Shopping, eating and culture

16.2.16

We finally got to sleep after 3am, New Year celebration fireworks were still going off and people were obviously enjoying themselves.
So we woke after 10am with the sun streaming in our tiny air vent window!
Had a chat with Nancy while she was washing her false teeth in the sink and set off for breakfast.
On a list of foods you must try was laksa, so we decided to give it a go.
Its a fish based soup with really thick spaghetti like noodles, strips of courgette, spinach, mint, meat and some other vegetable with a chunky stalk.
It’s quite spicy, very difficult to eat but quite good.

Time for iced coffee in another local place, with cigarette butts everywhere.
Spotted a huge store that sells a bit of everything, bought a new purse, a mini shampoo, Olay face wash and John bought some perfume and aftershave roll on sticks, 3 for 10 so I got a perfume one.
They were mostly copies and named after certain brands but we were very amused by some of their names, including Osama, Saddam Hussain and Taliban.

Its very hot today and we’re currently on the 201 heading towards a traditional village we spotted on the way to Penang Hill, Air Itam.
Kek Lok Si Temple is there too and is apparently lit up for Chinese New Year, so we may see it lit up if we’re still out.
The little shacks were interesting and have a great atmosphere.

We found the cleanest toilet we’ve seen so far.

The temple complex is massive, and the gardens are stunning

It took us over 2 hours to explore the Pagoda and then we went up in the lift to see the massive statue we’ve seen from the street.

We bought a couple of souvenirs and several tiny gourds to decorate, I saw them on another stall and the guy tried to sell them for 15 RM each, we said it was a lot but he insisted. They were 2.5 RM each in the top temple gift shop, with prices on.
Just shows that tourists are conned all over the world.

We struggled to find a bus stop to get home, 2 buses drove straight past as we were
at the hop on hop off stop, but a lady who was a little further along the road outside a curry house, assured us she was at the bus stop.
There was nothing to say it was a stop but the bus did indeed stop.

We were back at the jetties in time for dinner, it had to be the nearby food court.

Had a nice mix of duck, squid, noodles with fried fish, rice and satay sticks. And of course ice coffees, John’s really into those now, amazing for someone who usually hates coffee.

Bought a bag of Nips, peanut and raisin flavour. They look like M&Ms but don’t taste half as good, still ate them though.

Early night for us, a little apprehensive about a) being up and ready to leave at 4.30am, b) Nancy being ready and c ) Nancy’s driving.

Night night from Penang x