The drive took us up North on a misty day akin to one that had experienced a night-full of rain fall that only the blessed states of Malaysia could call normal. All along the highway we had our breath taken away by the simplest of Mother Nature's splendid spread of green and all things natural.
Rolling hills blended in with the towering mountainous horizons where your mind dreamed away into the calls of the elusive wild. The late morning sun hid modestly amongst the blanket of mist which lent a touch of whimsical to the throngs of traffic headed both ways. As we headed towards the island of Penang, we crossed first into the the great state of Perak in which we were transported back to our times in Yang Shuo, what not with the same protrusions of limestone that laid in front of us making all that seemed surrealistically holy so reachable yet far away enough to remain in an untouchable pristine condition. These rock-like camel humps, eagle heads, ancient coins resembled the many wonderful sculptures similar to the treasures off Koh Phi Phi's coastal territory.
A journey up to Penang is not just about the glorious food, its World UNESCO heritage status, the history, the mind-blowing assimilation of multiculturalism, and family. It was truly a trip in which the journey was made so much more meaningful because of its richness along the way as the highways cut through thoughtfully fields of pineapples, villages dotting acres of virgin green rice patches, traditional names bestowed upon our rivers like "Sungai Badak Mati" and innocently naughty ones for small famous towns like " Batang Berjuntai" (literally suggestive of something long, hard and jutting out in a provocative dangling manner... sorry mum) to the odd spotting of wild cats amongst the bursting crowds of banana trees and sombre stalks of bamboo covering the silhouette of water buffaloes swaggering back to their atap huts like leathery tanks retreating after a day's hard work in the muddy ponds.
Seeing for the first time something in your own backyard can be refreshingly stimulating when you drop the odd old critical glasses and throw yourself fully into a cove of treasures like a four-year old would in the playground. We did, and we saw so much more than all the school books tried to teach us in the many years in school.
Bless you Penang, my old dame. You rock and you are truly what a "One Malaysia" is about in all respect.
You can't begin Penang without a proper meal - bring on the Masala!
Literally, "we got everything"...
Music video on this street is seriously a religion
Catching some local lads... wait a minute - it's actually my hubby and my thambi!!!
Always a friendly face at every corner
