Have Perut Will Travel...

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Sunday, 18 September 2022

SUNDAY Stroll (To PUDU and Beyond!)

It's Sunday again!

In our previous post we planned to acquire a second DJI Pocket 2 (pre-loved unit) as backup to our current unit from a seller we found on Carousell today. The seller backed out of the deal at the eleventh hour, so we ended up with no fixed plans for today.

In the end we slept in again and only got going at about noon. With nothing much planned we walked to the Bandaraya LRT Station and caught a train to Pudu for a fare of RM1.60 each (approximately USD/EUR0.30). We then walked to Pudu Plaza, but since it was already lunchtime, we decided to first have chicken rice at the Fatt Kee Roast Duck & Chicken stall across the street.

Maybe it has been a while since we were last here, but we had the distinct impression it was not as delicious as we remembered. Oh well, our lunch including a round of iced Chinese Tea came to RM25.40 (approximately USD/EUR3.50).

While we had lunch it began to rain heavily and by the time we were done it still did not subside. We put up our umbrellas and walked across the street to Pudu Plaza, our main destination for the day. We had run out of sliced cheddar cheese, so we walked into The Store supermarket to get a several dozen slices that were on sale for RM16.39 per two dozen (approximately USD/EUR5).

We then walked into YL Camera to ask about the DJI Action 3 camera and was told that it would only be out on sale in November. We can hardly wait! Since we were there we browsed around, and I took a fancy to a camera sling bag. The Tenba BYOB 10 camera bag usually retails for RM329 (approximately USD/EUR70) so when the salesperson offered it to me for RM200 it was a deal I could not walk away from.

Fearing another sweet deal we paid for the bag and quickly made our way out of Pudu Plaza.

We walked for a little while and found ourselves at the bus stop in front of the D'Majestic Place along Jalan Pudu. With nothing planned we decided to catch a Rapid KL bus #450 for a fare of RM1.90 each (approximately USD/EUR0.40). We got down a few stops later and after a short walk we found ourselves at Sunway Velocity Mall!

A mall that we were not familiar with, we strolled around for a little bit before we decided to have a drink at O’Brien’s Irish Sandwich Cafe. Déjà vu! our beverages cost us RM27.75 (approximately USD/EUR6) which was again a little more than what we paid for lunch. Oh well, it is what it is.

We spent half an hour at O’Brien’s enjoying our drinks while indulging in some people-watching. I then thought of paying the Adidas store here a visit to see if they have the jersey of my favourite football (soccer) team in my size. Alas the Adidas store on the ground floor did not have football jerseys we made our way up to the third floor to see if the store there had it.

Yes! The Adidas store on the third floor had my size and I was the proud owner of a Red Devils jersey. We then made our way down to the first floor and walked across the Maluri Link Bridge. We then walked for a while and considered catching the train from the Maluri MRT station, but this would have involved changing lines midway through our ride.

We then walked a little further and caught the train from the Maluri LRT station that would take us all the way back to the Bandaraya LRT station again. Fifteen minutes later and for a fare of only RM2.20 each (approximately USD/EUR0.40) we were back where we started from.

A short walk later we arrived at our condo, a little tired but elated that we had spent a productive afternoon.

Catch you in our next post!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

Friday, 16 September 2022

FRIDAY Frolic

It's Malaysia Day!

We commemorate the establishment of the Malaysian federation on this day in 1963. This event saw Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore unite into a single state. As such today was a public holiday.

Truth be told we slept in and only got out and about close to noon. We first thought about having lunch at Capital Cafe but the large crowd that had formed dissuaded us. We continued along Jalan TAR and decided to make it across the Sogo-Pertama Crossroad and pondered our next destination.

We caught a Rapid KL bus #170 at the Menara MARA Bus Stop and eventually got off at the Pasar Seni Bus Hub for a fare of only RM. We then walked over to the Pasar Seni LRT Station to reload our Touch 'n Go cards but could not figure out how the kiosk there worked.

We then walked across to the Pasar Seni MRT Station where we found another kiosk and managed to reload our Touch 'n Go cards. For those of you interested in riding the Rapid KL buses around Kuala Lumpur please be sure to buy a Touch 'n Go card from any LRT, MRT or Monorail station since these buses do not accept cash nor have any pay wave devices.

We then walked east along Jalan Sultan and turned left onto Jalan Tun H S Lee past the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple. We had a sumptuous lunch at Sin Kiew Yee comprising of Sweet & Sour and Ginger with Spring Onions fried dishes with white rice and a round of Chinese Tea for RM28.00 (approximately USD/EUR6).

Lunch out of the way we then began an impromptu walkabout that took us along Jalan Hang Lekir then onto Jalan Hang Kasturi. We walked across Jalan Tun Sambanthan and entered Central Market where a long procession of temporary stalls was erected selling of kinds of knick-knacks.

We walked the entire length of Central Market and exited its northern facing doors before walking onto Jalan Hang Kasturi again. We then walked across Lebuh Pasar Besar headed north onto Medan Pasar and past its Old Clock Tower. We continued northeast onto Lebuh Ampang and turned right onto Jalan Tun Perak.

Here we stopped by Rush Roastery for some beverages at cost us RM33.00 (approximately USD/EUR7) which ironically was more than what we paid for lunch. Oh well, it is what it is.

We then across Jalan Tun Perak onto Lebuh Ampang and darted into a small alley before emerging onto Jalan Melaka. We then walked northeast onto Jalan Ampang before merging onto Jalan Munshi Abdullah.

We were on the home straight! We walked across the Jambatan Jalan Munshi Abdullah and past Jakel Mall until we reached City One Plaza and eventually got home.

We will be on another walkabout this Sunday morning as we attempt to acquire a second pre-loved DJI Pocket 2 from a seller we found on Carousell, so please stay tuned!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

Sunday, 4 September 2022

MANSION Tea Stall

It's time for Teh Tarik!

We moved in to our present home sometime in 2005 and in that time have always been coming here to Mansion Tea Stall, which in our opinion has the best Teh Tarik in town. This and Syed Bistro have always been our default Mamak (Malaysian Indian Muslim) restaurant.

Before the days of YouTube we used to blog about Mansion Tea Stall before here and here.

Brendan was only six when we first came here and everyone here got to see him grow from a boy to a man. Each time we visit the first thing they will do is ask "mana anak?" or "where's your child?". It was no different today, and we had to explain that Brendan was away visiting a friend.

After greeting everyone we sat down and ordered the Roti Canai Telur Goyang (roti with a half boiled egg on top), Maggi Mi Goreng, Iced Tea and Teh Tarik. Our brunch came to RM13.50 (approximately USD/EUR3).

Apart from the best Teh Tarik we are also of the opinion they serve the best Roti Canai and Chicken Curry as well. Don't believe us? Then come on over and give them a try.

Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Mansion Tea Stall - https://goo.gl/maps/g9D5JCDrTQfxDBJ59

Festival Seni @ Jalan TAR

It's Sunday!

The whole of yesterday morning was spent at a Perodua Service Centre in Jalan Chan Sow Lin so there was nothing interesting to film.

Today we decided to take a walk along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR) which is closed to all vehicles every Sunday from 6:00am to 11:59pm to accommodate the Festival Seni (Arts Festival) that hosts various art stalls and street buskers.

We left our home and proceeded to walk along Lorong TAR headed north to its very end before we turned left onto Jalan Dang Wangi for a short while. We then made another left turn at the Sogo-Pertama Crossroad onto Jalan TAR.

We then walked south along Jalan TAR and upon reaching the intersection with Jalan Esfahan we found barricades along the road marking the start of the Arts Festival. We walked the length of Jalan TAR taking in the sights and sounds from the stalls and various performers to the very end.

At the intersection with Jalan Melayu we found another barricade which marked the end of the Arts Festival. We then turned left onto Jalan Tun Perak headed southeast until we reached the Masjid Jamek LRT station. Here we turned left again onto Lebuh Ampang past our favourite banana leaf restaurant, Restoran Kader and continued northeast to its very end before walking onto Jalan Ampang.

We continued along Jalan Ampang for a bit before walking across the Klang River onto Lorong Bunus Satu where we had brunch at Mansion Tea Stall. After our meal we continued onto Jalan Masjid India headed north until we reached Semua House.

Here we hoped to take away our dinner from Burger King which alas had closed down. As an alternative we walked over to Tepui Corner but they were only serving drinks. We then walked along Jalan Bunus 6 and entered City One Plaza. We walked up to the food court on the second floor to find most stalls closed.

Oh well, we guess we will have to order our dinner with the Grab app. We then headed home and ended our walkabout.

Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Sogo-Pertama Crossroad - https://goo.gl/maps/baXFVQdxYHn5s5i26
Festival Seni @ Jalan TAR - https://goo.gl/maps/AgMzZvHf6oVRCUW8A
Masjid Jamek LRT station - https://goo.gl/maps/r4ErYbzNHLsGN2cp8
Restoran Kader - https://goo.gl/maps/EkHaHGwj4Kr5mSVWA
Mansion Tea Stall - https://goo.gl/maps/g9D5JCDrTQfxDBJ59
Semua House - https://goo.gl/maps/8Mepc3W53meHt2v2A
City One Plaza - https://goo.gl/maps/rvLJBVwWt2DZt42u7

Wednesday, 31 August 2022

MERDEKA Day Parade 2022!

It's Merdeka Day!

Hari Kebangsaan, or National Day is the official independence day of Malaysia. It commemorates the Malayan Declaration of Independence of 31 August 1957 and is defined in Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia.

Fondly known as Hari Merdeka or Independence Day, it has been a practice for thousands of Malaysians from all walks of life, as well as age, race and religion, to converge to Dataran Merdeka to together celebrate our National Day each year.

The pandemic put paid to the celebrations of 2020-2021, and with this year's theme of Keluarga Malaysia Teguh Bersama (Malaysian Family: Stronger Together) we were determined more than ever to join in the festivities.

We woke up at the crack of dawn and made our way out of our condo at 7:00am headed along Jalan TAR to its absolute end only to find Dataran Merdeka packed to the proverbial rafters.

All along Jalan Raja were tens of thousands of revellers eagerly waiting for the parade to start, we later learnt that some came as early as 4:30am!

So we doubled back along Jalan TAR and finally found a spot along Jalan Raja Chulan beside the bridge. There we waited for an hour and a half for the parade to start.

The parade started at 9:00am and lasted for about an hour and a half, and we then headed home.

Less words, more footage... enjoy the raucous and joyous parade!

Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

N/B: Midway through the parade we switched cameras from the DJI Pocket 2 to the Lumix GH5. It being our first time and all we were unfamiliar with the audio settings, and when we got home, we found the audio to be rather shrill and 'jarring'. Try as we might we could not fix it in post-production, and please accept our sincerest apologies.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Dataran Merdeka - https://g.page/dataran-merdeka-kuala-lumpur?share
Jambatan Jalan Raja Laut - https://goo.gl/maps/jSmxppXizFFB8L4y5

Saturday, 27 August 2022

KLCC Walkabout

It's the weekend!

Our weekend began with a walk south along Jalan Munshi Abdullah headed to the bus stop in front of Jakel Mall. We had a hankering for some Borsch soup and knew just where to get it.

We were caught by surprise by the sudden emergence of the Rapid KL bus #300 that we did not have time to film it, and hastily got on board. Since it was a double decker bus, we made our way to the upper deck and got ourselves seated at the front.

The bus drove along Jalan Munshi Abdullah then turned right onto Jalan Dang Wangi before it then turned left onto Jalan Ampang.

In a little while we got off at Hotel Maya bus stop beside Wisma Selangor Dredging and walked northeast along Jalan Ampang. At the KLCC intersection we continued northeast onto Jalan Yap Kwan Seng.

We arrived at Megan Avenue 2 and made our way to Central Asia Restaurant to have a Caucasus inspired Uzbek lunch, complete with the Borsch soup we were hankering for.

An hour later we made our way southwest along Jalan Yap Kwan Seng before continuing onto Jalan Ampang at the KLCC intersection. We then walked across Jalan Ampang and made our way into Suria KLCC.

We then exited onto the esplanade outside of Suria KLCC and made our way to the Simfoni Lake, and KLCC Park. We spent some time exploring but the heat was a deterrence for us to continue any further. Also we noticed quite a fair bit of paths and walkways cordoned off, which further cut short our walkabout around KLCC Park.

Oh well, we'll be back some other time when the weather and cordons were less prohibitive.

We then walked back into Suria KLCC and out again onto Jalan Ampang where we waited for a free GoKL City Bus, specifically the Green Line that would take us to Bukit Bintang. After a little wait we boarded the bus and eventually got off at Wisma Cosway across from Pavilion.

We then waited for another free GoKL City Bus, this time the Blue Line that would take us back to Jalan Munshi Abdullah. We caught the Blue Line bus and alighted at the Capsquare bus stop.

We then walked to Semua House to get ourselves some refreshments from the Tea Live stall before walking into City One Plaza to get ourselves a couple of shawarmas for dinner.

With that we end our post for this week, but please stay tuned as we hope to cover the Merdeka (Independence) Day celebrations in a few short days.

Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

CENTRAL ASIA Restaurant

It's the weekend!

We had a hankering for some Borscht and knew just where to get it. Located within Megan Avenue 2 just a few hundred metres away from the KLCC intersection was Central Asia, an Uzbekistani restaurant that we had read about online.

A diminutive, little restaurant with several tables and two eating berths Central Asia was able to weather the turmoil of the past two years thanks in part to its takeout business. We also read that it draws a fair number of patrons during the weekdays from the many offices nearby.

We carefully perused the rather extensive menu and quickly settled on:

a bowl of Olivye Salad for RM8.50
a bowl of Borsh for RM14.50
a plate of Plov for RM16.50
4 skewers of Shashlik for RM36.00
a can of Coca Cola for RM3.50
a pot of Uzbek Black Tea for RM5.00

We also took away:

Uzbeki bread for RM5.00
Beef Somsa (Samosa?) for RM6.50
Chicken Somsa (Samosa?) for RM6.00

Our flavoursome lunch from the Caucasus came to RM101.50 (approximately USD/EUR23) which was a little pricey by our standards but it being a novelty meal from the Caucasus and all we felt it was well worth it.

An hour later we emerged from Central Asia eager to resume our KLCC walkabout.

Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Megan Avenue 2 - https://goo.gl/maps/gwLueMXvJAKWu9gp6
Restaurant Central Asia - https://goo.gl/maps/ac4wCFJyt3UZUjKm9

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

Thursday, 18 August 2022

New Gear Day

New gear day!

During our recent trip to Penang our little Lumix GX85 broke down. The shutter mechanism was jammed and after asking around found someone who could repair it.

So while waiting for it be repaired we managed to acquire a previously owned Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III as a back-up camera that came with the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens from our trusted camera shop, Altech Camera. We did not film that particular visit.

Then we came upon a nifty lens to go with the Olympus EM10, the M.Zuiko 12mm f2.0 lens that Altech had for sale. Without hesitation I hailed a Grab car and headed over to acquire the lens.

Then a few days Danny the repairman called to inform that the repairs were done. He even personally sent the camera to us (since he had an errand to run in the general vicinity) and we were overjoyed that our precious little Lumix GX85 came back alive!

So we thought we'd make a short video on the newly acquired second hand camera and lens, and to celebrate the return of our precious little Lumix GX85.

We will return to regular programming in the posts to come, so we hope you will excuse the diversion.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Altech Camera - https://goo.gl/maps/Xxko6oUWhQc9k4ar6

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

Friday, 12 August 2022

ETS Train Ride (Butterworth to Kuala Lumpur)

We are going back to Kuala Lumpur!

The last time we rode the ETS to Penang, so this time we rode it back instead.

After spending time at Penang Sentral having brunch at KFC we made our way to the Butterworth station at 12:00pm and ten minutes before the departure time we were allowed to board.

At precisely 12:45pm we left the Butterworth station. The next four hours or so was very pleasant and while Cat took a nap I continued working on our video edits, even managing to render one video.

For a fare of RM80.00 (approximately USD/EUR18) it is double the price of a bus ticket. The ETS does shave an hour off the travel time, and it does provide a difference perspective as it travels through some amazing landscapte. Whether paying double is worth it is debatable.

As we reached the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur we decided to disembark at the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station instead of KL Sentral as it was nearer our home by Grab. We arrived at 5:07pm and with that end our post here.

With that too ends our Penang trip that in our zest yielded twenty posts! We will be going back soon (minus the camera).

Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
KTM ETS Butterworth - https://goo.gl/maps/4m1GKqVskLfZorfbA
Penang Sentral - https://goo.gl/maps/U5Qyv59oAKFj8aQ39
Kuala Lumpur Railway Station - https://goo.gl/maps/K2K9GTHziUQvSJsm7

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

Leaving for KUALA LUMPUR

We are going back to Kuala Lumpur!

Five glorious days went by in a flash, and we were already packing and getting ready to go.

Since there were no buses to get us to Penang Sentral we had no choice but to hail a Grab car. We had three luggage bags between us and thought it wise to hail a six-seater car just in case.

To our surprise the 'car' that picked us up was a luxurious Toyota Vellfire! We loaded our bags and enjoyed very comfortable half an hour drive across the Penang bridge to Penang Sentral. The fare including toll fees came to RM48.50 (approximately USD/EUR11) which we thought was remarkably reasonable since for the same distance the 'consortium' of Penang taxi drivers would have charged us RM63.40 (approximately USD/EUR14)!

We arrived at the Butterworth station at 10:am and since our ETS train back to Kuala Lumpur was only due to depart at 12:45pm we had plenty of time. We then walked across to the walkway that led to Penang Sentral.

Here we decided to have brunch at KFC. We spent the next two hours here eating as I began the arduous task of editing our videos.

At 12:00pm we made our way back to the KTM ETS station. It was at first very quiet until the ETS train bound from Kuala Lumpur arrived, causing quite a crush at the turnstile gate. The crowd grew massive to the point where the turnstile gates failed and the departing passengers were diverted to the manual gates.

Ten minutes later we were allowed to board, and at precisely 12:45pm we left the Butterworth station. The next four hours or so was very pleasant and while Cat took a nap I continued working on our video edits, even managing to render one video.

Half an hour before reaching Kuala Lumpur it began to rain heavily which forced the train to slow down. As we reached the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur we decided to disembark at the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station instead of KL Sentral as it was nearer our home by Grab.

At ten past five we arrived and again hailed a six-seater Grab car for a fare of RM32.00 (aproximately USD/EUR11). This time a diminutive Perodua Alza picked us up and got us home within ten minutes.

We miss Penang already, and hope to go again but this time without a camera in hand so that we can realise appreciate it for what it is. See you soon.

Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Hutton Suites Hotel - https://goo.gl/maps/NKCPhBhGrd6kCsnw6
KTM ETS Butterworth - https://goo.gl/maps/4m1GKqVskLfZorfbA
Penang Sentral - https://goo.gl/maps/U5Qyv59oAKFj8aQ39
Kuala Lumpur Railway Station - https://goo.gl/maps/K2K9GTHziUQvSJsm7

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

Thursday, 11 August 2022

NEW WORLD PARK Food City

Penang Day 5!

We made it a point to spend our last night in Penang at a typical Penang Chinese food court. New World Park is a food court that we walked past two nights ago on our way back to the hotel from Gurney Drive, and a place that we had seen quite a few times during our numerous bus rides.

I spent the entire afternoon working on the large volumes of footage we had captured the last five days, and in the blink of an eye it was dinnertime.

We left the hotel at seven in the evening and walked along Jalan Hutton until the intersection with Jalan Transfer where we turned left. We wanted to check out Lorong Popus, a location where we had read online about a possible homestay unit.

We scoped out the area in a quiet neighbourhood and should Hutton Central or Hutton Suites be unavailable for future trips the homestay at Lorong Popus will be a handy backup.

We then headed out of Lorong Popus back onto Jalan Transfer before darting left onto Jalan Dinding. We walked the entire stretch to its end and ended up on Jalan Hutton again.

We walked northwest for a while before turning left onto Jalan Swatow. We had arrived at New World Park Food City!

A large food court with remarkably lofty ceilings that provided excellent air ventilation, we were soon immersed in the sights, sounds and odour of the place. We walked around for a fair bit checking out the food stalls and eventually settled on:

Grilled Lamb Chop for RM21.00
Fries for RM9.00
Char Kueh Teow with Duck Egg for RM9
Tonic Soup with Rice for RM9.00
A large plate of Lor Bak RM13.00
3 Pepsi plus a large Carlsberg for RM28

Our (almost) typical and delightful Penang dinner came to RM89.00 (approximately USD/EUR20) which was a little steep by our standards but it being our last night and all we decided to “go out with a bang”.

We will be heading back to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow and will miss Penang and its food tremendously.
Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Hutton Suites Hotel - https://goo.gl/maps/Sa3pp5NKAQgx5pij6
Lorong Popus - https://goo.gl/maps/X9QUxATdAcMYErJL7
New World Park Food City - https://goo.gl/maps/3ma8BRh6nUWjXHEq7

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

PENANG Runaround 7 (Weld Quay - Gurney Drive - Beach Street)

Penang Day 5!

Our penultimate day in Penang, we did not have any specific plans other than having breakfast at Roti Canai Jalan Argyll nearby.

We had actually slept in this morning and arose at a quarter to nine. We eventually got ready an hour later and arrived at the breakfast destination at ten in the morning.

A round of Roti Canai and a drink for everyone came to RM13.00 (approximately USD/EUR3). We then headed to the bus stop in front of the 7-Eleven at Jalan Penang and caught the Rapid Penang Free CAT bus all the way to Jetty Bus Terminal B at Weld Quay.

Here we switched over to the Rapid Penang #101 bus for a fare of RM1.40 each (approximately USD/EUR0.30) to Gurney Paragon Mall at Gurney Drive. We paid the H&M store a visit in search of a T-shirt that I took a liking to, but it was not to be found.

We then hailed a Grab car for a fare of RM13.00 (approximately USD/EUR3) to the Birch House Heritage Building. Located at Dato' Keramat Road, and now part of Penang Times Square it was built in 1908 to house the office of Eastern Smelting.

We all had drinks with fries at McDonald’s for RM18.30 (approximately USD/EUR4) then walked over to 1st Avenue Mall. Here we visited another H&M store and found the T-shirt I was looking for.

We then walked over to the Komtar Bus Terminal and caught another Rapid Penang Free CAT bus to Padang Kota Lama. Here we walked across Light Street and headed to Merlin Hotel.

We had lunch at Nasi Kandar Merlin that came to RM31.50 (approximately USD/EUR7), which consisted of a plate of white rice with fried chicken and a generous sampling of all their curries.

Lunch out of the way we decided to walk back to the hotel via Lebuh Campbell and it being our penultimate day in Penang stopped by Lebuh Keng Kwee to take home three packets of Cendol that we enjoyed at the hotel later.

We hope to have dinner tonight at a typical Penang Chinese food court, so please stay tuned.
Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

Wednesday, 10 August 2022

SAF Street Pasta

Penang Day 4!

Sad as we were that we couldn't spend more time at the Penang Botanic Gardens we knew we had to make a move on to the next destination.

Inaccessible by public transport we were left with little choice but to hail a Grab car out of the gardens. After consulting with the Moovit phone app we hailed a car to the Adventist Hospital where we could catch a bus to Batu Ferringhi. The fare was RM7 (approximately USD/EUR2), and we reached the Adventist Hospital five minutes later.

Alas we were mistaken and the bus to Batu Ferringhi actually plied a different route along another hospital, Gleneagles. We then hailed another Grab car there for RM7 (approximately USD/EUR2) as well.

After a short wait we boarded what appeared to be the bus to Batu Ferringhi. Sadly we caught the Rapid Penang #104 bus and were very rudely ejected off the bus. We finally caught the correct Rapid Penang #101 bus for a fare of RM2.00 each (approximately USD/EUR0.50).

Evening rush hour traffic was really bad but cleared up after Tanjung Bungah, and we arrived at the bus stop opposite the Golden Sands Hotel in Batu Ferringhi at half past seven in the evening.

If you had followed our previous posts on our adventures to Batu Ferringhi you would have known that we tried and failed to have a meal at SAF Street Pasta, a street food stall that a YouTuber we follow "Ken Abroad" spoke so highly of. Well, this time we came at the appropriate time and were soon ordering our choice of pasta.

I had asked for what "Ken Abroad" ordered; Brendan tried the Carbonara Meatballs and added a bowl of Mushroom soup while Cat fancied the Seafood Aglio Alio. We devoured our plates of pasta with glee and enjoyed it immensely. Together with a round of fruit juices (Brendan had two glasses) our street food dinner came to RM63.70 (approximately USD/EUR14).

We then hopped on another Rapid Penang #101 bus for a fare of RM2.70 (approximately USD/EUR0.60) bound for George Town. Forty minutes later we found ourselves at Jalan Transfer, we walked back and past the hotel to the 7-Eleven at Jalan Penang to get several bottles of drinking water.
With that ends our adventurising for today, please stay tuned for more in the posts to come.

Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
SAF STREET PASTA - https://goo.gl/maps/yYZKDDxTzSnUS6Br9

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

PENANG Botanic Gardens

Penang Day 4!

We came back from our morning sojourn and spent the day indoors and ordered take-outs from Grab for lunch. Evening came and we emerged from the hotel to cross out another item on our bucket list. Penang Botanic Garden was on the list.

We researched online and could not find a single mode of public transport to get us there, so in the end we resorted to hailing a Grab car. The fare was RM21.00 (approximately USD/EUR5) and the ride took only fifteen minutes.

We strolled along its path enjoying the peace and serenity and drawing in the deliciously fresh air while contemplating whether to take the scenic route. In the end we opted for the “short course” and were done within half an hour.

Established in 1884 almost at the same time of the beautiful Taiping Lake Gardens — one of Perak’s main attractions — Penang Botanical Gardens date back to 1884 and were previously known as Waterfall Gardens from the large, sloshing source of water found within them. The first curator was Briton Charles Curtis — the Curtis Crest elevated walkway at the Habitat Penang Hill is named after him — who transformed a lush valley in an old granite quarry into these gardens at the foot of that waterfall. Even today, Penang Botanic Gardens maintain their original English-style design, with large open lawns hemmed in by hills covered with viridian tropical rainforest. The original colonial interest here was of course spices, but Charles Curtis was also interested in Penang’s native plants. He contributed immensely to the discovery and classification of Penang’s flora, and introduced many plants in these Botanic Gardens. During World war II, the Japanese used tunnels by the Botanical Gardens’ Lily Pond to store ammunition and facilities. In the 2000s, the Gardens expanded to reach 242 hectares of protected areas, a habitat for animals such as macaques, giant squirrels, and dusky leaf monkeys.

We will surely come back on day soon to walk the entire length of this marvellous garden, but for now a street food stall in Batu Ferringhi awaits.

Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Penang Botanic Gardens - https://goo.gl/maps/brPuAW4YYJbniv6z7

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

WELD QUAY Walkabout (Jetty Hopping)

Penang Day 4!

Today would turn out to be a day of crossing out items on our bucket list. High on our Penang travel list is a visit to the Weld Quay area, specifically the various Clan Jetties. We arrived at Chew Jetty only to realise that we were a little early.

To while the time away we went to a café nearby for some refreshments and a couple of half boiled eggs that cost us RM7.40 (approximately USD/EUR2). At ten o’clock sharp we walked into Chew Jetty and caught a glimpse of what life might have looked like in the 1800s.

Having been a home on stilts on the shores for the Chew Clan community for more than a century and still is now, the Chew Jetty has withstood the test of time and is a strong testament to Penang's commitment to its living heritage. These clusters of wooden houses were built by poor Chinese immigrants who worked near the port during the nineteenth century. These immigrants migrated from the south-eastern coast of China, due to the hardship they faced in their homeland during that era. Later they brought their families over and made this waterfront their home. The Chew Jetty is still home to hundreds of people living in this area today but many have changed their social and economic lifestyle.

Later on we continued on in the same direction until we reached Lim Jetty, one of the six existing clan jetties in George Town.

Also known as Snaeh Lim Kio in the Hokkien dialect, it is the clan jetty nearest to Pengkalan Raja Tun Uda, the ferry terminal. Completely destroyed during the Japanese bombing campaign in 1941, it was rebuilt after WW2. The principle temple at Lim Jetty is the Sun Moon Temple, a shrine for the Lim clan's patron deity, Lim Tai Cor and other deities. The busiest time at this temple is during the feast day of the goddess Mazu, or Ma Cor Poh. Today much of Lim Jetty has made way for development, with a large tract of the waterfront being reclaimed to make a parking lot. Immediately to the south of Lim Jetty is Chew Jetty.

We did not have time to visit the rest of the clans’ jetties and made our way to the bus terminal nearby to catch a Rapid Penang free CAT bus to KOMTAR. See you all soon.

Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Clan Jetties Of Penang - https://goo.gl/maps/MuJbn4egb2moxiDD7
Chew Jetty - https://goo.gl/maps/R9GMEVPvrYo438XJ7
Lim Jetty - https://goo.gl/maps/8QqS1AyWm4NPBvRt7
Rapid Penang Jetty Terminal - https://goo.gl/maps/dteRXf5Z4aHhXTub6

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

PENANG Runaround 6 (WELD QUAY and Beyond)

Penang Day 4!

This morning we were thankfully able to wake up at the crack of dawn. Brendan stayed up the whole night and asked to be excluded from our planned runaround today.

We left the hotel at ten after seven in the morning and as usual walked toward Lebuh Campbell. We continued along headed southeast for about half a kilometre before turning left onto Lebuh Carnarvon.

Our breakfast destination was soon in sight. Serving traditional Dim Sum, Aik Hoe has been in business for many years and is considered an institution to some.

Cat read that the aged husband and wife owners may not be able to hand over the reins of the business to anyone in the family, and Aik Hoe may soon perish from Penang’s kaleidoscope of local cuisine.

With that in mind we made it a point to visit Aik Hoe at least once while we had the chance. Practicing self-serve, customers are expected to choose the dim sum of their choice from the counter. Even though we got there reasonably early most of the choice dim sum had already been snapped up.

We took what was available and enjoyed our breakfast together will a hot steaming pot of Chinese tea. This traditional local breakfast came to RM30 (approximately USD/EUR7).

Breakfast sorted out we continued our morning walk along Lebuh Campbell headed southeast past the Kapitan Keling Mosque onto Jalan Buckingham. We then turned right onto Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling then onto Jalan Cannon Street until we reached the Aceh Street Mosque.

We then turned left onto Lebuh Acheh and continued southeast right to the very end where we ended up at Pengkalan Weld. We turned left and managed to walk across the very busy street. We continued along for a few hundred meters until we reached Chew Jetty.

We then visited Lim Jetty as well, so be sure to watch our video on these two fascinating jetties!

We then wandered out onto Pengkalan Weld and finally ended up at the Rapid Penang Jetty Terminal B where we caught a Rapid Penang CAT free bus to KOMTAR.

We walked over to 1st Avenue Mall and spent a good hour at several retail stores buying a few T-shirts to replace the ones that had gotten discoloured in the wash.

We then walked back to KOMTAR and caught a Rapid Penang #202 bus along Jalan Penang for a fare of RM1.00 (approximately USD/EUR0.20) that took us to Jalan Transfer. We then continued walking along Jalan Hutton till we got back to the hotel. We were then engrossed with doing some chores the entire day and ordered take-outs from Grab for lunch, only to emerge in the evening. Stay tuned for our next posts.

Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

Tuesday, 9 August 2022

PENANG Runaround 5 (GURNEY DRIVE and Back)

We're finally visiting Gurney Drive!

Synonymous with Penang Island, Gurney Drive sits on reclaimed land created off Teluk Ayer Rajah, the bay that once existed between George Town and Tanjung Tokong.

Taken from the Penang Fandom website:
As early as 1930, plans were drawn up to build a coastal road which spanned George Town's northern coasts by extending North Beach (the area around Northam Road). In 1934, North Beach was extended by 510 yards into what is now Gurney Drive. The New Coast Road along North Beach was completed two years later. In the late 1940s, land was reclaimed next to the road off Teluk Ayer Rajah, a bay between George Town city centre and the Tanjung Tokong suburb. This reclaimed land would be later known as Gurney Drive. In 1952, at the height of the Malayan Emergency, New Coast Road was renamed Gurney Drive after Sir Henry Lovell Goldsworthy Gurney, the British High Commissioner of Malaya who was killed by Malayan Communist Party guerillas in the state of Pahang the previous year. Initially, Burmah Road was to be renamed as Gurney Road, but New Coast Road was chosen instead.

Our evening began with a walk to the bus stop along Jalan Penang in front of the 7-Eleven. Here we caught a Rapid Penang #101 bus that would take us to the Sleeping Buddha bus stop along Jalan Kelawai. The fare was RM1.40 each (approximately USD/EUR0.30).

We then walked across Jalan Kelawai onto Jalan Concordia and continued northeast to its very end. We were finally at Gurney Drive but found out that our initial place of interest, Gurney Drive Hawker Centre was closed on Tuesdays.

We settled on the first thing that came to view; in this case it was Coco Island Street Food. A lively place, we quite enjoyed our dinner here and an hour later it was time to head back.

We had a little too much to eat so instead of taking another bus back to the hotel we decided to walk the entire distance. We walked along Gurney Drive for quite a fair distance headed southeast while taking in the sights, to the very end before turning left onto Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah.

We again walked southeast before walking across Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah past the Istana Kedah onto Jalan Larut. At the next intersection we again turned left onto Jalan Hutton and were on the home stretch!

Twenty minutes later we arrived at the hotel, our feet a little sore but the food in our tummies fully digested.

Please stay tuned for our next posting as we adventurise a couple of jetties tomorrow morning.

Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Hutton Suites Hotel - https://goo.gl/maps/LyX27z6dX3KBnH7F7
Sleeping Buddha - https://goo.gl/maps/WwhjQ2PNojYAeARTA
Jalan Concordia - https://goo.gl/maps/aMSA9UUztcnK3zxPA
Coco Island Street Food - https://g.page/CocoIsland?share
Persiaran Gurney - https://goo.gl/maps/ArNno4vfcQBGfjmb8
Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah - https://goo.gl/maps/7s1T6vjmLP5jsPHk7
Jalan Larut - https://goo.gl/maps/jv7wdjKznefhagrA7
Jalan Hutton - https://goo.gl/maps/5LkU5U5wkJm8xw3V8

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

COCO ISLAND Street Food

It's time for dinner at Gurney Drive!

The whole point of coming to Gurney Drive was to have dinner at the renowned hawker centre here. A tourist trap for sure, but we would be remiss if we neglected to pay this old hawker centre a visit at least once.

Alas, we did not check before coming and discovered too late that the Gurney Drive Hawker Centre. No matter, when life serves us lemons we go on island hopping, or in this case pay a visit to Coco Island Street Food.

Coco Island is a bright and lively food court that more than made up for our earlier disappointment. We took turns strolling past each foodstall before eventually settling on:

Wat Tan Hor for RM11.50
Fruit Juices for RM11.70
Pork Chop for RM18.00
Fries for RM8.00
Fish & Chips for RM16.00
Penang Rojak for RM13.00
20 sticks of Satay for RM29.00

We admit that we went a little overboard. The delightful dinner came to RM97.20 (approximately USD/EUR22) which in our minds was a little steep given that we did not even have a beer. However with the location in mind we would have anticipated the bill to be a little high.

Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Coco Island Street Food - https://g.page/CocoIsland?share

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

PENANG Runaround 4 (BALIK PULAU and Back)

We're going someplace new!

We emerged from the hotel a half an hour later after settling my grumbling tummy and made our way to the bus stop along Jalan Penang in front of the 7-Eleven. Here we caught a Rapid Penang #201 bus to KOMTAR for a fare of RM1.00 each (approximately USD/EUR0.20).

We were planning to visit an area of Penang Island that we’ve never been to, that is Balik Pulau. In order to do this we waited for the Rapid Penang #401E bus right at the last lane of KOMTAR Bus Terminal.

We boarded the bus at twenty after eleven in the morning and paid the fare of RM4.00 each (approximately USD/EUR0.90). This bus ride promised to be loads of fun since it would take an hour, passing through areas such as Gelugor, Sungai Nibong, Queensbay Mall, Bukit Jambul, Penang Airport, Teluk Kumbar, Genting before eventually arriving in Balik Pulau.

We arrived in Balik Pulau an hour and twenty minutes later, and after consulting with the bus driver about where we could have lunch, we got off at Pekan Kongsi.

Here we strolled along this tiny town before deciding on lunch at Nasi Kandar Roundabout. We had an excellent round of Nasi Kandar, Brendan and I had rice with fried chicken while Cat settled on fried noodles. Together with a round of drinks our lunch came to RM25.70 (approximately USD/EUR6).

The weather was getting warmer, so I decided to get a haircut at the local barber, Sri Mun Barbershop. A young Indian gentleman attended to me and the haircut cost only RM13.00 (approximately USD/EUR3).

We walked out the barbershop and narrowly missed a Rapid Penang #401E bus. Another bus came along, the #502 bus but we were told it did not go to KOMTAR.

We eventually caught another Rapid Penang #401E bus some time later and again paid the fare of RM4.00 each (approximately USD/EUR0.90). The bus ride took a little over an hour before arriving back at KOMTAR Bus Terminal. We got off and headed to the Maybank nearby to settle a banking matter, and then walked back to the hotel.

We will be going on yet another walkabout later in the evening, so please stay tuned.

Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Hutton Suites Hotel - https://goo.gl/maps/Sa3pp5NKAQgx5pij6
Komtar Bus Terminal - https://goo.gl/maps/kiMomEA7ye3HuNVU6
Pekan Kongsi - https://goo.gl/maps/qF6GYCAZXtLwyeq6A
Nasi Kandar Roundabout - https://goo.gl/maps/yJFsDQnnRd9kDLz97
Sri Mun Barbershop - https://goo.gl/maps/whiGjiVwKXQFrpEH8

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

PENANG Walkabout 6 (CHOWRASTA Market Hunt)

Penang Day 3!

We had meant to be up early this morning but overslept and only managed to leave the hotel at five past nine. First order of the day was to have breakfast at a renowned toast bread stall nearby, and for that we walked across Hutton Street in front of the hotel and continued southwest along Jalan Penang.

We arrived at Hutton Lane Roti Bakar soon after and joined the long queue to place our order. We all had the same set of toasted bread with two half boiled eggs perched on top.

Breakfast together with a round of drinks came to RM18.00 (approximately USD/EUR4). We then walked across Jalan Penang and headed to Jalan Chowrasta to begin our market hunt, the first in a long while.

Taken from Penang's fandom pages:

Chowrasta Market at Penang Road, within George Town's UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Malaysia's oldest markets and one of only two markets in the city centre, the other being Campbell Street Market. It is also notable for the wide variety of Penang's fresh produce sold within, from pickled nutmegs to tau sar pneah (Penang's famous bean paste pastry).

The area where the market now stands was originally part of a massive Indian area in George Town. In particular, ethnic Tamils from southern India began settling around the area in the mid-19th. century. It was within the vicinity of the present market where the Tamils sold fresh produce and livestock.

In 1890, the George Town Municipal Council built the single-storey Chowrasta Market. It was eventually replaced with the present Chowrasta Market in the 1960s. The market building was later renovated between 2013 and 2017, as part of efforts to rejuvenate and expand the aging market. The renovation works were completed as of January 2017.

We began our stroll along Jalan Chowrasta from the intersection with Jalan Penang to its end, before doubling back. A great assortment of items and wares were on sale, but nothing struck our fancy.

We then entered Chowrasta Market proper, and Cat stopped by a pickles stall to get a packet of pickled mango and papaya that cost RM7 each (USD/EUR1.60).

We then strolled its length all the way to the back. Here we found all kinds of fresh meat and poultry on sale artfully arranged in one corner of the wet market. To the other end were freshly caught fish, squid, and all manner of food from the sea.

Alas, we were not able to buy anything here since we did not have the ability nor the inclination to cook during our trip to Penang. We then rode an escalator up to the first floor but found only two clothes stalls doing business.

We quickly made our way down and walked out of the market onto Lebuh Tamil headed southeast to its end. We then turned right onto Jalan Kuala Kangsar to take in the sights of the morning vendors selling a variety of items and wares including clothing.

We reached the intersection with Lebuh Kimberley and turned around to walk down to the other end. Cat found a quaint batik blouse and shorts suit that she fancied and paid the shop keeper RM30.00 (approximately USD/EUR7) for it.

We then made our way out of Chowrasta but stopped by a fruit stall to get a bunch of bananas and half a watermelon for RM13 (approximately USD/EUR7).

We then headed back to the hotel, but be out and about again, going on a run-around, so please stay tuned.

Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Hutton Suites Hotel - https://goo.gl/maps/Sa3pp5NKAQgx5pij6
Hutton Lane Roti Bakar - https://goo.gl/maps/BUYbu79qFE4Ebs5J6
Jalan Chowrasta - https://goo.gl/maps/Bx4J7oB9vujBfed26
Walk@Chowrasta - https://goo.gl/maps/kPt3h3aratWACcwA7
Chowrasta Market - https://goo.gl/maps/KWWD8nnu1Fh3TxN89
Shin Huat (Pasar Chowrasta) - https://goo.gl/maps/Qhu8p6VAKvDscDsC8

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.