The Ordinary Wanderer

There are huge shopping centres throughout the city, often empty during the day.

Did someone say shoes?

With 14 pairs in Sue's cupboard and 7 in mine we certainly helped the Malaysian shoe industry!  I couldn't believe how cheap and how good the quality was.  It was interesting that all the shopping centres in KK had so many shoe shops!

Suria Sabah

We left at 1 pm from Mount Kinabalu Park for Kundasang War Memorial. It was a lovely 45 minute drive.  We then arrived at a small town called Kundasang renowned for their wonderful fruit and vegetable markets and surrounded by a massive construction of a shopping centre.  We drove through the construction area and turned left down a dirt hill.  Yes, they are the instructions and I am glad we didn't drive on our own!!!  The tiny little memorial is dedicated to Australians, New Zealanders, British and Borneo people killed in the death march of World War 2. The cost was 10 rm adult and 5 rm child.  We walked up a beautiful landscaped pathway to the entrance.

We left at 1:50pm from Kundasang Memorial to Poring Hot Springs. Arrived at 2:30. There was an entry fee for the canopy walk-  5 RM for adults 2.50RM for kids and 5RM camera fee as well.   We walked past the locals all accommodating the little square tiled baths which were filled with hot springs water. There were mainly mums with their children.  To be honest they were not very inviting and we had absolutely no interest in hopping in one, so we continued on to the canopy walk. The Canopy walk was a 100 m steep climb to the top through thick rain forest.  Now this is rain forest!! We climbed a ladder to the first tree. This tree was absolutely enormous. We walked  across on a suspended hanging bridge with a 100m drop. It was very breath-taking and scary. The third bridge was the scariest as you could see a ravine far below. It was absolutely spectacular.

Our Mount Kinabalu trip started at 7:30am.  We decided to hire a driver with amini van as the cost for 2 cars would have been more.  It cost us 500RM total for the day, so we were thrilled.  We were told that we needed to reach the lookout by 9:30am as cloud would start covering the mountain.  So off we went.  We arrived at the lookout at Naburan by 9:00am and took some beautiful photos.  As you can see the clouds were rolling in.

No these are NOT the rafts!

Not a beer drinker at all, though hubby and daughter are I though tI would cut my losses at finding prosecco in Tokyo and dive into the amazing beer culture.  With Asahi and Sapporo the most obvious choices we thought we would try out the Yebusi Bar in Ginza

Super Potato Vintage gaming shop is not for everyone.  My daughter was beside herself.  Me on the otherhand.  (awesome mother...you're welcome daughter:)

Super Potato 1 Chome-11-2 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tōkyō-to 101-0021, Japan

Electric Town in the Akahibara area  is nothing new and a weird and wonderful area to visit, especially at night.  The neon lights glare everywhere with Japanese girls dressed in maid costumes for their clientele (not sure how I feel about this?).  

Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes in the most amazing architecture ever!

Sunny Hills Pineapple Cake House
11am-7pm

3-10-20, Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku

With the dollar weak against the Australian currency and the New York tax added to every purchase I was skeptical I would find a bargain in Manhattan.  Having the luxury of spending a month in Manhattan I was able to scour the city for sneaky bargains.  Here's what I found. (I am sure there are so many more to be found)

1. Zara on 666 5th Avenue

Cawfee anyone! Well good cawfee! The challenge is real in NYC.

The hunt for the great flat white in Manhattan is certainly not for the light hearted. American coffee by Australian standards is weak, bitter and milky. Looking for a great tasting espresso or god forbid "Flat white" is rare and far. With all the glitz and glamour and NYC snobbery, its quite a fiasco finding that great cup of coffee.

 “Bluestone Lane Coffee is the best you can do.” 

Let's start with the obvious.... Starbucks. While many abound, the coffee is average. However if you are desperate, then this is as low as I would go. Great free wifi too.

Blue Stone Lane Coffee Shops and Cafes 
https://bluestonelane.com/
55 Greenwich Ave, Greenwich