The Southern Escapade (Johor Bahru) - Part 1

A cool, breezy morning on the highway ...

We thought June was a hectic month. And July had the potential to be stress-free, with lighter schedule, and fewer outstation trips. But as usual, we were wrong.

(P/S : This job is unpredictable. Imagine packing and unpacking, and then packing again in a matter of days. All within short notice.)

No need to strain your necks/eyes for the movies, secondary screens available!

However, compared to the previous trip in April this year, we could not book flight tickets in a rush, therefore the 6 of us had to travel by bus. Yeah, not unlike school children, going on a field trip. 7+ hours on a bus (RM56 on Nice Express @ Jln Bendahara, Ipoh) was taxing, but at least we were entertained by TWO "blockbusters", ie : War of the Dragons (still on show in theatres, hmm ... ) and 10,000 BC. Kinda made the trip slightly more bearable ....

Plain old nasi lemak (RM3.50)

Those familiar to travelling down south to Singapore/Johor by bus would've recognized a place called Yong Peng in Johor, the assigned rest stop for express buses. With so many unsuspecting tourists forcibly alighting for a quick fix, we felt like slabs of meat on chopper boards, waiting to be chopped ....

All the food served is HALAL (supposedly) or rather pork-free, but the prices are inflated. Paying RM6 per plate of chicken rice, sizzling noodles, or fried rice may sound absurd, for these are NOT restaurant-quality servings. But who's to complain? Our Singapore counterparts may find them reasonable, and they made up quite a number of the passengers.

Anyhow, the nasi lemak with sambal, anchovies and peanuts, and a fried egg was pretty good (or I could be really hungry), at RM3.50 per plate, at least did not dent my wallet so severely.

Sensing familiarity here?

Arriving in JB in the evening, we were glad to be transported from to the hotel instantly by taxi (RM8 from town to our hotel at Stulang Laut). Checking in was a breeze (albeit some teething problems) as our Johor counterparts booked the rooms for us in advance. Wanna know where we stayed? Let's see some hints ;

All 16 floors of the hotel, overlooking the middle lounge on 5th floor

A handy gadget, controlling practically all the switches and electronic gadgets in the room

Plush, comfy beds - ensuring a good slumber ...

Yup, the SAME hotel I stayed in April. Not to condemn though, far from it. Situated at Stulang Laut, overlooking the Tebrau straits, Singapore's basically a "swim" away. But of course, none of us pushed our luck ... =)

One noteworthy gadget in the room is the almighty remote controller by our bedside, whereby everything's a click away, from the TV channels to the lights in the room, and setting alarm as well as requesting for a room makeover, or a 'privacy please' note. Talk about inventions.

Nasi Lemak with condiments and Rendang Chicken

Cured beef slices, like an old friend now

Golden balls of indulgence

Yummy, unlimited pancakes

Unlike previous experience, this time around, only breakfasts are complimentary to our rooms. Shucks ... and we thought all meals are provided. Salt & Pepper Cafe on Level 5 is a trusted name, reassuring of a hearty breakfast, although the variety may get slightly repetitive. But, who's complaining? (certainly not the gluttons in us!)

The fun ZON - Coming alive at night ...

Singapore's on the other end ...

More delicious posts in subsequent episodes. Gee, my posts lately are continuous, huh? Sorry, but quite hard to squeeze everything in one single post.

P/S : Will be down to KL for the weekend, therefore blogging would take a back seat. Care to bump into the Motormouth in KL? =P