Hello peeps!

It has been almost 2 years since I last posted something on here, the longest time in my seven years of blogging. Sobs. Things have been really hectic. My status has changed from single to married, I have moved out from my family house and in the span of last few months, I’ve got a new job and… we are also expecting a baby! Alhamdulillah.

So where do I begin? I’ve lost track even though there are sooo many things I want to share. Pre-wedding, post-wedding, honeymooning, places WE’VE been to so far (hehe) and all those beautiful memories.

But, do people still read blogs nowadays? After all, I am writing a part of my life’s story here and I will continue. Well to be honest I still like to read blog posts I wrote from x years ago. Hehe. So here I am, let’s start with our recent trip to the States which is one of the best trips so far :). It was filled with outdoor adventures, great food, lovable company (my shuben hiks), and natural beauty.

Here are the highlights of our West Coast trip.





Prior to getting married, I traveled around the world with friends and family. And now, with my partner for life, my husband. Hehe. We both have done our fair share of travelling, especially around Europe during our student days. My husband spent 6 years in Ukraine and I had 1 year in Birmingham. Beyond comparison, I know. Haha. So we're well used to the pace. Roughing it out in backpacker hostels, spending ALL day exploring the city or town or country, and having a good night rest before starting an equally grueling day after that.

We thought that since we've both done this routine so many times over so many years, we'd be up to it. But we were wrong. Haha. Pretty safe to say both my husband and I are getting old. Sobs. And I don’t think he had any idea how much I would keep him on the road and in flight. Hehe. So one night, I asked his permission to go to the States for our 1st year anniversary. He declined at first, various reasons were given but after few times pujuk sessions he agreed at last. Haha. Sayang isteri punya pasal lol.


We booked China Southern flight a couple of months in advance (4 months to be exact) because it was significantly cheaper than other competing airlines. But it was really great value for money, trust me. Would definitely fly again and recommend to all. Who would have thought that our return tickets to LAX was just RM2,003 per person! I told my husband, we really have to buy sayang, insanely cheap. Haha.


The booking was made easy and we have selected Muslim meal throughout the journey. They have selection for other types of meal too; vegetarian, kosher, just to name a few. And the food according to my husband was good but to me it was average, I don’t really fancy airline food though. Haha. We were given more snacks in between (i.e. sandwich, breads, cakes) but I forgot to snap pictures. Hehe.


Besides that, the entertainment on board was great, I managed to watch 2 movies; The Meg and Holmes & Watson. But most of the times, we were comfortably sleeping. And eating. And talking. And toilet break. Repeat the whole process again and again. Haha. What else could we do for almost 21 hours of journey including transit, kan?

And on top of all those plus points, the customer service was really tip top and the seats were comfortable and spacious enough! Much to our surprise, apparently China Southern operates an A380 from Guangzhou to Los Angeles and vice versa. My husband got really excited, his first time flying A380 but yours truly have flown A380 years ago with Emirates to Dubai. Hehe.

Last but not least, economy class tickets are allowed to bring in two (2) 23kg check-in luggages, which is in total a whopping 46kg! But still not enough for my shopping loots though. Haha.

And just a reminder, please read the safety tips for transport of lithium batteries and power banks on their websites. We had our checked-in bag opened and our Gopro batteries were apparently confiscated at transit point in Baiyun Airport without our knowledge. It was not until we got to our hotel in Los Angeles and there was a note in our bag by China Southern stating that their government prohibits such items to be flown to China. Haihhhh. 2 Gopro batteries gone!


GUANGZHOU BAIYUN AIRPORT

We departed at 1.35 noon on 27 March 2019. Our flight from Kuala Lumpur to Guangzhou took us about 4 hours and we had a stopover for another 4 hours at Baiyun Airport.



Upon arrival, there were officers directing us for international transfer departure, so we just follow the signs accordingly.

Just remember that your passport will not be stamped but they will stamp on your boarding pass instead. And your luggage will be checked to your final destination. That part has been taken care of like any other airlines. Sooo convenient.


The airport in my opinion is quite big, we found a prayer room near our departure gate and we quickly performed zuhur + asar together and we then waited few minutes for Maghrib.

And one more thing, halal food is pretty limited here, but there is one halal restaurant at the departure area so we decided to give a try. Since we will be served more airline food in the next few hours so we just ordered one big bowl mutton noodle. Sharing is caring hehe. Sedaapp!


It took us another 12hours and 40minutes from Guangzhou to Los Angeles. Fuh. Kematu. Haha. We departed at 9.30 pm Guangzhou time (27 March 2019) and arrived around 7.10 pm LA time (still 27 March 2019).

Initially we estimated 2 hours for immigration and custom clearance so we opted to pick our car around 9.30pm. But lo and behold, we got stuck for at least 5 hours to get out of the airport.

First and foremost, there is no separate immigration line for passengers for connecting flights. So if you have another flight to catch, it is important to estimate your time properly. The only lines available are for visitors and U.S. nationals and citizens. Since LAX is the busiest and largest airport in the US and the fact that a super-jumbo plane like the A380 has landed that night, can you imagine how long we have to queue to get clearance? Sobs. It was nightmare.


We then had to go to the kiosk for online inspection and here my husband and I were separated because the kiosk doesn’t like him for some reason and send him to in-person inspection. He found himself subject to a secondary screening process because a cross sign was stamped on his boarding pass. Pity my shuben.


And I remember the immigration officer asked me politely and courteous on the purpose of my visit, etc. It took me literally 2 minutes and tada, settled. So pleasant and welcoming.

I waited my husband for about half an hour at the baggage carousel and he was nowhere in sight. I was soo worried and I really had no idea what was happening. Then a few minutes later I got a text from him and he explained that the procedure might take an hour or two and he said I shouldn’t worry so much. It was already 10.00pm at the time. Luckily the car rental office is in operation for 24 hours and my husband asked me to call their office and informed them that we will be really late.

So I was alone at the baggage area, just looking around and get my phone connected to the WIFI and started to google on the reasons for the detention. Well according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the reasons are varied. Either you have immigration issues, failure to declare the proper documentation, etc. So yes, my husband was detained for about 2 hours in a room with other Mexicans, Arabs and the best part is, no reason was given to him. He was asked to just wait for his name to be called for secondary inspection and that was it. Takde apa pun. Perhaps his features, haha.


ADVANTAGE CAR RENTAL
 
My husband pre-paid the car that I booked on Kayak and the site directed us to the Advantage Car Rental as it offered the cheapest price for an economy car at the time. His credit card was charged RM1,404 for 10 days rental with insurance coverage and to us, it was really a good deal.


So we waited the Advantage shuttle bus for about 15 minutes to pick us up at the waiting area. Do note that there are a lot of rental car companies so don’t get confused. Different buses will bring you to different location. Haha. Better ask the driver first to avoid any uncertainties. The journey took about 10 minutes and after arriving, we had to wait for another 40 minutes in line even though it was already almost 1am midnight. Sobs. Such a longgg day.


Below is my husband’s feedback on his Instagram. I just copy and paste. Hehe.

We were supposed to get a Toyota Yaris (2 door) or something equivalent for this trip. To our surprise, we got a 2018 Subaru Outback and it is Subaru’s best-selling model in the US.

We got the car either by sheer luck or divine intervention, or most probably we were unaware of Advantage own upgrade or promotion policy.

At first we were taken aback whether this was supposed to be our ride, but thankfully it is. Especially seeing to where we were going and carrying. The car accommodated us and our 5 luggages in sheer comfort. A total of 2,670 miles (4,296 km) driven from the steepest hills of San Francisco, to the forests and deserts, the Outback made ease of each journey...

So I would definitely recommend Advantage Car Rental despite of having a lot of bad reviews on the website. Don’t be afraid to give a try because to be honest our experience was nothing but amazing!

To be continued…

United States of America has long been on my mind and it is one of those destinations on my bucket list since 2013. It was really long overdue, wasn’t it?


Well, I always been fascinated with America and anything American. Hehe. Not that I would marry someone with a US citizenship though haha. Don’t get me wrong. It’s just that I’ve seen so many US movies and I really wanted to explore the country as a traveler/ tourist.








For someone like me who was always interested in nature, breathtaking sceneries and natural wonders, west coast of USA held greater fascination. I always think that Vegas would be an awesome introduction to the US. But if you ask me now, I would love to go to Seattle. It is known for being the background location to many well-known films and tv shows. The city will always remain popular for the rom-com classic Sleepless in Seattle, Grey’s Anatomy and the not-so-recent one I’ve watched back then in the Odeon UK; Fifty shades of Grey. Haha.




However when I got the opportunity to travel around US, I decided to go to the east coast first. There’s always something great about every part of the country and this trip has been great. A very different experience, not just in terms of miles traveled, but the many people we met, from friends, family to perfect strangers who made the trip happen for us. I’ve got a FOC hotel room for 4 nights given by strangers right in the middle of Manhattan! How awesome is that. More on this later, I promise. They really deserve a blog post for their kindness.


There was a time when I hated big cities. Reason being, all that associated with them was noise, crowded and I would often get lost there. Given a chance, I always preferred rustic and charming towns. But nowadays, I seem to be lured by these big cities. Well maybe it’s the energy, the sights, sounds and the lights. Certainly my fascination for these cities seems to grow.





And that being said, the times square of New York has left a lasting impression in my memories. The skyline and the buildings have of course been captured in any photographs, but what stays in my mind is the energy, the music and the lights. I literally had to eat my words here. Never been a fan of big cities but Manhattan is beyond words. The experience of walking down the Brooklyn Bridge can never be forgotten. And seeing the lights of Manhattan and the NYC skyline coming up from the top of the rock may be considered touristy and expensive, but this experience was priceless.




I’ve had many conversations with friends and strangers that we met in the US about Obama, Trump, recession, legal immigrants and of course travelling. I would save these for another post.

We have bought the tickets to JFK for our year end trip! And will make a quick nip to other cities like Orlando, DC, Niagara and New England if time permits.

Still much to plan but am super excited I can't hardly breathe. Hehe. Was so happy and relieved to finally know it was happening. At least we've got our tickets now. Been itching to go the the United States since forever. Haha.

And somehow googling pictures of the USA got my pulse racing. A little bit nervous, strangely. Well, I suppose I would, given that we haven't got our visa approved just yet and it takes more than 24 hours to reach NYC. One of my bucket list in 2016 is to walk on Brooklyn Bridge! Hehe.

Hmmm so many things la kau nak. Maybe I should update my wish list and include sitting on the edge of Troltunga Norway and ascend Machu Picchu as part of my bucket list! Hiks. Berangan first, work on that later insyaAllah.

Anyhow, more with the trip come December :)