The first moments in a new country is always exciting. It’s great to absorb and take everything in for the first time. Our first stop in Malaysia was in Penang. It’s an island off Peninsular Malaysia and it is known for its culinary delights. We arrived in Penang not knowing what to expect, and we were pleasantly surprised to find a quaint little city. This is the only country in South East Asia that we have been to that has such a mix of cultures. The people of Malaysia consist of Malay, Chinese and Indian people. It is an Islamic nation therefore the majority population is Muslim, but there are also many Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. You can be walking down the street and see women with head scarves, saris, western clothes or the clothes that Orthodox Muslim’s wear (I’m not sure what the correct name is). On every street there were temples, mosques or churches. We found it very refreshing to see such a mix of cultures all living together. We loved listening to the enchanting sounds of the Call to Prayer from the Mosques. We have never heard this before, and we were surprised at how eerie yet beautiful is sounded all at the same time. Generally the people in Malaysia speak English really well, so communicating was not a problem. We also found the people to be extremely friendly and helpful.
Not all accommodation can be a magical beach hut on the beach, or a great room in a hotel. Our room in the guest house had no windows and was literally a box. Our sleeps were as if we were knocked out, the lack of lighting allowed us to deep sleep for many hours and we always woke with a sense of confusion about whether it was night or day. The walls were make- shift and voices could be heard coming from all sides (including the floor). Other than the room, our guest house offered great and friendly advice and had an agency that offered good prices for buses.
Eating our way through Penang:
Our first night for dinner we literally ate our way down the street. Our first stop was at a vendor that sold different types of meats and seafood on skewers. We watched how the locals were eating and figured out that you choose a skewer put it in a communal tub of boiling water and wait for it to cook. When it was done cooking, you could dip into different sauces and eat it right there standing up. We enjoyed a few skewers (fish balls, pork balls, beef liver) as an appetizer then continued on our way down the street.
Our next stop was at a stall with a local noodle dish; the next stop was noodle soup, then we sampled some dim sum and finally we washed it all down with fresh fruit juices. On a side note: Fresh fruit juices made on the street are a constant staple throughout Asia, its healthy and yummy. Why don’t we have these at home??? I think we should have juice stalls on the street too. Forget these $7 smoothies from big fancy chain stores, make them the old fashion way and keep it simple and cheap!
Thanksgiving in Penang:
Forget the gobble-gobble… we ate a feast in India town. Andrew and I haven’t eaten Indian food since our trip to India last year. We were happy to find this area of town and were surprised at how it transformed us back to our trip last year. We felt like we were back walking the streets of India. The people were crowded in the streets, and there were loud music and colours everywhere. We found a restaurant and enjoyed an assortment of Indian food. The food was great and we enjoyed the meal, in fact we enjoyed it so much we returned there the following two nights for another “Thanksgiving dinner!”
Sights of Penang:
We went to a Buddhist sanctuary called Bodhi Heart Centre. It was a beautiful place just outside the main city. We went to hear a Dhamma talk, and were surprised to find the other people attending were all part of a senior’s/ retiree group. After listening to a monk talk, the group insisted that we must stay for lunch. It was pot luck of Malaysian food, everyone was very nice and they kept giving us more and more food. Again, we were fortunate enough to meet great people who have gone above and beyond to extend kindness to us. We took a brief tour of the sanctuary stayed to chat a bit then left to head back to our guesthouse.
When we arrive in a city we usually like to take Trishaws (a bicycle rickshaw) to see the city and to get acquainted to where we are. Unlike the madness of riding through Vietnam, this one was relatively calm. I can’t image how hard it must be to ride up and down the city pushing two people, the entire time talking and giving us an excellent tour. We took an hour ride around the city, through China town, India town and other sights.
The Penang transit was easy to navigate and figure out. The buses were extremely modern and the routes were extensive. We took a bus to a funicular which took us up a hill called Penang Hill. It had spectacular views of the city. We spent the afternoon exploring the area, then took the Funicular back down and went to the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia.
After four days in Penang, with a full belly we decided to move on tour next destination.
~Nicola
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| Pulau Penang, Malaysia |
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