West Coast Is The Best Coast

Hello Thailand

Phuket

Arriving in southern Thailand felt like walking through the gates at Disneyland with a touch of Las Vegas.  It might be the second happiest place on earth where you can lay in the sun, dive,  snorkel, or cliff jump all day and indulge in any and all vices at night. We skipped the main party town and went south to a place called Karon beach.  Still VERY touristy but a little more tame.

Our first plate of Pad Thai in Thailand from The Pad Thai Place with some Kelly juice :)

The hostel where we stayed had a common area to hang out, drink a beer, or order delicious Pad Thai from the owners wife. Undoubtedly, an older Swedish couple would be there sipping on vodka/pineapples all day long.  They immediately started talking to Andy in Swedish but quickly learned, due to his blank stare, that he didn't share the common tongue. They are both 52 years old, light complected but sun kissed from two weeks in the Thai sun, and great conversationalists.  After two days, a handful of hour-long conversations, and some strong Swedish style coffee we learned a lot about their lives and Thailand.  They taught us our first Thai phrases thank you "Kapun kah (f) or Kapun krop (m)" and hello "Sawadee",  and introduced us to a new fruit called mangosteen. 

Swedish friends

One evening during a power outage, we found ourselves stranded on the porch with a small candle.  Sleeping without a working fan wasn't an option.  Around the same time an English couple found themselves inside the local 7eleven when the power cut and were physically forced out of the store.  We congregated on the main porch and exchanged stories and advice about travel until the wee hours of the night. Carl and Lindsay were super cool and are currently working in Australia where many other SE Asia travelers end up as well. 

Taking a bath during a power outage. This guy ran up and hopped in and sat for a minute before leaving. 

From Karon beach, you can see a giant Buddha perched on the top of the hill. This is one of the major attractions of the area.  We decided the best way to visit there would be by foot.  It's not a well beaten path but the hostel owner gave us a piece of paper with directions that read like this, cross the street and turn right on the next road, walk a a kilometer and turn left, walk until this road turns into a dirt road and turn right.  Hike up the hill (which used to be full of growth head-high but had recently been weed-wacked and full of giant spiders) and find a trial to the left.  Pass the tree with the scarf on it and hike up the hill.  Then it will meet up with a "road" that leads to another road that will lead to the Big Buddha.  It took a while to find all of the correct turns but we eventually made it up the hill to the main road. 

Right turn

Scorpion road kill

Koh Phi Phi pronounced 'peepee'

The scenery of Koh Phi Phi is pure paradise. On the boat ride there, it's clear why so many movies have been filmed in the area and why Thailand has become a vacation hot spot.  Karsts jet out of the blue-green water on all sides.  White sand beaches are lined with long tail boats all with colorful scarfs tied around the bow for good luck. All waiting to take tourist on an unforgettable trip around the neighboring islands and to The Beach that Leonardo DiCaprio made famous. We took a trip there with some friends from home on Thanksgiving...not your typical Turkey Day.

Long tail boat on The Beach

Thanksgiving dinner...we all ordered Thai curries!

Fire show

The habitable part of Koh Phi Phi is quite small.  It is essentially two islands with a land bridge between.  The land bridge is where you find the maze of narrow pedestrian streets lined with souvenir shops, pizza stands, bars, and 7elevens.  The beaches are lined with guesthouses and bar decks for lounging. The nights are spent watching fire shows on the beach and the days are spent enjoying the beach and boat trips around the island. Basically it is the stereotypical party paradise that Thailand has become known for.  We met 3 Aussie friends and two very well moustachioed Germans while diving who are the epitome of fun!  Every time we walked down the streets of town we ran into them and inevitably spent a few days indulging in the wild beach party the island is known for.

Dive boat basking

We returned to the mainland to a place called Krabi.  The town is situated up river from the coast and doesn't have a whole lot going on besides a huge night market but the nearby picturesque beaches of Rai Leh offer some of the best rock climbing in southeast Asia.  We intended to do some solo climbing over the water but to Andy's chagrin, the tides and weather didn't permit thanks to daily afternoon monsoon rains.  Instead, we took a long-tail boat in the morning during high tide and walked to the other side of the beach to set up for climbing.  We spent the day climbing the limestone cliffs and remembering what it feels like to use these muscles. On the way back, we had an added bonus of walking half of a kilometer in water up to our thighs to reach the long tail boat.  Half way there, a giant tractor with benches hitched to the back passed us and dropped off people at a nice enclosed motor boat... our boat fare didn't include the tractor ride. 

Western beach of Rai Leh

Or next stop is the east coast of Thailand to meet up with our friend Phil!

How I learned to love Malaysia or Cameron Highlands and Penang

Howdy howdy folks! We had a great time in Kuala Lumpur and the big city life was nice but it was time to get out to the countryside again. We headed up in pouring rain to the promised mild weather of the Cameron Highlands in central Malaysia. We had been boiled, broasted, and BBQ'd for too long now, but the Highlands were supposed to offer a welcome respite. We caught a bus along side a young German couple Soren and Susan. The four of us arrived amid torrents worthy of Noah and found ourselves stranded at the bus station. The attendant manning the information booth asked us where we were staying and upon answering "Father's Guesthouse" he called up the owner for a ride. Twenty minutes later an absolute kook drove up laughing and joking in a bizarre but hilarious English/Malay accent. The day progressed fantastically as the hostel was nice and the curtains of rain were raised for a moment. The four of us headed to the Boh Tea plantation for a cuppa and a beautiful view.

Boh Tea Plantation

Boh Tea Plantation

Boh Tea Plantation

We got a short tour of the operations inner-workings and some superb tea and strumpets!

Different by-products of tea

Keep your distance

Tea Setup

With an hour and a half of daylight remaining we decided to fore go the 7km ride back to town and down the hill from the pinnacle on which the plantation house was situated, and hoof it. Kelly and Susan trailed Soren and I and whilst we all traded stories and were reminded how similar people of our age group are no matter where you hail from. As we continued down the hill we saw some locals hunting birds with 3 meter long blow guns. Further down we saw some more people skinning a goat and guzzling Malay whiskey. 

To top off a good day we decided to join forces again and tackle a steamboat Chinese dinner. Between the four of us we stewed any and all comers. The steamboat is a sort of cook at your table stew. One half is a clear broth the other half is beef stock. You get to add cabbage, noodles, fish, meat, veggies, and whatever else is brought to the table and the concoction is eaten from throughout. Its a kindof never ending stew pot.

Our friends had to head out the following day but we still had some time in the hills so we decided to see one of the highlights of the trip so far for me. The Rafflesia kelantanesis gan is also known as the corpse flower. This is the largest flower in the world measuring up to 39 inches across and 22lbs! It usually emits a rotting flesh odor to attract the bluebottle carrion fly for pollination. This flower is actually a parasite that forms on vines on the jungle floor. Its growth patterns take it from a tiny polyp to something not unlike a red head of cabbage, to this awesome spectacle. 

Fern Hats are this years hot item

Young Rafflesia just opening

Cabbage sized very young Rafflesia

Old and Dying Rafflesia. Smells like white chocolate

 Our guide for this short hike was almost as interesting as the flower. This guy: 

THE MAN

A third generation resident of the Cameron Highlands, he chose not to hold his tongue when speaking of the way the Malaysian government has handled its natural wonders. He spoke of the shameless way the government has sold off the lands surrounding these small protected areas to farmers from Singapore for salads in shopping malls. The lack of environmental regulations have allowed removal of the precious topsoil that holds this rain drenched land together and sent most of it floating down the many natural waterways that intersect the land like a circulatory system. Streams which once flowed clear now reflect not sunlight, but instead an obvious disregard for natural systems. 

This stream used to run clear and much higher

Kelly drinking water from bamboo

Our guide guiding hard.

Our steed

PENANG: We left from the "icy" reaches of the Cameron Highlands the following morning and headed to Penang. This is a city for a man with no end to his appetite and a stomach that can handle dynamite. Yo Soy!

Largest of many wall murals all around Penang

What a chipster

That is a single incense stick.

A bit of colored rice street art for Deepavali.

The only way Kelly can go into a mosque. This is a rental.

Kapitan Keling Mosque

Khoo Kongsi Chinese Clanhouse

Largest reclining Buddha in Malaysia

Kek Lok Si monastary

Kek Lok Si monastary

Here the heat was on again and back with a vengeance. We wandered around town the first day as much as we could on this island. It is a fairly sizable one off the coast of northwestern Malaysia with a 13.5 km bridge connecting it to the mainland. The city of Georgetown is the gem and a UNESCO world heritage site. This was once the location of an important international shipping port that attracted myriad peoples and cultures. There are the obvious fingerprints of every Asian culture in the architecture, language, and especially the food. The "Pearl of the Orient" allows for the best of the best of the best food to have one place to call home. Whether you love Malaysian, Indonesian, Thai, Northern or Southern Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Bangladeshi, or any other type of dish from Asia I assure you the best of it is available here. We stayed for five days because of the travel set-up to Thailand so we had plenty of time to experiment and explore. Penang is known as the hawker capital of Malaysia and most of the cities specialties are best purchased from a portable cart streetside or from a food center. The pictures don't do it justice, but enjoy. 

Squid Curry. Now with 20% more squid tubes!

ROJAK...I know, I know sounds like a cop show, but seriously it tastes kind of like dirt. This is a fruit and vegetable salad tossed with a sweet tamarind sauce with palm sugar and garnished with crushed peanuts, sesame seeds and chillies.

Laksa Asam. Also known as Penang Laksa. It is a fish broth soup spiked with a sour tang from tamarind paste and mint. Not awesome but they love it here. The smell after being around for 5 days was enough.

Cendol (n) Dessert.  Pronounced Chendol. Garishly colored green strands made fom pea flower are layered with sweet red beans, crushed ice, coconut milk, and brown sugar. Delish.

Thought they were called 'hawker stations' for a reason.

Crispy pork over rice. ask for half fat/ half lean or pun fei sau and it is almost the best food of all time.

Lorbak is not a Dr. Seuss character but in fact is awesome. This is spiced ground pork wrapped in bean curd dipped in black gravy. After the last two dishes I am convinced. PIG IS GOOD. Sorry mom. Ham still sucks because so does Bologna and other meat confederations. The things these people have been able to do with carefully prepared meats is great and I don't discrimin-eat.

The mysterious Durian.

Kelly giving the Durian fruit a try. It looks like an alien pod. It has the consistency of butter and tastes like garlic/onion. We don't eat this often.

Fried oysters. Very popular here. Not great but fried so hey not too bad.

Pasembur and some poor spring rolls. The pasembur is a goulash and looks like spaghetti but it is sprouts instead of noodles. 

Another cendol another dollar.

Banana leaf breakfast.You can purchase a banana leaf bundle that is shaped like a pyramid. Inside will be rice and some meat and sauce. Or noodles, either way it is usually a nice small treat to begin one's day.

Curry Mie. Just awesome. Thin yellow egg noodle and rice noodles with spicy curry soup, sambal(chilli), coconut milk, tofu, cockles, shrimp, cuttlefish, chicken egg, and mint. One of the better single dishes I have had. EVER.

One dish sadly that we did not get a photo of but needs to be written about was Beef Torpedo soup. In his TV show No Reservations, chef Anthony Bourdain comes to town and samples this soup from the same stall at the same restaurant. Beef torpedo soup features beef broth with slices of bull penis. It is a delicacy to put it delicately, but don't get your hopes up. It was lost in the shuffle of all the other amazing dishes we ate as nothing more than mediocre. I don't think Campbell's will be putting this on the menu any time soon. Besides the novelty of the thing it isn't anything to write home about.

So that was Penang, the Pearl of the Orient. We had an early flight to Phuket, Thailand the next morning and walked through a movie set to get there. Also on a sad note we saw our third dead body of the trip on the way to the airport. If you have any kind of cycle, WEAR YOUR HELMETS!