Penang Holidays - Where I spent Xmas

I have been in Batu Ferringhi up the coast from Georgetown. Batu Ferringhi is a beach town and I am Lazy Boy Lodge (owned by absentee Swedes). Nearby is a National Park (Taman Negara) with a trail system that includes a trail to Monkey Beach and onward to a lighthouse. I have trouble with my photo uploader so had to use a roundabout way of first creating a Picasa WebAlbum and the linking to Blogger.

At the Park Entrance

On the Trail to Monkey Beach

Finding My Roots

Sometimes the trail is not so smooth

Only 1 km to go

Here is Monkey Beach

Seen at Monkey Beach - Not Edible

Another 1.2 km from Monkey Beach up 300 concrete steps 
Remember  - "Open Your Shoes"

Lighthouse at End of Trail

Back in KL

I took the bus from Tana Rata to Ipoh and then took the electric train from there to Kuala Lumpur.  I de-trained at Kuala Lumpur station which is the stop before KL Sentral at the old train station.  The KL stop is close to the Matahari Lodge where I am staying; which, in turn is close to my dentist, Central Market and Chinatown.

I had been under the weather for three days with some kind of bug with flu like symptoms.  I thought maybe I had been a recipient of a spillover virus or bacterium. Or perhaps it was a psychosomatic reaction to the book Spillover by  David Quammen which discusses many infections from the past such as SARS, AIDS virus, Q Fever and so on.  In particular the story of each event details the search for primary hosts and the path that the pathogen took on its way to humans.

Good Run Y'all - soaked from the heat and humidity

Check out those new LunarGlide4's Post Race

David on the left and Azri on the right
I have his medal and official shirt
(on a timer on the trunk of the car)

I was chatting with Azri in the Matahari Lodge when the subject turned to running. Azri 42 years old, had started running a couple of years ago when his doctor told him he could change his life style or go on meds for the rest of his life. He took up running quite seriously and was quite impressed that I, at my age was running marathons and halfs  and at my times. I became his inspiration as I became the oldest runner of his acquaintance.  He told me of an upcoming 12 km run and invited me to join him. It was too late to register, but he was confident I could run wihtout being registered. So he picked me up at 6:00AM Sunday and off we went to the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club where, at the Equestrian park where the race was to begin.

By the time we arrived parking along the thoroughfares already extended far from the entrance and along both sides of the collector lane. Azri decided to go past the entrance and circle back on the other side of the boulevard. In the meantime a bus was trying to come onto the collector lane but couldn't make the turn because runner's vehicles were parked on both sides and one car was blocking the bus path. We were behind the bus. So a group of guys lifted the offending car out of the way and we finally got moving again.

We walked back to the start point and it was evident from the throngs of runners I could remain anonymous. Azri had given me his T shirt so I would 'blend in' and he wore his timing bib on another shirt. Since there were several thousands no one was going to spot me and pull me from the run. I called the run the HHH Run. - Hot, Humid and Hilly. About three km from the end at the last water stop I could feel my brain boiling from increased core temp. I had already taken my shirt off (the only one on the course to do so, I am sure) and took a couple of cups of water and poured over my head. Fortuneately the last three km were on a down slope so I cruised into the finish at 1:08. Azri had come in at 1:07. I was happy at my time especially with the environmental conditions and since I have not been doing much running as I was not intending on another event this year after Moncton.

Afterwards Azri picked up his package and medal – I had to pass on that as I was not a registrant. You can see in the photo my borrowed official shirt and the finisher`s medal. I told Azri that when I did a run with my daughter that we had a ritual of going to Starbucks afterwards. So that`s what we did. We went to one in the office complex where Azri used to have his office. He owns two companies – One manufactures children`s playground equipment and the other manufactures aquaculture tanks.

On the return we passed by the King`s Palace, State Mosque and Sharia Court but no tourist pics! So you have to imagine or go to the web.  And then returned to the Lodge. Azri and his wife who, co-manages Matahari Lodge, are both Muslims – I think quite liberal ones.

Now Monday morning I am on the Express Sinaran Utara in first class (Train) headed to Butterworth from where I will cross to Georgetown (UESCO Heritage) on Penang Island. Maybe I will get a place there to hunker down over the Xmas – New Year period.

Gettin High and Chillin

Cameron Highlands

I moved on from Ipoh to Tana Rata  which is the bus termination point in Cameron Highlands.  All the time I was writing "Ipoh"  I had a feeling I had encountered that name before.  Then it suddenly dawned on me that it was an anagram of IHOP ( International House of Pancakes) .
The ride from Ipoh to Tana Rata is 2 1/2 hours by bus up over winding rain forest roads.  I took a dramamine ahead of time as I recalled from my last visit that the trip could be a nauseating experience.

 From Wikitravel:  'At 5,000 ft (1,500 m) above sea level it is also the highest point in Malaysia accessible by road. During the day, the temperature seldom rises above 25 °C; at night, it can drop to as low as 12 °C'.  

So as you can see there is quite a change in climate from the lowlands.

  Even though I had been here some 11 years ago it somehow seemed all unfamiliar.  It seems now to be much more congested and to have many more strawberry plantations than I recall.  Last night I had dinner in an Indian restaurant and at the time I was the only customer. So I asked the proprietor (I assumed)  if it had changed as much as it seemed to me.  When I said it seemed more congested he said this was a school holiday week so more families than usual were holidaying here but, he said, European visitor counts are way down from last year.  When I asked about the strawberry farms he confirmed that there had been tremendous growth.  There were only two operations in the beginning started by Indians and the Malays 'saw the money' and set up many more operations. Now there is 'strawberry tourism' with tours of strawberry farms, strawberry souvenirs and strawberry resorts  He told me there are only two tea plantations (that used to be the primary crop here and that's what I recalled).

In addition to strawberries there are many diversified vegetable producers and many roadside stands.

Below is typical architecture in the Highlands.

I walked the 5.5 km switch backed up and down road between Tana Rata and Brinchang.  Brinchang is much like Tana Rata, maybe a bit bigger but no Starbucks and no bus station.  I did have a good veggie meal at a Chinese restaurant.  

Golf Club between Tana Rata and Brinchang

Centre of Brinchang

I  returned to Tana Rata on the low road (which I didn't know existed until I was at Brinchang) that basically went around the golf course and up a Valley.On the return I came upon Picnic Park at Parit Falls

Parit Falls (just  LOL)

Picnic Park at Parit Falls

Market Garden Plot at Brinchang

Ipoh New Town

Clock tower at City Hall Park which is
basically the demarcation zone between 'old' and 'new' Ipoh

I walked over to "New Town" today and it is, well, new.  This part of Ipoh is where most of the shopping malls, large new hotels and the municipal offices are located.  It was on my way that I discovered my first vegetarian restaurant .  On my return I stopped for a meal (Nasi Lemak) and was somewhat disappointed.
Nasi Lemak is a rice dish cooked in coconut oil, the Malaysian national dish.  Mine looked a bit like this but didn't really have much taste.

Copied image from Wikipedia

  On Monday I had eaten at an Indian place and was able to make up a veggie plate but I don't recall where that was.  With my meal there I had a can of Tamarind Drink (Indian Date).  Very tasty.  I tried to find it in the shops around where |I am staying but I couldn't find any.

Ipoh claims to be where white coffee originated - it is coffee that is roasted in palm oil margarine to remove some of the bitterness.  Apparently it come from an ancient Chinese method.  A Malaysian coffee chain Old Town Coffee claims they originated white coffee and they say it is a 'slow roasting of Arabica and Robusta beans.  Personally I don't care too much for it and would rather have the robust Starbucks - which incidentally I also found today in Ipoh Parade which is the first mega mall as you go into the new section of the city. I had been getting my coffee at McD's as you know.  It was not so good and the old town McD's does not have a McCafe.

I did my running in D.R.Seenivasagam park which in its environs includes a Japanese Garden.

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Around "Old Town" Ipoh, Malaysia

Bridge

Kinta River

Colonial Bridge across Kinta River. It is reminiscent of the bridge in Lampang, Thailand. And below is the Kinta River and a couple of dwellings espied while walking along the river.

 

Some street spottings in Old Town

KL to IPOH

I forgot to mention yesterday about prices being slightly higher in KL. I bought a pair of  Nike LunarGlide 4's in Hong Kong and paid $115CAD. Out of curiosity I checked out the price at the Syria centre in KL and they were $140CAD tax included. (about what they are in Canada) Both places were official NIKE stores. I don't know whether other brand goods have a similar price differential or not but it surprised me.

This morning after a one hour run in Lake Gardens, Seeing as it is Sunday there were lots of people out. I am on the electric commuter train headed to Ipoh. It's only a two and one half hour ride. I will have to return to KL on the 13th for my bridge.

When I arrived at the train station I started walking, thinking I would come to a restaurant with wi fi so I could load up a map to get my bearings. Well I found no such place and practically all shops were closed because of it being Sunday. I followed my nose figuring I was headed to the centre of the city. Eventually I asked several different people if they knew where the Hotel Shanghai was or alternatively if they knew where the street upon which the hotel was located. One woman said to cross the bridge and  it is quite a ways. So I crossed the bridge and kept walking and asking but no one knew the hotel or the street.

Finally there were three gas stations – they didn't know nor did an attendant at a hotel nearby. Finally I saw a cab and flagged it down. Explained with my piece of paper where I wanted to go. He didn't know where it was. He called the hotel # and no answer. He said get in and I will take you to the taxi stand - “no money” he says; so we get to the taxi stand and the lead taxi driver doesn't know; but a wizened old driver does know. He takes me, all the time telling me how much he' likes to fuck women', and it turns out I had been literally right around the proverbial corner from the hotel when I was at the gas stations!

Ipoh is the fourth largest city in Malaysia at some 700,000 pop . It is quite a contrast to KL. Of course I am mostly in 'old town', where today (Monday) I wondered around finding most spots of interest. First a McDonalds for coffee and WiFi so I could make reservations for my return to KL on the 13th. It is, I think, the only Micky D's in the old town and it is correspondingly an old style McDonalds. and the only place close by with WiFi that I have found. 

I was expecting to find lots of colonial buildings – there are a few but not so well maintained and I wouldn't call it a 'colonial town' as one might find in say Mexico.

Tuesday and here I am back at Micky D's, in out of the rain, having coffee and because there is nothing else to do, studying the nutritional information on the 'place mat' simply because it's McDonald's “commitment in promoting Balanced Lifestyles”

So based on recommended nutrient intake by Malaysia and WHO here are daily allowances for adults 19 to 65. Anyone over 65 presumably can eat whatever.

Calories 2130

Carbs 293 gms

Protein 57 gms

Fat 59 gms

Salt <6000mg [!!]

Sugar <320 gms [!!] So you can get all your daily carb allowance from sugar; in fact you are allowed more sugar than total carbs.

So I have prepared a McDonalds plan for getting your nutrition in just two meals a day:

                                  Cal         Carbs          Protein             Fat      Salt                Sugar

Recommended Daily 2130      293gm           57gm            59gm   <6000mg       <320gm

Big Breakfast              522      42.8               25.4              26.8       2700               ?

2nd Meal

Spicy Chicken Delux    615      46.7              17.2              27.7        2900              ?

Side Lg Fries                413      55.0                5.8              18.8        1300             ?

Dessert: Choc

Cornetto McFlurry       457       77.8                7.9              13.0          ?                 51.8

                                  1485      179.5             30.9             59.5         4200            51.8

Total two meals          2007      222.3             56.3             86.3         6900            51.8

oops a little shy on carbs and sugar so I recommend coffee with a few packs of sugar or a couple of cokes to balance- and don't worry about being a little over on the fat and the salt

I will upload pics on another post.