It was two days before New Year’s Eve. Recounting the past ten days spent in the island nations of Singapore and Malaysia, it had been the perfect conclusion to the year. 2019 was a year filled with many travels, meetings of friends and family, and shared celebration of all of the good fortune that surrounded us. As I started to organize my luggage in preparation for our flight back to the states, I decided to do something that I always do on the final day of travel. Rereading my journals and visiting the last remaining points of interest that had been reserved for the tail-end of our journey.
The Jewel
Just like a pearly necklace sparkling with a blinding shimmering light, the Jewel of Changi Airport surprised us with its grandiose scale. Jewel is a shopping center built inside the airport that houses a rainforest and impressive waterfall vortex simulating an oasis in the depth of a forbidden island. Jewel was quintessentially Singaporean with its impeccable presentation of reputable shops and eye-catching attractions. When Becca and I visited the skywalk bridge, we had no questions about why it had become a quintessential part of the Singaporean experience.
We saved Jewel for our last destination because we lodged at a hotel nearby for the last day in Singapore and it was relatively easy to squeeze into the action-packed schedule on our way back from Penang. After exploring and having lunch at Jewel, we took a taxi to check in to the hotel. Becca and I then ventured out to Chinatown for our last souvenir shopping.
However doctor’s consultation is required to put you and your relationship on a track of success and happiness. viagra online sample The reason why endometriosis can lead buy cialis overnight to infertility is the kind of food that people are eating nowadays. Mechanism of cheap sale viagra propecia Propecia contains finasteride as its main and active component. Horny goat weed is a leafy herb producing red and yellow flowers, typically growing in several parts of generic india levitra your life including confidence and the way you socialize with the other gender.
It was Sunday afternoon but we must have missed the rush hour of visitors as Chinatown was calm in its temperament. Strolling around the vibrant neighborhood felt relaxing under the somber grey sky. Markets and vendors all seemed to enjoy the slower pace of a sleepy weekend before a rainstorm that will inevitably tuck them under their canopies. Becca and I were on the search for sambal (Indonesian chili paste) and kaya (coconut jelly) to take back home. On our walk we drifted along the mood of the weekend’s end that had perfectly synchronized with the sentiment of the ending trip.
Watching the rain clouds from Five Oars Coffee Roasters on Tanjong Pagar Road
After bidding farewell to Chinatown, we stopped at Five Oars Coffee Roasters on Tanjong Pagar Road for a cup of coffee before heading back to Changi. We sipped on a coffee and nibbled on a chocolate treat as we reminisced about all of the places we had visited. Our trip to Singapore and Malaysia was something like a fresh stroke of a brush on an empty canvas, and we did not expect it to be such an amazing experience at the end. From the night stroll around Chinatown to the mystical rainforests gallery in Penang, we made some of the most unforgettable memories in great company. If my tired legs had been the result of the many miles of earth we had walked across in this previously unknown part of the world, each ache was not only worth it but well-deserved.
Thank you Singapore and Malaysia for treating us well. And… thanks to you, the readers, for sticking around with us on this special journey. Hope you stay well and that we see each other again very soon!
Nature surrounds us all. Near and far. No matter where your travel may take you, we are never too distant from the prehistoric gardens that stretch their roots deep within the earth. In traveling further west from George Town, we gradually started to see new scenery doused in deep green rain forest.
Art & Garden in Teluk Bahang invited us into a mystical art gallery with walls of deep, lush forest garden and the sky as our ceiling. This beautifully curated garden showcased the coexistence of nature and manmade artworks. It is designed to enable visitors to enjoy the pretty flowers and creative blossoms of art in one easy stroll. It was especially impressive that each artwork blended into the background of open nature and left an impression of having entered some world not so distant from one of Monet’s oil paintings.
In order to enjoy Art & Garden fully, it is recommended to take a moderate hike on the established trail that navigates visitors through the canopies of flowers and fish ponds accompanied by whimsical art pieces that venture from pure aesthetics to political theory. One of the most impressive pieces to see was a series of individual opaque glass works painted in delicate patterns of flowers. The garden is quite large and it does require some strength to reach the summit for breathtaking views of jungles below. After catching our breath at the viewpoint, we strolled down to the gift shop before making our way to the restaurant in Kampung Nelayan.
There is nothing important than cialis 10 mg greyandgrey.com ‘bliss’ in life. Or they could be so brainsick by a cheap cipla tadalafil certain stimulation, such as sound or motion, that they have trouble paying attention. This results in increased blood flow to the genitals, allowing you to achieve an erection upon sexual stimulation. cheap cialis uk You need to take just check over here generic levitra one pill a day; keep a gap of at least 24 hours between the dosages. *Consult your doctor immediately probable, if you know-how the subsequent side effects at the same time.
We stopped at Tai Tong Seafood Restaurant in Kampung Nelayan and enjoyed lunch with our friend’s families. I was struck with unsettling waves of stomach ache throughout the day, and it was unfortunately not the best meal experience during our stay in Penang. Nonetheless, I had a good time exploring the tiny village that exhibited the lifestyle of the rural side of Penang. Kampung Nelayan had a sense of remoteness from the city that was fresh and interesting.
Returning to George Town, we decided to take things easy and relaxed at the apartment for the rest of the afternoon. In the evening, I went to Chulia Street Night Hawker Stalls to experience the last street food excursion in this UNESCO historic site. My final hunt for the hawker stall was a famous curry mee noodle soup that made Chulia Street known to the world of foodies.
Chulia Street comes alive at night.Penang’s famous Curry Mee — Malaysian noodle soup.
Curry mee is a signature Malaysian noodle soup consisting of a generous amount of seafood and curry broth. The curry mee stall on Chulia Street was extremely hectic and I was lucky to receive the last remaining bowl before the stall closed for the night. Chulia Street Night Hawker Stalls was clearly the top tourist destination in Penang, and it was chaotic with little to no foot space between passing people. Riding the wave of accelerating appetite, I joined another long queue to get my fill on Char Kaoy Teow!
Char kaoy teow stall on Chulia Street.
Char Kaoy Teow is a Malaysian stir fried noodle cooked with prawns and shellfish and perfected with a gentle coat of chicken and duck eggs. You can smell the irresistibly delicious sizzles of fried seafood from blocks away. The stall was set up on a long rectangular table with two workers, one person manning the wok and the other person handling the register and replenishing the kitchen supplies. It was quite entertaining to watch two workers vigorously fulfilling the long list of orders in harmonious tempo.
This was the final night in Penang. The following morning we were due to fly back to Singapore for one last day in Southeast Asia.
Thank you for following our stories. Please stay with us for the epilogue to this epic adventure!
Singapore, being an island nation that used to be part of Malaysia, it seems natural to think that there must be many intersections in the underlying cultures and to expect some similar experiences when traveling to these places. A short flight from Singapore to Penang revealed the dramatic differences between the two nations: Singapore in all of its well curated splendor and Malaysia as the more earthy and earnest sister of this corner of Southeast Asia.Penang is the spirit that runs like a current of electricity through Singapore.
We spent the morning at the Jewel in Singapore’s Changi Airport (a report of that experience to be shared in a later post), and took a one hour and thirty minutes flight to Penang. Penang Airport, unlike Singapore’s magnificent piece of art, was modest in size and resembled many small city domestic airports in the United States. There was no intimidating excess of shopping and the airport’s arrival terminal was designed for travelers to quickly diverge their paths as soon as they hauled their luggage. Becca, Michelle, and I exited the airport smoothly and used the Grab app to hire a taxi to reach Gurney Drive where we had booked an Airbnb for our 3 nights stay in Penang.
Our taxi driver was very conversational and shared many good recommendations for food to eat in Penang. He also plugged in a few questions about the price of electronics in Malaysia and mentioned how he is a proud owner of the latest iPhone. Somehow it didn’t occur to me that Penang is one of the up-and-coming hubs for technology companies in Malaysia. There are many people working at startup companies full-time while also driving ride shares for extra income – much like back in California! I watched the buildings of tech companies, a scenic Jerejak Island floating in the distance and Penang Bridge extending to mainland Malaysia as we drove up the coastal highway to George Town.
Ocean view from our Airbnb on Gurney Drive.
Gurney Drive is a resort center in Penang that stretches along the expansive beach shoreline and offers incredible ocean views from almost every 2 storey+ building. We stayed on the 10th floor of an apartment building a few blocks away from the beach and basked in 360 degree views of the Pacific Ocean from the windows. DEspite the fact that the beach outside the apartment was still under maintenance from the aftermath of the tsunami a few years back, we fully enjoyed the changing view of Penang in day and night from our resort accommodation.
Twilight hour from our Airbnb.
Our first day in Penang was spent relaxing with takeout curry from the hawker stalls (thanks to Grab app delivery). In the evening, I ventured out to Gurney Drive Hawker Center to join the wedding party for the first contact with Penang delicacy.
Gurney Drive Hawker Center bustling at night.
My experience at Gurney Drive Hawker Center was quite different from the previous night spent at Newton Food Center in Singapore. The place was bustling with energy, and people were wandering shoulder to shoulder with little to no space between passing! I also noticed there were significantly more varieties of Malay cuisine that I had not seen at the other hawker centers we visited in Singapore. Kudos to my friends for securing a full size table amidst this madness!
Chicken satay from the hawker stall. Penang Rojak! a.k.a. Malaysian salad.Newlyweds!Chee cheong fun. A delightful rice cake with sweet and spicy soy paste.
Just like in Singapore, our table was filled with a bountiful rotation of regional flavors. I got really busy trying different types of noodle dishes and analyzing the flavor notes in each bite of exotic salad dishes. Street food culture in Penang was a poignant culinary expedition and I needed to use my taste buds as guidance to navigate through the intricate maze of flavors.
Male Sexual Treatment in Delhi is a perfect way that allows men to enjoy a more active and improved sexual life. greyandgrey.com viagra prices It can be fast shipping viagra frustrating for both partners so talking about the problem instead of ignoring it is essential. The impact of the medicinal drug works well when the user is relaxed and is in the mood to spend time with your children kids and family, then popping a http://greyandgrey.com/third-department-decision-7-3-13/ viagra generika pill will not produce the desired effect. Therefore, it is the best ayurvedic cure to raise male libido, daily two times with milk or water view for more info levitra uk for 4 to 6 months.
Gurney Drive Hawker Center was a great introduction to the Penang culture. Not only did I have a chance to appreciate many incredible foods, but I was exposed to the authentic Muslim culture that exists in Malaysia. Rojak, which is one of the Muslim culinary experiences, was definitely one of the more shocking encounters I have had on my curious walks around the hawker centers. I had no preliminary knowledge about this Malaysian style salad, but one particular stall named “Disco Pasembur Rojak” lured me into the depth of this mysterious delicacy. Like a moth to flame, I joined the winding queue of the festive stall that blared awesome 90s dance jams (somehow it was not disco music). Immediately, I saw many people smiling and enjoying picking from the selection of toppings for the salad.
I was a total noob and had no idea how a rojak stall works. I just followed the queue and did what everyone else was doing: took a green plate and used the tongs to pick up what appears to be fried fish cakes and tofu, all the while bass heavy music was bumping from the overhead speakers. At the very end of the line, a gentleman with a big knife collected my plate and chopped the fried items into tiny bite size pieces. Once the pieces were reasonably diced down, he added bean sprouts, fresh green vegetables, and finally poured a heavy dollop of mysterious red sauce.
Rojak!
Unfortunately, I do not have a good comment to provide for rojak as far as flavor is concerned. It was strangely sweet and dense! I can say this would be a perfect meal to eat after only having a bowl of cereal for breakfast in the morning as it will definitely fill you up. It was by no means a substitute for a fantastic bowl of laksa, which I followed up with to cleanse my taste palette.
Penang-style laksa was quite different from Singaporean-style. Penang laksa I got from the hawker stall was tangy, acidic, and fishy. It had a very strong flavor. This dish is definitely not for everyone, but I liked it a lot!
Evening seemed to calm down as the dinner crowds started to part ways with their respective happy bellies. I took a taxi back to the apartment with takeout chicken satay and Penang-style laksa. After settling down for a few minutes at the apartment, I took the elevator to find a fancy cocktail bar with a view on the top floor of the apartment. Here’s some shimmering views of George Town at night from the sky room:
Thank you for reading my blog post! Next we will explore the art districts of George Town and some reports on hidden gems of nightlife. Please stay tuned!
