothes is perhaps the secret to the popularity of this mall. The plethora of escalators, food courts and shopping areas in the mall was mind-boggling.
The separate food floor had a baffling variety of dining experience. Needless to say, all the floors thoroughly floored us.
The Buddha temples in Bangkok couldn’t have been negotiated without a proper guide. Our guide Lin, who called herself a Chinese made in Bangkok, (her grandparents migrated from China and she was born in Bangkok) was petite and peppy. In her soft voice she presented hard facts. The innumerable faces and postures of Buddha in various temples are to be seen to be believed. To name a few, the sitting Buddha, the standing Buddha and the reclining Buddha (much like our very own Ranganatha). True to his temperament, Ashwin thought that the reclining Buddha seemed the happiest and the most contented!
The reclining Buddha is a massive 46 meters long, 15 meters high figure whose full length can be appreciated from one specific vantage point. Along the image, we can find matching 108 bronze bowls where people donate coins, believed to bring good fortune. In the other temples too, more than one donation box is kept, (we have seen 12 boxes in one temple), each one earmarked for one specific project of the temple.
The 3 meter tall golden Buddha (in a sitting posture) is made of pure gold and weighs 5.5 tons. As in other temples, devotees come here to sit in silence before the idol. If you find it difficult to sit, you had better take your standing position at the back! Monks sit on a raised platform on the side and meditate.
One of the temples we went to had small statues of yogic figures and their ‘asanas’.
There was one of a masseur giving a vigorous body massage to a client whose face seemed contorted with pain. Lin, guessing that having come to Bangkok we'd try their body massage cautioned us, tongue in cheek, against it by drawing our attention again to the poor victim and recommending a foot massage instead! which Kuppu and I took later. However, instead of relaxing while the nimble hands worked on my legs, I was looking at Kuppu's masseur, making sure he as kneading his not so recently fractured ankle gently.
There was one of a masseur giving a vigorous body massage to a client whose face seemed contorted with pain. Lin, guessing that having come to Bangkok we'd try their body massage cautioned us, tongue in cheek, against it by drawing our attention again to the poor victim and recommending a foot massage instead! which Kuppu and I took later. However, instead of relaxing while the nimble hands worked on my legs, I was looking at Kuppu's masseur, making sure he as kneading his not so recently fractured ankle gently.
The Grand Palace was a dream in colour and quality of design. Blues, greens, yellows (golds) and reds combined in a splash of radiance and beauty. The brilliance of the stupas and Buddha’s statues, the glittering pillars and columns, the chanting in pali and dulcet tones by monks in the prayer hall – all of it was a veritable feast for the eyes and ears.
Thai food is definitely to be tasted not just once but again and again. The mango sticky rice we had on two different occasions was our favourite. We also had Phad Thai, a special noodle preparation. The Thai Green Curry was another dish which we enjoyed.
When we visited the palace, black or white or dark colours were recommended because of the recent demise of the king. Since the mourning period for the beloved king of Thailand was still on, and the king’s body lay in state in one part of the palace, we saw a seemingly interminable line of mourners in black, carrying flowers and other offerings to pay homage to their king. The departed king is held in high esteem by all. We explored the greater part of the 60 acre old palace premises. For 150 years the home of the kings of Siam, the Royal Court and Administrative seat of Government, the complex now remains the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom. Visitors continue to be in awe of its beautiful architecture. The palace and the numerous buildings set around open lawns, gardens and courtyards attract both locals and tourists. It continues to be a centre of ceremony and monarchy and serves as a museum and tourist attraction as well.
Nobody resides here now, we were told, and part of it has been converted into a celebrity guest house. (Lin told us that president Obama preferred to stay at a hotel on his visit to Bangkok recently). The new palace is now on a site of 150 acres.
A replica of Cambodia’s Angkor Wat is the cynosure of all eyes. It is nothing less than a masterpiece. In her quaint humorous pitch Lin told us that we would be seeing a damaged Angkor Wat in Cambodia. To see the perfect one, we must come to Bangkok!
The main flower market was a sight for sore eyes – a glorious burst of colours. The lovely flowers seemed to be vying for attention. Orchids, surprisingly inexpensive, were seen in basketfuls everywhere. The flowers were closely and neatly strung into garlands on big needles. Aruna and I were offered two short garlands by Lin. She said ‘sorry boys not for you’. I’m sure Kuppu and Ashwin were anything but sorry!
The next day we were on our own and headed to the River city shopping complex. Also known as antique mall, it is situated next to the Chao Phrya river and is one of the most established venues for antique shopping. There’s also a good range of fashion and jewellery shops as well as riverside eateries with outdoor dining terraces. A beautiful, brightly lit up outdoor space, it is dotted with cute shops selling funky and traditional Thai items. Boats ferry visitors around. There is music, revelry and dancing on the cruise boats, all of which you can see standing on the river front. Walking around this place was exhilarating. The sight-seeing Ferris wheel is just right for those like Kuppu and Aruna who fear the dizzy heights that a Giant Wheel can reach (the kind we have in our Numaish). We could see the river and the boats and the entire entertainment area from the comfort of the cabin and from different heights. The place was magical, to say the least.
The outdoor eatery where we dined was out of this world. Food was finger licking, rather fork licking good. Ashwin and Aruna enjoyed the sea (also SEA) food served there. Our hearts and stomachs were content and satiated with this delectable dining experience. This was definitely the best part of the outing.
Thai food is definitely to be tasted not just once but again and again. The mango sticky rice we had on two different occasions was our favourite. We also had Phad Thai, a special noodle preparation. The Thai Green Curry was another dish which we enjoyed.
Ocean World was another exciting stop. The child in us was fully awakened and it was a thrilling get- away. The penguins were especially adorable, swimming rapidly in groups in water and jumping onto land to catch fish being tossed at them. A couple of penguins were standing regal and aloof on a boulder and looking at the happenings beneath them. The food assistant had to look up to them to feed them. The shark tank was amazing – imagine huge sharks swimming right on your head with their fearsome teeth sending chills down your spine. On the other hand we were in unfamiliar territory as far as the tiny frogs were concerned, resplendent and looking vulnerable. We realized that we had witnessed both the mighty and the ‘mite’y.
One thing that was interestingly surprising was the presence of Garuda emblems on Government buildings. We were told that Garuda is the national insignia of Thailand – a symbol of royalty used by the king and the Government of Thailand to authenticate official documents.
The sights and the sounds of Bangkok are unforgettable. So are the people. The city’s vibrancy is only matched by the relaxed, friendly and smiling locals.
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