Mmmmm...Chocolate

Reposted from Klue. This is an interesting try for Anton's visit next weekend. I love chocolate!

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Today I skipped lunch to visit Theobroma Chocolate Lounge in Pavilion, after hearing a positive comment from reader puppylee at our earlier article. Yep I was super gung-ho about it as I'm a huge chocolate fan.

The store is located at Pavilion's Connection wing, below GSC Cinema and next to Dome Cafe. There weren't many people when I was there, but I liked how the store looked with its wood finishes and high-backed leather (or is it pleather?) chairs. Also like the lights and the display counters. Everything looks bright, clean and comfortable.

There's loads of choco drinks on the menu, from hot to iced to ice-blended. Also available are pancakes, fondue, waffles and stuff of that sort. If you want something more substantial, there are pies, quiches and salads to pick from.

Oh and besides drinks, you can get the most yummy looking chocolates there. All imported from Australia, apparently.

Picture above is but a small sample of what's available. You'll be spoilt for choice when it comes to picking out the ones that you want.

After staring at the menu for quite a bit, I finally decided on the Ms Coco Frappe which is made with dark Belgian chocolate. Too hard to resist.

Looks good, don't it? One sip and I was in choco heaven! Because it was dark chocolate, the drink wasn't overwhelmingly sweet or nauseating. I thought the dark swirls that you see in the picture was merely chocolate syrup but it turns out they were chunks of rich Belgian chocolate. After slurping down the drink, I spent a good 20 mins scraping off the chocolate with the straw. Damn greedy but you don't waste chocolate, right?!

If you're wondering about the prices, it's competitive with cafes like Starbucks, Coffee Bean and the likes. If you're thinking about visiting Theobroma, particularly the Pavilion branch (I know 1 U's branch is open but I haven't been there yet - any comments?), maybe you'll like to go on Thurs as the Pussycat Dolls will be making an appearance, as I gathered from the banner.

Theobroma Chocolate Lounge (Pavilion) is located at C4.05.02, Connection Level 5, Pavilion KL.

Climbing Down (Part 2 of 2)

Still smiling!! I must look good in photos!

I thought gravity would be my greatest ally just propelling me forward. Yes, I would have to take the same 6 km trail going down, but “down” was my operative word. How hard could it be? Again my overestimation of my skills got the better of me and I refused a porter for my bag. Butgoing down 3,300 meters of mountain is TOUGH. Especially if you just climbed it the day before. Thankfully during the descent it did not rain. After less than 2 km I gave up on my bag and handed it over to another generous colleague. It took less time to go down but midway I started dragging my feet at the back along with the 2 other trip-mates who were having a difficult time. It was even more embarrassing because I was a 30(ish)-year old single girl and they were both older, 2-time moms. My knees shook and threatened to give way with every step and by the time we reached the last 500 meters I was attempting short, crablike movements to alternate the weight on my feet. The last 100 meters consisted of steps going up, the worst torture of all after climbing down so long. Two guys I was with picked up one of my arms each and half-dragged me up the steps.

All of us had difficulty taking steps up or down immediately after that so it was difficult to get up and down the bus, up the hotel steps and so on. But what a relief to get into a hot and strong shower! We capped off the evening with a big buffet dinner at the Shangri-la Tanjung Aru, handing out the official certificates for those who made it to Laban Rata, and those who made it to the top which were about 5 from our group. I proudly help up my own certificate which counted my 3,300 meter ascent to Laban Rata and mentally added the 400 meters more that I climbed to the Sayat-Sayat check point (they should have certificates for that too!). Everyone ached and groaned for days after that but it was all we could talk about for a while, so in terms of a team-building experience, it was drastic but it worked.

My precioussss...evidence

I just wanted to share with some tips that I wish someone (like our more knowledgeable guides!) could have told me for it to be a better experience:

1. Wear waterproof everything! Jacket, pants, shoes and especially gloves. Buy one of those flimsy disposable raincoats which can also help shelter your bag. I wish I could have worn waterproof gloves rather than those lousy knit ones which weren’t much help against the rain and cold.
2. Hire a porter especially if you haven’t really trained for the climb. It will be the best RM 70 you’ve ever spent.
3. Kota Kinabalu bring to mind beautiful beaches and tropical breezes which is why I didn’t believe it could get that cold on the mountain. It does. Invest in warm clothing.
4. Wear good hiking shoes. My rubber soles ripped off before the climb down…your trusty Nikes wont hold up no matter what those guides say that its ok to wear them.
5. You don’t need moisturizer.
6. Check for the best time of year to go. We didn’t even bother about the weather but apparent when we went (June) is right at the start of the rainy season. Earlier in the year might be less chance of rain.
7. Train, train, train with cardio and strength exercises 3x/week for a few months before you go. Otherwise, do a more leisurely climb by staying 2 nights at Laban Rata. Book early because rooms run out fast.

Good luck on your climb!

Travel Bug on Overdrive

In the 1st quarter of the year, I stuck pretty much to home territory (a.k.a KL) wondering where I would end up next. Then suddenly a series of trips kept me busy and away for the second quarter, starting with a vacation Siem Reap, then Phuket, Bangkok (one trip for work and another for play), business in Islamabad, a company trip to Kota Kinabalu (specifically Mount Kinabalu), a conference and party weekend in Hongkong (perfectly timed with my birthday), plus a couple of trips to the Philippines which included a Boracay getaway.

Right before I left for my Manila vacation in late June, I got a hold of some good news. I was being sent to the company HQ in Oslo to deliver a presentation there. Ok, the thought of giving a presentation has me quaking in my shoes and Norway is a sub-arctic region, but I'd never been there. It was also a gateway to Europe and I considered taking a few extra days for a little trip down west since I had always wanted to explore other places since my last visit in 2002.

While on vacation in Manila, I kept on checking my email (and having my friends check it!) for the other bit of news I was waiting for. And finally got. An academic paper I wrote was accepted to a conference in Athens. Get this...the conference was only 2 weeks from my Oslo trip. I was able to apply for a week's leave from the office and picked my European detour between Norway and Greece: Italy!

I've booked a Contiki tour through a local travel agent and though she was the most tactless one I've ever encountered ("Are you aware that Contiki is a tour for youngsters?"), her attitude hasn't dampened my enthusiasm for my upcoming trip through the cities of Rome, Venice and Florence. I also have a little time to pass through Santorini island right before heading off to the Athens conference.

During the trips I will get to meet up with my high school best friend who now lives in Gothenburg, Sweden, because its 4 hours away from Oslo by bus; as well as my mom's ex's youngest son (my ex-stepbrother?) who lives in Athens. Throughout it all, I will be armed with a new pseudo-DSLR camera generously sold to me by a friend for a token fee.

You can just imagine how excited I am--- and I'm totally grateful about how everything is falling into place. Its been one wonderful surprise after the other and I'm breathless with anticipation as to what's next . The Europe countdown begins!

Climbing Up (Part 1 of 2)

Before the torture

When the office told us that our next company outing would be a climb to the Mount Kinabalu Summit, I envisioned an energetic trek through wild rainforest and dazzling views, taking pretty pictures along the way. I did not expect the extreme conditions that only a mountain climbing neophyte and non-athletic person such as me could truly feel. Mount Kinabalu is the highest peak in Southeast Asia, standing at 4,095 meters above sea level. Climbing it is like clambering up the steps of 9 Petronas Towers stacked on top of each other.

Climbing through East Malaysian rainforest

The climb to the peak started at the base at 11:00 am, and we were told we would have to climb 6 kilometers to the Laban Rata rest house at 3,300 meters asl. I thought, 6 km is nothing, I can run that in less than 1 hour. Apparently climbing 6 km is not the same! I huffed and panted my way though the 1st 45 minutes, feeling every cigarette I’d ever smoked in the past years. I ambitiously thought I could carry my backpack up the mountain because it was effortless on level land, but after a kilometer, I gave up and handed it to the nearest generous person who offered to carry it for me. Embarrassingly enough, it was my Norwegian boss.

Soundtrack: "Getting Harder to Breathe" by Maroon 5

The 6 km stretch upwards has about 5 stops where you can stop for water and to eat a snack. Snacks are all you’ll have the energy for, surprisingly, I was even too tired to eat lunch though I was stark raving hungry. I dumped my moisturizer-in-a-ceramic-jar as well as my full bottle of sunscreen by the 3rd stop, wondering where I thought I was going when I packed them…the beach??

No time to eat but still time to smile

To top it off, rain started pouring down throughout the 8 hour climb. I had invested in a very expensive climbing jacket, but scoffed at the garbage bag looking raincoats some fellow-climbers bought the day before and as a result my pants got soaked through to my underwear. Add to that, the mountain temperatures of about 12 degrees celcius. But at a certain point, there was no turning back. The only way to go was up.

I sighted the welcoming lights of Laban Rata in the fading dusk by 7:30pm and half crawled to building steps. I was just so glad to get there before it got totally dark. The rest-house was littered with tired climbers of all nationalities. I was so easily pleased to the point of giddiness by the chance to sit down, rest my wobbly legs, and eat a proper meal! Then I went into the room I was sharing with another colleague, and disappointedly found that the heater would only kick at 8pm. My lips were already blue, and that was the first time I'd ever seen them that way ever!

I couldn’t shower and sleep because it was too cold. They got us out of bed at 2:00am to complete the last 2.7 kilometers to the top by sunrise. With my freshly heated shoes and jacket, I though the remaining distance didn’t sound so bad. After all I had already gotten that far. Again I was mistaken! The climb is even steeper, with sheer rock face where the only way to climb is by clinging to ropes. The only light on the path came from headlamps and torches of the climbers.

Yep, thats the rest of the way up.

At below 10 degrees celcius, drizzling rain and with wet knit gloves, I had to give up at km 7, 3,600 m asl past the Sayat Sayat check point which is the last rest stop. I stayed near the Sayat Sayat peak to watch the sun rise over the expansive views across Kota Kinabalu. That's when I saw the distance we had climbed to get to where we were and I was just amazed.

Grand views from Sayat Sayat.

To be continued...