Headed for the windward side

Today, our next to last day in Penang, we took the local bus, Rapidbus route 401E, around the lower rim of the island to Balik Pulau, literally meaning The Far Side. Trip was kinda long, because Penang has a lot of traffic using its old traditional streets, and a lot of shopping mall complexes and apartment towers and auto mall equivalents, but the trip was worth it, once you get past the airport the hills are lush and green. Not only was it wonderful to get out to birds singing and little streams and bamboo and all that, the food was great. We had two distinct versions of Laksa, the dark fish soup with long generous Almost spaghetti like round pudgy noodles and a little pork. The standard one we've already been having, every three days or so, has tamarind in the curry fish stock base. Today we had, side by side with this, Siam Loksa, "Thai style Loksa". this has no tamarind instead there is coconut cream and lemon grass inthe broth. With chillies and ? Fish sauce and undoubtedly garlic and who knows maybe galangal. Yumm. We had this, with a tangy drink of fresh squeezed lime and mandarin orange juice with fresh nutmegs in it. Over ice. Odd and powerful, flavor combination.

We also later today back in town finally got to have Cendol, the local noodles dessert. How awesome is that. There are noodles colored green from fragrant pandanus leaf, with a slush of caramelly coconut something, and some Chinese sweet red beans. The slush melts and its really awesome. Sort of like a root beer float only not.

We had another new meal choice today, some name like pahadum. In this, you choose from a whole lot of precooked seafood, then this gets quickly batter fried, served with slivered squash, and topped with a sweet sauce. The seafood was good, overall it sat a little heavy in the tummy. Our fellow diners laughed heartily and good naturedly at us non Muslim farangs trying to choose something new at the food stall.

The other adventure of the day was the Snake Temple. I'll let Craig talk about that one! Missable, except for the tiny green leaf snakes which are harmless beautiful and sweet and don't seem to mind being manhandled by the masses.

Finally we had another great chance conversation with another Penang born visitor, a stockbroker up for business. outside maxims, the Italian gelateria, we sat watching the bicycle taxis and talked about the world. It was fun he was courteous welcoming and insightful. A partly Turkish Malaysian Muslim married to a half Chinese woman, telling us about all the nationalities who've moved here recently e.g. Iranian and Filipino and all who've started vacationing here including all he Arabian countries since 9-2011. Very fun exchange.