The Grand Welcome.
The Grand Welcome to Berjaya Resort and Spa Hotel, a very impressive place, built on about 50 acres of jungle mountian side. There are 500 chalets scattered through the jungle all the way up the mountain, on the beach front and even out over the ocean, built on stilts right out in the ocean, these are the most expensive executive suites, larger and more luxuriously appointed with their own restaurant out there over the water.Most of the chalets are built single or double - side by side, ours was a single one built about three quarters of the way up the mountainside, surounded by all the animals,birds and insects of the jungle, reached easily by the 24hour shuttle service, the small vehicles race up and down the narrow mountain tracks, wecould often just flag one down like a taxi or you could phone and order one, when we wanted to go to the lobby, the beach to one of the 6 restaurants or to the near by Oriental village.
I forgot to mention, that when booked our accommadation, we as we always do, requested a basket of fresh local fruit for our room. Sometimes we get it sometimes not, we are quite prepared to pay for the fruit, but seldom have to, it is so nice to have something to nibble on when you arrive in a strange new country often late at night.
We had just settled in to our lovely chalet, when the door bell rang. There stood a little malaysian girl with a nice basket of apples oranges and nashi pears, we were delighted, she then told us to have a look in the fridge as she had already put a lovely cream cake there for us. We looked and were amazed to find a heart shaped cream cake there with the words 'Happy Honeymoon" iced on top! Oh dear and heres us married already for 12 years! A bit embarrassing, but we decided to hug rather publicly now and again! The cream cake it has to be said was one of the nicest softest squishiest cakes we have ever eaten, and didn't last very long. How I wish I had taken a photo of it.
Dragonfruit
Shortly after another lady rang the bell and gave us a Dragon fruit, a strange red fruit withcreamy white fleash that is full of tiny black seeds, it tastes quite nice and sweet, this is getting embarrasing but we were efusive with our thanks.
Quickly following on her heel was yet another older lady, the most amazing of all, she had cradled in her hands like it was a precious jewel, a frsh mango. It blew us away when she told us; Yesterday, when she was home in her own garden she saw this mango fall from her tree, and she thought of the couple coming from New Zealand tomorrow who had probably never ever tried a fresh off the tree mango (and she was right.) So she brought it in to work with her and gave it to us.
Wow, to think that the Malaysian lady, bless her was thinking of us, whom she had never met, total strangers, when she was in her own home the day before we were even to arrive in her country, its positively mindblowing. Boy did we enjoy that precious mango it was so tangy and flavoursome. What a kind thoughtful lady.
We were almost scared in case the doorbell rang again. But fortunately that was it, but what a grand welcome we had, so we settled down to enjoy a second honemoon or should that be the 12th honeymoon as we go away at this time every year on these wonderful trips.