I can now post up a short story on my little trip to Penang with the family. Unless my short-term memory has failed me (yet again..errgh), I think the date was 23-25th May, 2008. I know for sure the year is correct! It was part of Dad's surprise birthday gift and coincidentally also Irene's maiden visit to the Pearl of the Orient.We started our journey first morning crow of the rooster (not that there was one in Genting Klang). Either that or this photo is on black-and-white effect..
Starring :
Jason Ho (Driver and Main Organiser of 'Cuti-Cuti Penang')
Co-Starring : Millie Yap
(Human Navigator/'half-bucket-of-water' Tour Guide)
Starring :
Jason Ho (Driver and Main Organiser of 'Cuti-Cuti Penang')Co-Starring : Millie Yap
(Human Navigator/'half-bucket-of-water' Tour Guide)
Cameo Role by : Ms. Ji Pee Es (Electronic Navigator/ Speed Reminder - she kept reminding us to slow down!)
Guest Starring : "I am Macho-macho man...Victor The Great!"
Special Appearance by : Durian Yap/ Birthday Boy...67 and looking as sassy as ever...
With 'Hot-looking Mama' (wow could she look any cooler!)
& neck-strained Irene and Siu V!
Most important prop on the set...Ria Baby (without her, we'll still be stuck in KL)
Detour to Bukit Merah Laketown Resort (developed by MK Land), a ghostly town that's what I call it!Where IS everyone?
This place houses the only conservational Orang Utan Island in West Msia (http://www.bukitmerahresort.com.my/)
Penang Bridge in sight means we have reached our destination! hmm already I can smell the Penang Food...
Looks like someone's even more excited than I am!
The most talked-about Asam Laksa is from Ayer Itam, Penang (the one at the foothill of Kek Lok Si Temple). I couldn't agree more as it was a perfect blend of hot, spicy and sour bursting in your mouth all at once! I think the key is definitely the otak udang (shrimp paste) to bring out the taste. Down it with an ice-cold refreshing glass of sugarcane and it's heaven!Personally, I have always avoided this dish
because I hate mint leaves 0_0'' so if I absolutely have to eat this dish, I go only to the BEST like the stall in Food Republic, Pavilion (eh-hem...spoken like a food connoisseur.. )
Penang Lor Bak ('Lor' = sauce, 'Bak' = meat) can be found in almost any food court but what differentiates the deep fried meat/ pork sausages/ tauhu is the sauce and how tasty their meat are.
Asam Laksa man hard at work. You can find the tallest heaps of vege and onion at their stall and be amazed at how their hands move like clockwork to produce hundreds and hundreds of bowls of AL.
A very satisfied-looking bunch of people after a hearty meal
Accomodation : Parkroyal, Batu Ferringhi (www.parkroyalhotels.com).
A view of their pool
Lounge area - very spacious and relaxed
The orange-themed hallway leading up to the rooms...
"Hands up!"... Even the rooms look like one giant orange that we're sleeping in..ours even came with our own private balcony.We played this highly-addictive, intellectual (and to some point, nerve-wrecking & hair-pulling)game, 'Traffic Jam' during our journey. Am looking around for the game set though. Try it out yourself at (http://www.gamegempaq.com/games/Traffic+Jam)
Dinner was at this damn good Nasi Kandar stall..sorry I can't remember the street name.
but I do remember the mutton curry and telor dadar was extremely sedap! Price was very reasonable too.
Jason then brought us to this seafood stall where I never had to work so hard just to get food into my mouth. Until my last breath, I still could not suck those snails out of their shells!
Now theseee, I only see on the beaches..I did not know they're edible! Thankfully, they're slightly easier as I could pry out their rather hardy & rubbery flesh using a toothpick.
Aaaahh now this is more like it...my fave Chilli Crabs. Painstaking task of de-shelling the crabs but highly rewarded by its sweet white meat!
Piping hot Fried carrot-cake still in its bag
I am a huge Bubur Cha-Cha fanatico and I never imagined the cold version sold in Penang tasted just as good! I was hooked on the Gurney Drive bubur cha-cha for 3 consecutive days.. ;P
Morning after, my family chilling in the pool area after a buffet breakfast. I, who was still in bed then, luckily did not miss any of the delicious treats as I found the buffet to be most impressive. Priced at a normal rate of RM 50, the spread was limitless and I like that they gave mini bottles of St Dalfour jam.
"Finished your breakfast, SylviaYap?..We're going to see some monkeys"
Irene and Me getting ready to go out to sea
We had a private boat to bring us to Monkey Beach (Teluk Duyung), a 20-minute ride from Batu Ferringhi. I also learnt that alternatively, you can trek (vigorously) for 2 hrs from Telok Bahang.
Wind so strong, smile also senget ... :-/
Dinner was at this damn good Nasi Kandar stall..sorry I can't remember the street name.
but I do remember the mutton curry and telor dadar was extremely sedap! Price was very reasonable too.
Jason then brought us to this seafood stall where I never had to work so hard just to get food into my mouth. Until my last breath, I still could not suck those snails out of their shells!
Now theseee, I only see on the beaches..I did not know they're edible! Thankfully, they're slightly easier as I could pry out their rather hardy & rubbery flesh using a toothpick.
Aaaahh now this is more like it...my fave Chilli Crabs. Painstaking task of de-shelling the crabs but highly rewarded by its sweet white meat!Piping hot Fried carrot-cake still in its bag
I am a huge Bubur Cha-Cha fanatico and I never imagined the cold version sold in Penang tasted just as good! I was hooked on the Gurney Drive bubur cha-cha for 3 consecutive days.. ;P
Morning after, my family chilling in the pool area after a buffet breakfast. I, who was still in bed then, luckily did not miss any of the delicious treats as I found the buffet to be most impressive. Priced at a normal rate of RM 50, the spread was limitless and I like that they gave mini bottles of St Dalfour jam.
"Finished your breakfast, SylviaYap?..We're going to see some monkeys"
Irene and Me getting ready to go out to sea
We had a private boat to bring us to Monkey Beach (Teluk Duyung), a 20-minute ride from Batu Ferringhi. I also learnt that alternatively, you can trek (vigorously) for 2 hrs from Telok Bahang.
Wind so strong, smile also senget ... :-/
Dad standing like that reminds me of David Caruso in CSI:Miami
A very secluded and quiet Monkey Beach - no hotels, stalls or crowd here..just some BBQ pits for tourists.
There is also a lighthouse on this island, built in 1883.
GRRoWWLL...makes a great shot for some horror movie about mutated-monkeys on a killing spree!
naah, actually the monkeys are really really tame....and hungry all the time! If you're looking for a place that offers tranquility, privacy and romantic moments, this is the beach to come to, whether you're human or monkey.
Hold a piece of bread in your hand and they come charging at you. Be more adventurous and hold a banana instead!
ok I'm not getting any closer to a monkey than this...
As if I could actually get a monkey to look in the camera direction and s-m-i-l-e...
Trekking further into the beach...
...we found a stream of flowing cold water, and boy, it was so deep our ankles were drowning.
I love white sandy beaches!
I love big rocks
I love looking for buried treasure!
I love the cool breeze!
Macho-macho man
Meet Blackie, a new friend we made on Monkey Beach!
Group photo with Blackie! I wished Blackie could follow us back to the island...huuhuu.
Time to head back after an hour and half with nature
See how unbeliveably clean the boat was. All in all, it was a worthwhile trip for only RM 150.
Never leave Penang without having eaten a plate of their famous Char Kueh Teow!
Lam Mee is it? (funny I could remember eating this..keke)
This is a very narrow, old-fashioned coffeeshop where we had traditional local favourites but...
mostly we ate here because of this famous Teochew Chendol stall just outside the shop!
We went to Him Heang and bought lots and lots of Tau Sar Pneah (Green Pea Biscuit; most famous local delicacy)..but still saving some room in Ria baby for more fooood to come!
Go up to the cool Penang Hills/ Bukit Bendera (830m above sea-level) using the famous Swiss-made funicular trains (trams). History lesson : Do you know these hills were founded by Sir Francis Light during horse-back riding in 1788? However, it was only during the 19th century that construction of a $1.5 mil railway track began. I may not have known this myself but I sure know how to Google! hehe
Up here, you will find an Indian aunty weaving nipah leaves into little insects and for only RM1, you get to bring home Mr Grasshopper.
Great Canon shot!
A very secluded and quiet Monkey Beach - no hotels, stalls or crowd here..just some BBQ pits for tourists.
There is also a lighthouse on this island, built in 1883.
GRRoWWLL...makes a great shot for some horror movie about mutated-monkeys on a killing spree!
naah, actually the monkeys are really really tame....and hungry all the time! If you're looking for a place that offers tranquility, privacy and romantic moments, this is the beach to come to, whether you're human or monkey.
Hold a piece of bread in your hand and they come charging at you. Be more adventurous and hold a banana instead!
ok I'm not getting any closer to a monkey than this...
As if I could actually get a monkey to look in the camera direction and s-m-i-l-e...
Trekking further into the beach...
...we found a stream of flowing cold water, and boy, it was so deep our ankles were drowning.
I love white sandy beaches!
I love big rocks
I love looking for buried treasure!
I love the cool breeze!
Macho-macho man
Meet Blackie, a new friend we made on Monkey Beach!
Group photo with Blackie! I wished Blackie could follow us back to the island...huuhuu.
Time to head back after an hour and half with nature
See how unbeliveably clean the boat was. All in all, it was a worthwhile trip for only RM 150.
Never leave Penang without having eaten a plate of their famous Char Kueh Teow!
Lam Mee is it? (funny I could remember eating this..keke)
This is a very narrow, old-fashioned coffeeshop where we had traditional local favourites but...
mostly we ate here because of this famous Teochew Chendol stall just outside the shop!
We went to Him Heang and bought lots and lots of Tau Sar Pneah (Green Pea Biscuit; most famous local delicacy)..but still saving some room in Ria baby for more fooood to come!Go up to the cool Penang Hills/ Bukit Bendera (830m above sea-level) using the famous Swiss-made funicular trains (trams). History lesson : Do you know these hills were founded by Sir Francis Light during horse-back riding in 1788? However, it was only during the 19th century that construction of a $1.5 mil railway track began. I may not have known this myself but I sure know how to Google! hehe
Up here, you will find an Indian aunty weaving nipah leaves into little insects and for only RM1, you get to bring home Mr Grasshopper.
Great Canon shot!
Brother, Sister and I
ok last shot last shot...Canon's gonna break anytime now
This is Pasembor, Penang version of Indian rojak and the one from Gurney Drive is very good - fried cuttlefish, tauhu, kangkong, sengkuang, potatos and the nutty sauce binding it all together is perfect!
ok last shot last shot...Canon's gonna break anytime now
This is Pasembor, Penang version of Indian rojak and the one from Gurney Drive is very good - fried cuttlefish, tauhu, kangkong, sengkuang, potatos and the nutty sauce binding it all together is perfect!Happy Birthday Daddy dearest! 
This is all we could afford for your cake, DAD! Don't forget to share wor.
Ferry ride to and from the island...I think it's been >15 years for me
Here's a thought for an ad..."Naza Ria, the perfect car for a family vacation!"
This is all we could afford for your cake, DAD! Don't forget to share wor.
Ferry ride to and from the island...I think it's been >15 years for me
Here's a thought for an ad..."Naza Ria, the perfect car for a family vacation!" So, how many people can stick out of its sun-roof? ... 4!
The hotel bed's so comfy and inviting, we just hate dragging ourselves out of it every morning!
Having a blast with Irene
On the way home, we stopped by Bidor to enjoy their famous double-boiled "Duck Thigh Noodle" (Ngap Thui Mee) in Pun Chun coffeeshop.
More shopping in Bidor..even in a small town, we managed to buy so much!
Yiippee, we found the Tiger brand 'Heong Pneah'
Home at last...so tired la!
The hotel bed's so comfy and inviting, we just hate dragging ourselves out of it every morning!
Having a blast with Irene
On the way home, we stopped by Bidor to enjoy their famous double-boiled "Duck Thigh Noodle" (Ngap Thui Mee) in Pun Chun coffeeshop.
More shopping in Bidor..even in a small town, we managed to buy so much!
Yiippee, we found the Tiger brand 'Heong Pneah'
Home at last...so tired la!Some of the tid-bits we bought.
Until our next road-trip, I'm savouring the wonderful taste of the good food in Penang!
The Asam Laksa makes my mouth water just by looking at it lah... Yum, yum.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I am not THAT new to the blogging world. If you want to read more of my no-sense ramblings, pls feel free to drop by: http://mellys03.blog.friendster.com/
I used to blog there until they changed the format and I just couldn't be bothered to fix it anymore. LOL.
Have a good weekend. Hope not to see you in office tomorrow. :P