Penang – an island resort – is perhaps the most favorite tourist destination in Malaysia that is much famed for its rich culture and history, natural wonders, and excellent cuisine. Situated in the straits of Malacca on the Peninsular Malaysia’s north-west coast, Penang is the smallest state in the country, after the state of Perlis.

Penang is made up of the island of Penang, occupying an area of about 290 square kilometers, and a tapered strip of land of about 750 square kilometers on the mainland Sebarang Perai, both of which are connected by a 13 km long bridge. Georgetown is the administrative center of the island resort. Once known as the harbor of pirates, Penang has a long interesting history dating back to the mid 16th century.

Al though a relatively small destination, Penang does not have any shortage of sights and attractions to amaze visitors touring here. From cultural spots and ancient shrines to mosques, forts and splendid natural landmarks, Penang’s attractions are truly endless. However, the prime attraction of Penang is undoubtedly its beautiful beaches. Of the beaches in the area, probably the most famous is Batu Ferringhi, which is a great spot to relax as well as engage in a number of water sports activities.

Beaches such as Tanjung Bungah and Teluk Bahang are also much popular, whose area consists of some upscale hotels and resorts. Apart from these, if you are ready to tour via jungle trails, you can reach some of the most secluded beaches in the area such as Monkey Beach and Pantai Mas.

Erected at the site where Captain Francis Light landed in 1786, Fort Cornwallis is one of the most visited tourist spots in Penang. Among the highlights of this wooden fort is a gallery exhibiting historic artifacts, an open air amphitheater, and a handicraft and souvenir center.

Another worth visiting spot in Penang is Khoo Kongsi – an impressive building, the entry to which requires a prior permission from the Kongsi office. For those who want to take a peep into the interesting history of the region, nothing would be better than taking a tour to some of the museums in the region such as the Penang Museum and Art Gallery. Likewise, climb atop the Penang Hill, rising more than 85 meters above the sea level, to enjoy the breathtaking views of the city as well as the coastal areas surrounding it.

In spite of being a popular tourist spot, Penang is also a much famed religious spot with an array of shrines. No matter you are a spiritual tourist or a history buff interested in the religious past of the region or just a sightseer, taking a tour to Penang’s temple would be a great experience.

Some of the most popular temples here are Kek Lok Si, the South East Asia’s largest Buddhist temple whose architectural designs are a mix of Burmese, Chinese, and Thai styles; Wat Chayamangkalaram Temple, with a gigantic statue of the Lord Buddha; Kuan Yin Temple, erected to honor the Chinese Goddess of Mercy and which is noted for its intricate carvings and architecture; Snake Temple, a Taoist shrine which is perhaps the one of its kind in the whole world; and Sri Mariamman Temple, which is the oldest Hindu temple in the state.

Apart from these attractions, one of the prime reasons that keep attracting tourists to Penang is its world-famous traditional style cuisines, which are more or less influenced by the cuisines of three prominent Asian groups such as Malay, Indian, and Chinese.

With a great number of restaurants and eateries, you can enjoy sumptuous Penang dishes, ranging from Roti Canai served with thick chicken gravy and Penang Satai to honey squid, baby oyster omelet and duck noodles prepared with Chinese herbs. Above all, Penang provides fabulous shopping experience, with a number of outlets and boutiques spread across the state.

When comes to accommodation, Penang boasts of a great number of hotels and resorts, all of which provide a range of options to choose from including standard rooms, family rooms, deluxe and superior rooms, studio, and executive suite. Room rates are usually inclusive of breakfast and tea/coffee.

Some hotels provide complimentary daily newspaper, and car parking facilities. No matter you prefer to stay in city center, beach location, or near shopping areas, Penang has options for all. Usually, these hotels are located within easy reach of almost all attraction that you prefer to see.

With the introduction of the internet, finding a hotel in Penang is not a tiresome task. You can easily find a hotel of your choice and that too without leaving your living rooms. There are some service providers that render online hotel reservation services.

Some even provide discounted rates for making instant hotel bookings. Whatever your preferences may be: grand, budget, or spa resort, these providers can help you find and book an accommodation of your choice, thereby enabling you to be free from the hassles of bookings.

Nutmeg is the actual seed of the tree, roughly egg-shaped and about 20 to 30 mm (0.8 to 1 in) long and 15 to 18 mm (0.6 to 0.7 in) wide, and weighing between 5 and 10 g (0.2 and 0.4 oz) dried, while mace is the dried “lacy” reddish covering or arillus of the seed. This is the only tropical fruit that is the source of two different spices.

In Penang cuisine, nutmeg is made into pickles and these pickles are even shredded as toppings on the uniquely Penang Ais Kacang. Nutmeg is also blended (creating a fresh, green, tangy taste and white colour juice) or boiled (resulting in a much sweeter and brown juice) to make Iced Nutmeg juice or as it is called in Penang Hokkien, “Lau Hau Peng”.

Are these guys crazy? Well, to me these guys are some of the craziest world changers I’ve known so far. I’ve heard stories of people making a difference but to shoot it on video and post it up…. this just went another level!

Good job guys! You guys are the heroes of CHANGE!!!

Smoky Jack Ribs & Steak House
A: 3H-3I, Upper Penang Road, 10000 Georgetown
T: +6. 04. 2628. 826
F: +6. 04. 2638. 826
E: info@smokyjack.com
http://www.smokyjack.com

Smoky Jack Ribs & Steak House

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The video from our trip is done!

Dude, where’s my Jakkayarn? from Adam Teale on Vimeo.

this is from my recent trip to penang for a wedding assignment with wowphoto team(thanx to hafiz ismail a.k.a my mentor for the opportunity)..full entry of the wedding will come up soon enjoy ;D

Hello World Changers!

November 22nd, CYW event day,  was a 17-hour non-stop preparation for the tour.

We’re only able to tell you a glimpse of it today, because this morning (23 Nov), with 4-5 hours of sleep, 1a.m. and Relent, with some Penang Change Agents, while everyone is still asleep, went to Rifle Range to help the poor community. In case you do not know, Rifle Range is the high density, low cost, and ghetto-like flats, home to protitutes, gangsters, and one of the poorest community area in Penang. We will share with you more about this in the next post!

We just wanted to say a big thank you to all who believed and supported Change Your World. You are the Agents of Change. The tour was a blast because YOU made the decision to believe in CHANGE.

We hope this is a beginning of a new relationship where we can grow together to see change, not only in Penang, but in the whole of Malaysia.

Follow us in the next few days with more updates including pictures and videos of the event and the venture.

1a.m. & Relent

A 14-year-old school dropout who had disappeared five days ago was found in a house in Georgetown, Penang.

The girl, who was expelled from school for indiscipline, was said to have been kidnapped and raped by a stranger in Johor Baru.

Hulu Selangor OCPD Norel Yahya Affandi said a missing persons report was lodged by the victim’s 22 year-old brother when she failed to return home.

“The brother had lodged the report after he received a call from a man claiming that he had kidnapped the victim from her home in Batang Kali and was going to rape her,’’ said OCPD Norel Yahya.

Police managed to trace the suspect, a chef, to a house in George­town.

The victim was sent to the hospital for a medical check-up.

After so many days, it still baffles me on how a woman could have forced 4 of her beautiful children to drink weedkiller and then poisoned herself. I will never ever know what was going through her mind when she did that and that simply defies the theory of a mother being protective of her children. In this case, she’s killing all of ‘em. I don’t really care much about the mother, but the thought of seeing 4 defenseless little children being given a poisoned drink and they themselves not old enough to know about it, that is simply a thought too painful to bear.

Based on the latest report, it seems that the children have recovered and discharged from hospital but them there are still blood being detected in their urine. I sincerely wish and pray that with God’s blessing, the children will survive and continue to fight for their future, now even more tough without the care of their mother. But then again, i’m quite pissed by the brainless action of that mother and although i did mention that i don’t give a damn if she dies or lives, i do wish that the children could have grown up in a nice family with both of their parents around…

freeweelee will pray for the father and his children… God bless always…

The Star report: Paraquat case woman dies…

Kat tmn rama2 png..

singgah kat Hard Rock Hotel…

kami jln dua beranak aje… aku dan anak perempuanku..

Haq Char Yaar (Urdu: حق چار یار ) (meaning rightous four friends) is reference to first four Caliph of Islam. They are Sayyidina Abu Bakr, Sayyidina Umar, Sayyidina Uthman and Sayyidina Ali.
Of the four great Caliphs of Islam, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng chose to adopt the administrative style of Umar, or also known as Umar the Great or Farooq the Great. Umar was the most powerful of the four Rashidun Caliphs and one of the most powerful and influential Muslim rulers.

Lim was impressed with Umar while he was under ISA detention, especially when he discovered through his readings that Umar was an expert jurist and is best known for his justice with Muslims and non-Muslims subjects alike, that earned him the title Al-Farooq (The one who distinguishes between good and bad) and his house as Darul Adal (house of justice). Also, Umar was the first Caliph to be called Amir al-Mu’minin, commander of the faithful.

Umar’s name was not only used by Lim to be popular and deceive the rakyat. He even introduced many other slogans including
Competency, Accountability and Transparency (CAT) and amal makruf nahi mungkar (do good and do no evil) in his administration.

Lim brags about how he would infuse Umar’s good values in his administration to inspire the people and promotes his other jingles.

However, Lim did not only walk his talk but had tarnished the good name of Umar and ridiculed Islam in way when he lied to the state assembly and the people over the conversion issue of a piece of land in George Town.

He was caught with his pants down when he was found lying and misleading the House by Pulau Betong state assemblyman Muhamad Farid Saad during the recent state assembly proceeding.
Farid had accused Lim of trying to conceal the facts from the House when Lim said the issue of land conversion for the PDC Heritage Hotel Sdn Bhd would be referred to the National Land Council next month when actually Lim had already approved the land conversion for the project in June.

The proposed hotel project is a joint-venture between YTL Corporation Berhad (51%) and PDC (49%). PDC is the investment arm of the state government.

PDC heritage Hotel would be building luxurious condominiums and an eatery on a seafront site adjacent to the 124-year-old Eastern and Oriental Hotel in Lebuh Farquhar in Penang.

Lim has been keeping quiet and has not blown his own trumpet since the land controversy came to light a month ago. Unlike before, he has been silent about his clean, trustworthy and graft-free administration. The writing is on the wall. Lim is a man with a forked-tongue and could not be trusted. Lim is tasting the bitterness of his own medicine.

While there, we also made a beeline for Peace & Joy coffeeshop located at Lebuh China. This distinctive building, houses to me, one of the best curry mee stall. The boss was rather generous with the toppings made up mainly of beancurd skin or “tau pok”, cuttlefish, cockles and best of all, pigs blood.

Noodles were cooked right and the gravy was not milky with enough spice and Ooomph…!!!Add the sambal for more kick and to give a refreshing twist, mint leaves was added which gave it another dimension. Try it…

This trip was partly about curry mee and we made a trip to another stall located at Lorong Seratus Tahun just off Jalan Macalister. There we had a bowl of curry bee hoon which was also loaded with the same toppings as the one at Peace & Joy.

Though the gravy was a little diluted compared to the previous one, the sambal was simply fantastic. Adding a dollop of it made a world of difference to the dish, one can tell that a lot of effort was taken to slowly cooked the sambal giving it that deep color and a spicy fragrance which to me can be called a “poor man’s XO sauce” Thumbs Up for the sambal!!! I would say that if I were to add this sambal to the curry mee at Lebuh China, it would be the best combination…

While happy after breakfast, we decided to take a stroll along Chowrasta market and soak in the atmosphere, the walk took us all the way to Lebuh Keng Kwee and the cendol stall. This time though, we tried the stall that’s opposite the famous teochew one. To my surprise, it was so much better than the famous one that everyone recommended. The green strands of cendol was springy, not mushy with better flavor and texture. Somehow, the dark palm sugar was also more fragrant and I must say, one must not be blinded just because the other stall is highly recommended. I was a culprit of this and I would now change my vote. Give this stall a try and you will know what I mean…

With our stomachs filled, we took a leisurely stroll to our hotel and checked into our room.

Rested and refreshed, we headed straight for Ah Teik durian stall yet again, this time for the long awaited “Ang Hay” or aptly called “Red Prawn”. Even though it’s the short season towards the tail end, the durian was still good.

The flesh was tight, sweet and creamy, followed by a dose of bitterness and a prolong finish with a hint of alcohol. It’s really wonderful, my vote for the King of Fruits…!!! While there, we also tried another that’s called “butter” which Ah Teik recommended and to my astonishment, it really tasted somewhat like butter.

The flesh was thick, really creamy like how you would taste butter except that it’s sweet and milky. The creaminess can be a little overwhelming so take your time to appreciate it and I would likened it to having a really thick “milkshake”.

Fabulously sweet with a short finish, another wonderful specie. The durians here tasted and smelt so much fresher due to the close proximity to the plantations and Penangnites truly has an edge when it comes to good quaity durians…

After a short rest and chat with ah teik, we took a short walk across to Lorong Selamat, towards Cafe Heng Huat for Char Koay Teow.

There, we were greeted with a coffeeshop full of customers waiting patiently for their noodles. We managed to find a table and placed our order. Be warned, the waiting time is easily half an hour so order a drink, chat and wait. When it finally arrived, the plate of koay teow smelt so good, loaded with the usual prawns, cockles, bits of lard and chives.

The noodles was fried to perfection, with what I called “wok hai” or a slight burnt smell due to the use of charcoal and the intense fire. It’s been years since I last tasted such a wonderfully “controlled” fire plate of char koay teow. Nothing more said, the description ends here… My personal vote for the best char koay teow in Penang!

While in Penang, these are the other food we’ve tasted and recommend, the “chee cheong Chok” or “mixed pig innards” porridge, the cuttlefish and kangkong salad, roast duck stall outside new lane coffeeshop, where the duck is flavorful and succulent.

The dessert stall that serves equally good almond tea and the stall that sells kuih ketayap. All these stalls are located along New lane, just off Jalan Macalister. Staying at Sunway hotel, these stalls will be of easy access.
If you still have the time or stomach, take a walk to Cafe Kek Seng along Jalan Penang and try the Lor Bak.

Though not as well known as the one further up at Cafe Kheng Pin, this stall serves it equally well and the rolls comes with tender pieces of pork. Try also the chicken wrapped in beancurd skin. Not forgetting also, the “tau sar piah” at Him Heang along Jalan Burmah is a must get for some people too…

Till the next review, eat well and be happy…!!!

sapete..mi manca la malesia.

 non ho viaggiato molto nella mia vita e quindi potrebbero esserci altri posti come la malesia..

ma limitato alla mia conoscenza posso dire che qui ci sono indiani cinesi e malesi che convivono insieme ed è una cosa straordinaria!

e credo che tutto questo accada solo qui..ed in nessun’altro posto, apparte singapore.

basta attraversare qualche strada che dai sapori speziati dei luoghi indiani ti ritrovi immerso in profumi di incenso intenso dei templi cinesi,

 oppure nel vapore tra riso e zuppe malesi,

ed a proposito di mangiare, qui siamo nell’incredibile, mai viste tante cucine e pietanze diverse in una sola strada,

 strade che trovi in ogni dove in ogni parte della malesia,

 ti siedi e mangi un tandori con pollo, oppure laksa, satay, oppure mee goreng oppure steamboat, riso di ogni tipo, noodles , mangiare con le bacchette cibo cinese perche non esistono forchette, oppure usare le forchette dove però indiani e malesiani mangiano con le mani,.

posso dire solo che tutto questo è fantastico!

credo che una parte del viaggio vada dedicata al cibo, 

 questo mi mancava, perche dopo un anno di australia dove non sanno neppure cosa sia una ricetta tipica, e devi mangiare per forza italiano oppure cmq cucina internazionale..come viene chiamata in certi ristoranti.

 qui invece cè storia, qui mangi qualcosa che è stato tramandato di padre in figlio per generazioni, spezie e aromi lontani dalla mia italia,

sapori totalmente differenti ma tutto questo in una parola è: GUSTOSO!

certo che mangiare per strada..ovvero sedersi su uno sgabellino di plastica con un tavolino di plastica con piatti di plastica e se piove si sta sotto ad un telo di plastica..hehehe! non è come andare in un ristorante di lusso o anche in una semplice trattoria che si puo trovare in toscana o cmq in italia!

ma anche questo fa parte dell’esperienza cullinaria, e quando vedo che lavano i piatti in un secchio con una semplice immersione,

 oppure vedo il tutto all’aperto con ingredienti che magari stanno per tutto il giorno a  40 gradi e poi vengono cotti, heheeh io non penso che schifo….ma dico: CARLO SE NON MUOIONO LORO NON MORIRAI NEPPURE TE…AL MASSIMO DIARREA!!!

ed e’ qui che seduto sul tuo sgabellino in un angolo di strada puoi osservare il tram tram quotidiano di questa gente, sia in malesia che in thailandia!

in italia invece non entrerei neppure in un posto del genere..anche se..qui è normale e non credo ci siano leggi a riguardo..invece in italia una cosa del genere sarebbe da arresto…e sono convinto che almeno una volta tutti noi abbiamo mangiato in ristoranti carini ma con una cucina con topi…cibo avariato e scarso igiene!!! e magari pagando 50 euro!!!

io qui almeno spendo tra 1,10 e 2 euro! l’ultima sera in malesia ho voluto esagerare ed ho speso 3 euro…e credetemi che neppure ad un matrimonio avrei mangiao cosi tanto..hehehe!

cmq tralasciando il cibo.. questo viaggio mi piace!

 e come detto mi dispiace di aver lasciato la malesia perche è una terra ricca di storia e cultura a volte puo risultare noiosa per quanto tranquilla, ma non per me!

è rilassante e allo stesso tempo ti tiene sveglio!

 ora invece sono in thailandia, oggi mi trovo piu o meno dove hanno girato il film the beach con leonardo di caprio, io non l’ho visto, e per vedere questa spiaggia… ci devi andare in barca e devi comprare un tour (partono da 10 euro) di un giorno e ti fai tutte le spiaggette e isolette della zona… PHI PHI island.

 il mare è bello ma siamo ancora nel cambio di stagione e le pioggie il pomeriggio sono frequenti ora sono le 17.30 e piove…e devo dire che l’ho presa tutta!!!

stamni dopo aver cercato una stanza a “poco”,

 mi sono buttato in spiaggia..acqua azzurro cristallina! come piace a me! poi alle 3 ho deciso di fare un sentiero per vedere il panorama dalla cima di un monte! bhe come ieri a krabi (e poi vi racocnterò) un volta dentro la foresta…ha iniziato a piovere…ma non mi sono scoraggiato era piu di 40 minuti che camminavo in salita e mancava poco! arrivato sulla cima ho visto l’isola coperta di nubi ..devo dire bella…nonostante cio il colore azzurro intenso dell’acqua era ancora presente!

 a tornare indietro ho dovuto affrontare fiumi di fango con le mie infradito che anche oggi ringrazio!

 ieri stessa storia..ero a vedere il tempio buddista della tigre e mi trovavo nella foresta…e ad un tratto è arrivato un temporale allucinante!!! ho cercato di ripararmi ma quando ho visto che nella grotta dove mi ero rifugiato iniziava ad entrare troppa acqua..bhe ho cercato di raggiungere delle casette dei monaci…i sentieri erano fiumi e dagli alberi cadeva di tutto…cmq sono riuscito a raggiungere il motorino che avevo noleggiato e tornare in città… ma il bilancio della mia escursione al tempio è stato: macchina fotografica da buttare!

 forse ho perso anche le foto di questi giorni!

dizionario thailandese da buttare

 penna usb da buttare

patente internazionale che la fanno di carta…da buttare

 soldi: li ho asciugati..hehehe!

cellulare…fino a ieri non funzionava mentre ora  mi chiede di inserire la sim..!!!

piu o meno queste le cose importanti!

 ma in compenso dopo aver fatto piu o meno 2600scalini (a/r)..per vedere un budda gigante..mi sono fatto una bella doccia all’aperto!

 io senza macchinetta fotografica sono come il papa senza fede!!!

quindi la devo comrpare al piu presto!!!

anche phi phi meriterebbe qualche scatto…ma per adesso devo passare!!!

cmq…cronologicalmente: dopo malacca sono stato alle cameron highslands…una stazione turistica di montagna, per turistico si intende che è molto visitata, quindi i prodotti e servizi costano leggermente di piu rispetto ad altre città malesi, ma non ce niente di male giusto?

 non ci sarebbe nulla di male se quando tu acquisti un prodotto o servizio e lo paghi di piu…tu paghi un surplus per qualcosa di migliore…

e invece no…qui paghi qualcosa di piu ma di qualità inferiore…

perche essendoci piu persone ad esempio gli autobus saranno piu consumati e gli hotel piu sporchi.

questo non mi è piaciuto…un esempio lampante…il bus che mi ha portato qui…a 70 km dalla città ha fuso, cosi ne abbiamo preso un altro…questo a 30 km dalla citta ha fuso ….cosi ci è venuto a prendere un altro bus… dovevamo arrivare alle 16.30 siamo arrivati alle 21..ma l’ho presa come parte folkloristica della malesia..hehehe!

 e vi giuro che non ho fatto neppure una smorfia!

forse ho tirato qualche bullshit ma sono stato bravo!

 inoltre con questo ritardo ho conosciuto 3 danesi (femmine NDR)!!! hehehe! per gli hotel..ho guardato 3 guest house ed ho scelto la meno peggio!!!ma credetemi che lo standard era oltre il lurido! ma la cosa che mi ha spinto qui alle kameron..sono state le piantagioni di the!!!

 veramente belle..non le avevo mai viste dal vivo! mi sono noleggiato un motorino ed ho girato questi monti dove ci sono le piantagioni… quello del noleggio si era raccomandato di non andare nel punto piu alto delle kameron con il motorino perche non avrebbe coperto l’assicurzione, che era pericoloso  e via dicendo…e cosi sono stato anche li!!!

 io la reputo mafia..perche se non puoi andarci col motorino devi andarci con la jeep e quindi acquistare un tour. cosi mi sono bevuto il the sulle piantgioni..ho visitato la fabbrica e pure il punto piu alto… è stata una bella giornata! dopo le kameron sono andato a penang…un isola che come malacca è patrimonio dell’umantà…carina sembra una malacca gigante, quindi con piu cose da fare e vedere…anche qui il cibo è una buona fetta del viaggio! ci sono i vari quartieri..e li ho girati tutti!!! ci sono alcune stradine veramente belle..dove fanno mercati e vedi la gente del posto che compra pollo pesce e verdura…o vestiti..insomma vedi come scorre la vita vera! in uno di questi mercatini ho conosciuto un ragazzo che in effetti non mi sembrava asiatico… from senegal..e qui vende portafogli!!!

che strano…

quando ha saputo che ero italiano mi ha chiesto come mai parlo inglese…era stupito che parlassi inglese..e non è la prima persona che incontro che mi domanda come mai parlo inglese!

ma che reputazione abbiamo all’estero???

qui ho fatto il visto di 60 giorni per la thailandia…

 penang qualche giorno lo merita!

 e da qui sono entrato in thailandia… la cosa piu difficile qui in thailandia è il dialogo e farsi capire.. anche nei centri turistici l’inglese è basso…pure nei centri informazione e hotel! e chi parla inglese lo pronuncia talmente diverso che diventa incomprensibile! ma per me è una grande sfida…e mi piace cercare di farmi capire…per l’appunto ho comprato un vocabolario inglese-thailandese. ma andiamo avanti…

sono stato come prima tappa.. ad hatyai, qualche giorno tanto per ambientarmi!

 il mio piano iniziale era quello di tirare dritto ed arrivare a krabi…tralasciando il sud.. perche pieno di separatisti e fondamentalisti islamici che piu o meno uccidono qualcuno ogni giorno!

 ma un minuto prima di fare il biglietto per krabi mi sono detto… perche devo rinunciare a visitare una citta solamente perche cè la paura degli attentati??? cosi sono andato ad hat yai dove qualche hanno fa sono esplose bombe all’aeroporto internazionale, in un centro commerciale e in altri luoghi. devo dire che all’inizio mi sentivo fuori luogo..qui ci sono le donne col burka e la maggioranza sembrerebbe mussulmana..ma non ho paura di una religione…ho paura degli uomini in generale!

 cosi mi sono rilassato e goduto questa città..che non ha da offrire grandissime cose…ce un budda gigante, qualche moschea e tempio..ma io ero li per vedere le persone come vivono cosa fanno..se è vero che cè l’uomo nero!

mi è sembrata una città ordinata e tranquilla e sopratutto con pochi turisti..anche nei centri commerciali non ho mai trovato piu di un paio di occidentali.

 qui le persone sono ancora genuine..un esempio: un venditore di bacarozzi…voleva faremene assaggiare uno..e il tutto come avviene da queste parti a gesti..perche io non parlo thai e loro inglese! ma ho resistito alla tentazione…hehehe sarà per la prossima volta! cmq ci siamo fatti qualche risata e ho potututo fare qualche foto a lui e agli insetti… la stessa cosa un anno fa a bangkok…ho chiesto se potevo fotografare una bancarella con i bacarozzi..e la singora mi ha chiesto 20 bht..bhe dopo un anno posso dire di aver fatto bene ad aver salvato 40 centesimi di euro!!

 la cosa cambia invece a krabi, qui iniziano ad esserci turisti quando cerchi una camera molte volte è tutto esaurito, e qualche volta ti trovi per strada e sembra di essere in europa! ma non è cosi eccessiva da farti rimpiangere luoghi paradisiaci come malacca..dove il turista gonzo deve ancora arrivare! a krabi mi sono trovato veramente bene ho conosciuto 3 thailandesi con cui ho passato il sabato sera e tanti viaggiatori.anche qualche italiano.. una coppia che ha mollato tutto e ora si fa il giro del mondo…e purtroppo nella mia guest house ho incontrato anche un italiano sui 35 anni che tutte le sere si portava in camera un ragazzo..che forse forse aveva 18 anni! ma secondo me di meno!

quando l’ho conosciuto mi ha detto che stava qui solo per rilassarsi… non ho parole!!!

 italiani BRAVA GENTE!

 krabi mi è piaciuta..con i suoi mercatini notturni …gli spettacoli e i concerti, il mercato mattutino di carne pesce e frutta…tutto come a penang all’aria aperta con mosche e caldo che la fanno da padroni e si sodomizzano l’igiene!!!

anche se..qui inizi a vedere che il sorriso che ti facevano fino ad hatyai è un po meno spontaneo, nel vedere una camera da letto, abbiamo quasi litigato, e anche per noleggiare il motorino..insomma credo che se alcuni thailandesi sono arrabbiati o stressati è per colpa nostra..per il turismo aggressivo e il denaro!

qui a phi phi ho trovato tutto quello che non cercavo..

 è un’isola che potrebbe essere tranquillamente un piccolo paradiso per me…ma… qui il thailandese è diventato come l’occidentale, avaro e con voglia di tirare su quattrini, in un luogo cosi picoclo non ho mai visto tanti negozi, bar e pub, pub che servono cibo occidentale, ristoranti con cibo thay al doppio del prezzo che potresti trovare a krabi..che è turistica e quindi costa di piu rispetto ad hatyai per esempio… non pensate chissa che…per noi non sono nulla…perche alla fine se ad hat yai mangi con 50bht per strada…e parlo di un pasto con bibita, a krabi spendi magari 70, e qui 110, tradotto in euro siamo tra gli 1 e i 2 che non fanno di certo la differenza..ma ti fanno pensare che forse queste persone stavano meglio prima che arrivasse il turismo! negli shop l’acqua costa il doppio che a krabi! stessa cosa per alberghi e internet!!! a krabi gia caro per quello che era spendevo 2 euro a notte..qui ne spendo 10!

e di stare in un isola disegnata per il turista scemo che viene qui una settimana e si sente ricco perche tutto costa poco rispetto a dove vive non mi va!

 fino a ieri nei locali c’erano programmi thailandesi in thailandese…qui ci sono partite di calcio e rugby…insomma una disneyland per chi si accontenta di questo!

io non ci sto e cosi domani me ne vado via di corsa!!!

mi sembra di essere a riccione!

 senza contare della costruzione di nuovi alberghi che stanno prendendo il posto di alcune colline! io voglio tornare nelle cittadine come hatyai o malacca..e non in queste trappole per turisti!!! e la spiaggia di the beach…me la vedro in dvd!!!

 un bacioooooooooooo!

We flew in and out of Penang, where we spent half of the week. The other half we spent in Langkawi. It proved a decent mix of city and countryside, culture and relaxation, with stays in three locations.

Back to Part 1: Penang

Thrills and refreshment at Langkawi's Seven Wells

 

CENANG

The morning ferry from Penang to Langkawi necessitated a pre-dawn wakening in order to drive from Batu Ferringhi to Georgetown, drop off the hire car and walk to the port (no taxis being available at that time) in time for check-in 45 minutes before departure. Consequently we got to drive through a pretty sunrise and negotiate a sleepy Georgetown before the city and its inhabitants fully woke.

The boat ride was smooth and I soon fell asleep and caught up a little on the hours missed with the early start. Sleeping a portion of the 2.5-hour journey meant it passed very quickly.

We got a taxi from the Langkawi port in Kuah to Pantai Kok, reportedly the best beach on the island, but on arrival found that the guesthouse we were looking for had closed in the couple of years or so since the Rough Guide I was consulting was published. Since Pantai Kok is otherwise populated by high-end resorts (above our budget), the driver recommended we go to Cenang instead. Fair enough – it was said to be the second-best beach on the island, and not as developed as Kuah, the island capital.

We checked in to the AB Motel, which at RM100 (20 pounds) per night was an absolute steal – just 20 metres from the white-sand beach, boasting a large en-suite room, two double beds, air con, fridge, TV and verandah, and in walking distance of anything of significance in Cenang. We couldn’t have asked for more.

As we had already seen a decent stretch of the coast and countryside thanks to the aborted attempt to stay in Pantai Kok – further from Kuah than Cenang, at the western end of the island – we decided to simply spend our first day hanging around Cenang and relaxing. An excellent Chinese lunch was followed by a stroll along the beach and a swim.

As is my habit, when I saw a broken beer bottle on the sea floor, I picked it up and intended to return it to shore. It was only when a white tentacle started to wriggle out of it that I realised an octopus had made its home inside the green glass! Ingenious, I thought, as the sides of the glass offered both armour and a smooth, firm anchoring point for its suckers. Not knowing – or wishing to find out – what would happen if one of the tentacles was to attach to my skin, I dropped the bottle back where I’d found it.

Cenang was light on nightlife options, although there was a decent beach bar with a live reggae band which looked the part but vocally would never be confused with the icons they covered. Still, I find reggae music of any kind always suits an evening on a tropical island beach.

We returned to Pantai Kok the next day – not in search of luxury resorts or defunct guesthouses, but to visit the Seven Wells – a river leading to a dramatic waterfall and featuring seven pools connected by slippery rocks which are safe and fun to slide down.

It’s a hot and humid hike up the mountain – and any rustling of bags will attract the attentions of naughty, snack-hunting monkeys – but that just makes the eventual dip in the river all the more welcome.

The Seven Wells lead to what would literally be a deadly drop off the waterfall, so thankfully a couple of flimsy wires stretch across the penultimate pool. It’s a half-hearted effort as far as death-prevention goes, but really, no harm will come to anyone who displays a bit of common sense and doesn’t go too near the edge.

A walk back down to the base of the waterfall provides further swimming opportunities and the scene for some dramatic photos. After that, we considered a ride on the Langkawi cable car to the summit of the mountain, but rain was threatening so we retreated to the hotel.

The rain did indeed descend with some force that evening, ruling out a return to the beach bar, but an excellent dinner of grilled cockles and stingray sufficed.

Lunch is served at Pulau Payar

Our final full day in Langkawi saw us take a tour to Pulau Payar Marine Park. It is one of the most heavily-advertised tourist attractions in the region, with videos and documentation showing delightful images of snorkelling and diving amid coral and hand-feeding colourful fish and even sharks. It looked irresistible, so we plumped for that over other excursions, including a three-island boat trip or a mangrove tour.

The island was indeed delightful – pristine sea water brimming with fish, uninhabited land and stunning views from the hilltop – but in hindsight, there was no reason to take an organised tour there rather than the normal, scheduled ferry service.

The tour staff were, of course, friendly and knowledgeable, but aside from that the only things they provided besides the transport was a snorkel set and a packed lunch – both of which you could buy in Cenang anyway.

So the “tour” amounted to a bus and boat ride to a single desination, a talk, a basic lunch and the provision of equipment. Besides that, we were left to our own devices for a half-day. Don’t get me wrong, Pulau Payar itself is well worth visiting, and it is quite charming to be surrounded by schools of fish – tiny, bright ones up to seabass, non-aggressive sharks and even one enormous grouper – attracted by scraps of bread. It’s just that the organised tour to the island did not offer value for money at RM100 per person.

Rain curtailed another trip to the beach bar, so we spent our final night out in Langkawi at the only other watering hole we could find in Cenang, which I can’t remember the name of but was run by a British guy who was celebrating his birthday that night, so the place was busy and boasting a party atmosphere. We stayed until 3am, and with beers starting at just RM3 (60p), and our return ferry to Penang not until 2.30pm, there was no reason not to!

The return to Penang was simply for convenience, as we would fly back to Bangkok one day later. We stayed again at the Broadway Budget Hotel, had a low-key Friday night out on Jalan Penang (the hangover from the previous night in Langkawi was still in the memory) and then killed a few hours before the afternoon flight on Saturday by visiting Fort Cornwallis, a British colonial military defence fort which was never actually used in battle.

In all, the holiday offered a good mix of culture, fun and relaxation, which is just right for a one-week vacation. I found Malaysian people – whether indigenous, Chinese or Indian – to be very friendly and for the most part fair and honest – something that is unfortunately sometimes missing from the tourist’s experience in other parts of South East Asia. The food was good and costs were comparable with Thailand, and in some cases certain things were even cheaper. It is officially a Muslim country but there no restrictions on dress, drink or other standard pursuits of a Western or Thai tourist. Waew proclaimed it the “best trip ever”, and while she is far from as well-travelled as me, it was certainly among my more enjoyable holidays, too.

Today H&M opened its doors for the shopaholics who were all in line for the Jimmy Choo for H&M collection. No, I wasn’t one of them since I think that 4/5 of the whole crowd was there because the products had Jimmy Choo on it. Just like when Matthew Williamson designed for H&M. When you walked by people who were standing by those colorful clothes you could hear most of the people thinking:

‘Who is Matthew Williamson?’

I don’t like the collection at all and I think it’s a bit pricy. I certainly won’t pay 199 bucks for a Jimmy Choo for H&M bag.

I don’t find the men section that special.

Took this shot during zamrud workshop in penang..~
Location: Penang Youth Park…
Model: Sharon Chen~

More pictures in my flicker:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mujibflicks

Ya son muchos los días que voy buscando excusas para no ponerme delante de la que tal vez será, la penúltima crónica. Y, ya son muchos los días, que busco esas palabras enmarañadas en mi mente para poder volver a hablar de este viaje.
Tras dejar atrás Port Moresby (Papúa Nueva Guinea), teníamos más de 1000 millas por delante nuestro hasta llegar a Indonesia.
Después de un estrecho de Torres que cruzamos a gran velocidad,

 con viento y corriente siempre a nuestro favor, y tras un avión de la Guardia costera australiana que nos pasó casi “rozando” el mástil mientras estábamos montando el tangón para configurar las velas (estuvieron llamando antes por la radio pero pensábamos que llamaban a otro barco), llegamos al mar de Arafura, tirando por el lado de sotavento, todos los desechos orgánicos que generábamos. Os cuento esto, ya que antes de salir de Port Moresby, tuvimos que enviar –es obligatorio-, un e-mail a Australia para decirles que íbamos a cruzar sus aguas. Rápidamente nos llegó su respuesta diciéndonos tooooodo aquello  que no se podía hacer en sus aguas, entre ellas, tirar productos orgánicos por la borda. Y a mi cómo que cada vez me caen peor los australianos (no enumeraré los motivos pero os aseguro que cada vez son más), pude realizar mi pequeño acto de rebeldía, tirando las pieles de las frutas que consumíamos y asomando “mi culito” por la borda cuando las necesidades apremiaban o eso digo yo, también estaba prohibido?.
Tras más de una semana de navegación en un Mar que no superaba los 40 metros de profundidad y de un color verde intenso, llegamos a Indonesia.

Este gran país formado por miles de islas, fue desde un principio para mí, una gran decepción.
Indonesia, en estos pequeños recodos de mi memoria supone Nasi Goreng y cerveza Bintang casi cada noche para cenar.

Navegaciones sin viento y corriente en contra. Fondeos cuyas playas eran vertederos de basura. Dragones de Komodo y macacos pescando cangrejos en la isla de Rimca.

 Cientos de pescadores, de redes a esquivar y de zambullidas al amanecer en plena navegación (entonces sí que teníamos viento), para arrancar enjambres de sedal y cuerdas de la hélice. De islas y más islas abrasadas por el fuego. De un poder corrupto y de blancos (australianos) todavía más corruptos amparándose en la corrupción de los locales. De la isla de Bali, bonita y llena de encanto

pero tan explotada y ocupada que en breve será insostenible de tanta construcción, demografía y turismo.  De atardeceres en el sur de Java donde miles de zorros voladores cruzaban el horizonte en busca de bananas y papayas silvestres en las montañas y de un fondeo en el cráter que dejó la explosión del mítico volcán Krakatoa hace ya más de un siglo.
Y así, después de más de dos meses y medio en este país, saltamos a Malasia tras el cruce de la vía de navegación que rodea Singapore y que probablemente, sea una de las más transitadas.

Malasia fueron saltos de marina en marina. Remontar el estrecho de Malaca. Navegaciones cortas pero intensas de tráfico de mercantes y pescadores. Aguas sucias todo el tiempo y del fondeo en un río (Port Klang), donde cada día con el bichero, tenía que apartar toda la basura que se acumulaba alrededor del Talula (incluido un gato muerto a punto de reventar).
Fueron días de reparaciones,

de mal humor y de distanciamiento en el Talula. Fueron días de nuevas amistades que han quedado ahí por siempre.

 Fueron días de cambio y de crecimiento duro pero necesario.
Malasia fue la isla de Penang. Noches en el barrio hindú. Rotis y los mejores tandoris en el Mustafás, calamares rebozados en el “restaurante” chino más sucio de Penang, donde las ratas estaban tan saciadas que retozaban por debajo de las mesas ante la indiferencia de los clientes menos de la nuestra.

De una marina en dónde a partir de los miércoles, ya no se podía dormir hasta las tres de la madrugada, ya que la discoteca que albergaba el recinto, estaba totalmente descubierta. De numerosos templos, paseos, pensamientos y más pensamientos…
Y también fue Langkawi. Última isla antes de partir hacia Tailandia. Cargamos bodegas, salida del país y rumbo a Phuket. En este trayecto de 120 millas,  hicimos varias paradas en islas donde las aguas volvían a ser limpias y de escenarios dónde, una vez más, la naturaleza se imponía soberbia y desafiante  ante la medida humana.

Llegada a Phuket. Fin de Año en el barco de unos amigos y empezamos el año sin saber qué hacer de nuestras vidas. Continuamos? Nos quedamos un año más por la zona y aprovechamos para pintar aquí el Talula? Qué haremos en España cuando lleguemos con tanta crisis? Es aconsejable hacer este año el Mar Rojo?. Y así fueron pasando los días hasta que el día 10 de enero tomamos la decisión: Mar Rojo, Mediterráneo y vuelta a casa.
Y así tras 1600 millas más a nuestras espaldas y con el alma un poco más en calma, hoy os estoy escribiendo desde un atolón de las Maldivas (probablemente el más feo de todos al menos visto desde el mar). Tranquilidad, sol, arena blanca, aguas transparentes, un poblado encantador con casitas hechas de coral y calles de arena sin asfaltar, un pozo donde puedes coger agua dulce y lavar la ropa y unas gentes humildes pero tremendamente hospitalarias cómo rige su costumbre musulmana.

De un día de ayer donde pescamos 15 calamares por lo que pude hacer finalmente, un arroz negro y unos calamares a la cerveza que compartimos con nuestros amigos suecos del Eos.

Y mañana, de una cena en el poblado y al día siguiente, de una excursión a otra isla.
Luego serán 1200 millas más hasta Omán (Salalah),

que será desde donde envíe esta crónica, para saltar a Yemen (país del que tengo grandes expectativas) y atravesar con otros veleros,  la zona marítima más conflictiva que es el Golfo de Adén. Allí serán días con todos los sentidos a flor de piel y con la tarea aprendida de cómo hacer un SOS a través de las radios en caso de amenaza de piratas. Navegaremos por un corredor de seguridad en donde la flota internacional está presente y que una vez superado el estrecho de Bab el-Mandeb, quedarán atrás los piratas pero entonces, las noches de insomnio vendrán por los fuertes vientos que soplarán del Norte y que nos harán buscar refugio en las costas de Eritrea, Sudán y Egipto y esperar con mucha paciencia a que Eolo se despiste un poco, para seguir remontando ese mar Rojo hasta llegar al Mediterráneo, donde, con nuestro querido Serrat y una botella, esta vez de Champagne francés comprado en Nueva Caledonia, será descorchado y regado sobre la cubierta del Talula para darle las gracias por habernos llevado de vuelta a nuestro querido Mar Mediterráneo.
Aún falta al menos dos meses para ello, pero así será.
Cómo tantas veces he soñado y deseado.
Cerrando un ciclo más de mi vida.
Cada día más cerca de todos vosotros y tan lejos de otros,
Laura