Penang for Chinese New Year and more

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20th January 09:
After a long a boring wait at Bangkok airport, I boarded a plane for Penang. Dee's Uncle and Aunt came to pick me up from the airport and showed me a little of the town including taking me for some nice soup and showing me the supermarket. It's much hotter here than anywhere else I've been! And I'm sure the mosquitos are more vicious though the massive whelts on my leg have originated from Bangkok airport! Then Dee and her mum arrived at the airport so we picked them up and all went back to Esther and Sam's house before going out for some food at a lovely local place where I was the only white face in the room. That was a novel experience after all the tourist traps I've been to so far. Then we went for more food by the 'beach' - a dirty little stretch of sand covered in rubbish! It was dark so the scenery wasn't important! We got home in time to hear Obama's Inaugration speech on tv!

21st January 09:
We got up early and went for a dip in the pool of Esther and Sam's condo complex. It was really warm and lovely first thing in the morning. We even tried out the water slides. The first time we went down they seemed pretty harmless so we tried lying down resulting in me almost killing myself! It was pretty vicious! Watched a bit of the tennis open then had a late breakfast. We were surprised to find out it was Uncle Sam's birthday so we had some lovely food (Malaysian noodles, prawn curry and Malaysian spiced chicken) followed by birthday cake. We then went out into town for more food. We went to the Bean Curd restaurant which tasted nice but was a bit slimy! Then we went to see Khoo Konsai - a temple built by the Khoo clan to represent their prosperity and wealth. It's the most ornate clan temple outside mainland china and had traditional Chinese style architecture and decoration. We then went to try Chendul - a delicacy not found outside of Penang, and in fact, aparently not even really found outside of Penang Road in Georgetown! It involves a bowl filled with iceflakes, sugar syrup, soya beans, and green rice noodles in coconut milk. It's a wierd mix of sweet and savoury but it's delicious! It was so cold and sweet and refreshing after walking around in the hot air of the temple. In the evening we headed over to the mainland where Dee's Grandma (Paupau) lives. We had some dinner there then went to Dee's Uncle's house. He lives in a big beautiful house with a beautiful garden. It has loads of bonzai trees and plants with lovely seating areas under gazebos. The bushes on the patio had been decorated with red decorations for Chinese New Year including big red ribbons around the pots and red paper fishes hanging from ribbons. Dee, Dee's mum and I all shared a room to sleep in and I have never heard snoring like it. I was actually woken up in the night to the sound of Dee's mother! It was incredible! I put my industrial strength earplugs in and I could still hear her!!

22nd January 09:
We started the day with noodles and rice paper parcel filled with vegetables which set us up for the day so we were raring to go. We had to wait for Dee's mum to rise then we were picked up by Aunt Esther and taken to Paupau's house were we were presented with yet more food. We were told that it was made specially by Dee's uncle so it would be impolite not to eat. It was 11.30 and we'd already eaten 2 big main meals. I felt sick. Then we headed back to Penang. Aunt Esther took us around to see some of the sights but it was so hot and we were so full of food it was hard to stay awake! We then headed to Kek Loksi temple - a Buddist temple on the top of a big hill. We walked up lots of steps through the market which passed a little pagoda that contained a pool with possibly the highest density of turtles I have ever seen!! We continued up more steps to the temple itself which was adorned by thousands and thousands of red and yellow paper lanterns. The Kek Loksi padoga itself is multi-tiered tower named the pagoda of 10 thousand buddahs. This may have been on account of the inside of the temple being tiled with images of the buddah in various styles depending on the floor, varying from elegant bronze to garish Disney style. We climbed the tower and could see over the Island for miles. The temple is one of the largest buddist temples in Malaysia. Then we headed up to Ayr Itam (Dark Water) where there was a Dam. We walked along the dam itself to look at the water behind it. It was really peaceful, surrounded by jungle with only the birds splashing in the water and a tiny waterfall making any noise. It was also very hot so we hopped back in the airconditioned car and headed for town. Next stop was the reclining buddah temple with a large colourful reclining Buddah housed in a Thai temple funded by the Thai government. It wasn't as elegant as the large golden Buddah at Wat Pho in Bangkok but still rather impressive! There were lots of urns at the back containing people's ashes inside little windows with a photo of the person and a little inscription on each one, even little trinkets including a toy car! Over the road was the Burmese temple in Burmese style. There was a bizarre sculpture in the gardens which from the front looked like a selection of people and animals with one of the people a woman in a swimsuit. From the back the 'woman' had a pair of testicles tucked between 'her' crossed legs!! A sculpture to appeal to the Ladyboys among the Buddist faith perhaps! We then stopped off at various sights to take some photos - the clock tower, the betel-nut sculpture (the betel nut is the symbol of Malaysia), the marina, Fort Cornwallis and some beautiful colonial architecture with the plaster work falling away from stained house fronts to reveal patches of brickwork. We also stopped for more Chendul. In the late afternoon we headed up Penang Hill on the cable car - a hairy train ride that takes you practically vertically up the hill into the forest. From the top you can see the whole of Georgetown and beyond the Penang bridge to the mainland town of Butterworth. We had a quick walk around before it got too dark and saw monkeys and the most enormous spiders I have ever seen! They were about the side of my outstretched hand and apparently poisonous too. There were hundreds of them all hanging over the paths on cables and trees. Heading back towards the train we stopped to take some photos of Georgetown by night. It was much more beautiful in real life than any of the photos we took could capture. We headed back to town for some food, and more food! Started off trying a chicken soup which was quite slimy. It was a nice flavour but the texture was a little unpleasant and put me off somewhat! The noodles we ordered were also pretty slimy - not my most favourite dining experience! Then we went to Gurney Plaza and went to the Hawkers stalls outside for pancakes, cheechon fun (fat noodles rolled into sausages and cut into bitesized pieces then covered in a sweet sticky sauce made from pineapple and shrimp paste. Then we had chicken satay. Very nice but caused major tummy ache - need to stop eating so much! Aunt Esther told us how the Chinese and Malays didn't really mix and didn't eat at each others food stalls and as we walked between the two stalls there was a wasteland of empty stalls!

23rd January 09:
Today, Dee's cousin Daniel was our tour guide. We started the day with another two breakfasts - only small ones this time! Daniel took us to a dim sum restaurant for lots of little yummy parcels of food before we headed off to the Botanical Gardens for a brief look around. We spotted some monkeys that looked much more placid than the pickpocket, handbag snatching terrors we'd been warned about! We headed for the lovely airconditioned environs of the shopping mall to escape the midday heat (that was our excuse, it wasn't for looking at the clothes, honest!).We drove around to a small beach and took a look at the temporary housing that had been erected for the victims of the 2004 tsunami. Then we went to a slightly more 'expensive' beach that bordered the most expensive hotel in Penang. We sat in the sun loungers by the pool and pretended we had the money to be staying there, even just for a few minutes, we felt like movie stars! We then headed off to the Tropical Spice garden. It was set in the jungle and had lots of spice plants (obviously!) dotted through the jungle. There was also a giant swing that Daniel pushed us on, it went right out over the platform into the jungle canopy - it had a safety net but luckily we didn't need it! I also saw the tail of a large snake/lizard - black and yellow in colour - I swear it was there and I didn't imagine it, but no one else saw it before it scurried away into the undergrowth! We tried some homebaked spice cookies - yum! Then we went further along the coast to a rickety fisherman's pier. Walking along it was a bit like walking the plank, except we didn't know if or when we'd fall in the water! We then headed up into the mountains to the tropical fruit farm, but only for a fresh juice and Ice Kachang - shaved ice mountain with fresh chopped fruits, sugar syrup and covered with jackfruit puree - we had to get our 5-a-day somehow... We headed back for more shopping at the Queensbay Mall - for the cooling effect of the airconditioning - honest! - where I made an unlikely purchase of Mr Bean's teddy bear! Mr Bean is very popular out here! We popped home for quick showers before going out for some food. We went for Indian and had Tandoori plates - tandoori chicken with roti and dips. Also we tried the roti tissue - an enormous pancake construction covered in honey and sugar - crispy delicious goodness!

24th January 09
Started the day with some home cooking then it was off to town for yet more chendul. We went to Georgetown for an hour or so but the place was practically a ghost town with everyone shutting up in preparation for Chinese New Year. Went for a quick look around Fort Cornwallis, locking ourselves in the fort prison and weilding big fake guns dressed as English gentry. We then headed to the mainland by ferry. We took a quick trip to the Lim family vegetable farm where they grow dragonfruit, aubergines, chillis and papayas etc. After a quick stop for Laksa, a Malaysian speciality, we went back Dee's Uncles.

25th January 09:
Traditionally on Chinese New Year's eve, people will get their hair washed and cut in preparation for the new year. So, not ones to miss out on a bit of tradition, we got our hair done. We went over to Dee's Grandma's house and the day panned out very much like Christmas day, hanging about and doing very little, eating alot. Had some sea cucumber - kinda slimy and tasted more like a vegetable than a living creature. The 'kids' played computer games most of the day - I got quite good at the dance game - not actually dancing of course! Just pressing the keypad controller. We went out briefly for Mee Goreng - spicy noodles - Then went back to Pau Pau's for DVDs and fresh water crab and papaya grown on the family farm. We went back to Uncle Cha Ho's for Chinese New Year celebrations. A table had been set up with lots of offerings for the ancestors and incense was burned and prayers were said for the ancestors. Big golden paper pineapples and other golden paper origami shapes which are burnt in a big bonfire to symbolise sending the 'gold' ie wealth to the ancestors. We then ate lots of Chinese New Year sweets and cakes. We then went out for yet more Indian food at midnight and passed a Chinese temple where they were doing the Lion Dancing with lots of noisy musical instruments. The smell of the incense was immense!

26th January 09:
Today was a particularly boring day.Went over to Pau Pau's again to say goodbye to Dee's Uncle KK. The rest of the day was spent bored out of my tiny little mind. Taught Dee to play Gin Rummy. Dee's mum is a particularly unhelpful person. Went for a walk in the evening and found a little park and a river and where we could have spent the day had we been let out of the house (we were literally held captive, locked inside steel gates with spikes on top!)

27th January 09:
Started the day with Nasi Ronak - rice cooked with coconut milk served with spicy tomato sauce and squid and sardines. Spent the morning in Cha Ho's gorgeous garden reading books. Had steam boat for lunch - broth cooked in a a pot on the table which you add fish, meat and vegetables to. Had jelly fish in it - bit rubbery with very mild flavour - bit like squid.Cha Ho took us to his golf club in the afternoon where we went to the driving range and smacked lots of balls not very far away! Managed about 50 meters but that was all. Had sore arms afterwards. We went to the golf club pool for a quick dip but it had just tipped it down with rain while we were at the driving range and it was a bit chilly once it had stopped so the pool wasn't as appealing.

28th January 09:
Was up super early this morning to go to the Cameron Highlands. Ah Hee and Ah Mau picked us up and drove us the 2 hour drive up into the mountains. 1st Stop: Strawberry and flower plantation 2nd Stop: A garden centre with lots of beautiful orchids, cactus and carniverous plants. 3rd Stop: Tea plantation - massive mountainsides covered in green tiles of tea bushes, the paths through the foliage gave the effect of a giant's mosaic hallway. 4th Stop: Rose gardens with cacti, waterpools, bridges and an old swing. We had strawberry smoothies with strawberry icecream then went off to the Butterfly farm. They had lots of enormous beautiful butterflies as well as frogs, scorpions, lizards and snakes. There were also giant grasshoppers which were ENORMOUS and really ugly!! We went to another strawberry farm where they also grew oyster mushrooms which were delicious!! We had lunch in the highlands then went back to Parit Buntar to pack for our trip to Phuket in the morning!

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Photos

Ahh, Nuts!!
Buddist Ladyboy sculpture

Cendul Ingredients
The green stuff is rice noodles, the brown stuff is soya beans, the white stuff is coconut milk containing the green noodles. You can see them making iceflakes at the top of the picture. Mix it all together and you get Chendul!

Spiders!!!
The biggest ugliest spider I have ever seen!!

Walking the Plank
Rickety old Fishermans Pier

Roti Tissue
It's big!! But it's good!!

Banged Up
Locked up in Fort Cornwallis Jail

Gettoff my Land!!
Playing with guns IS cool kids, but ONLY if they're fake....

Old Trishaw
Err... what happened to our driver?