Bukit Merah, Perak

Another weekend, another destination.

This time, Zane and I headed north towards Bukit Merah, Perak, for a little spot of corporate family day, rubbing shoulders, and basically cheap holiday subsidised by the company.

We just paid RM20 for a 3-day-2-night stay at Bukit Merah Laketown Resort, which sadly, isn't my thing la. I can see how it's like Disneyland for kids, but I was rather disaapointed by the whole place.

I'm really trying hard to think of a nice thing to say about the place...okay, I'll say this...the drive up the road to our apartment was scenic what with a nice lookout of the lake below...and I think we even chanced upon Hedgwig's cousin the night we arrives. Okay, so I'm still obsessed about Harry Potter, or Parry Hotter, as me and Zane like to joke around. (On an aside, Dumbledore's been renamed Dubblemore due to Zane's atrocious lack of memory skills when it comes to remembering names of people, movies, books, etc. It's a miracle he still remembers mine...err, maybe not...because he keeps referring to me as "Sayang"!)

While the rest of the staff were having what fun they could glean from the poorly-organised family day, Zane and I ditched the crowd like we always do and headed for Taiping. It was my first time there.

I was really looking forward to seeing the particular part of Taiping Lake Gardens that's been famously pictured in many a tourism brochure. Finally, rounding our last corner of the lake, we saw it...raintrees dipping their long-armed branches into the vast expanse of lake from the other side of the road.

It was just inspiring and we sat there underneath its canopy for a good few minutes, taking in the peacefulness of the whole place. Quite meditative.

And for lunch, we hopped over to the base of Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut) where an old pakcik operated a small stall by the little river selling Laksa Kedah...oooh, I have a weakness for such things...Laksa Kedah, I mean, not the pakcik! Simple fare to keep mommy and baby happy!

I like Taiping because of the huge trees, the shade, the old architecture, the feeling of back-in-time it gave me. I felt like I was a hundred years old there, but in a good, comforting way.

Wow, that's three weekends in a row that we've been traveling. I shouldn't get used to this...but I'll take it while it lasts!