About Me

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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
I am married to my loving husband for more than 40 years now. I am a mother to 3 beautiful children, until years ago when I lost my youngest son. Since then my life is forever altered but yet unbroken....

My Travel Journal

"There isn't much I haven't shared with you along the road and through it all there'd always be tomorrow's episode" - Elton John

I started traveling around the world since early 80s when I had the opportunity to combine business trips with vacations. Then later when my rezeki is in abundance, there were numerous other trips along the way for vacations, most of the time with hubby and the kids when the timing is right. I have also started to compile the journal and photo-pages covering almost more than 45 years of world wide travel. Some destinations I visited just once, others many times. Many of those places are the obvious famous places people would like to visit but some, the casual traveler doesn't even think to try. I have placed links to my travel at the side bar of my personal page, My Life Reflections, and will be updating them from time to time.

My wish is to continue my travel and complete circumnavigate the globe, insyaAllah…

Sunday 20 March 2016

2016 Iran Day 14: Tehran - KL

"We  are not perfect, we are learning. That's the beauty in our specific learning..."

(Please leave your shoes outside)

Day 14: Monday, 20 Mar 2016
Route: Tehran - KL
Flight W5 083 IKA/KUL


This morning we celebrated the Nowruz together with the hotel guests and staff.

Nowruz is the name of the Iranian New Year, also known as the Persian New Year, which is celebrated worldwide by Iranian peoples, along with some other ethno-linguistic groups, as the beginning of the New Year.

(A rose for the hotel guests)
(Listening to Khameini New Year greetings on TV)

Nowruz is the day of the vernal equinox, and marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. It usually occurs on March 21 or the previous/following day, depending on where it is observed. Although having Iranian and religious Zoroastrian origins, Nowruz has been celebrated by people from diverse ethno-linguistic communities for thousands of years. It is a secular holiday for most celebrants that is enjoyed by people of several different faiths, but remains a holy day for Zoroastrians.

(A large poster of happy faces of Iranians)

Carpet Museum, Tehran

This morning we visited the Carpet Museum located in Tehran, beside Laleh Park. The Carpet Museum exhibits a variety of Persian carpets from all over Iran, dating from the 18th century to the present. The museum's exhibition hall occupies 3,400 square meters and its library contains 7,000 books.

(The Carpet Museum is opened on public holiday)
(Beautiful yellow flowers outside the Museum)

(Shoes cover to protect the carpets from dirt and dust)

The museum was designed by the last Queen of Iran, Farah Diba Pahlavi. The perforated structure around the museum's exterior is designed both to resemble a carpet loom, and to cast shade on the exterior walls, reducing the impact of the hot summer sun on the interior temperature.

(Carpet display in the museum)
(Carpet display in the museum)
(Carpet display in the museum)
(Carpet display in the museum)
(Carpet display in the museum)
(Carpet display in the museum)
(Carpet display in the museum)
(Waiting for our bus outside the museum)
(Artistic decorative staircase)
(Another decorated staircase)
(Easter eggs in the park)
(Lamb kebab and fries)
(Beautifully colored flowers)

Niavaran Cultural/Historic Complex

The Niavaran Complex‎ is a historical complex situated in Shemiran, Tehran. It consists of several buildings and monuments built in the Qajar and Pahlavi eras. Its formation dates back to the Qajar Dynasty. This Complex which has been changed to a museum after the Islamic Revolution was administered jointly with Sa’adabad Complex. Presently, it is comprised of five museums Niavaran Palace Museum, Ahmad Shahi Pavilion, Sahebqaranieh Palace, Jahan Nama museum and the private library, and other cultural, historical and natural attractions including the Blue Hall, Private Cinema, Jahan Nama Gallery, and Niavaran Garden.

(Buildings and monuments built in the Qajar and Pahlavi eras)
(Saheb Qaranie House)
(A clear blue sky)
(The Kushak of Ahmad Shah)
(The Niavaran House)
(Walking in the woods of Niavaran Complex)
(Mosaic tiles decorating the wall)

We had lunch at a local restaurant in town then went back to the hotel to pick up our luggage. On the way to the hotel we passed the Tabiat Bridge, which is the largest pedestrian overpass built in Tehran. The 270 metre bridge connects two public parks, Teleghani Park and Abo-Atash Park by spanning the Shahid Modarres, one of the main highways in northern Tehran.

We performed our prayers in the hotel before we boarded the bus to the airport. Our Mahan Air flight W5 083 IKA/KUL arrived in KLIA safely on time.

(Tabiat Bridge, the longest pedestrian bridge)
(Arriving at the airport just in time to check-in)
(In KLIA, Iwan just arrived from LA the same time too)

Alhamdulillah…..

2016: Tehran, Iran ðŸ‘‰ðŸ‘‰

Saturday 19 March 2016

2016 Iran Day 13: Tehran

"Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel..." - Socrates

(The seven hard-core travelers)

Day 13: Saturday, 19 Mar 2016
Tehran City Tour
Hotel: Enghrlab Hotel, Tehran


It was a free and easy day for the sixteen of us. It was a clear cool sunny day. With five others we decided to explore Tehran on foot and visited some of the attractions around the route.

(An early morning walk)
(An interesting structure)
(Rooms and lodging at upper floor)
(Arabic murals on the wall)

Glass and Ceramic Museum Tehran

The museum is a two-storey octagonal building with suspended pillars and a basement. The architectural style of the building is a combination of the traditional Iranian style and the European architecture of the 19th century.

(The signage of the museum)
(A beautiful garden surrounding the mansion)
(The brochure of the Mosaic and Glass Museum)
(Some of the displays in the museum)
(A unique way of displaying artifacts)

The collection of glass and clay works that are on display at the museum is among the rare collections in Iran. It comprises clay pots dating back from the 4th millennium B.C. up to the present time as well as glass works from 1st millennium B.C. up to the contemporary era. European glass works belonging to the 18th and 19th centuries are also parts of the collection. The collection is on display in six halls and two entrance halls in separate sections depicting different historical eras and subjects.

(A beautiful staircase leading to the upper level)
(Display of colored vase and glasses)
(Miniature box with figurines)
(Another room with classy display columns)
(Reflection of me in the mirror)
(Antique ceramic display panels)
(Completed the tour of the museum)
(A familiar name of the street)

National Museum of Iran

The National Museum is an institution formed of two complexes, including the Museum of Ancient Iran, and the Museum of the post-Islamic Era. It hosts historical monuments dating back through preserved ancient and medieval Iranian antiquities, including pottery vessels, metal objects, textile remains, and some rare books and coins.

There are a number of research departments in the museum, including Paleolithic and Osteological departments, and a center for Pottery Studies.

(Aging for more than 70 years)
(The largest museum of History and Archaeology of the country)
(The entrance of the National Museum)
(A poster outside the museum)
(7,000 years old skeleton of an Iranian lady)
(Doctors examining the skeletal remains)
(Another section of the museum)
(The earliest stone age civilization)
(Reconstruction of a human face from a skull)
(The earlier Iranian explorers)
(Discussing the subjects on history)
(A unique figurine)
(Earthern wares of the past centuries)
(Neat artifacts displays)
(Paintings on the pottery of the Bakun culture)
(The ancient burial site)
(Another gallery, another story)
(A handsome ceramic bull)
(A shrunken human head)
(Another room for ceramic display)
(A replica of a wall from the Persepolis)
(Drinking water fountain)
(At the souvenir shop)

Shahr Park Tehran

Park e Shahr, literally the City Park, with its 64 acres, is a major park located in central Tehran. It is surrounded by Fayaz Bakhsh Street from the north, Hafez Street from the west, Behesht Street from the south and Khayyam Street from the east.

The Tehran Peace Museum is located at the northern gate of this park. Other notable sites of the park include a bird garden, an aquarium, and a central library.

(Visiting the City Park)
(Cool beautiful pool in the park)
(A pigeon tower in the City Park) 
(Beautiful flowering tulips, the start of spring)
(Purple tulips decorating the garden)
(Red and white tulips and other blooming flowers)
(Monument at the centre of the City Park)
(The birds sanctuary with life-size stone animals in cage)
(Many varieties of birds and ducks)

We walked back to the hotel using different route, passing through streets filled with vendors selling merchandises for the New Year celebration. Lunch was delicious fish dishes at a restaurant along the busy streets.

(One of the MRT station)
(A beautiful sunny day for a leisure walk)
(An old Iranian Cinema)
(Delicious crispy fried fish dish for lunch)
(Street vendors selling merchandises)
(A mini stadium, on the way back to the hotel)
(Using the MRT underpass to cross the busy intersections)
(Walking through the MRT stationss)
(The do and don't when boarding the MRT)
(The MRT network with different lines)
(Vibrant colored decorative road divider)
(Let's help keep the city clean)
(Recycled tyres made a colorful decorations)
(One of the many fast food chains)
(Easter eggs decorating the city)
(The biggest shopping mall in the vicinity)
(Reflections of our hotel on the glass)

Dinner was Pizza and Pastas at a local restaurant a walking distance from the hotel. The weather was nice and cool for night strolling.

(Dinner at a cosy Italian restaurant)
(A large bowl of salad)
(Crispy pizza to share)
(An easter egg)
(Many of them around the mall)

👈👈 2016: Tehran - KL
2016: Tehran, Iran ðŸ‘‰ðŸ‘‰