lightcycle
Nomad
Oh you guys might get very lucky, indeed!
Since I am the only one of us that observes Naked Tuesdays, Neda likes to take lots of pictures instead...
[YEAR 7!] Quit our jobs, sold our home, gone riding...
- Thread starter lightcycle
- Start date
Oh you guys might get very lucky, indeed!
Since I am the only one of us that observes Naked Tuesdays, Neda likes to take lots of pictures instead...
unkamonkey
Explorer
Hopefully not of you.
lightcycle
Nomad
bow chicka wow wow!
lightcycle
Nomad
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/299.html
We're leaving Koh Lanta with a better sense of what we like about living in Thailand. Which is ironic, because we are on our way out of the country!
One of the two ferries that takes us off Koh Lanta and back to the mainland
More of that straight, boring ride as we prepare to leave Thailand.
At one of our frequent gas stops, we see a bunch of guys in the back of a truck. One of them seems to be a bit horny...
We're leaving Koh Lanta with a better sense of what we like about living in Thailand. Which is ironic, because we are on our way out of the country!
One of the two ferries that takes us off Koh Lanta and back to the mainland
More of that straight, boring ride as we prepare to leave Thailand.
At one of our frequent gas stops, we see a bunch of guys in the back of a truck. One of them seems to be a bit horny...
lightcycle
Nomad
We have an overnight stay in Hat Yai, just north of the Malaysian border.
Our hotel reminds us of the Love Hotels in Latin America!
We're a little concerned about passing through Southern Thailand. Over the last decade, Hat Yai has been in the news due to a series of terrorist attacks. There's a separatist group which is fighting for independence from Thailand on behalf of the Muslim population near the Malaysian border. There have been several bombings, the last one as recently as 2014.
Despite this history, we ventured into town to try to find some dinner. It's like any other Thai town, we didn't perceive it to be any more or less dangerous.
A preview of Malaysia food in Thailand and Neda talks to the stall owner about our trip
As we were leaving Hat Yai early in the morning, we decided to stop at a food stall which was open for breakfast. We couldn't read Thai, so we just asked for whatever everyone else was having.
The lady who ran the place served us a bowl of hot congee, which is a rice porridge. Except she didn't call it congee, she called it jook - which is the Cantonese word for congee. Growing up in Malaysia, this is what we know it by. I had never heard of the word congee until I came to Canada. Apart from all the mosques we had seen in the area, this was the most personal reminder to me that we were headed to the place where I used to live. So excited!
It's a short ride to the Malaysian border from Hat Yai. As we were leaving Thailand, we got our passports stamped quickly and then we were looking for a place to export out our bikes. Couldn't find anywhere to do it. We talked to a guard standing around and he just waved us through the border, "Go! Go!"
All the Thai cars and motorcyclists were just passing through the border without stopping. Call me a stickler, but I didn't want us to leave without getting the motorcycles properly documented out of Thailand. I've read up on the exit procedure for Thai vehicles leaving Thailand, and you require an official export form issued and stamped by customs. Add to the fact that we aren't Thai - I wanted to avoid any problems coming back to Thailand.
We rode in and out of the No Man's Land looking for the customs building. After much pestering, one guard opened up a booth and processed our papers. Finally, we obtained official permission to leave the Kingdom with our motorcycles. Thai vehicles are only allowed one month out of the country. Any longer than that and we would have to pay a fine to get back in. I know of no other country that does things this way.
However, I was glad to have the permission form and official stamp on it. I've read a lot of accounts of travelers sneaking in and out of borders, not getting the proper documents and stamps. But to prevent future problems, we tend to do everything by the book, *especially* at borders.
Except maybe for that one time we rode around Russia without insurance...
lightcycle
Nomad
Selamat datang ke Malaysia! Welcome to Malaysia!
Kedah is the north-western-most province in Malaysia neighbouring Thailand and we were now preparing to enter it. Now that we were officially out of Thailand, we have to get us and our bikes into Malaysia.
Motorcycles have their own lane for the border crossing. Cool!
They fingerprint you at the Malaysian border. Not cool.
lightcycle
Nomad
The border crossing for us was pretty quick, but it's always the vehicles that take longer. Our Thai insurance that we received when we bought the motorcycles didn't cover Malaysia, so we stop at this booth right at the border.
Yes, that's how they spell "insurance" in Malay, Neda
And that's how you spell "lorry". And Taxi is spelled "teksi". Lots of English words are just transliterated into Malay. Three guesses what a "bas" is?
In order to be properly insured, you need to display a front license plate - even for motorcycles
The Insurans lady translates our rear license plate and makes stickers for us that conform to Malaysian rules.
Hey, my first sticker on my CRF! Adds 5hp!
We go to the customs office and get our bikes imported into Malaysia. There are numerous forms to submit, and in the end we received an International Circulation Permit - which is strange because we've been riding all around the world and never needed one of those before - as well as the official temporary import papers into Malaysia.
Whohooooo!!!! We are in Malaysia!
Yes, that's how they spell "insurance" in Malay, Neda
And that's how you spell "lorry". And Taxi is spelled "teksi". Lots of English words are just transliterated into Malay. Three guesses what a "bas" is?
In order to be properly insured, you need to display a front license plate - even for motorcycles
The Insurans lady translates our rear license plate and makes stickers for us that conform to Malaysian rules.
Hey, my first sticker on my CRF! Adds 5hp!
We go to the customs office and get our bikes imported into Malaysia. There are numerous forms to submit, and in the end we received an International Circulation Permit - which is strange because we've been riding all around the world and never needed one of those before - as well as the official temporary import papers into Malaysia.
Whohooooo!!!! We are in Malaysia!
lightcycle
Nomad
It feels pretty cool to come back to the place I grew up.... on motorcycles! There's so much I want to show Neda, but part of me is feeling just a tiny bit of trepidation - that I won't do the place justice. I left Malaysia shortly before my ninth birthday, so I only have childhood memories of this place. By contrast, Neda left Croatia when she was nineteen, so when she shows me around her home country, she is able to add so much more details and colour to her commentary.
The road from the border is boring, same scenery as Thailand. Still, Neda comes in over the communicator: "It's so nice being able to read the road signs again!" I reply, "You can read Malaysian?" She responded, "No, I meant the letters aren't in script anymore". "Oh yeah, so it is".
It seems like I am taking a lot of things for granted in Malaysia, not noticing the small things that Neda is. She asks me what certain words mean. I didn't really learn a lot of Malay before I left, but I teach her the basics - thank yous and greetings: "Selamat Pagi is good morning. The sign you read when we first came in, Selamat datang is welcome"
"Oh, so selamat is like from when we were in Morocco, the Arabic greeting Asallam Alaykum"
"Oh yeah, I never thought about that". Neda was pointing out things that were plain to see, but I just never put it together because of over-familiarity. I do the exact same things when she is teaching me Croatian. Interesting role-reversal.
We stop by a food centre at one of the gas stations. Our first Malaysian meal!
I was afraid that I wouldn't remember anything about Malaysia, but staring at the menu in this food stall, mental images starting flooding back reading the items. Perhaps the brain may not be that good at recall, but the stomach certainly is.
I ordered us some Mee Goreng, a noodle in a blend of oyster and soy sauce with lots of veggies and some chicken thrown in. It was delicious! And from a stall at a gas station too! I can't wait to try the food in the restaurants!!!
Just 150km south of the border, we cross the Penang Bridge into Georgetown
Can't believe we're in Malaysia!!! Going to do some serious exploring now! And by exploring, I mean eating...
The road from the border is boring, same scenery as Thailand. Still, Neda comes in over the communicator: "It's so nice being able to read the road signs again!" I reply, "You can read Malaysian?" She responded, "No, I meant the letters aren't in script anymore". "Oh yeah, so it is".
It seems like I am taking a lot of things for granted in Malaysia, not noticing the small things that Neda is. She asks me what certain words mean. I didn't really learn a lot of Malay before I left, but I teach her the basics - thank yous and greetings: "Selamat Pagi is good morning. The sign you read when we first came in, Selamat datang is welcome"
"Oh, so selamat is like from when we were in Morocco, the Arabic greeting Asallam Alaykum"
"Oh yeah, I never thought about that". Neda was pointing out things that were plain to see, but I just never put it together because of over-familiarity. I do the exact same things when she is teaching me Croatian. Interesting role-reversal.
We stop by a food centre at one of the gas stations. Our first Malaysian meal!
I was afraid that I wouldn't remember anything about Malaysia, but staring at the menu in this food stall, mental images starting flooding back reading the items. Perhaps the brain may not be that good at recall, but the stomach certainly is.
I ordered us some Mee Goreng, a noodle in a blend of oyster and soy sauce with lots of veggies and some chicken thrown in. It was delicious! And from a stall at a gas station too! I can't wait to try the food in the restaurants!!!
Just 150km south of the border, we cross the Penang Bridge into Georgetown
Can't believe we're in Malaysia!!! Going to do some serious exploring now! And by exploring, I mean eating...
lightcycle
Nomad
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/300.html
I'm not sure if I've ever been to Penang before. If I did, I was too young to remember it. I e-mailed my dad and he said he didn't know either, it was so long ago.
Remnants of British colonial-style architecture from when Malaysia was a colony
Most of what I know about Malaysia is from long after I left it, either from what my parents told me, or reading up about the country. I've only gained an interest in this in my adulthood. Growing up in Toronto, I had a pretty typical Canadian childhood - played ball hockey in the streets, learned to skate in the wintertime when they flooded the baseball diamond at school, saw Rush in concert like pretty much everyone else did.
We had immigrated to a very multicultural neighbourhood in the north-east of Toronto: Scarborough - what some people call the ghetto of the city. I didn't think so at the time. It was just home to me. The friends I hung around with were Jamaican, Indian, Romanian, Pakistani, Korean, etc. The extent of discussing our ethnicity was peering into each other's lunchboxes to see what our moms had packed for us. I remember there being a lot of rice in tupperware...
Eager to do more food explorations
So here I am, back where I came from, with a renewed interest in the history of this place.
The Chinese in Malaysia date back several hundred years, the "first wave" settling in the south of the country back in the 1500s. Today, they make up the largest of the "ethnic" population, 30% of Malaysians are of Chinese descent, 10% are of Indian descent, while the largest group, 50% are native Malays.
Teoh Kongsi clanhouse
I'm not sure if I've ever been to Penang before. If I did, I was too young to remember it. I e-mailed my dad and he said he didn't know either, it was so long ago.
Remnants of British colonial-style architecture from when Malaysia was a colony
Most of what I know about Malaysia is from long after I left it, either from what my parents told me, or reading up about the country. I've only gained an interest in this in my adulthood. Growing up in Toronto, I had a pretty typical Canadian childhood - played ball hockey in the streets, learned to skate in the wintertime when they flooded the baseball diamond at school, saw Rush in concert like pretty much everyone else did.
We had immigrated to a very multicultural neighbourhood in the north-east of Toronto: Scarborough - what some people call the ghetto of the city. I didn't think so at the time. It was just home to me. The friends I hung around with were Jamaican, Indian, Romanian, Pakistani, Korean, etc. The extent of discussing our ethnicity was peering into each other's lunchboxes to see what our moms had packed for us. I remember there being a lot of rice in tupperware...
Eager to do more food explorations
So here I am, back where I came from, with a renewed interest in the history of this place.
The Chinese in Malaysia date back several hundred years, the "first wave" settling in the south of the country back in the 1500s. Today, they make up the largest of the "ethnic" population, 30% of Malaysians are of Chinese descent, 10% are of Indian descent, while the largest group, 50% are native Malays.
Teoh Kongsi clanhouse
lightcycle
Nomad
We're exploring Georgetown, which is the capital of the state of Penang. There are more Chinese in this state, percentage-wise, than anywhere else in Malaysia. These were the original settlers, they were sea-traders and came through the ports in Penang and Malacca. Everywhere you walk, there are signs in Chinese, and red lanterns hanging above.
Teh Tarik is the national drink of Malaysia. Tarik means "pull": Pulled Tea.
I introduce Neda to teh tarik, and we are both immediately addicted to the copious amounts of sugar they put into this drink. You can order it hot, but we prefer it served in ice. When you drink teh tarik, you can feel your teeth start to rot from all the sugar. So goooood.....!
Shopping for more sweets
Georgetown, like most cities, is pretty modern. But we like walking around the old city to see all the historical buildings.
Teh Tarik is the national drink of Malaysia. Tarik means "pull": Pulled Tea.
I introduce Neda to teh tarik, and we are both immediately addicted to the copious amounts of sugar they put into this drink. You can order it hot, but we prefer it served in ice. When you drink teh tarik, you can feel your teeth start to rot from all the sugar. So goooood.....!
Shopping for more sweets
Georgetown, like most cities, is pretty modern. But we like walking around the old city to see all the historical buildings.
lightcycle
Nomad
One of the most extravagant Chinese buildings is the temple of the Khoo Kongsi (the Khoo Clanhouse)
Clans play a very important part of the Chinese culture. Ancestor worship is part of the religion, and the family village or temple is a much venerated site. The Khoo clan (not related to the Klux) was the largest in the country and their ancestral home was here in Georgetown.
The Chinese are pretty much the Targaryens of Asia
...that one time when the whole clan went to see the Ozzy Osbourne concert...
Happy Wanderer
New member
Speechless
WOW, what an incredible journey..........and change in lifestyle. I just found this thread (and your blog) and now I'm playing three years of catching up. I really hate the over-use of the word Epic, but I think what you two are doing definitely qualifies. Great job, keep it up, and ride safe!
Cheers,
Happy Wanderer
WOW, what an incredible journey..........and change in lifestyle. I just found this thread (and your blog) and now I'm playing three years of catching up. I really hate the over-use of the word Epic, but I think what you two are doing definitely qualifies. Great job, keep it up, and ride safe!
Cheers,
Happy Wanderer
lightcycle
Nomad
Lots of beautiful details in the temple
Hundreds of gold placards with names of deceased family members decorate the inside
All of this is merely academic, though. These weren't my ancestors. In fact, the tour of these clanhouses was researched and organized by Neda. She's the one who told me most of the above!
My family didn't come to Malaysia until much later, they settled in different parts of the country. I was looking forward to meeting up with my elder relatives to find out more about our own history.
lightcycle
Nomad
After sightseeing, we went out to grab a late lunch. Penang is well-known for its cuisine. We searched online for "best restaurant in Penang" and found one that looked good. I was looking forward to try all of my favorites from childhood.
We were seated and given menus. I scanned the items, looking for something familiar. Nothing.
I called the waitress and asked them, "Any Char Kway Teow?" She frowned and shook her head. "Laksa? Mee Goreng? Satay?"
The waitress looked equal parts confused and irate. She told me off: "That is hawker food. We are a restaurant, we don't serve that here. If you want to eat that kind of food, you have to go to the hawker centre". She pointed down the street.
I gave Neda an apologetic look. The waitress still had her arm outstretched and finger pointing out. She was no longer telling us the direction of the food stalls, she was pointing at us to get out...
We slinked out of the restaurant. I was deflated. I was going to show my bride all the fine Malaysian cuisine from my youth and I was just told that all of it was street food. It was like going to a Michelin-starred restaurant and trying to order a hot dog and a bag of peanuts. I felt so embarrassed...
So we go to the hawker centre... and you know what? We had a *GREAT* meal! And it was cheap! So screw you, fancy restaurants of Penang!
Laksa is one of my mom's favorite foods. It's a spicy noodle soup, but in Penang, they serve it with tamarind and fish, so it's a bit more sour than regular laksa. We also ordered some popiah which is like Malaysian spring rolls, it's wrapped in crepes instead of flaky egg pastry. While mawing down on all this delicious food, I had absolutely no regrets about leaving the pricey restaurant. Give me my hot dogs and peanuts any day, all day!
Walking around the old town is a popular tourist activity
But if you don't feel in the mood to sweat it out on the pavement, plenty of rickshaws available to ferry you about
Some of the rickshaws are done up quite fancy. If you still don't want to sweat in the heat, you can take a "teksi"
We were seated and given menus. I scanned the items, looking for something familiar. Nothing.
I called the waitress and asked them, "Any Char Kway Teow?" She frowned and shook her head. "Laksa? Mee Goreng? Satay?"
The waitress looked equal parts confused and irate. She told me off: "That is hawker food. We are a restaurant, we don't serve that here. If you want to eat that kind of food, you have to go to the hawker centre". She pointed down the street.
I gave Neda an apologetic look. The waitress still had her arm outstretched and finger pointing out. She was no longer telling us the direction of the food stalls, she was pointing at us to get out...
We slinked out of the restaurant. I was deflated. I was going to show my bride all the fine Malaysian cuisine from my youth and I was just told that all of it was street food. It was like going to a Michelin-starred restaurant and trying to order a hot dog and a bag of peanuts. I felt so embarrassed...
So we go to the hawker centre... and you know what? We had a *GREAT* meal! And it was cheap! So screw you, fancy restaurants of Penang!
Laksa is one of my mom's favorite foods. It's a spicy noodle soup, but in Penang, they serve it with tamarind and fish, so it's a bit more sour than regular laksa. We also ordered some popiah which is like Malaysian spring rolls, it's wrapped in crepes instead of flaky egg pastry. While mawing down on all this delicious food, I had absolutely no regrets about leaving the pricey restaurant. Give me my hot dogs and peanuts any day, all day!
Walking around the old town is a popular tourist activity
But if you don't feel in the mood to sweat it out on the pavement, plenty of rickshaws available to ferry you about
Some of the rickshaws are done up quite fancy. If you still don't want to sweat in the heat, you can take a "teksi"
lightcycle
Nomad
Interesting stuff walking around Georgetown
The fancy part of the old town
Walking around the newly renovated parts of Nagore Square, lots of restaurants and swanky cafes here