It may be a big world but it can get small really fast. We got word in Beijing that the next leg of our adventure would take us to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Imagine my surprise to find we would be staying at the Le Meridien Hotel- the property I just stayed at & used in November for our Asia Women’s event. The manager at the front desk recognized me at check-in as he remembered the glowing blue martinis we served at our cocktail party at the event (hey, we all need a claim to fame!) Zack, a co-worker of mine (sits two offices away) was in town for another meeting and we were able to get together for a planning meeting with our local event planner who is working on our upcoming Vietnam meeting (this brief commercial message will allow me to write off my trip, won’t it, Leslie?)
Our mission in KL, should we choose to accept it, was to complete over 20 local scavenger ranging from gathering items at local markets to taking a bath with elephants at an area elephant sanctuary. BTW- elephants love baths ALMOST as much as they love drenching tourists.
To keep it interesting, the masochists, I mean, GSH planners, required us to find our own way to a small seaside town, Melaka, for a series of challenges before finding our way to Singapore for another series of scavenges. Sounds easy? Just one hitch… no air travel allowed. We gathered a crew of six for our pilgrimage by van to Melaka. Since time was as short as our sleep, we were all getting extremely creative in accomplishing tasks and have learned the art of c"reative interpretation."
One task we faced in Melaka was to “catch a fish”. We hunted and hunted for a fishing boat with no luck. Creative problem-solving kicked in when we went to a local fish market, purchased a fresh fish and threw it back & forth to each other so we all “caught a fish”. Never in my wildest dreams would I have envisioned Jeff & I tossing catfish to each other in a Malaysian parking lot. You start to get crazy when scavenge points are at stake.
The friendship, humor and generosity of the Malaysian people was heartwarming. One driver, Peter, was so engaged in our competition, that he made it his mission to help us find certain foods- taking us to no less than four Indian roadside stalls in search of a particular kind of roti. When it appeared we could garner a lot of points by playing a bit of cricket at a local cricket club, he went to his house to get his commemorative cricket bat so we could play.
Since both Jeff and I were somewhat familiar with Singapore, we were able to grab some high point-value challenges during our five hour time window in the city. Highlights of our very brief stay included Jeff’s chance to swim with sharks and feed rays at the aquarium at nearby Sentosa Island. What a kick to see all the schoolchildren on fieldtrips waving at him through the glass as he cavorted in the aquarium tank.
We also enjoyed our time with Jeffrey, the singing cab driver. A Singapore legend, Jeffrey has pimped out his cab with a karaoke machine and he has a repertoire of songs in nine languages. We particularly enjoyed belting out “New York, New York” and “These Boots Are Made for Walking” as we raced from challenge to challenge (I think Jeffrey has a thing for Nancy Sinatra although he says she is a “one hit woman.”
Our Singapore whirlwind wrapped up with a late evening drink at the famous (or infamous) Long Bar at the Raffles hotel where we learned we would be heading out tomorrow morning for Kathmandu, Nepal. So long for now.
Our mission in KL, should we choose to accept it, was to complete over 20 local scavenger ranging from gathering items at local markets to taking a bath with elephants at an area elephant sanctuary. BTW- elephants love baths ALMOST as much as they love drenching tourists.
To keep it interesting, the masochists, I mean, GSH planners, required us to find our own way to a small seaside town, Melaka, for a series of challenges before finding our way to Singapore for another series of scavenges. Sounds easy? Just one hitch… no air travel allowed. We gathered a crew of six for our pilgrimage by van to Melaka. Since time was as short as our sleep, we were all getting extremely creative in accomplishing tasks and have learned the art of c"reative interpretation."
One task we faced in Melaka was to “catch a fish”. We hunted and hunted for a fishing boat with no luck. Creative problem-solving kicked in when we went to a local fish market, purchased a fresh fish and threw it back & forth to each other so we all “caught a fish”. Never in my wildest dreams would I have envisioned Jeff & I tossing catfish to each other in a Malaysian parking lot. You start to get crazy when scavenge points are at stake.
The friendship, humor and generosity of the Malaysian people was heartwarming. One driver, Peter, was so engaged in our competition, that he made it his mission to help us find certain foods- taking us to no less than four Indian roadside stalls in search of a particular kind of roti. When it appeared we could garner a lot of points by playing a bit of cricket at a local cricket club, he went to his house to get his commemorative cricket bat so we could play.
Since both Jeff and I were somewhat familiar with Singapore, we were able to grab some high point-value challenges during our five hour time window in the city. Highlights of our very brief stay included Jeff’s chance to swim with sharks and feed rays at the aquarium at nearby Sentosa Island. What a kick to see all the schoolchildren on fieldtrips waving at him through the glass as he cavorted in the aquarium tank.
We also enjoyed our time with Jeffrey, the singing cab driver. A Singapore legend, Jeffrey has pimped out his cab with a karaoke machine and he has a repertoire of songs in nine languages. We particularly enjoyed belting out “New York, New York” and “These Boots Are Made for Walking” as we raced from challenge to challenge (I think Jeffrey has a thing for Nancy Sinatra although he says she is a “one hit woman.”
Our Singapore whirlwind wrapped up with a late evening drink at the famous (or infamous) Long Bar at the Raffles hotel where we learned we would be heading out tomorrow morning for Kathmandu, Nepal. So long for now.
8 comments:
Thank you for sharing your stories with me. They read like a wild adventure and take me away from my NYC life. I can't wait to share your travel stories over a glass of wine.
Dee
Hi! Some questions: How much luggage did you pack? How do you keep your clothes clean and pressed with the non-stop traveling (do you keep buying new outfits)? When are Jeff's friends going to write in? Lots of love...
Jack and I are sitting in Denville on a dreary Sunday morning vicariously living your adventures! Keep 'em coming!!!
you guys are truly me heroes!
Sounds like you are having a blast!
Thanks for sharing. John G.
So....are you winning? :) Enjoying the posts, keep em coming, glad you're having a blast-
Sounds like you guys are having a great time! I'm putting this trip down in my "things I have to do when I'm recovered" book. I can't wait to see ALL the photos from you amazing adventure!
Sam
WOW.
Thanks for sharing your adventures with us. You both have an career in the making.
Shinder
I'm having so much fun reading your posts. When I read about swimming with the sharks on the official site my first thought was, "Jeff will be first in line for that scavenge." I can't wait to see pics the next time you head south.
Kim
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