Flashback: Penang Island, Malaysia

From Cameron Highlands, we took a minibus to Penang Island. Penang is a state in northern Malaysia, and also the name of an island with a rich history. It is also known as a foodie town, so you know we’ll like it!

Cameron Highlands to Penang

In the late 1700’s the British East India company essentially took control of Penang Island. It quickly became a base of trade and was made one of the “Presidencies” like Bombay and Madras. Under British colonial rule the Chinese presence in Penang grew. During WWII, Penang was heavily bombed and occupied by Japanese forces. After the war, there were movements for Penang Independence, and to join Penang with Singapore, but in the end it became part of Malaysia.

One the eastern side of the island is Georgetown, a colonial gem and UNESCO World Heritage City. It is full of great architecture and great food. We spent our first few nights in an old shophouse converted into an apartment.

Our pad in Georgetown

The outside of our pad in Georgetown

Some great art deco era shops

Some great art deco era shops

Cute streets and cafes

Cute streets and cafes

Old and new

Old-ish and new

We spent spent about 4 days in Georgetown just exploring all its nooks and crannies and of course, its food. There were some fantastic restaurants, and the street food is great too. Here’s an example of a little alley that by day is full of hardware shops. By night the gates go down on the shops and the street food vendors set up.

Alleyway food stalls. In the morning this will all be gone and the hardware shops will open again.

Alleyway food stalls. In the morning this will all be gone and the hardware shops will open again.

Dinner time

Dinner time

Delicious little treats

Delicious little treats

There's a hardware shop behind that old green gate.

There’s a hardware shop behind that old green gate.

Juice stand

Juice stand

Our little animal lover found a “cat cafe” so one afternoon we checked it out. Jette had fun playing with the cats, and we met some nice people (Hi Molly!).

Grumpy? Not me.

Grumpy? Not me.

Hello up there

Hello up there

Stepping out

Stepping out

Leaving a note on the wall

Leaving a note on the wall. I wanted to write one that said, “Yum! Cats taste good!” but I restrained myself.

One of the popular street food dishes is a fried noodle dish called Char Kway Teow. We ate our fair share of that all over town.

Having some Char Kway Teow

Having some Char Kway Teow

Char Kway Teow

Char Kway Teow

We also found a yummy local Dim Sum joint

Leong Kee Dim Sum

Leong Kee Dim Sum

sum a dim Dim Sum

sum a dim Dim Sum

We did do much and saw so much, it’s hard to summarize.
Here are some random photos of Georgetown:

Bicycle rickshaw

Bicycle rickshaw

Another bicycle rickshaw

Another bicycle rickshaw

Street art

Street art

Master Wong

Master Wong

Yep, 7-Eleven is in Georgetown too

Yep, 7-Eleven is in Georgetown too

Stamps!

Stamps!

Hello doggie

Hello doggie

Tourists on bikes

Tourists on bikes

Funbrellas on the street

Funbrellas on the street

Incense drying in the sun

Incense drying in the sun

Minions on the loose!!!!

Minions on the loose!!!!

More street art

More street art

More street art

More street art

More street art

More street art

More street art

More street art

Old Chinese buildings at dusk

Old Chinese buildings at dusk

Rain

Rain

Most of the local shops and shophouses have tiled sidewalks, and typically each one is different…

Tiled sidewalk

Tiled sidewalk

Qbert, where are you?

Food vendors hit the streets at night

Food vendors hit the streets at night

Pharmacy

Pharmacy

I wonder what she's thinking?

I wonder what she’s thinking? Not sure what was going on here.

Cows getting decorated for Hindu festival

Cows getting decorated for Hindu festival

OK, who the heck spraypainted my hooves?!

OK, who the heck spray painted my hooves?!

Watch your head on these sidewalks

Watch your head on these sidewalks

In colonial times, Penang was part of the “Straits Settlements” of Singapore, Malacca, and Penang. In these settlements there were a large number of ethnic Chinese who developed their own culture. They are known as Peranakan or “Straits Chinese.” In Georgetown, there is a large mansion – The Blue Mansion – built at the end of the 19th century by a wealthy Peranakan named Cheong Fatt Tze. Cheong Fatt Tze was a wealthy and powerful merchant, and under British rule was the de facto “mayor” of the local Chinese population. The house was built with the help of a feng shui master, and is built in the Chinese “courtyard mansion” style. It is one of the largest mansions of this type outside of China. Some of the scenes in the movie “Indochine” were filmed here. Anyway, it was really interesting to see, and woman giving the tour around the interior was very knowledgable and gave us some great insights into the history of the building, the feng shui principles that dictated the design, and the history of Cheong Fatt Tze, who was quite an interesting character.

The entry of the Blue Mansion

The entry of the Blue Mansion

Looking down into the main courtyard

Looking down into the main courtyard. The courtyard is designed on feung shui principles to gather and control the flow of rainwater and wealth!

Exterior of the Blue Mansion

Exterior view of the Blue Mansion

Waiting patiently in the waiting area

Waiting patiently in the waiting area. The floors are Italian marble.

Our tour guide spinning yarns

Our tour guide spinning yarns

After our days in Georgetown, we moved just bit up and around the NE part of the island to Tanjung Tokong, an upscale neighborhood with lots of high-rise condos and shopping. It’s a popular neighborhood with expats and local alike.

Penang Map Georgetown to TT

We found a great apartment in one of the high-rises through airbnb, and settled in. There was a great supermarket in the building, so Jette was able to do some cooking and satisfy her cravings for Tex-Mex! Many bean burritos were made and consumed.

View from our apartment

View from our apartment

We made a trip up to Batu Ferrenghi, a popular beach town on the North side of the island. It is also a popular expat and tourist area, but we found it to be a bit grungy. We spent an afternoon at a Starbucks on the beach doing some work, and took a stroll down the beach.

Batu Ferringhi
Homework at Starbucks Batu Ferringhi

Starbucks patio

Starbucks patio

Beach at Batu Ferringhi

Beach at Batu Ferringhi

Some of the local beachwear

Some of the local beachwear

We went back into Georgetown to explore some fun shops, cafes, and restaurants. We also went to the Sunday street fair where Jette rented a hoverboard and Segway-type thing.

Sunday street fair

Sunday street fair

Bubbles

Bubbles

Cowgirl

Cowgirl

Street portraits

Street portraits

Getting her caricature made

Getting her caricature made

Does it look iike Jette?

Does it look like Jette?

We had lots of fun in Penang. It’s an interesting place with a great mix of cultures.

At a local cafe

At a local cafe

As in so much of Asia and the rest of the world, malls are a big draw. There are two big malls in Tanjung Tokong. Plaza Gourney has lots of restaurants, a big supermarket, movie theaters, and of course tons of shops. It is a popular place for locals to hang out.

Plaza Gourney

Plaza Gourney

Mall decorations for Chinese New Year

Mall decorations for Chinese New Year

One of the big malls in Tanjung Tokong

One of the big malls in Tanjung Tokong

Going to the movies

Going to the movies

Racing mtorcycles

Racing motorcycles

Honey cream. Yum. Soft serve ice cream drizzled with fresh honey.

Honey cream. Yum. Soft serve ice cream drizzled with fresh honey.

We also visited a local botanical garden – The Tropical Spice Garden.

Waterfall in the Tropical Spice Garden

Waterfall in the Tropical Spice Garden

Listening to the audio tour.

Listening to the audio tour.

Crossing the stream

Crossing the stream

Rainforest ecosystem

Rainforest ecosystem

Don't touch me!

Don’t touch me!

Studying

Studying

Lots of information about the local flora

Lots of information about the local flora

Tropical hugs

Tropical hugs

Taking a swing break

Taking a swing break

Hammock break

Hammock break

Walking on the accupressure path

Walking on the acupressure path

Cacao - chocolate, baby!

Cacao – chocolate, baby!

We didn’t swim, but while we were waiting for the bus, we checked out the beach across the street from the garden.

Handstand on the beach across from Tropical Spice Garden

Handstand on the beach across from Tropical Spice Garden

Penang is a melting pot of cultures, and a very cosmopolitan place. We enjoyed our time here, and can see why it draws so many visitors and expats. I could go on, but we are way behind on blog posts, so I will cut it short (this is short?!) and simply leave you with a few more photos.

Gurney night food market

Gurney night food market

Curry mee

Curry mee (curry noodles)

Our bowl of curry mee

Our bowl of curry mee

Yes, please curry me! Noodles down the hatch

Yes, please curry me! Noodles down the hatch

Jette attacks her fish and chips at Muntri Mews

Jette attacks her fish and chips at Muntri Mews

My yummy curry at Muntri Mews

My yummy curry at Muntri Mews

The dessert spread at China House

The dessert spread at China House

The circular doorway to the lounge and live music area at China House

The circular doorway to the lounge and live music area at China House

Tiny pomelo

Tiny pomelo

Bubble time

Bubble time

Oh, I have to mention Roti Cani – crispy, chewy flat bread served with curry. One of my favorite dishes and one of the things that I remember most from my previous visit to Penang decades ago. There aren’t nearly as many roti shops/stands as I remember, but we found a couple decent ones. Yum!

Famous roti cani stand

Famous roti cani stand

Roti on the grill

Roti on the grill

Roti and milk tea

Roti and milk tea

 

 

 

 

Flashback: Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Still playing catch-up, so this post is a “flashback” to more than a month ago and our visit to the Cameron Highlands area in Malaysia.

Tea plantation gymnastics

Tea plantation gymnastics

From Taman Negara, we took a “minibus” to the Cameron Highlands area in central Malaysia. It is mountainous, highlands area and the “breadbasket” of Malaysia. In colonial times it was a hill-station for the British ruling class – a cool retreat from the unending heat and humidity of Kuala Lumpur and Georgetown.  The British established tea plantations. It’s climate is excellent both for tea and other produce and it remains one of the most productive agricultural areas in Malaysia, with many vegetable farms, orchards, apiaries, and of course tea plantations. One of the most popular activities besides scenic walks through the tea plantations is picking strawberries. Yum!

There are a number of small towns or villages sprinkled through the area. Tanah Rata is the biggest and really the commercial center. All of the towns are a bit on the grungy side – they are working agricultural towns – and many of the smaller towns or villages are really nothing more than a collection of agricultural and industrial suppliers. The “supply chain” here is quite visible, in a way that you would never see in the West. The open storefronts have truck tires, pipes, concrete, gravel, lumber, and all kinds of supplies and equipment spilling out onto the street. The narrow roads are jammed not just with tour busses and cars, but also with giant, overloaded, under-maintained trucks and heavy equipment. As you drive through the mountain roads you see vast tea plantations, terraced vegetable farms, orchards, and miles and miles of plastic sheets in the form of greenhouses. In a couple of areas, there are quarries – whole mountainsides that have been blasted raw, and once pristine, now shockingly polluted lakes. You have the sense that the earth all around is being torn, ripped, and molded to man’s will in a fairly brutal way and you are right in the middle of the chaos. At the same time, there are many areas of untouched forest. From distance it is all quite beautiful. Up close sometimes less so.

There are four main ethnic groups in Malaysia: muslim Malays, Chinese, Indians, and the aboriginal people – called “Orang Asli.” The Orang Asli are jungle dwellers and the original inhabitants of the Malay Peninsula. Like many native peoples, they have fallen victim to conquering peoples and more recently, “modern” life. Here’s a snippet of Orang Asli history from Wikipedia:

Slave raids into Orang Asli settlements were also quite common feature back in the 18th and 19th centuries. These slave-raiders were mainly local Malays and Bataks, who considered the Orang Asli as ‘kafirs’, ‘non-humans’, ‘savages’ and ‘jungle-beasts. The modus operandi was basically to swoop down a settlement and then kill off all the adult men. Women and children were captured alive as they are ‘easier to tame.’ The captives Orang Asli slaves were sold off or given to local rulers and chieftains to gain their favour. Slaves trade soon developed and even continued into the present century despite the official abolition of all forms of slavery in 1884. The derogatory term “Sakai” is used to refer to the Orang Asli until the middle of the 20th century meant slave or dependent. 

Today, the forests that have housed and fed them for generations have largely been destroyed or repurposed, and they have been pushed to limited tracts of land and the margins of a new society.

When we looked for accommodation online we found a place called the Rain Forest Inn that had really good reviews. We booked it and it turned out to be a fantastic experience. It was started by two partners – an Orang Asli man named John and his Chinese friend. It is on Orang Asli lands, and is a series of mostly-traditional bamboo huts built on a hillside, next to a beautiful stream with a waterfall.

View across the valley at the base of the property

View across the valley at the base of the property

Our hut

Our hut

Testing the bed

Testing the bed

The stream

Exploring the stream

Navigating the rocks

Navigating the rocks

Up to the waterfall

Up to the waterfall

The lower falls

The lower falls

Bamboo pipes make for a fun shower in the stream

Bamboo pipes make for a fun shower in the stream

The lower part of the stream is wide and calm and feeds into a nearby creek

The lower part of the stream is wide and calm and feeds into a nearby creek

Exploring the adjoining creek

Exploring the adjoining creek

Muddy feet!

Muddy feet!

Hey! What's this?

Hey! What’s this?

Tadpoles!

Tadpoles!

We had lots of fun playing in the stream, exploring the creek, and climbing the waterfall – there’s a upper falls area with a small pool that is perfect for a relaxing soak. But watch out! The rocks are slippery. At dinner, we were treated to a big spread of traditional Orang Asli cooking. It was simple but very delicious and many of the things we ate were grown or gathered on the property.

Dinner being prepared

Dinner being prepared

The dining room

The dining room

Traditional dishes at dinner

Traditional dishes at dinner

Yum!

Yum!

That night Jette got really sick. She had a headache and was vomiting. After throwing up a few times she fell asleep. She slept through the night and in the morning she felt fine. We think it may have been something she ate at lunch, but we’re not sure. It could have been something at dinner, but no one else was sick, and we ate a similar dinner on our second night with no ill effects. Both Mila and Jette have had similar episodes a couple of times on our travels – a sudden headache followed by vomiting, then a quick recovery. We’re thinking that they are allergic or sensitive to some ingredient we have yet to identify, perhaps MSG. We’ve found that we all get headaches if there is too much MSG in our food. Luckily we’ve been very healthy overall and have managed to avoid the typical “travellers tummy” that has struck so many of our fellow travellers.

John, one of the owners of Rain Forest Inn, is quite a character and has interesting background. Unlike most Orang Asli, he is educated.  He studied mechanical engineering and joined the military. He was “Seal” in the Malaysian Special Forces and saw combat in places like the Philippines and Somalia. He lost part of one foot to a mine, and has a large, vertical scar down one cheek where a islamic extremist in the Southern Philippines stabbed him with a knife. After 15 years, he retired from the service and came back to his village. He spent a couple of years lobbying the local government to build a road to the village (it was a two-day walk to the nearest town). After he succeeded in getting the road built, he built a grocery store in the village. He had the idea for the guesthouse, and the Rain Forest Inn was born.

A traditional puzzle made from rattan

A traditional puzzle made from rattan and string

John showing us how to solve the puzzle

John showing us how to solve the puzzle

After breakfast one day, John and the village chief showed us how to make a variety of traditional snare traps, and also how to shoot a blowgun. The Orang Asli hunt and fight with blowguns and poison darts. Different poisons are used for hunting different animals (they eat everything, even the local monkeys) and there are special poisons for dispatching people. Firearms are not easy to get in Malaysia, so the Orang Asli still use blowguns for self-defense. Given John’s past line of work, he is very security conscious. I would hate to be the hapless criminal who happens to look for mischief in this village. Let’s just say that the Rain Forest Inn is a very safe place to stay, LOL.

Jette and the blowgun

Jette and the blowgun

Bullseye!

Bullseye!

At least I didn't swallow the dart!

At least I didn’t swallow the dart. Also, Look at how big I am compared to the village chief!

John and the village chief showing us how to make snare traps

John and the village chief showing us how to make snare traps

Detail of the snare on one of the traps. The rattan is actually quite stiff and has a sharp edge by design. It is connected to a small tree bent over as a powerful spring.

Detail of the snare on one of the traps. The rattan is actually quite stiff and has a sharp edge by design. It is connected to a small tree bent over as a powerful spring.

There is always time for a swing in a hammock

There is always time for a swing in a hammock

We did a day tour of the tea plantations and various sights around Cameron Highlands. My photos are rotten and really don’t do justice to the beautiful, undulating hills covered in tea bushes.

Tea bushes and the valley

Tea bushes and the valley

Climbing up to a scenic overlook

Climbing up to a scenic overlook

Walking through the BOH tea plantation

Walking through the BOH tea plantation

We also toured the BOH factory where tea is processed. To make black tea, the tea leaves are rolled, fermented, dried and sorted in a very simple process using equipment that dates back to 1928.

The BOH tea factory

The BOH tea factory

Fermentation

Fermentation

The sorting machine sorts leaves by size and drops them into large sacks.

The sorting machine sorts leaves by size and drops them into large sacks.

Different grades of tea

Different grades of tea

More tea bushes

More tea bushes

Note the people in the scene for scale

Note the people in the scene for scale

Am I really doing this?!

Am I really doing this?!

Pretty place for gymnastics

Pretty place for gymnastics

Beautiful views

Beautiful views

Visit to a bee farm

Visit to a bee farm

Loking for the queen in the hive

Looking for the queen in the hive

Hives on the hillside

Hives on the hillside

Photos in the shop

Photos in the shop

Honey

Honey

The highest view point in Cameron Highlands

The highest view point in Cameron Highlands

Climbing the rusty old tower

Climbing the rusty old tower

View from the tower

View from the tower

Jette with a kid at a local farm

Jette with a kid at a local farm

At a strawberry farm

At a strawberry farm

The guys working at this farm were from Bangladesh. They obviously get a lot of tourists, as they really had their schtick down. One of them insisted on taking photos of us, so Mila gave him her phone. He proceeded to pose Jette and snap some hilariously cheesy photos.

The crazy photo session begins

The crazy photo session begins. Note the pose and the strawberry in the foreground.

The photo

The resulting photo

It went on, and on. Mila and I were called in to pose too.

IMAG6545
IMAG6550
IMAG6552
IMAG6551
Clearly, this was our moment of glory.The bangladeshi with the camera wanted us to do more kissing and his pose suggestions got more and more “interesting.” I think he was trying to recreate Bollywood movie posters with posed gringos and fruit. We’d had enough and called it quits. We do have our limits.

All in all, our visit to Cameron Highlands was great. Staying at Rain Forest Inn and getting a peek into Orang Asli life was definitely the highlight.

Jungles, Volcanoes, Monkeys and Orangutans

The past month has been a whirlwind trip through Malaysia and Sumatra. We’ve visited the disappearing rainforests of both, trekked through the jungle, climbed an active volcano, met orangutans in the wild, and stayed on a beautiful island in a giant lake, in the crater of yet another volcano.

In Bukit Lawang

In Bukit Lawang, Sumatra, Indonesia.

Rainforest ants are BIG

Rainforest ants are BIG!

We promise we to blog about it soon, but not tonight.

Tonight we are back in Kuala Lumpur. It’s getting close to midnight and we have to be up before the sun tomorrow for a flight to SRI LANKA!

We promise more updates soon, but in the meantime here is a short video of our climb of Gunung Sibayak in Sumatra. I wish you could smell the sulphur and feel the heat. It was awesome!

Taman Negara National Park, Malaysia

We continue with a bit of internet luck, so another update! Today, we’re at Danau Toba (Lake Toba), a peaceful and absolutely beautiful natural lake surrounding a volcanic island, here in Sumatra. This post is about our trip to Taman Negara, Malaysia some weeks ago. Taman Negara National Park is one of the oldest rainforest ecosystems on earth. It is older than the Amazon.

Taman Negara Map

Before sunrise, we boarded a minivan in Kuala Lumpur with a small group of other travellers and drove a few hours to Kuala Tembeling jetty on the Sungai Pahang River. Kuala Tembeling was the transfer point where we all had to fill out paperwork for rainforest permits and board the longboat for a two and a half hour ride down the river to the park. The scene below is quite representative typical lack of order we have come to enjoy.

DSCF8282

Queue? What queue?

IMAG6231

We were sent across the street to a strangely empty building to pay for our park permits

There was a cafe a few feet from the ticketing area, ready to monopolize on all passing through the area. Jette enjoyed some of their noodle soup.

DSCF8284

Tasty, but we think there was too much MSG in the food here.

DSCF8285

Loooooong noodles

DSCF8286

Local cats getting Jette’s attention

IMAG6234

Waiting area

IMAG6265

Welcome to the jungle

After some lunch, we walked another short distance down to the river to board our boat.

DSCF8290

Boarding the boat

DSCF8297

Away we go…

IMAG6254

Blue skies & muddy waters

IMAG6260

It was relaxing to be on a boat in these calm, if polluted, waters

IMAG6261

The vegetation and puffy clouds were so nice

IMAG6259

Muddy waters

IMAG6246

Most travellers were couples; since we are 3, we were a bit squished in our seats

IMAG6250

Our co-passengers were kind enough to get this shot of us on the boat

The area was quite peaceful and a welcome break away from the craziness and traffic in Kuala Lumpur.

DSCF8292

Chocolate water

The ride was quite lovely and peaceful, but really cramped and we were all happy to “disembark” into this little floating restaurant cum information station.

DSCF8306

So happy to be off the boat

IMAG6253

This was poor Jette trying to catch some “zzz’s” on the boat just before we landed

Our guesthouse was a little out-of-the-way place called Park Lodge, run by a former park ranger with a vast knowledge of the population of rhinoceros. He and his brother were running a fledgling little place, while care-taking for their elderly mother.

DSCF8325

Entry to Park Lodge

Our host gave us a warm welcome and walked us through his property, showing us an amazing variety of plants and trees that his mother had planted decades earlier.

DSCF8310

Our host cutting open a cacao pod that had dropped

DSCF8314

Excited to see the inside of a cacao pod for the first time

IMAG6267

The source of all things chocolate

DSCF8320

A pretty lemongrass plant

DSCF8317

Mmmmmm, lemongrass…

DSCF8318

Picking a kaffir lime leaf

IMAG6373

Coconut palms everywhere

DSCF8324

Another lovely little flowering plant

DSCF8308

Partially constructed building being overtaken by the jungle on site

DSCF8315

Our little cabin was through the left side door

IMAG6269

Abandoned steps at Park Lodge

The beautiful environment next to the river involved a sweaty hike of a few kilometers into and back out of town up and down some pretty steep hills.

DSCF8328

Walking into town

IMAG6277

You’d get fit walking this every day

IMAG6279

Most people had cars or scooters; we had our feet

DSCF8331

A view of the countryside along our walk to town

IMAG6281

Downhill from here

DSCF8340

The road to town with a frozen treat to cool off

IMAG6280

Hot sun, lush plants and lots and lots of trash

DSCF8335

Getting lost in a little village

IMAG6370

Walking down to dinner

IMAG6371

Puffy clouds

IMAG6372

This is a view from Taman Negara looking towards town

DSCF8339

Floating restaurants on the river with Taman Negara about a minute boat ride just across the river

DSCF8338

Another view from town down to the river

IMAG6271

The floating restaurant dining choices were simple

IMAG6272

Really simple

IMAG6273

Walking home after dinner catching this sunset was great

IMAG6274

Sun setting as we walked back to Park Lodge

The day we decided to explore Taman Negara started off great. We crossed the river and found the walkway in, crossing massive jungle vines along our way. The entrance to the Taman Negara national park is through a resort hotel called Mutiara.

IMAG6367

Entry to the Mutiara resort property

IMAG6365

More of the Mutiara property

IMAG6366

Mutiara resort, simple, yet the most developed spot in town

DSCF8347

Look at the scale of this vine!

DSCF8350

Nice walkway path into the jungle

IMAG6303

Always looking up

IMAG6301

An oldie and a goodie

IMAG6302

Such plant variety

DSCF8349

Lush!

DSCF8346

Flora

DSCF8352

Ouch!

DSCF8351

We love these old roots

As we continued to walk and walk, we were having a great, carefree time (foreshadowing).

DSCF8357

So much energy

It was hot, hot, hot and humid, humid, humid. We were sweaty within minutes, but the rainforest was so green, so lush and so beautiful. We continued on, admiring our green environment as we walked and walked and walked.

DSCF8363

Notice anything besides the massive bamboo stand? Red faces and sweaty people.

IMAG6355

Another bamboo stand that dwarfs mere humans

DSCF8378

The path felt longer and longer

IMAG6356

I offered to carry Waco’s heavy, heavy bag for a bit so he could stretch

IMAG6286

Is there really a forest canopy walk somewhere around here?

IMAG6353

Wait up, guys!

IMAG6295

Oldest rainforest in the world

IMAG6292

Intense sunlight filtering through

IMAG6299

Roots

IMAG6349

Jette taking the lead

IMAG6350

Mushrooms

IMAG6343

The walkway system was extensive

Finally, finally, finally, we made it to the beginning of the forest canopy walkway. We had no idea that it would take us so long to get there. It was one of those instances where we had underestimated the power of the heat and humidity; the few kilometers to the walkway nearly depleted our energy. We were ecstatic to see the walkway.

IMAG6307

We are delirious (and possibly have heat exhaustion)

IMAG6313

So high up there

DSCF8398

Woo hoo!

DSCF8395

Worth the hike to get here

DSCF8402

Construction details

IMAG6320

Way way up

IMAG6313

Hello up there

IMAG6322

Skinny suspended path in the treetops

IMAG6313

Please be careful!!!

The walkway is 45 meters high above the 130 million year old rainforest, and constructed quite simply. It’s actually several long sections of walkways that wind this way and that, under the jungle canopy for 510 meters. We took photos on several sections of the walkway while it swung and swayed. After we finished walking across, we decided that it would be fun to continue our hike up to the highest part of the rainforest, where we were told there was a nice viewing area. We were already hot, tired and thirsty, so what could possibly go wrong? 

On we journeyed, making a few friends along the way.

DSCF8388

Mr. Snake

DSCF8385

He/she was relaxing on a stair railing

DSCF8415

Mr./Mrs. Spider

We also found mass groups of ants that we could hear as they crunched and worked.

IMAG6329

We walked and walked seeing some signs here and there to help us navigate a bit. The quality of way-finding signage varies greatly from country to country and place to place. Let’s just say that we have a bit of constructive criticism for Taman Negara in this regard.

IMAG6360

Leaving the shade for intense sun

IMAG6326

Admiring huge vines

IMAG6327

Impressive old trees

DSCF8369

Yes, there were signs

DSCF8356

We were happiest to see this one back to “town” just 600 meters

IMAG6358

Note the handwritten distance

IMAG6344

Hmmm, 1km or are there some missing zeros?

IMAG6346

If the trail is missing, does it count in the km hiked?

IMAG6342

This one isn’t completely obscured by foliage

IMAG6343

Watch out for missing handrails!

IMAG6340

Fallen tree? Just chainsaw a hunk out of it and move along

DSCF8423

We had to sit down several times on our hike up to the viewing area

IMAG6325

More stairs

But, after several hours and bucketfuls of sweat (and one poor tired girl on the verge of tears), we made it.

DSCF8425

Victory

IMAG6336

Can we please get some water now?

IMAG6330

Fluffy clouds and green mountains

IMAG6332

Another vista

We were all so happy to have made it. We were all also dehydrated and tired and hot and oh, so sweaty. Have I mentioned we were sweaty? The only thing we could think of was water. Precious water. We had run out of water hours into our foray and desperately needed more. We got downhill as fast as we could with the little energy we had left. We made a beeline for the Mutiara Hotel Restaurant that was conveniently located adjacent to the National Park.

We had been to the restaurant on another occasion and others in town. They all seemed to share one characteristic, sloth-like service. We decided that slow service was just something to chalk up to cultural differences and had accrued patience points for dealing with it. But today was different. Today, we needed water and we needed it now.

We must have looked pretty rough when we made our way into the poshest place around for miles. Rather than the usual calm, collected game of waiting for someone to bring us menus, we sat down and immediately gave hand gestures and motions to the group of disinterested waiters and busboys standing around chatting. We need water (pouring water hand signs), water please (drinking out of a pretend glass), water (more gestures). To our surprise, we received action!

Oh, you precious glass of ice, cold life-giving water. We love you so so much.

DSCF8432

This young lady is a tough sweetie!

DSCF8438

Jette enjoyed a “fancy” re-energyzing salmon lunch after hydrating

DSCF8437

We love the round banana leaf plating aesthetic at Mutiara’s restaurant

IMAG6364

Mutiara resort restaurant

The jungle is not to be underestimated; it will zap every ounce of energy and moisture from your body. We all recovered just fine, and walked back to our little cabin for a restful sleep that night.

Jette was wanting more though, so on our last day, we walked a different direction, to a calm, little swimming spot.

DSCF8442

Willing to hike again if it means swimming, too!

IMAG6386

Clear-ish?

IMAG6387

Unspoiled

IMAG6385

Getting toes nibbled by fish

IMAG6391

Hug-time

IMAG6398

Pure nature (and some litter of course)

This was such a picturesque spot and we’re really glad we made the effort to see it. We arrived in the late afternoon, enjoyed dusk here and then a very dark, early evening walk back through the jungle, just coming to life with nocturnal sounds and sights. A beautiful bat made his way across our path; he was illuminated by our phone light as he flew in and out of a hollowed log. We stood still in the darkness for a while to observe and reflect how very far and away from home we were.

Our final treat of the evening came in the form of a tapir that wandered up to the Mutiara Resort’s restaurant, where we had decided to have dinner again. When the restaurant manager saw the tapir, he brought out watermelon rinds and other fruit peelings for him. The vegetarian tapir was happy and so were all of the restaurant guests who came out with their cameras and snapped away as the tapir feasted. We were thrilled to be able to see the beautiful animal, but of course, saddened simultaneously. The fact that this tapir was dependent upon the food provided by the restaurant could only mean he does not have enough food in the remaining bit of his natural jungle, or that he has lost the ability to forage for his own sustenance. It possibly means some combination of both; either way, it is disheartening, indeed.

IMAG6361

This dinner was happily interrupted by a tapir

IMAG6362

This curry was really good, but checking out a giant tapir was better

IMAG6402

Well, hello there

IMAG6400

I think I’ll wander a bit

IMAG6403

Jette thought the tapir was “adorable”

The next morning, we were back on the road, passing through Kuala Tembeling and its MSG-packed cafe.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Hi again! We’re still in Berastagi, Indonesia. We decided to stay in this little town for two extra days to utilize our hosts’ WiFi for photo uploads. The process has taken many, many, many hours and has been interrupted repeatedly with power outages (typical in Indonesia, so we were told). But, we’re happy to finally be able to share a bit from our time in Kuala Lumpur.

We arrived Kuala Lumpur (KL) in early January, withdrew some Malaysian ringgit (aka plastic money) and jumped into a taxi directly to our hotel.

Malaysian Ringgit is made of plastic. Note the clear windows at the top of the bills.

Malaysian Ringgit is made of plastic. Note the clear windows at the top of the bills.

The drive into town was eye-opening. Really, the shock started in the air, as we descended low enough to see what appeared like the entire country covered in palm oil plantations as far as the eye could see. From the property boundary of the airport, all the way to the beginning of commercially booming KL, it was the same fields of green oil palms as far as we could see. On the one hand, it was lovely to see the lush vegetation, but we know the deeper story about palm oil. Without getting too political or preachy, our family has chosen to avoid packaged products whose ingredients include palm oil and it’s not easy. Nearly 60% of packaged crackers, cookies, cereals, etc. contain palm oil, sometimes misleadingly and innocently labelled “vegetable oil”. Palm oil plantations are responsible for a very long list of global issues. Not only is palm oil not a healthy oil, but the manner in which the plantations soils have to be prepared is criminal. We’ve all heard about the haze in Southeast Asia and the draining/burning of centuries old rainforest peat soils is the culprit. The smoke from burning rainforest lands has affected us personally while we were in Singapore. Our week in Singapore included daily headaches, fits of coughing and the necessity of face masks to block some of the smoke. I got a bit sick and that was during just one week of exposure. The people who have no choice but to live where fires burn for months on end suffer a plethora of medical conditions as a result. Further, hundreds, maybe thousands of species of birds, mammals and plants have become (or will soon be) threatened due to the damage to the ecosystems from palm oil plantations. The tree canopy and fertile, rich soil that provided habitats and food have disappeared. Palm oil plantations provide sustenance for a teeny tiny percentage of all original rainforest life. Ok, so, please get informed & avoid palm oil, if possible. We’re certainly not perfect global citizens, but this is one issue we experienced ourselves and wanted to share. Getting off my soapbox now.

IMAG6036

We chose a large-ish hotel in KL with a swimming pool so that Jette could have a fun place to cool off since the climate is so hot and sticky. We checked into a large room whereupon Jette decided she finally had enough space to do some gymnastics.

IMAG6037

Gorgeous backlit onyx concierge area at our hotel

IMG_20160105_105344blurry gymnastics

The view out of our room’s window was quite telling. You could see almost step-by-step how the city was being transformed. Blocks of small independently owned properties were being slowly demolished to make way for large hotels and office buildings. There was a construction project adjacent to our hotel and we could watch the laborers each day. We remarked that large buildings still used very basic labor. That is not always the case, but we did observe concrete being poured by the bucketful on several different properties.

DSCF8126

New building being erected as seen from our hotel room

DSCF8125

Another view from our room. Notice how the “airy courtyards” of the buildings in the middle of the photo have been filled in!

Once we were settled, we took a stroll in the neighborhood to check things out. We ended up having a pretty decent lunch at a pretty nice sidewalk cafe and explored, yes, another mall. This one left us unimpressed.

IMAG6043

First meal in Malaysia did not disappoint

IMAG6079

Yum!

The next evening, we had dinner at Wong Ah Wah in KL’s Chinatown, known for their chicken wings. Jette ordered a lime juice which is usually fresh lime, water, a bit of sugar and ice. This time, it was quite different. This restaurant added salt and a pickled plum. Holy wow. This was a VERY strong taste! We all dutifully sampled it, but cannot say it went further than that.

DSCF8238

Ready for dinner at Wong Ah Wah

DSCF8254

“Famous” chicken wings

DSCF8251

Ready for dinner

DSCF8250

Salted pickled plum lime juice

DSCF8247

Reaction to sampling the lime juice and passing the plum

DSCF8245

Not my favorite

DSCF8239

Jette had a similar reaction

DSCF8240

And there goes the plum

DSCF8233

Waco and Jette as we make our way home from KL’s Chinatown

One day, it poured buckets of rain on us while we were out and about. We took shelter in a covered walkway bridge for a while.

DSCF8122

Waiting for the rain to end

We did have a great time at the 20+ acre, free flight Kuala Lumpur Bird Park. There were some fabulous exotic birds and we caught a show with some trained birds.

DSCF8191

Strolling in the Bird Park

DSCF8188

A pretty bridge with flamingos

IMAG6115

A bit of rain provided this pretty, misty view for us

DSCF8171

Love this guy’s face

DSCF8179

Having fun

DSCF8169

Organized group

DSCF8167

Birds, everywhere!

DSCF8166

Chickens, too

DSCF8159

Feeding ducks after the bird show

DSCF8162

This one was quite spectacular

DSCF8158

Duck feeding chaos

DSCF8146

Funny face

DSCF8133

Can’t ignore this Muslim mode of dress in the extreme KL heat and humidity

DSCF8135

This guy was entertaining

DSCF8143

Gazing at all the fishies

DSCF8145

Where’s Waldo?

The Bird Park had a lovely restaurant in a gorgeous setting, so we had lunch there after our walk.

IMAG6090

A beautiful hornbill landed right next to us

IMAG6082

Amazing hornbill

IMAG6074

Posed? No, this just “happened”

We saw these signs everywhere throughout KL. Apparently, purse-swipe crime is a big enough issue to warrant these types of warnings. Even though we did not have any issues, downtown KL is not a place I would feel comfortable walking around by myself late at night.

DSCF8210

Thanks for keeping us alert, KL

IMAG6213

Stop!

Intuition plays a significant role in our daily lives, and even more so on our travels to new places. We rely on our sensibilities and if a situation, place or person doesn’t seem quite right, we “go with our gut” and usually move along. After several “sketchy” circumstances, and some odd characters, the three of us decided that the downtown KL neighborhood we were staying in was not for us. We decided to spend more time in KL, but chose to move to a different neighborhood.

We moved to an apartment in the Bangsar neighborhood. Bangsar is known as an affluent area with some diverse food options, good cafes, and a more relaxed sensibility. We found all of those descriptions to be quite true. We feasted on comfort foods, fancy lattes (as I’ve started to call them), and even did some fresh fruit and vegetable shopping at the local grocery. We stayed directly across the street from a mosque and were awoken at 5am each morning with the first call to prayer. That part wasn’t our idea of a good time, but it was certainly a common, real life experience for us in KL, the city we had come to explore.

DSCF8272

The mosque responsible for our groggy mornings

IMAG6206

The graffiti in Bangsar was quite artistic

IMAG6208

One of my favorite pieces of street art

Several times, we commented that the neighborhood reminded us of Los Angeles. The scale, street parking and palm trees all contribute to the similar feel of the both. Bangsar was a comfortable and “just enough”. Just different enough, yet familiar enough for us to feel really happy being there.

DSCF8203

Cute sidewalk cafe

DSCF8209

The Los Angeles of Malaysia?

DSCF8200

Check out this local girl in her new Ray Bans! L.A. or Bangsar?

DSCF8199

Taking a stroll

IMAG6198

I thought these woven bamboo pineapples were spectacular

DSCF8192

Our favorite breakfast spot, Ted Boy

DSCF8195

Jette in “comfort-food heaven”

DSCF8232

So happy to be in air conditioning in a cafe with baked treats

IMAG6182

A slice of Ted Boy’s cheesecake

IMAG6176

Ted Boy was the perfect place to work on some math

DSCF8196

Full of coffee (me) and baked treats (both of us!)

Bangsar even had a Mexican restaurant. We had dinner there one night. Jette ate a HUGE plate of cheesy nachos (and nothing else the next day).

DSCF8266

Oh, nachos, how I love thee

IMAG6196

Jette thought these tiny Mexican pottery pitchers were cute

IMAG6215

Acme South restaurant was a terrific fusion restaurant

IMAG6220

Acme South’s incredible garlic wedge fries

There were two really excellent “banana leaf” restaurants in the Bangsar area. One was Raj’s Banana Leaf and the other was Devi’s Corner. They both serve small portions of vegetables on, you guessed it, a banana leaf. They pile on some rice and there are optional meat dishes too. The idea is to eat with your right hand. It’s fun, messy and delicious!

DSCF8205

Raj’s Banana Leaf Restaurant

Devi's Corner Restaurant

Devi’s Corner Restaurant

IMAG6140

Jette’s fresh banana leaf just before we are served lunch

waiting for rice before digging in

Waiting for my rice before digging in

IMAG6144

We love banana leaf restaurants!

IMAG6203

Not sure how this looks to you, but it was SO GOOD

IMAG6177

Waco enjoying his lunch

IMAG6145

Almost gone…

IMAG6146

Jette’s perfected three-finger technique

Banana leaf restaurants will continue to bring more rice and vegetables until a diner is satisfied. The way to properly indicate that you do not care for more servings is to fold your banana leaf over.

IMAG6179

Proper etiquette

After almost a week in KL, we made arrangements to travel to Taman Negara National Park, the oldest rainforest in the world, at 130 million years.

DSCF8281

Jette, waiting for our minivan to Teman Negara just before sunrise

Maps of Our Recent Travel (from Thailand to Malaysia, then Indonesia)

A mapped summary of our most recent travels since the beginning of 2016.

We’re nearly six weeks behind real time posts, and delays in our posts will likely continue. We simply haven’t been able to upload photos and videos in Malaysia and Indonesia. Internet connections are usually very slow and sometimes, just barely functional. We haven’t found anywhere (for weeks!) where we have enough upload speed for our growing collection of photos and videos. We experienced slow connections in Thailand, too, but managed to find one or two dependable locations with enough bandwidth (in hindsight, what a luxury!).

Here are a few maps that show our recent travel. We left Bangkok at the start of the New Year, January 2016. We flew to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Then, we took a minivan with a few other passengers to the Jetty in Kuala Tembeling where we boarded a small wood longboat-style river boat to Taman Negara, a 130 million year old rainforest and national park about 240km northeast of Kuala Lumpur. From there, we drove about 250km west, to Cameron Highlands, one of Malaysia’s most extensive hill stations, with blissfully cool temperatures and altitudes that ranged from 3,600ft to 5,200ft above sea level.

After Cameron Highlands, we had a minivan to ourselves for the entire 260km drive to Pulau Pinang, an island that sits on the west coast of Malaysia in the Straits of Malacca within the Malaysian state of Penang. We spent most of our time in Georgetown, a UNESCO World Heritage site, one of the most commercially and economically developed cities in Malaysia, and a charming historic city all rolled into one.

Bangkok, Thailand ke Pulau Pinang, Malaysia - Google Maps

From Penang, we flew to Medan, Indonesia, the third largest city in the country.

Penang, Malaysia to Medan, Medan City, North Sumatra - Google Maps

From Medan, we had a private car drive us the short 70km to Bukit Lawang, a small village adjacent to Gunung Leuser National Park. The park is part of the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. We are writing from Bukit Lawang now, and have departure plans tomorrow morning for Berastagi, known for cooler temperatures (yay!), a couple of volcanoes and some hot springs.

Medan, Medan City, North Sumatra to Bukit Lawang, North Sumatra - Google Maps

For scale, consider that “little” volcanic island (Samosir) you see sitting southeast of Bukit Lawang in the middle of a natural lake (Danau Toba/Lake Toba). Samosir island is the size of Singapore.