Last day in Penang, Checked out some temples

These two were on opposite sides of the road. The usual shoes off before entering a building applied.

Burma Temple

Thai Temple

They look harmless enough

Little Bastards. What’s cute, cuddly looking and snarls. A Monkey. I think they wanted our drinks and backpacks. We had set out for the first time in a few days traveling more than the food court next to the hotel. Off to the Botanic Gardens. We caught the bus most of the way and walked the rest. There were the usual tempes etc along the way. Almost there, there is a park with seats and shelters. Oh look a bunch of monkeys, how cute. I want to go have a closer look. So off we go. oh how cool, click, click, oh look there’s some little babies, how cute, oh look there climbing the trees and power poles. Then suddenly Hiss, Growl, the little bugger was showing 2 inch canines and growling like he was serious. Ok, lets get out of here. We edged back and gave him a show of kicking feet and a roaring yell when he got closer. out to the safety of the road. I guess that’s what happens because people had been feeding them and we didn’t.

There were heaps more in the gardens but they seamed a lot friendlier, probably due to the copious amounts of peanuts people were giving them.

We caught the tram thingy around the garden and then waked around. The gardens are not well maintained, but the lawn are nice, most people seem to go there for jogging.

There were some interesting plants and palms so tall that even the 3 stage ladder wouldn’t get to the top of them.

the cannon ball tree is quite weird. the fruit and flowers grow from stalks on the trunk, not in the branches at all.

 

We’re back, sort of.

Started out feeling not so good on Sunday but went out anyway. we visited the Tropical Spice Garden around the coast at Teluk Bahang. after 15 mins i was looking for the tandas. We took a pit stop and  then had a bit more of a look around. It was not very good. a bit interesting and i am glad we went but very lacking on information, as are most of these type of things here.

The last 2 days we’ve been hold up in the hotel but did venture out this afternoon in need of food. I think the cause was the fried chicken skins i got on Saturday. Hopefully will be better in the next few days. luckily there’s no vomiting and the tandas has become our new best friend.

We are staying a few extra days so we can check out the tropical fruit farm and toy museum.

Waterfront. The car ferry from Butterworth in the background.

abandoned buildings

The biggest incense stick ever

 

Spot the monkey. apparently about 200 live in/ near the spice garden. we also saw some golden ones on the way to the garden. they were sitting on a large road sign.

So much for a lazy day.

it wasn’t too busy but we did a few things. First went to another mall on the way to where i thought the toy museum was. it was quite new and nice, right on the waterfront. It looks like it could be on reclaimed land by the way the seawall is.

After getting some supplies, bottle of water, snacks, coffee frappe from Starbucks etc, we headed off to where i thought i had seen the toy museum the day before. The bus driver didn’t know what i was on about but we got bus tickets anyway. we got off where i had seen the life size plastic toy figure and immediately realised why the driver didn’t know what i was talking about, it was a daycare. Great, now what are we going to do. Might as well have a look around. So we had a wander down the street and found a beach, it was ok. th more exciting thing we found was the giant bees on the vine near the beach.

After a little look around we caught a bus back to near where we are staying, Sharon had spotted a place that sold frog porridge and i was quite keen to try it. It was closed, sing saying off day. across the road was a small hawker centre so I asked there. Yes the place over there sells frog but you will need to wait until 6pm when they open. no problem, got some drinks and played travel rummy for 3/4 hour. cool 6 o’clock, frog time. I went and ordered, price will be RM15, how would you like it cooked, fried with chilli or no chilli, well i want to taste the frog so no chilli. it came out, i got stuck in. I thought it was going to taste like chicken, WRONG, it tasted like a delicate fish. it was chopped up, as most asian dishes are, and cooked in a sweet ginger sauce with chives. Delicious. The skin was crispy like fish skin goes when fried. Sharon even tried a little piece, on the way back tto the hotel we were thinking how good it would be in a chowder with scallops and other seafood.

Its not all pretty here, in fact so far we haven’t been far out of the city so not realy pretty at all.

 

Bee? i am pretty sure it is. about 1 inch long and 1/2 inch wide.

Mmmmm frog

today

just having a lazy day today.

yesterday morning ish i had a local dish called rojak. Not recommended. its basically cut up bite size fruit, veggies and squid – pineapple, apple, pear, that sort of thing. they then cover it with a treacle ** Correction** Molasses type sauce with chilly in and crushed nuts. it was too hot to enjoy and just plain wierd.

It was raining yesterday

So we took a bus ride to Batu Ferringhi which is a town on the north side of the island. there was KFC so thought we’d have that for lunch. Man, deep fried chicken skin never tasted so good. Only i wish i didn’t have so much. The bus ride back was hell. the first 6 KM was winding coast road and it was bad enough on the way there. travel sickness you see. i just kept breathing and looking ahead and finally made it back without incident.

At the bottom are a few pics from the KL Bus terminal.

Old photos from my phone last week.

seriously ??????

 

This is the bus that took us to Penang we had front seats again, it was a great trip.

Pics from Penang

Our room, the view is great. its a small room but what do you want for 20 bucks.

You just gotta laugh.

Mt pitt? not quite.

 

Uni building. there are a few nice buildings around.

and a lot of buildings that used to look nice.