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"The butterflies in Malaysia are actually fairies in disguise."

Penang, Malaysia, was a last-minute substitution for Langkawi, where there was a road dispute at the port so no buses could get through to us. So Langkawi closed their port and the ship scrambled for a new location. I was very excited to be going to Penang because that is where Orangutan Island is, but of course it was closed on the day we were there. 


Welcome to Malaysia!

I got myself on a ship tour with an orientation tour of the city, where our guide gave us some interesting facts about Malaysia: there are 33 million people in Malaysia; 2 million live in Penang. Medical tourism is big there because the dollar is very strong. Tourism, shipping, and electronics are their biggest industries. A 6-room condo (6,000 square feet) costs $6 million ringgits (about $1.3 million USD). I got to ride in this tricked out bus for the day.

I've got to find this pattern!

We traveled on to Entopia, the largest butterfly farm in the world. It was so wonderful to sit and watch those odd little bugs floating round on the breeze, and sip nectar from all the delicious flowers around. They also had reptiles on display, such as frogs, lizards, turtles, and other creepy-crawlies. Even though it was humid and hot, I was mesmerized and wanted to stay longer.

We moved on to a Batik factory. Batik is an Indonesian technique for dyeing fabric. On a clean cloth (cotton or silk usually, but a natural fiber), they stamp or draw designs with wax. 

They then begin the process of dyeing the fabric several times with different colors, restamping as they go. 

They then fix the color, then boil the fabric to remove the wax. The end product looks like this:

I had to buy some things, of course.

After that, our large touring bus stopped by the side of a twisty-turny road at a fruit stand so the guide could show us the native spices and fruits. There were nutmeg trees nearby that smelled so fresh and clean. I bought some nutmeg oil that is supposed to help with everything from arthritis to asthma. We will give it a try. 

This is a nutmeg in its natural state

I also bought some delicious-looking tiny bananas. When I got on the bus I peeled one open and there was a bruised section so I broke it off. As I was doing that I noticed things were wiggling. Yes, I was the proud owner of a maggot banana. I quickly jumped up and threw the whole bunch away. No more local produce for me!

There is a fruit tree all over the region called a Durian tree; they say it smells like hell and tastes like heaven. A hospital in Melbourne was evacuated when someone brought some to a family member and the staff thought it was a gas leak. I have not yet tried it – thankfully it’s out of season.

Our last stop was to see some traditional Malay homes on stilts, but it felt like we were just randomly walking in someone’s yard and I was waiting for an old lady to come out and chase us off with a broom.

Scenes from around Penang:







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MzKath
2023 is all about trying new things. I am sailing around the world on a trip I've been dreaming of, and I am dipping my toe into the Social Media world with this blog. I hope you enjoy following me on my travels!

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