Penang Trip 2013 P1 - Kuala Sepetang, St Anne's Church

♥June 1st♥

We made our annual trip to Penang during the school holidays, as with every year, to visit St Anne's church and give our thanks for another blessed year.

This year, the hubs wanted a detour to Kuala Sepetang, formerly known as Port Weld, which is famous for mangrove swamp and charcoal factories. As it was not a planned stop, (the hubs just thought we still have time, and exited the highway at Changkat Jering before informing us where we're heading), we'd done no research and don't know what to expect. We just parked our car, and walked about. As we just had lunch (if he'd told us where we were going first, we could have saved our stomach for later), we didn't even have room for the famous mee udang (Malay: prawn noodle), where a few restaurants were serving.

At one of the houses next to the river, we bumped into another family who was trying to gather enough people to hire a boat for a river cruise, and we agreed to join. The river cruise cost about RM60 for 4 of us (adult RM20/head, children RM20/head) for a 30 minutes cruise.

Poooh-weee! We had to put on the stinky safety vests which probably never got washed/cleaned since the first day the boat started operating.

Even with the smell bothering us, it was still quite a pleasant ride. We cruised past the fishing village.


Saw fishing boats anchored at the back of the houses.


And also went pass mangrove forest, with monkeys playing at the banks.


When we were done with the cruise, and walked back to the car, we saw some salted fish being dried. So we bought some as well. It's very tasty by the way, should you visit this place, don't forget to buy some of these long salted fish home.


And then we drove just a KM or 2 to get to the charcoal factories. We were told Kuala Sepetang charcoal is considered one of the best in Asia and it's in high demand in the international market.



Just so happened we arrived at the famous Mr Chuah's charcoal factory, Mr Chuah was about to end a guided tour to a bus load of tourists, so we joined in as well (tour is free, and to avoid disappointment, best to give Mr Chuah a call before going).

In the factory, there are domes like this which are the kilns where the de-barked mangrove trunks will be 'baked' and dried.
Once dried, the 'door' to the kiln will be sealed off for the charcoal to cool down for a further 8 days.

There were pile high of mangrove branches/trunks awaiting to be turned into charcoal.




Who, but the foreign workers, would want to work in a smokey environment? They are the ones who toiled for us so we could have our good quality charcoals!




Charcoal are broken into smaller pieces and bagged up to be sold.
We bought a big charcoal log to be placed in the house as deodoriser, as well as a pack of charcoal. 2/3 of it has already been used up since we got home. Verdict : super fragrant barbecue! So don't forget to buy some home if you visited this place.

(Mr Chuah's charcoal factory, 34650 Taiping, Perak. Tel: 012-573 9563)

Then it was back to the NKVE and to Bukit Mertajam. The hubs have to drive a bit faster because St Anne's Church closes at about 7pm.

The ambiance in the old chapel is always very serene and quiet. That's where we'll always go to for our thanks giving.




9th year in a row... our yearly tradition of going to give our thanks, and also taking a shot at the front of the old chapel.


And we always wash ourselves at the St Anne's water, and fill up a bottle with the water to bring home.


We'd never seemed to be able to find a good eating place in Bukit Mertajam. One year, we were looking for this highly rated place Yoong Kee which is located near the Bukit Mertajam market for lunch, but it was closed. This year, we managed to find it after asking around at the market.

The restaurant has been operating for more than 60 years. It's at a shabby shop lot which you probably won't notice except for the crowd gathered there.




We ordered 1 fried fish for the girls, and 1 steam fish with plum for us, and a mix vege. The vege, fried with a pork sauce, was very homely. The fish were both very good, very fresh, and well prepared.


The hubs claimed this is the best steam fish with plum he's ever tasted.


It was a cheap and satisfying dinner (if you didn't mind the occasional rats zooming under the table).

(Resturant Yoong Kee, Jalan Pasar, Penang, Bukit Mertajam, 14000. Phone: 04-539 8764)

Continues here.

Sri Lanka 2013 Part 3 - Haputale, Adisham, Lipton's Seat, TeaPlantations

The post and summary of the trip can be found here.

This was what we covered on this post. (Credit : Map taken from google map)

♥25th March 2013♥

Look who came with us on our holiday?


As Haputale is at the central mountain area of Sri Lanka, we woke up to nice cool weather, the girls can't wait to go outside.

Melheim Resort is a small but pretty resort built on a slope facing a valley. We let the girls explore the resort grounds while breakfast was ordered.


Breakfast was scrumptious, and served by our bow-tied waiter at the verendah with beautiful view.






As we have a shorter road journey, we checked out late morning. We have 2 places of interest to cover in Haputale, 1) Adisham Bangalow, a monastery run by Benedictine Monks and 2) Lipton Seat, famous Viewpoint 1970m above sea level, where the Scottish tea baron Sir Thomas Lipton used to survey his burgeoning empire from here.

Adisham Monastery was closed on that day, and yet, because there were a few groups of tourists waiting outside, us included, they allowed small groups of us to enter taking turns.

The Monastery is a beautiful bangalow, we didnt' see any monks there, but were allowed to explore some part of the bangalow, and walk in their beautiful gardens.





Quotes on plagues were placed around the bangalow, and these are my two favourite.




Haputale is surrounded by hills covered with cloud forests and tea plantations, every turn that we made, we were greeted by yet another beautiful view. We made so many stops for photo taking. Luckily Asanka was obliging.





Sri Lanka is so safe that children, even little pre-schoolers, walk themselves (may be a long journey) home after school. (Try this in Malaysia and your child will be kidnapped.)




To get to Lipton Seat, we have to first get to Dambatene Tea Factory, then take a tuk-tuk up as the road going through tea plantation is too narrow and steep for cars.


This totally un-shy chameleon was resting on the hedge at the Dambatene Tea Factory, it was still there when we came back down from Lipton Seat, almost 2hours later.


We hailed a tuk-tuk for LKR700 (~RM17) for a return trip up to Lipton Seat. The tuk-tuk was small, but all of us, 3 adults (Asanka came along too) + the driver and the girls, could fit in.


We rode through lush tea plantation, enjoyed the beautiful view on our way up, and then we were above the clouds, arriving at Lipton's Seat.


It was quite cloudy so there's not much of a view, but we still enjoyed the cool fresh air there. There's a little cafe at Lipton's Seat, we invited Asanka and our tuk-tuk driver to join us for tea.

A boy was manning a stove to boil hot water, while his father made tea and fried samosas and wades for us.


The adults have these, and the children had juice. And guess what? It was only about RM18. We were not slaughtered just because we have tea at this lone cafe 1970m above sea level.




Hubs and the girls decided to walk a bit, while I preferred the tuk-tuk as I sprained my ankle earlier at Melheim Resort.


It was a good and cool day to take a walk, but it was a long 7km back to Dambatene Tea Factory where our car was, so we met the trio half way.

At one of the junction, we say lady tea pickers started their shift, so we got the tuk-tuk driver to stop for us to mingle with them. Before the ladies started work, they have to pick tweaks as firewood for cooking in their houses. These ladies are so strong, they could carry the 20Kg+ bundle on their heads.


They left the bundles at the road side, and would pick them up after work to bring home.


They then wore their long protective gear, an apron made out of thick cloth or gunny sacks (to prevent their legs being pricked by the tea branches). They were all happily posing for us. A couple of them asked if we brought along chocolates (to give them). Although we didn't have any to give to them, they still smiled at us and said good bye before going to work.




Although it's hard work for these tea pickers, they seemed happy. Maybe having beautiful views and the fresh air at their 'work place' helps.


After being left off at Dambatene Tea Factory by the tuk-tuk driver, we continued to explore the Dambatene plantation. When hubs wanted to stop for photos, I brought the girls to a school near by where we stopped, just to show them what the schools in Sri Lanka looked like, since we'd met so many groups of friendly students.

The older kids were having exams (hence the tables outside the classrooms), while the younger kids were waiting for their extra classes to start.


We managed to peep into a classroom, saw some shy but excited kids.


Their teacher encouraged them to have their photos taken, so I took this shot outside their classroom, and a couple more with the girls standing with them. They were all crowding around me, excited to see their own photos on the camera display (that's one of the things that the rural Sri Lankans like, having their photos taken, and then getting shown their photos on the camera).


It was then time to leave Haputale and drive downhill towards our next destination, Tissa (short for Tissamaharama) down south; cutting through some foggy roads.


More beautiful plantation.


And then a quick stop at Diyaluma Water Falls.


We had a very late lunch at a local snack shop when we hit a small town Wellawaya, which sells kottu (fried shredded roti with vegetables), roti and appa (savoury appam). I was only aware of kottu after the trip although Asanka mentioned it in the snack shop, so we didn't try it; we only had some plain roti and appa that day.




When we arrived at Tissa, it was again getting dark. It took us a while to find Saraii Village, our hotel for the next 2 nights.

Guess what? We would be staying on a tree house at Saraii Village! It was a novel thing to do we thought, but Fun.... it.... wasn't! Let me show you more pictures and tell you more about this place in the next post.

Comparing Kamdar Brand Uniform Vs Kiko Brand Uniform

Most of you who read my earlier post, this and this maybe interested in this comparison.

Here is my take on Kamdar brand Uniform vs Kiko brand Uniform. Both are lasting. Zara had 2 Kamdar brand pinafores, and 1 Kiko brand pinafore, and her white blouses were all from Koko, all of which she wore for 2 years.

Just to compare the colour of the Pinafores.

From bottom to top. New Kiko band pinafore, Kiko pinafore which is 2 years old, Kamdar brand pinafore which is 2 years old.


The 2 years old Kiko brand pinafore is laid on top of the new Kiko. The colour has faded quite a lot, but it's still blue evenly.


Kamdar brand pinafore on top of 2 year old Kiko brand pinafore. The blue in Kamdar pinafore is still vibrant.


Kamdar brand pinafore on top of new Kiko brand pinafore. The blue from Kamdar brand is still more vibrant.


Kamdar definitely has nicer blur pinafore, and last longer.

How does it fit the girl?

Zaria wearing Zara's 2 year old Kamdar brand pinafore with back zipper (which Zara said it's easier to wear and remove). The shoulder straps of Kamdar brand are thicker, I guess making the child look a bit sloppier if they have small shoulders.


Kiko brand pinafore has slightly smaller shoulder strap, so they fit nicer.


Price wise, Kiko brand pinafore is almost RM15 more expensive than Kamdar. So I guess, if you can make a trip to their shop on Jalan TAR, Kamdar will be a better deal.

(Kiko brand uniform can be bought from Jusco.)