Sail around the world

One of the quintessential activities in Malaysia is visiting shopping malls. Unlike in Germany, where malls are primarily for shopping, in Malaysia, they serve as multi-purpose hubs for dining, exercising, entertainment, and more. Malls are also a practical escape from the tropical heat, offering an affordable way to cool down.   Today, my destination is 1 Utama Shopping Centre —a retail behemoth with 500,000 m² of space, making it one of the largest shopping malls in Southeast Asia. For me, it’s also a nostalgic trip down memory lane.   Twenty years ago, having internet access at home wasn’t common. I remember dropping my wife off at work in the morning and heading to 1 Utama for a coffee, internet access, and some light shopping. Those simple routines left lasting memories. Arriving at 1 Utama   As the hotel shuttle bus approaches the mall, familiar sights trigger a flood of memories. Stepping through the glass doors, the rush of cold air from the mall’s ...

I hope you had a wonderful New Year's Eve and that the hangover, if any, wasn't too bad. We had a quiet evening and enjoyed the fireworks from the rooftop. Private fireworks are officially prohibited here, so the few we saw were mostly organized by communities or companies. Compared to Germany, the fireworks here lasted only about 10 minutes after midnight, with no explosions in the days leading up to New Year's. As a result, the streets were clean—no burnt remnants of firecrackers to be found.   Night view of Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur in the background. In the middle you might detect the KL Tower and one of the Petronas Twin Towers . Not much of a firework to see. *** Life in Petaling Jaya has been getting very busy. Our schedule is packed with lunch, coffee, and dinner meetups with family, friends, and former colleagues eager to catch up and exchange the latest news. Unfortunately, this meant yesterday's blog post didn't get written.   Today’s blog is about ...

Today, we made the journey from the freezing heights of the Cameron Highlands to the warm embrace of Petaling Jaya (PJ), a city close to Kuala Lumpur (KL). The first 50km were straightforward because there are only two roads to enter or leave the highlands: one heading North, and the other South. We took the Southbound route toward KL until we reached the first major intersection.   Since the navigation was simple and the drive uneventful, I decided to use this time to blog about driving and traffic in Malaysia—or Southeast Asia in general.  Driving in Malaysia is an adventure, a cultural experience, and sometimes a test of patience—all rolled into one. For German drivers used to precision and Ordnung, here’s a quick guide to navigating the unique traffic landscape of Malaysia: Speed Bumps Galore   Source: The Star Speed bumps—or " traffic calming devices "—are everywhere, often unmarked, and come with varying levels of annoyance and potential for vehicle damage...

Cold air streams through the open window as I wake up. The sky is gray, cold 19°C outside, and raindrops patter softly onto the roof. It’s not exactly the ideal weather for trekking through a rainforest. Instead, we decide to visit a tea factory. This time, we choose the BOH plantation and factory—an older and smaller operation—in hopes of avoiding the crowds.   After a 15-minute drive along the main road, we turn onto a narrow, winding side road, cutting 6 kilometers into the wilderness. The road is so narrow that two cars can barely pass each other. A weathered sign warns: "Sound horn on blind corners." For a German driver like me, this is oddly thrilling, as honking unnecessarily back home is practically a crime. the road snakes upward, and soon a worker stops us, directing us to a massive but nearly empty car park. A parking assistant eagerly waves us toward a spot, though the options are abundant. As we step out, we’re greeted by a family of friendly, tail-wagging car pa...

Today’s destination is a tea plantation—an essential stop, as tea was the very crop that laid the foundation for the growth of the Cameron Highlands. While the Boh Tea Plantation might be the most famous and the first established here, we decided to visit the Bharat Tea Plantation instead. Unlike a strawberry field in Germany, a tea plantation is more than just rows of plants; it often combines elements of a nature retreat, a children’s playground, shopping centers, and restaurants. After passing a few plantations yesterday, Bharat caught our eye. It’s one of the earliest plantations in the area but less crowded than Boh .   To avoid the tourist rush, we left our hotel at 8:30 a.m. and arrived after a short 15-minute drive. Fortunately, we secured the last available parking spot. View at  Bharat Tea Plantation  As we entered the plantation, we were greeted by a stunning view of rolling hills blanketed in lush, light-green tea bushes—a refreshing contrast to the gr...