Hmmm...I can't believe it's already been three weeks since I left Beijing...and I have been in three different countries since then. I've found myself in Genting, Malaysia...via Chiangmai and Singapore....and in the meantime, have been eating, eating, and eating (amongst catching up with family and some friends)...munching my way through Nasi Lamaks and Laksas and Chicken rice.
Beijing was so cold when I left (it's even colder now), Singapore was warm and humid, around 30 degrees, and Malaysia, I guess would be around the same, except for the monsoon rain in the afternoon which kept us cool. Genting is on top of a mountain about an hour or so from KL, so I do appreciate the cooler temperature. Genting, I guess, could be described as playground for Malaysians and people of neighbouring countries - may be even a mini Las Vegas - not that I've ever been there. It's a huge complex of hotels and casinos, as well as amusement parks, shops, etc, etc, and boasts to have the world's biggest hotel with over 6000 something rooms. It's kind of strange though to have this "thing" on top of such a beautiful mountain. Imagine mountaintops crowned by clouds and mist and this huge rainbow coloured building on top! Yes, the "First World Hotel" - the world's biggest hotel looks like a rainbow!...I guess the people do like it though - no vacancies around this period unless you book quite sometime ahead....and I must say the amusement park was a lot of fun!
It's an interesting experience though. Genting is one big money making machine - from its casinos and amusement parks, through its rental spaces and food outlets, conference centres, etc etc, and brings busloads of tourists from Singapore daily. It was all started by one man, Mr Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, and when he first proposed the idea, people thought he was crazy and so he couldn't find any business partners. It took him 2 years to build the road up the mountain and another 4 to build the first hotel...and what a great success it is now. It's a fantastic story of one man who was virtually penniless and faced many obstacles, but nevertheless, followed his dreams and never gave up. On the way back down to KL we drove past the site with was meant to be the founder's mausoleum - a new tourist attraction- so the man is still making money - even in his death!
I've attached the photo of the "First World Hotel" - the hotel with the most number of rooms in the world.
This will be my last entry in this "Beijing blog" - I will now go back to my other "Alice-out-of-town" blog at http://alice-out-of-town.blogspot.com and will return to the "Beijing blog" when I go back to Beijing in February.
