Malaysia Trip: Batu Ferringgi

When we heard about the Night Market over in Batu Ferringgi, we just had to check it out.  

I love love love Night Markets.  Back in my high school days, I remember driving up to Vancouver with my friends to buy snacks from the Asian malls, drink bubble tea, and shop/eat at the Richmond Night Market.  All those thoughts of the Good Ole Days came rushing back to me!

The first few photos are of Batu Ferringgi.  

We headed over to Batu Ferringgi in the afternoon to chill and relax.  The vendors at the Night Market started to set up around 5 - 5:30 pm along Jalan Batu Ferringgi.  

Overall, the Night Market reminded me of Hong Kong's markets (Ladies Market or the Temple Street Market).  The vendors carried a lot of the same things.  There were no food vendors, but there were a lot of restaurants along the road.  It was fun to check things out, but I didn't have the urge to buy souvenirs...IT JUST SEEMED LIKE I COULD FIND THESE THINGS EASILY in Hong Kong...

It was fun to explore the area though.  The beach was really great to chill on and watch people have a  go at parasailing.  This was actually one of the busier beaches that we had visited on our entire trip.

Malaysia Trip: Butterfly Farm

We headed out to the west side of Penang island and towards the Penang Butterfly Farm.  This was a surprisingly fun experience.  Before this visit, I had taken butterflies for granted!  Seeing them all together just made me feel like a child in awe of something wonderful.  I feel like now I can understand how birdwatchers can sit and photograph the birds in Nam Sang Wai all day long.  

Besides spending most of the morning just trying to capture butterflies on our little digital camera, we:

1.  Watched an animated film on insects,

2.  Learned about some indigenous insects/animals of Malaysia,

3.  Glimpsed at the various stages of butterfly lives,

4.  And explored the handful of exhibits around the building.

Below are some of the snapshots of the farm:

***WARNING:  BUTTERFLY OVERLOAD***

Entryway to the farm

Grasshopper

Caterpillars

One of the indoor ponds

Indoor waterfall

Artwork on one of the indoor bridges

Artwork on one of the indoor bridges

Final Thoughts:

1.  I thoroughly enjoyed standing in one place for long periods of time,

2.  I absolutely loved taking dozens of photos of butterflies,

3.  I realized how much I exercised the value of patience,

4.  I felt like we had a total bonding experience between us and nature

5.  I was sad to leave this beautiful farm...

Outdoor waterfall

Malaysia Trip: Streets of Georgetown

We just got back from a much needed holiday in Malaysia.  I thought I would share the experience and some photos...if you've never been...or thought of visiting...

There are quite a few places that hold a historical connection with Hong Kong, one being Georgetown, Penang.  Walking the town, we saw a number of beautiful old-style Chinese buildings that were dotted along the streets.  They are all deemed apart of UNESCO's World Heritage Site.

The first building we saw was the Blue Mansion (Cheong Fatt Tse Mansion), which was owned by Cheong Fatt Tse.  To enter the property, we had to pay admission for the tour, which was all right...  

Cheong Fatt Tse was one of the most prominent businessmen in Georgetown.  He founded the Chang Yu Winery, which brought European-style red wine into Asian.  The tour mostly focused on the feng-shui elements of the courtyard in the center of the home, but also talked about his most beloved wife (which I found the most interesting).

Blue Mansion

Blue Mansion

Courtyard of the Blue Mansion

We walked along most every street and lane.  Every bit of this town just breathed HISTORY. 

Walk through Little India

Another thing Georgetown is know for is the street art.  Walking around the UNESCO World Heritage area, there were a number of installations which gave a brief view into the history of a particular lane, area, or building.

I think the graffiti was the most crowd-attracting attraction, especially those done by Ernest Zacharevic.

Along the waterfront, we got to check out the colonial history of Georgetown.  It was nice to take a seat in the middle of Fort Cornwallis and just rest in the shade.  There was a snack vendor there, so it was a great place to hydrate.  There was also a beautiful promenade that stretched across the waterfront...another great place to rest, take in the view, and hydrate!

St. George's Church

Fort Cornwallis

Fort Cornwallis

Cannon at Fort Cornwallis

Magazine at Fort Cornwallis

There was so much to see.  It took the entire day to cover because we checked out temples/mansions/buildings, went on tours of famous mansions, checked out monuments, etc...but along the way, there were many shops, snack bars, and fruit carts to distract us.  The Georgetown UNESCO area was a great visit.  There were amazing finds around every corner.