FROM THE SUBLIME.......

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........To the ridiculous

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We started the journey home from Bangkok on Thursday. Again we headed for Kuala Lumpur and looked forward to a night in KL before flying home the next day. That evening we were all tired. We traipsed round the hot, noisy, busy streets and market, looking for somewhere to eat. If only we had known, as we were to find out later, that just around the corner from our hotel was a rich assortment of eateries.This Tune Hotel was significantly better than the one at the airport, but as Ali always points out, 'what do you expect for £9 a night?' The beds were comfy and clean and the shower was hot and powerful, and once again the ceiling fan rotated with the speed of a Sopwith Camel propeller. (I use this simile because of the book I am reading here 'Winged Victory' a true story of a WWI pilot.)

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In the morning I reported to the 'Subway' fast food outlet in the reception of the hotel for breakfast. I found Ali hunched over a PC, on the internet for some bargain or other, or so I thought. But no, he turned to me with a look of forboding on his face and pointed to the screen. 'Icelandic Volcano shuts UK Airspace' read the headline. For an instant I thought Ali was playing a naughty prank on us. He's such a cheeky chappie, but no, he shook his head from side to side. I fully expected him to don the black cap of the hanging judge. 'You will be taken from this place to an airport, where you will wait at nature's pleasure, for your flight to England, whenever that may be.'

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We were soon standing in line at KL airport trying to extract information from the staff there, along with plenty of other people. All we did manage to extract were a number of food discount vouchers. Well at least we would be able to have some decent food to eat, but no, these vouchers were from my nemesis 'restuarant'......Mc Donalds. Ironically, on our first day in Malaysia at KL airport, I had boldly stated that 'I never have and never will darken the portals of that place even if I were starving'. Now it was the only option, unless one wanted to, shock, horror, pay for food. And after all, it was the airlines's fault we were stuck here so we don't want to pay do we? So along with a milk shake, fillet of 'fish' and french fries you could pass through the eye of a needle, humble pie was eaten.

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Ali was soon on the internet and to his great credit soon had us booked into a cheap hotel, offering good facilities in the middle of KL just one hour by coach from the airport. And here we sit. There is no chance at the moment of returning home and soon, like rats deserting, no strike that, like two sensible, experienced, travellers, Ali and Annabel will be gone, flying to Cairo and then to their home in Malta. And who can blame them, for the prospect of sitting comfortably in one's living room, slippers on, fire blazing in the hearth, kettle whistling cheerily in the kitchen, is one to savour.