Great Escapes

Mountain Adventure & Snowy Bliss In The Canadian Rockies: The Banff/Lake Louise Experience
By Tim Wassberg

Stretching out from the rolling hills of Calgary, the majesty of the Canadian Rockies comes into view. Once arriving at the majestic castle compound known as the Fairmont Banff Springs (www.fairmont.com/banffsprings/) at the base of one of the mountain ridges, the cool brisk air breathes on the skin. At Castello's Restaurant after navigating the estate's sizable corridors, glasses of cabernet are poured with earnest and the smooth chewable beauty of calamari is consumed (a lady's choice). A rich salad mixed with goat cheese and mangos finishes the first course. Veal Saltimbocca covered in prosciutto twirls the tonsils as the evening continues over martinis and Kokanee beer at the Rundle Lounge along with a whiff of Dragon's Breath. Laughter is heard above the clinking of glasses as stories are whispered into the night.

After an early morning Mountaineer Breakfast with scrambled eggs and steak, the outfitting began. Heading up to Sunshine Village (www.skibanff.com/), the gondolas rocked back and forth climbing over snowdrifts and around mountains. While the rest of the world was falling down on skis, the resolute uniqueness of "snowbiking" (www.snowbike.com/) appealed to this winter adventurer. With much more possibility for full-throttle projection into accompanying amounts of snow, this seemed like the best bet. Skiing has suffered this would-be snow enthusiast before because of lack of equilibrium. Snowbiking allowed for a center of gravity with added inertial pull. Where the wheels should be rested long skis and on your feet: mini ones. After a short lesson, which provided the adequate BMX crash test tutorial and coasting exercises, the lift taxied this journeyman to the top of the hill with another compatriot and the instructor. The view from the top was breathtaking. But the downhill trek came even sooner. Crash after crash led to a better understanding of all-body control. Going down at a significant angle meant you had to hit the slope sideways.

Lunch was filling at the mountaintop hideaway. Some clam chowder and a major strip of fish and chips loaded the coffers at the Eagle's Nest dining room as a snowboarding maven with her catlike eyes related the influx of party kids ready to hit the hill. One more journey down the expanse (this time alone) was needed. Speed was the crux and the thrill especially on a major slope where vaulting over the handlebars came easily as a fellow snow creature on his board cleared a 30-foot drop looking like a gymnast on full tilt. Give me strength as the white came full bore on the last downhill run.
Dinner that night in town at Fuze (www.fuzedining.com/) bustled with activity as the pesto-infused tomato bisque gave rise to chicken simmered in pearl onions with a flagrant and delicious cream sauce and a desert of luscious and sweet toffee pudding. An after dinner walk through town led to the castle entrance like The Overlook out of "The Shining." A hot tub was needed but too late. Martinis did the job. But the ice walking required stomping.

The following morning, Johnston Canyon (www.banfftours.com/banff/w_icewalks_johnston.shtml) provided steep drop-offs but slipping and sliding became a way of life. Metal catwalks gave breath to frozen waterfalls with crystal blue sculptures stuck in time. The three-kilometer walk to the Upper Falls provided rest with hot chocolate and cookies before the power push back to the waiting bus. The Willow Stream Spa (www.fairmont.com/banffsprings/recreation/spa/) wanted us badly and we wanted it. Hanging out in white robes like a Roman toga party overlooking the splendidness of snow mountains in the distance, the girls and guys sipped cucumber water as lunch was ordered. The spicy chicken sater teriyaki with a crisp caesar salad hit back and forth in the taste buds with intensity. "Up To Par" was the intention as the masseuse entered the darkened treatment room. After being rubbed in essential oils and wrapped into a cocoon with a concurrent avocado scalp treatment, the girl went right to work digging rigidly into my back with petite elbows and a vengeance working out some kinks from the weeks before.
The sauna room baked the essence into me while the steam room oozed it into the soul. The mineral water dip pools alternated between hot, warm and cold as the spa patrons gathered around the main concourse. The jacuzzi outside emblazoned the snow vista into the mind as the jets tickled the fancy of those gathered while the crackling air steamed off our bodies. The girls' laughter continued as the sunset drowned the day. Happy Hour proceeded on the shuttle with the Iceberg warming the hearts of those gathered as the trees and stars danced in unison. The Railroad Station (lakelouisestation.com/) provided solace for dinner as a screaming locomotive whizzed past outside the windows rattling the establishment like a rocking roadhouse. The creamy salad riffed with a smooth tomato soup as sirloin wrapped in silk gravy accented multiple bottles of cabernet amongst tales of romantic interludes and simpler times.

Later, the Saloon at the Fairmont Lake Louise (www.fairmont.com/lakelouise/) consumed the night with pints of Guinness and a spinach and artichoke dip that wowed the senses as shots were shared with swirling Japanese guests.

The fortuitous element of the snow and the racing sun made the dogs eager to go the next
morning. Howling Dogsledding (www.howlingdogtours.com/) got us bundled into our sled (thanks to our guide Craig) as robust Alaskan Huskies (quite small by my female partner's standards) hauled us like champs, barreling down trails through the wilderness eventually reaching "The Great Divide" marking the breaking point between the water flow on the continent. Jumping on the back of our trusty wooden contraption, the view flew by with greater speed as balancing two feet on a single skid gave one springboard precision with the bumps. The boys got their lunch. Ours [at the hotel's Lakeview Lounge] was quiche: hers was crab but mine was broccoli, luscious and cheesy.

Snowshoeing for the view of the glacier was necessary for the afternoon. The lake was definitively frozen but the scope was amazing as the outline of little stick people known as humans against the majesty of nature provided a humbling element. Crawling up through the foliage, the bog of snowdrifts allowed for the contorting of the body as well as tree hanging. My accompanying all-girl team of hikers slid through the snow with ease as your humble narrator by comparison hit every nook and cranny disappearing consistently into the snowy blanket.

Dinner that night at the Tom Wilson Steakhouse inside the Fairmont Lake Louise provided potato concoctions, tender bison and decadent crème brulee, which gave way to piano sonatas in the lobby and schnapps-infused hot chocolate before the weary retired to lush beds relegated in cozy warmth and snowy visages. But as the sun rose the next morning over eggs benedict and apple sausages in the Poppy Brasserie, the blue hues of the White North provided a soulful background to the grandness of mother nature and the bounty she hath provided us.

F1 Malaysia & Its Life-force In Kuala Lumpur
By Tim Wassberg

The burning rubber. The hot sweat. The machinery. As two blood red cars go supersonic around the track, their engines rev up to ear-shattering decibels. The lush palm forests around the asphalt play host. Welcome to F1 Malaysia at Sepang.

The green covered mountains melt in the distance. The city of Kuala Lumpur is literally half way around the world. A different time. A different feeling. The dual spires of the Petronas Towers dominate the skyline of the metropolis. Malaysia and its largest city are a combination of Muslim theology, shopping heavy mentalities and ample food.

Checking into the Park Royal Kuala Lumpur (www.parkroyalhotels.com/hotels/malaysia/kuala_lumpur/parkroyal/index.html), the bustle of the cars and the energy of the race is the rage. After shrimp mixed with tangy vegetables and curry, the local Tiger beer at the hotel's Klix Lounge permeates the soul. The bustling nightlife gives way to the hidden Oasis Bar where karaoke revelers ring out against the ears and Guinness and tequila paint the vision.
At Thean Hou Kung Temple, the plateau blinding the sun into the city was eclipsed by the smoke offerings of locals as the dawn subsided and the shutterbugs clicked. The fluttering of butterflies cascaded as thousands congregated within an netted concave at Butterfly Park while fish swam in the lagoons below. At the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, peacocks and lovebirds assembled on their perches as the hot sun drove the monkeys on the netting above.

The Petronas Towers (www.petronastwintowers.com.my) showed brightly as the landscape, tropical and beautiful, reached out from the adjoining KL Tower (www.menarakl.com.my) which is ranked as one of the tallest structures in the world. The view gives a requisite impression of the area from a camel imprinted on the side of a building to a former military airport laid out in the center of town. From below the Twin Towers, the view is immense, although a large flag with a star predominates the entire proceedings. Heading to Central Market, women in headscarves pass us smiling as the food continues with spicy hot soup, silken noodles, and a potpourri of eel and stingray sautéed in a brisk curry sauce. Watermelon juice offers solace from the humidity as a foot massage at a nearby spa relaxes the muscles. An antique shop speaks to the shopper as hand carved sculptures trip the artistic fantastic.

Shopping is a way of life in Kuala Lumpur. (over 66 malls in the metro area alone). A Shopping Run (a spree of sorts) was organized whereby 130 teams of two raced through the downtown district into various stores of diversified wares to pick up everything from books to hats to electronics on a set budget with the quest to find the best deal in a finite amount of time. With a 3 to 1 ratio to the US dollar, there is more bang for the buck in Kuala Lumpur.

The Sepang Circuit (malaysiangp.com.my) and its track, located about an hour outside of Kuala Lumpur, sits among hills where weather changes from paddock to paddock. The qualifying race was graced with rain as the souped-up automotive gods tested its minions. Near us, one of the racers nearly went flying into the nearby stands spilling up sand as its competitors blasted away down the straightaway like rockets heading for the moon. Ferrari dominated the qualifying proceedings with MacLaren following close behind. Breakfast always started the morning in the Chatz Brasserie at the Park Royal with a bit of spice from the mouth watering Kway Teow with spicy noodles, corn and wild mushrooms to the chocolate filled pastries to the chicken curry and omelets which were complimented by guava juice and miso soup. Walking off this intoxicating food was never a challenge as the Batu Caves provided straight-up intensity with its nearly vertical 272 steps. A gigantic golden Hindi statue overlooks the horizon as monkeys tackle each other up and down the steps and bats screech overhead. A nearby Batik factory, known for its hand painted and comfortable garments, offered a green silken robe embroidered with an orange and red dragon was unveiled and proved too hard to resist

The street dinner that night along Jalan Alor in a brisk rain was enrapturing with the aroma of freshly prepared seafood wowing the senses. We were led to Cafe Charn Kee where delicacies of chicken fish (eaten off the bone), lusciously prepared snails in a spicy broth (sucked out from their very shells), oversized prawns (filled with chewy and succulent meat) and mud crab (cracked and dipped in butter) assaulted the taste buds for those adventurous at heart.

The masses packed into Sepang Circuit as race day arrived. With Ferrari in the lead, the deafening roar of the engines elicited cheers from the amped-up crowd who screamed their approval. As the pace heightened over 52 laps, the first blow out cleared around lap three as one of the cars disappeared into a plume of sand on the far side of the track. Ferrari's lead driver Felipe Massa, ahead at times by one full lap on certain cars, spun out around lap 46 on a straightaway and was unable to save his lead. His teammate Kimi Raikkonen however sped forth and captured the checkered flag to bring the team up in the rankings. In the stands, the locals dressed in bright red trumpeted their pleasure. As the sun started to set, the fans waved gigantic flags to signify the dominance of their winning tea.

After the intensity of the F1, lying in the rooftop pool at the Park Royal soaking in the budding metropolis soothes the savage beast. The evening gave way to vibrant and lightning-filled thunderstorms booming throughout the asphalt jungle like engines revving up to full throttle. Kuala Lumpur teases the vision while providing both cultural stimulus and world-class racing. From the wondrous food to the neon-filled nightlife to the unheard-of bargains and hospitality, this Malaysia is a jewel of Southern Asia.