Our Golden Moments

On Day Four of our SE Asia trip, Chuck and I find ourselves in the Muslim Malaysian city of
Kuala Lumpur. After a quick and fun stop in Hong Kong, we flew into the sleek, modern glassy airport in KL and taxied to our luxury skyscraper hotel, a bargain at $70/night. Everywhere we go, we see women covered head to foot in dark headscarves and long skirts in real heat (ugh!). All afternoon we hear male voices on the intercom calling worshippers to prayer in the local mosque. Despite our fears, everyone has been helpful and hospitable to us. However, yesterday at the mosque, we passed an anti-American, Isreali demonstration with big signs stating, "NO STARBUCKS." Gave me the shivers, but still we feel very safe.
Surprises abound in Malaysia, a properous, highly developed global city with no Americans seen anywhere (we DO stand out here!) Perhaps the biggest surprise came when Chuck and I
booked our hotel in KL. We were told that our lower hotel cost resulted from "The Golden Moments Package" for those over 55 yrs. old. Guess we are "golden" already! So, now we enjoy a free breakfast and one free dinner )No, it is not mashed potatoes or applesauce!) Yes,
there IS a benefit to aging and from now on all our moments should be "golden!"
Tomorrow we head to the Malaysian Mountains for a "vacation" from our vacation. How nice to leave snowy PDX for this warm and tropical climate. Each day, news of the Gaza War abound, but what can we do? We can only pray. I'll write again soon!
Gay