Pit Stop In Malaysia - Penang Food Paradise and Langkawi Island Escape

"I talk a lot about getting lost in the East. About breaking away from the world you left behind. If only for a week, or a few days, it’s easy to do that here. To take pleasure in the unfamiliar. To be forced, just walking down the street, or ordering breakfast, to learn new things. Let me tell you – that feels good; especially in Penang." 

- Anthony Bourdain 

I have wanted to visit Penang since that famous Bourdain episode. I came and left with mixed feelings, but I also feel like we weren't properly introduced.

There definitely is a cultural shift once you hit Malaysia as a majority of the population practices Islam. It was visually apparent based on the many mosques and more conservative dress, and also something you could hear, with the call to prayer echoing throughout the area wherever we stayed. It is quite beautiful.

Our first day in Penang was a rough one. As we were walking (well off the street) a man on a scooter zoomed up onto the sidewalk past Eric and I, then quickly zoomed back into traffic, almost getting into an accident. I glanced at Eric who looked a bit shocked, and he told me that his gold chains had been ripped off his neck by the guy driving the scooter! What the hell?!

Calling for back-up

We were taken to an officer who must just sit and drink coffee at the same spot every day as a "police hub," who called for back up. A police van showed up and they gestured at us to get in - we definitely looked like American convicts on our ride to the (FIRST) police station. As it all happened so fast there was no way to ID the guy, but Eric filed a report for insurance reasons.

They said we had to go to another police station, and ended up in the "DETEKTIF"s office. They unsuccessfully tried to extract details about the assailant. Eric got his stamped report for insurance and one of the detectives, Azmi (a Corporal) drove us back to our hotel. I have to hand it to the Malaysian police, because they were very nice and easy to talk to and could have easily told us to find our own way back. Anyway... day kind of ruined.

This guy asked up front if we wanted a photo - of course!

We wandered around the town a bit more and I appreciated the colonial style juxtaposed with modern, and especially the abandoned buildings that they had let grow over with foliage.

It was something out of this History Channel special I saw called "Life After People," and while staring at some of the structures pretended it had been 50 years after humanity had been wiped off the earth.

We ate some non-Malaysian food - burgers! - with very unique black bamboo charcoal buns. They tasted pretty much like normal bread and are supposed to be a very healthy alternative.

Char Kaoy Teow

I wanted to head to Langkawi Island the next morning, which is a 4 hour ferry ride away, so while Eric stayed in the room that evening, I went off (a little nervously after the day's earlier events) on my own to track down some of the famed street food.

I first went to the Red Garden which is a well known food court, but as I had no way to save a table while ordering food, I abandoned ship and went to the vendors that were set up nearby our hotel. I excitedly ordered my first famed Malaysian dish - char koay teow and took a seat.

I realized I was definitely the only foreigner in the area and while I sat there taking in the sights, I realized what Bourdain meant. I felt completely removed from the hustle and bustle of tourist Asia, and like I had found my own little food paradise. I devoured my char kaoy teow - imagine a very peppery tick noodled pad thai with the extra goodness of the pan scraped onto it, and went home to prepare for the journey ahead the next day.

The ferry ride was pretty uneventful and at first we weren't too impressed with the beach near where we were staying on Langkawi. I had Phuket flashbacks from all the garbage, ugh.  I knew that if we rented scooters a whole other world would open itself up to us, so we did just that the next day.

View from the Langkawi Pier - huge eagle statue!!!

The island is absolutely gorgeous once you escape the touristy areas, and even felt a bit more untouched than many places I went in Thailand.

At one point we ended up at a police checkpoint, asking if I had a driver's license. Sure I did! and I gestured at my backpack, so they let me pass. They didn't have to know that it was merely my Washington state one and I lacked an international driver's license.

It boggles my mind that we drove past at least 30 checkpoints in northern Thailand (most unmanned) and at no point did anyone even talk to us, but twenty minutes into our first Malaysian scooter adventure and we had to interact with the police.

There were also monkey police, and I mean real monkeys. After the checkpoint I slammed on my breaks as I saw about 7 monkeys just hanging out on the side of the road. Outside of Monkey Island in Thailand, I haven't had much exposure, so it was an exciting moment.

We got off our bikes and started taking pictures when I was reminded about where Curious George got his namesake. I left a plastic bag hanging from my bike, and when I turned I saw a monkey pawing through the bag looking for food. Then he just sat on my seat, staring at me with beady eyes. Honestly I'm a bit terrified of monkeys as I've read enough tourist horror stories, so I snapped a few pictures and just waited for it to jump off because I wasn't about to get rabies.

Back on the road, and after getting lost a bit, we found a much less popular beach at the north of the island, with the kind of waters I was hoping for. I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise considering this island shares the Andaman Sea with Thailand. Paradise found! The lush green countryside was a wonderful accompaniment.

We revisited that beach the next day before I had to get back to Penang. Eric decided to stick around Langkawi for another day before heading back to Seattle to see his family, so we parted ways, and I took the ferry back home solo.

Why they decided playing a (pirated) version of Captain Phillips was a good idea is beyond me, and I'm still pissed off that I wasn't able to watch the last 15 minutes due to the pirated DVD malfunctioning.

For my final night in Penang I HAD to eat more Malaysian food lest consider myself a Penang foodie failure, and sought out the top rated nyonya (a name given to the Penang style of food) restaurant. The owner had a set menu that he kindly let me sample even though I was a party of one.


I loved half of it and the other half not so much. I didn't expect to eat baby stingray but there it was, and I felt obligated to eat it. It reminded me of flavorless fish in a delicious sauce....

Don't know whether to blame the cook or the stingray, but it was still a great experience nonetheless.

As I flew out of Penang and got a bird's eye view of the city that I missed on the way in, I wished I had more time. It was stunning. Honestly the scorching sun and heat (90+ degrees) may have made the visit a bit difficult, but I can always go back.

-Erin

Friends, Food, Fireworks, Tigers... and the Best Festivals Ever - Chiang Mai 11/13-11/18/13

I was going to write an entire post about this rad street food tour I did last Wednesday, but I woke up the next morning with food poisoning... so harumph, it only gets a mention for shock value. It's hard to not speculate which specific dish poisoned me when you peek at the beautiful item on the left (and below).

This is not a photogenic or attractive dish at all, with the star being the gelatinous brown/black pieces. It wasn't a part of the planned tour, but a woman in the group asked "What's that pink [shelled] egg?" and suddenly it was on the menu. This, folks, is known as a preserved or century egg.

I'm glad I didn't have a chance to read about it before I chowed down, because it actually tasted good. Just imagine a more flavorful hardboiled egg and try to IGNORE THE HORRIFYING COLOR. Anyway, I had many other questionably safe items that night involving barely cooked eggs and fun meats like liver, intestine and stomach. I decided to try to push myself and I guess I paid the price, but it's not going to stop me moving forward.

Thankfully I felt better about 24 hours later, because my friends Chris and Alison were in town on a pit stop for their honeymoon! I tried to not monopolize their time, but secretly told myself their trip here was to see ME! Yay, MY first visitors :) and they luckily picked the perfect dates that overlapped two amazing holidays.

But before the party, comes the hard work. Hanging out with tigers. We spent a few hours on Saturday morning petting, hugging and laying on tigers of all ages at Tiger Kingdom. We got a CD of "professional" photos, but as none of us has a CD drive here, these will have to do for now.

I have to admit I'm still on the fence if I'm a bad person because I did this - I'm glad to have had the experience, but the animal lover in me knows I supported the exploitation of tigers. I can report, however, that the tigers definitely did not seem drugged, and were very active and playful with each other. But refrained from eating us alive.

After a cat nap (or TIGER NAP, heyooo), we went to check out Loi Krathong and Yi Peng, which are Thai festivals that have skyrocketed in popularity with tourists in Chiang Mai over the past few years. They are marked by the plethora of gigantic sky lanterns in the sky, as well as krathongs (small decorative floats) that are sent down the river.

The peak of the festivals is the night of the full moon, but we weren't sure of this so went out all three nights.

I've read a few different explanations of the purpose of the lanterns and krathongs, but I think it comes down to paying respects to Buddha, while letting go of things that pain you, or asking for forgiveness for any wrongdoings.

That first night we went to a recommended restaurant called Riverside, which provided an awesome vantage point for the start of the festivities. We then ventured to the river for Alison and Chris to set off their first sky lantern. A very sweet thing to do on your honeymoon if you ask me. :)

Unfortunately none of our cameras did a very good job of capturing the lanterns.. but honestly I don't think there is any way to really capture the experience with pictures. It's something that you almost don't even believe with your own eyes.

We ended up running into a large parade and I set off a lantern for a friend, then parted ways at Thapae Gate as Chris and Alison had a day of playing with elephants ahead of them.

Krathongs

Lantern for Kevin's family.. I wrote upside down :/ but hopefully it's the thought that counts. :)

These things get hot!

View from Xanadu rooftop bar at Furama hotel.
Those aren't stars, those are lanterns.

We met up again the next night at a rooftop bar (another great recommendation - thanks Jesse :) with a view of Chiang Mai. Peering out into the city it was clear that there were many more lanterns in the sky than the previous night, which was a hard thing to comprehend. After eating and taking some pictures, we headed back to the Walking Street Market, ate some street food, checked out the temples and gazed at more lanterns.

I went home and stared off my deck for a good hour because I've never seen something so beautiful in my life. I had a perfect view of hundreds of lanterns dancing through the sky at the mercy of the wind.

The following morning we were picked up for a cooking class - something I will try to do at every destination.

We started at a local market where they showed us Thai ingredient staples and then drove us to the school, where we cooked seven courses. We got to choose from about 5 dishes for each course, so each of us choose a different recipe in order to sample as much as possible.

I was full after course 2, so it was a day that I felt needed many naps, but it was definitely worth the effort and subsequent bloating. Chris and Alison now have beautiful recipes that will be fantastic for the Seattle winter. The recipes in general are very simple, but delicious, maybe with the exception of making red curry from scratch.

Go Alison go!

I made khao soi!

Our bellies too full for dinner, we headed back to Thapae Gate and ran into another parade. I think there was a parade every night - in previous nights we had also seen a pageant, and we surmised that this parade was to show off the winners.

We realized we still had not let off a krathong into the river, and started to head in that direction. We ducked into a bar for a quick drink, where they gave us a lantern and multiple fireworks for free.

I don't know about you, but giving me free combustibles with my beer is a great way to make a happy customer. Then... the rain came. Most of my storm experiences in Thailand have come and gone quickly, but this one stuck around and interfered with our krathong plans. But that's OK, because we still had a great time playing pyromaniacs and throwing fireworks into the street.

We got into one last tuk tuk and said our goodbyes. It was so nice to have a little piece of home for a few days in Thailand, and I hope they have a great rest of their honeymoon.

I for one was so impressed by Yi Peng/Loi Krathong that I have already started to dream up future plans around it, like bringing Darryl and my family here. This also includes end of life plans, as I can't imagine a better farewell than having my ashes carried away attached to a blazing sky lantern, in the midst of a stunning and symbolic Buddhist festival.

Click for the full set of Tiger Kingdom, cooking and festival photos.

-Erin

Crash Course Chiang Mai - The Endless Walking Street Market & Temples Galore

Thapae Gate

I arrived in Chiang Mai on Sunday afternoon, the largest city in Northern Thailand, and as they say, hit the ground running.

I was just in time to check out the Sunday Night Walking Street Market - in reading reviews, people noted that they had been multiple times and never made it to the "end," as it is so gigantic. I made it my goal to reach the supposed end, and had no idea it would take me almost 4 hours. The market starts around Thapae Gate, the entrance to the old walled city, and goes the entire 1km down the historic Ratchadamnoen Avenue.

This might not seem like a very long distance, but it spreads in all directions through the intersecting roads. Also, after 8pm the street is completely packed with people, so it's like marching inside of a pack of sardines, and made my return home a slow one.

Wat Chedi Luang

The beauty of the market isn't fully realized to a newcomer until you discover that it leads you through some of the city's temple (wat) grounds. These are open for everyone to explore, though I was restricted to the outside due to my dress (shorts and tank top). 

I was surprised when I got chills multiple times as I gazed upon some of the most beautiful places and buildings I've ever set eyes on.


There are over 300 wats in the city, which is probably an insurmountable volume for me to visit over the month, but I will certainly try.

All are filled with a mix of tourists and devotees. I felt a little strange taking photographs while people were praying and providing offerings, but I went with the crowd. I definitely have a lot to learn about Buddhist culture and traditions, and visiting the temples is a great place to start. There is a local Buddhist university I want to check out, where they offer a "Chat With a Monk" program to help promote cultural exchange and help the monks improve their English.

Excuse the glare - I found out that my underwater camera
'fogs' up when going from AC to heat

Back to the market - it is filled with an array of mostly Thai foods, but I also found a bit of Japanese and Chinese cuisine.

There are also enough paintings, sculptures, clothing, jewelry, photographs, and really anything you can think of to please every taste. I could have easily bought enough to fill 5 suitcases, but as I am still at the beginning of my trip (and WAY overpacked), I only purchased a few postcards. There are street performers and even outdoor massage stands set up at every block, with many people receiving a public $5 hour full body massage, or $3 foot massage.

Some fun food:

My dinner... some kind of poultry?? claw arm. Delicious.

Mochi!

Chao Kuai, black grass jelly - similar to what's used in bubble tea.
Not sure I liked it. :)

Candied...something

Quali eggs and.. I think sausages.

The first and only sign of Christmas I've seen in Asia

Teeny tiny Thai shoes

Hand carved flower candles

Fake Furby makes its way to Asia

I bless the rains down in Africa

The next morning, I immediately I regretted not buying a pair of harem pants after realizing my temple appropriate clothes were at the cleaners (it's around $4 to pay someone to wash/dry/iron 10 pounds of clothes, so I've given up on hand washing). I went to a street shop and purchased 3 pairs of pants for around $10... for some reason an Africa-themed pair grabbed my eyes, so now I have a brightly colored set with the words "ZANZIBAR" and "HAKUNA MATATA" on them. 

In Thailand, couples walk down the streets watching matching pairs of harem pants. <3 They are definitely the most comfortable, must have Thai clothing item, even if it immediately pegs one as a tourist.

Finally in proper attire, I went and revisited/went inside a lot of the temples from the night before in the daylight.

This temple had a sculpture of each "year of the".. Here's me and my year, Rat. 'Sup.

My favorite part: the trees at two of the temples are covered in what I assume are Buddhist sayings. My friend Christine told me that there are a lot of these types of quotes scattered throughout Chiang Mai - yes!

My feet hurt because I've walked at least 16 hours since I arrived on Sunday. I just got back from a walking street food tour which was AWESOME - my belly and brain are full.

A separate post will follow regarding the tour, but hopefully moving forward I will avoid asking as many stupid questions, like when I pointed at something yesterday and said "Coconut?" and was told "No, fish."

Link to full set of night market/temple photos here.

Link to photos from visiting the same temples in the daytime here.

-Erin