Bicycle ride from Port Melbourne to Williamstown

Sally, Bryce, Jeremy and I rode to Williamstown yesterday. It was an easy 19 km ride on a bicycle path most (95%) of the way from Port Melbourne. We had to get on a punt to get across the bay, which cost $12 return. Getting across the bay was pretty quick, roughly 10 minutes. The punt runs back and forth so we did not have to wait for long.

Top left : The punt, with a ship going past behind...; Top right: Jeremy, Sally and Bryce; Bottom pics: the driver with other cyclists...

Below: Looking back at the jetty from the punt. The punt could only take 12 people plus bicycles, so one guy was left behind (the unlucky 13).

We had lunch and walked around a little in Williamstown and then cycled back to Port Melbourne. The weather was perfect, it was sunny with slight breeze...

English Afternoon Tea at Carcosa Seri Negara

Jeremy, Mom, Sis and I went to Carcosa Seri Negara for English afternoon tea. It's a beautiful location: surrounded by lush tropical garden and trees and up on a hill. Built in the early 1900s, it used to be the residence of the British representative to Malaya. It is now a hotel.  There are some nice pictures on its website.

Which is the best spot?

This is a picture taken while we were on holiday in Penang, and staying in Lone Pine Hotel. It was 7 am, and it would be very unusual for us to be out of bed except that we had to catch a flight to Kuala Lumpur that morning. Who gets up at such an early hour anyway, especially when on holiday?

The answer is A LOT of people actually. We saw a number of hotel guests going to book their deck-chairs for the day, by draping towels over their choice. Some would then proceed to the cafe for breakfast, but a few returned to their rooms, perhaps to sleep after securing their spot for sunbathing for the day. How very cute, when the hotel ground is large, and there are more than enough deck-chairs to go around. I just wonder if it might be just a bit of a stressful activity while on holiday...

Malaysians and Singaporeans will understand the relevance of the word "kiasu", which literary means being afraid of losing...

Yee Sang for prosperity in the new year

 

Yee Sang is a dish that is only available during Chinese New Year. It is customary to have Yee Sang with business associates, work colleagues, clients, family and friends to usher the new year and wish each other prosperity (in Chinese, the term Yee Sang refers to prosperity). The dish usually comes with vegetables, pickles, crisps, etc. in a variety of colours arranged on a plate. Raw fish is added, then a sauce poured over the top, and everyone picks up their chopsticks and mixes the food together. It is customary to lift the food with our chopsticks as high as possible then letting it drop as we mix.

This is a photo taken during our family reunion dinner (a family dinner on the eve of Chinese New Year) in Kuala Lumpur, where about 18 people crowded around a table with 2 big plates of Yee Sang. 18 pairs of chop sticks clashed as we started mixing the Yee Sang, and we elbowed the person standing next to us while we mixed the ingredients!  All in good fun :).

Yee Sang is sweet, and has a crunchy texture, and is usually eaten as an appetizer. It is an acquired taste, I think. Personally, I find it way way too sweet.

Finding food in Penang on a scooter

We hired a scooter to get around the island. Penang is small with many small roads and one-way streets especially in Georgetown. Riding a scooter or a motorbike is a great way to get around - there is no hassle parking, and we kinda blend in... even Jeremy, the white man (or Mat Salleh, a commonly used term) who has - after a few days - learnt to ride like a local. I shall not go into the details but more than once, I winced from my pillion seat...

It has been really nice to visit Penang and seeing the places we go to with fresh eyes. I have been to most as a child but I have forgotten what they were like.

The picture above was taken on our way back from Balik Pulau to Batu Ferringhi. The road curved along the north side of the island, on a cliff mostly, and the view from most parts was great.

Eating lots of streetfood...

We are finding lots of good food using the guidebooks we have, and from recommendations of family and friends. One of the most yummy is the asam laksa at Balik Pulau. The broth was citrusy, and the noodles just right - not too soggy or soft.

We had a nice roti telur with 2 eggs(!) which was really delicious and fluffy, from shack opposite Utusan Malaysia building in Lebuh China (pictured below). It was quite busy but the food came quickly.

We also went to the roast meat shop below Sky Hotel situated in Lebuh Chulia. It only opens for a few hours a day. We walked past the shop about 15 minutes before it opened, and already most tables in the shop were occupied. See the picture below showing customers queuing for the food and the amount of meat being prepared for the few hours that the shop opens.

A memorable shop we went to was the Char Koay Teow on Burma Road near the police station (pic below). Customers can opt for duck or chicken eggs, and we chose the duck egg. It was really nice and did not seem as oily as most.

We had so much to eat (nothing new there!)... Other streetfood we ate included seafood popiah and pasemboh in Padang Brown, char hokkien mee on Burma Road, mee jawa from a stall on a side lane off Penang Road in front of Komtar, chicken rice in Lebuh Chulia, plus lots more.

We also went to the E&O hotel to have a break from the hot weather. We had a drink on the outside verandah by the sea one afternoon. It was nice and relaxing, and we both read our books. On another day, we went to the hotel again for high tea. It was quite a change from the streetfoods of Penang.