Penang Heritage food tour

As usual I started my visit of Penang with a food tour. This particular tour is given by a Boston native that moved to Penang and married a local. He used to be a chef and loves sharing his knowledge of food with others. We meet in little India at 10:30 am in the UNESCO heritage zone – George Town. This part of Penang, an island, is named after King George III. You guessed it, it was part of the British empire at one point of time. Penang was strategically important for spice trade. It is culturally diverse here now; you will see Chinese, Indians, Malay, and others. As expected there are parts of town with concentrated restaurants and businesses that represent different ethnic groups such as Chinatown and little India.

We start with a dish eaten by locals all hours of the day (but mostly breakfast) Char Kway Teow (also spelled different ways). This style is Hokkien dish of stir fried rice noodles with sausage, prawns, egg, chili paste, fish cake, chives, and bean sprouts. I can see how this is a comfort food for locals. I crave it now. At the hawker cart (Hock Poh Lye Kopitiam) we sampled this and I also tried the local iced coffee – Kopi coffee with condensed milk. It is sweet so something I probably would only occasionally drink.

Next stop is at stall for Indian-Malaysian Chicken Curry Samosas, at Penang Special Samosa . I am not usually a fan of Samosas but this one was good. Not too spicy and you don’t get the heavy feeling like most fried foods.

It is a Friday and we end up at a Muslim restaurant. Luckily we arrived early enough because it will be closing in an hour for prayers. We sample Muslim-Indian Malaysian food at Tajuddin Hussain: nasi biryani (spiced rice) with ayam rose (“rose” chicken), kambing kurma (lamb kurma), dalca (veg curry with meat stock). I love curry so much. We also try some teh halia ais (iced ginger tea) which reminds me of a chai.

We stop next at Moh Teng Pheow kueh factory, we tried some of Penang’s signature assam laksa—mackerel based broth with noodles, lemongrass, tamarind, chili, polygonum leaf, and torch ginger flower, topped with cucumber, chili, pineapple, and mint—and a spoonful of heh koh (prawn molasses). I really wanted to try the pandan tea on the menu but they were out for the day .We also tried some sweets here.

We tried some classic Penang Peranakan dishes, prepared by Girlie and Joey Chua @Bibik’s Kitchen: her signature fried chicken (inche kabin), the rose apple kerabu (refreshing rose apple salad with mint, torch flower ginger, chili, and shallots), as well as her telur belanda (sweet and sour “Dutch egg”), and sambal kacang botol (wing bean sambal) in a spicy sambal, over a portion of 4-colored rice (pandan, blue pea flower, turmeric, and white). I got to try another nice refreshing tea – I am starting to love sweetened teas; you would never catch me ordering cold tea in the USA. This tea is partially colored with a blue flower, I think I’ve seen it before in Thailand – Butterfly Pea.

A couple things I learned today….

Gula melaka or Palm sugar in Malaysia is popular. You will find a myriad of things made of this. Stores will sell the sugar in chunks for tourists to buy and take home. Palm sugar is supposed to have a lower glycemic index and has all these health benefits. I am not convinced it is healthy but I am trying a large amount of it in Malaysia.

I learned there is a three day holiday starting today. I guess at some point i need to check out the street action here and down by the Chinese Jetties (more about them later).

Next week there is a Hindu holiday that I need to read up on for my visit to Kuala Lumpur.

I learned what a torch flower is and that it is a staple in many southeast Asian dishes.

My tour guide mentions nutmeg genocide but doesn’t go into specifics so I have to google it. Side note, I am obsessed with anything flavored with nutmeg lately. The history is that nutmeg originated from this island called Banda. The Dutch got ahold of the island in the 1600’s. Apparently the local people wanted free trade agreements but the Dutch were not having it so they basically massacred a great number of the local people. There is more to it but read up on it yourself. It is sad to hear of the origins of some of your favorite things.

I am full and I read somewhere that you go watch the sunrise at the Jetties so back to my room for the day to relax for tomorrow.

Arrived in Penang

I end up calling the airline in the morning to make sure I am on today’s flight to Penang. They confirm I am. I am still charged double for the internet mishap. She can only see one transaction but my credit card shows two. I’ll wait a couple days to see if the problem resolves itself (At time of posting the transaction has been refunded with no intervention from me). Fun fact – even though I am using my USA phone in Malaysia with a daily international plan I need to call the Malaysian number not the international number when I make calls in Malaysia. I am confused but I’ve learned something new.

Now that I have the flight thing settled I let myself leave an hour later to the airport. The airport is crowded but I could have probably left even later because I spend time sitting around and reading waiting for my flight. I guess downtime reading is good since I don’t do it much lately. When I have downtime I either nap or do research for upcoming travels.

Walking around town yesterday I saw signs for ferries to Penang. I don’t bother to stop because I had already purchased a flight. I ask my grab driver to the airport about it. He says what I read is correct, that they no longer run ferries to Penang from Langkawi. The ferries are a casualty of covid. The effects from this illness stretch far and wide. I believe there are still ferries to Thailand running.

When I arrive in Penang my grab driver there tells me more about how hard covid has hit the city, It seems like tourism is ramping up again, hopefully enough to give locals some sort of normalcy since their livelihoods are so dependent on the tourism industry.

I am staying in Georgetown Penang, the historic district. I check into my hotel that is basically a room in an old Mughal mansion. The name of the hotel Jawi Peranakan Mansion is named after a specific type of Malay. I’ll talk about Peranakans in more detail later but Jawi Peranakan represents a Muslim of mixed Indian and Malay. They were prominent in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s.

It’s a little musty inside but that comes with the territory. There is always some trade offs when staying at a place with a little character.

Soon its time to eat dinner. I get the impression that things close early and open early around here, a stark contrast from where I just came from. I need to make sure I plan my meals accordingly. Or perhaps things stay open later on the weekend? The sidewalk situation is mostly non-existent as well as crossroads. I spend a good deal of time walking the side of the road in Penang avoiding falling into the sewage drain.

I find a covered outdoor area that looks like a large food court. There are so many different foods to try that I have decision indecision. I find a cart with different types of proteins that are fried. I pick some and that is my meal for the evening; probably not the healthiest food so far. I also order ice kacang with cendol (pandan noodles). It has beans. The whole dish is semi-sweet. It is probably much healthier than my dinner choice.

Penang is where I really can tell I am in a Muslim country. I hear call to prayer multiple times a day, women typically dress conservatively and cover their hair and you will rarely find pork anywhere (beef is sometimes scarce to due to the large Hindu population).

Tomorrow I have a food tour scheduled so I can start my eating adventure of Malaysia.

Langkawi, Malaysia

While planning my travels I intended to finally visit some islands in Thailand. When it came down to deciding which ones to visit the island of Langkawi kept appearing even though it is in Malaysia. It seemed like a relaxing laid back place to visit that isn’t too far from some of the other destinations I wanted to visit In Malaysia. I decide that I will save visiting the islands in Thailand for when I have a companion (because it is more popular with people in general) and stop in Langkawi instead.

One big thing I sort of missed in Singapore is the famous water fountain at Changi airport. The start and end times of the waterfall did not coincide with either one of my flights. I contemplated going out there separately to see it but I couldn’t get excited about the extra trip out there. I sneak over to Jewel (mall at Changi airport) after I check my bag to see where it happens and I witness small little drips of water coming down. Everything there is closed for at least another hour. Maybe someday I’ll have a long layover here.

Flight is fine. Malaysia air sprayed aerosol into the cabin at the end of the flight though. Is that safer than breathing the air? Fortunately I had my mask on.

I have arrived and only a couple hours in I already wish I would have booked more nights here (like every other place I visit). I am exhausted still from jet lag and Singapore sightseeing (why have I not recovered yet?). All I want to do is eat and nap.

The airport is small. I find an ATM. I did no research on how much spending money I will need in Malaysia. I figure I will take out a little bit of cash to hold me over. My trick when I do no conversion research is to usually choose the button that corresponds to the second to the smallest amount on the ATM screen. This ATM had no such screen and I had to generate the amount myself. I had no idea what to take out. I just take out 50 Malaysian Ringgits. I don’t need funds for the ride to the hotel since I am using the Grab app so I assume that is enough to start. Turns out it isn’t. The hotel needs cash payment for the taxes and a refundable deposit. I end up giving them all I have and a 20 USD to be returned. I need to do another trip to the ATM soon.

One of the big things about this island is it a great place to do some duty free shopping. I am not a big shopper but I can’t resist walking through the duty free shops when I arrive. I end up buying some candy and dried fruit to snack on. I end up being too lazy to go out for breakfast lately so it’s nice to have something to eat on hand.

I stop for pad Thai *way spicer than I’m used to* and a cocktail or two at a restaurant that overlooks the water. I watch all the water sports below. The parasailing looks particularly fun. I am almost tempted to do it. I also want to jump off this restaurant deck into the inviting water with my clothes on and all. Tomorrow I will have to carve out some beach time. Today I am still recovering. I go back to my room and nap. The music out by the water gets increasingly louder as the night gets darker and I get more and more tired. Another thing on my list for tomorrow – to enjoy the nightlife. My hotel room has a water view and it is lovely but I am thinking earplugs will be in order.

Before going to sleep I decide to figure out the ferry service for departing the island. I usually decide how I am going to leave a place before I arrive but I didn’t this time. I’ve been places with ferry services before and it is usually pretty easy to book last minute tickets so I didn’t think it was a big deal. But we are living post covid and things are not normal. Upon researching ferries to book I discover that none I could find are running anymore, at least as of now. I guess my only option is to fly off the island again. I pick Malaysia airlines since they seem to be cheap and decent. The terrible internet keeps timing out, and eventually erroring out. Somewhere in there though I actually successfully purchases a ticket because a ticket ends up in my email. I am surprised I didn’t accidentally book myself multiple seats on this flight. As of now only one ticket appears in my email. The joys of traveling abroad when not every detail is worked out in advance.

The following morning I once again wake up way too early…eventually I’ll be on the correct time zone. I empty out my backpack for use today and I find those pair of pants I thought I left back home. I don’t really need those pants until March but when I need them I’ll really need them. I must think of ways to make more space in my bag. I may have already made a couple of small purchases.

Some days I need breakfast and others I don’t. Today I really need breakfast, besides the kettle in my room is not working so I can’t make my coffee. Not that I think I need coffee anymore but I want it today. The only thing open this early is Mc Donalds down the street so I walk on down. I get a very sugary kopi (Malaysian for coffee) and a sausage biscuit that doesn’t really taste like what we get in the USA. It is good enough so I won’t get hangry while I am off sightseeing this morning.

Sky bridge

Today I am heading to the skybridge that overlooks Langkawi. There is a huge nature preserve here. Arriving early at the skybridge gives me a couple advantages. One of which was absolutely no lines which is nice. Also it’s not that hot yet. Furthermore they did not do a bag check on me so I was able to bring my water on the cable car. On my way out I see people disposing all their liquids from their bags. You are at the mercy of what you can purchase up top. Come to think of it I don’t really remember a place to purchase drinks. I would die of dehydration.

I am enjoying the cool breeze. I enjoy the nature and the sounds of nature. There is peacefulness viewing it all from above. It’s beautiful.

After my visit to the skybridge I wander around the village which is probably seen better days, but you can tell since tourism is ramping up that they’re making improvements.

After my skybridge visit I take a grab back to town (Pentai Cenang). I plan to eat lunch and do a little shopping. I can’t buy too much but I do have a couple things I wouldn’t mind adding to my wardrobe and I wouldn’t mind making room for them by getting rid of other things in my backpack. I eventually settle on a shirt I know I will wear at a music festival in March and a soccer jersey that is hard to resist at 9 USD.

For lunch I stop at the local Bella restaurant which seems to be a popular lunch spot. I try the chicken and rice here which is served in a different style than I had in Singapore. It is a satisfying lunch that is good for a stomach that has been a little unsettled this morning (The water is supposed to be safe for consumption here. I haven’t been drinking it but I haven’t been as careful with it as I could be when I am traveling. My digestive system might be reacting to the local bacteria. I’ll be back to normal in another day or so. This is not my first travel rodeo).

While shopping my feet start bothering me. To be honest everything has been bothering me since I’ve started traveling but this is my normal life now and I just deal with discomfort most of the time or treat parts with biofreeze or topical pain cream. I’ve been meaning to pop in for a massage. This is the perfect time since my only other plan is to go to the beach and I don’t really have to go to the water (growing up around beaches most of my life make hanging on the beach not a high priority activity). I missed this about traveling around south East Asia. Massages are so affordable here. I decide on a foot reflexology plus leg, neck and shoulders combo. The neck and shoulders combo is relaxing. The foot and leg massage is very painful and this is coming from someone who views massages that aren’t painful as a waste of time. I deal with the pain because my body needs a good massage. This is no relaxing massage. Imagine stubbing a toe. Then imagine stubbing all your toes. Then imagine this happening multiple times. This is how my foot massage feels. Hopefully at $24 USD this fixes me though.

I realize tonight that the late night music and dj is actual the fire show. It is long and goes late. Thank goodness for earplugs. I walk by and watch it for a little while. I then decide to get a drink and an appetizer and watch the sunset. A guitar guy plays covers and I watch a kitten wander around the front of the restaurant like she owns the place. Today has certainly been full of kittens. Must be kitten season here.

Later on I attempt to shop again and end up at the night food market. It is busy and everything looks interesting and/or good. Unfortunately I am too full from my appetizer and cocktail so I pass. There will be more street food later, this is just my start to Malaysia.

I do take back a pandan roll to my room to eat later since not finding the pandan dessert earlier in my travels was an itch I never did scratch. Now I am satisfied. And overly full. No travel planning is happening tonight. I can’t stay awake and the internet is terrible here….you think I would be used to the terrible internet episodes from my past travels but it always takes me by surprise. For instance I am going to have to call the airport in the morning to make sure I am actually on the flight I think I am on today. I have a confirmation email and can see the reservation when I look online but I am unable to check into the flight and I never actually got a confirmation screen when I booked it (But I am also charged twice for it). The joys of traveling. I am arriving three hours early for a domestic flight to figure all this out.

Two charges. Two different amounts because the price did change in between my errors.

Singapore: Aliens, more flowers, and crabs

I have another full day planned. I wake up at 4 am and that gives me time to do my daily stretches and catch up on correspondence back home. I don’t take for granted having those connections back home available to me, even if its over email and text. I am a loner but it can sometimes get lonely traveling alone. Those connections are everything especially since I am not one to approach strangers on a regular basis.

I am visiting Gardens By the Bay today. The Gardens is a large complex of different attractions next to the Marina Bay Sands resort.

Shoes, slip sliding away.

My shoes are not working for me in Singapore. Most of the sidewalks are of smoother tile. I guess I have worn the traction down because I am in constant fear of slipping when it rains, and it rains frequently. One day I decide I wear my hiking boots for city sightseeing and the same thing happens (those have traction). How are people not falling down all the time in this city?

Crazy Alien land

I start my day at the cloud forest at opening time because I read that the large waterfall inside is best viewed without the crowds. That is correct because only a handful of people enter at the same time as I.

The cloud forest is Avatar themed. Symbols and creatures from the movies are incorporated in the exhibits. It is kind of corny but kids probably dig it. I am just enjoying exploring the high walkway without crowds.

Downstairs is a secret garden where there is a plant display.

After cloud forest I visit Gardens by the Bay, the distinct tree like structure in Singapore. You don’t need a ticket to see them from below but it is required if you want to go up the observation or do the skywalk. I only do the observation tower because I think I am coming back later for the night show (I do not).

After Gardens by the bay I visit the flower dome that is nearby the cloud forest. It is kind of cool to see all the distinct plants they have from regions all over the world. It is quite busy since they are still celebrating the Chinese new year here. I should charge for my photography services because I am getting asked non-stop to take photos of couples and families. I wouldn’t mind so much but NONE of them offered to take a photo of me in return which I am used to…its just as well since 90% of the time others take the most unflattering photos of me anyway. I start hiding from and playing dumb to people approaching me. My time is important too, they can ask others to help.

Mud crabs, Messy mess

I would go out and do more sightseeing but I have a reservation for the main event. I am dining at the local restaurant chain Jumbo restaurant where I am going to finally try some chili crab. It isn’t cheap and my order takes a while to come out but it is all worth it. The chili crab (mud crab and sauce) is really as good as they say. The only downside is that it is incredibly messy to eat. I’ve eaten enough crab in my life to know how to get at that sweet meat but I’ve never had to deal with crab soaked in a thick red sauce. They give you plastic gloves to protect your hands but somehow I think that makes things even harder – I am messier than I would have been if I had used my bare hands. I don’t dare without the gloves because no one else is. I wish I would have ordered more rolls as well. They closed the kitchen for lunch service when I was dining so I couldn’t order more rolls soak up the crab. It is a crime that so much of that delicious chili crab sauce is going to waste. I now see why you can get other food items with the chili crab sauce. It is good.

I thought I had reservations at the cocktail bar at the top of the Marina Bay Sands tonight (Reservation for 2 although I am 1 because it was the only choice). I thought it might be nice to watch the water show from up top. Midway through the day I am confused why google is not picking up the reservation from my email and putting it on my calendar like it does for every-freaking-thing else. I double check the reservation, try to add it to my calendar with the link provided and check my calendar again. It is not there. I look again. My reservation is for NEXT Monday. I am out of the country by then. You just have to laugh at yourself sometimes with the blunders. Anyway the event disappearing from my calendar gave me permission to blow everything else off that I had planned for the evening. I am exhausted from the heat and the walking. Back at home prior to the trip I was pretty sedentary planning for the trip with the exception of moving all my things in storage. My body needs time to adjust to the activity once again. Also I am 3 years older than the last time I tried to do this type of traveling and closer to the 5-0. I feel the changes in my body. I wish I would have taken advantage of my vitality in my younger age.

Anyway I am going to spend the rest of the evening packing and drinking the plethora of water bottles left for me by the hotel maid. She must think I am dehydrated and she is probably correct. I have not been drinking my normal amount of water because I fear frequent bathroom breaks.

Next stop Malaysia….

Little India Singapore

Today I am exploring other parts of Singapore, especially because most things in Chinatown are closed due to Lunar New Year. Planning this trip was sort of another travel blunder. When I saw it was Lunar new year I thought it would be a fantastic time to visit with all the celebrations. While that is true, also is true is that lots of Singapore is shutdown through Tuesday due to 76% of the population being Chinese and this is a major family holiday for them. So today I head over to little India and nearby areas.

The subway drops me off at Tekka Centre which is a large hawker market of mostly Indian food. You can basically find any kind of flair of Indian food. I am on a mission to try Murtabak which is basically like a meat pancake. And of course some prata: who can resist thing tasty bread with dipping sauce? I also order mango lassi at a juice stall because mango lassi is amazing.

I am quite disappointed with the murtabak. I don’t like the flavor and the chicken inside are all the bony and cartilage parts, basically inedible. I eat my prata which is very good and but lose my appetite after. I will have to try this again to see if this is an anomaly or I am just not a fan.

I start walking around little India. It is busy. There are lots of stands of food, clothing, and other items. I can smell the spices and all the smells remind me of my visit to India around ten years ago. I hear the sounds of music playing. It is a very lively part of town.

At some point I end up in an area that resembles another china town. I want to visit this up and coming part of town called the Lavender district that is supposed to contain hip places. Most of the businesses in the Lavender district must be Chinese owned because every place I want to visit is closed.

Nearby is a two story building of beautiful terrace houses on Petain Road. Some look like private residences but some house businesses. The building is very nice to look at.

I walk over to Kampong Glam and Haji Lane in the Muslim quarter of Singapore. There are many cafes and restaurants near the large mosque. Many of the restaurants are Turkish as well. I also pop over to Haji lane to look at all the street art.

Since it is once again hot I call sightseeing quits early and start heading back to my hotel. A swim in that fancy pool sounds really nice right now. However it starts raining while I am walking back. But not sprinkles but heavy Florida-like summer rain. I have my rain jacket with me but it doesn’t stop from most of my body, including another pair of shoes, from getting wet.

I’ve been in communication with one of my new friends. She is getting some Singapore slings at the famous Long Bar which just happens to be on my way back. I stop and say hi but don’t get a drink because I am pretty sure I have heat exhaustion at this point; even with the rain cool off. I say hi and head back to my hotel.

I go back to the hotel to clean up and rest and decide to get a western style dinner at a local Italian place. It stops raining but due to the puddles I completely soak another pair of shoes. They too smell awesome the next day (sarcasm).

Tomorrow I am going to visit the cloud forest,