http://blogs.bootsnall.com/malaysia My BootsnAll Travel Blog Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:03:34 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en After a quick morning cab ride to the airport, we boarded a flight to cross the South China Sea and arrive in Kota Kinabalu. Life in Eastern Malaysia moves in a different fashion at a different pace than life on the mainland. While it does feature active urban centers like ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/malaysia/sabah-road-tripping-in-eastern-malaysia.html The Asam Laksa is known throughout South East Asia as one of the best noodle soup dishes ever. Penang apparently is THE place to get the real deal. Now, I had read stories online about Penang Asam Laksa and all its majesty. I desperately tried to find it back home, but ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/malaysia/penang-asam-laksa-the-cadillac-of-noodle-soup.html And again we find ourselves ready to eat…you guys must think I’m a glutton of sorts. Anywhoozits, we visited a delightful under-a-canopy food area a little walks away from the night markets at Batu Ferringhi. Hunger was setting in and I was ready for another round of Malaysian food delights – ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/malaysia/the-great-feast-in-penang.html After a quick nap and a hot shower (both well deserved), we hit the town in search for some trinkets and whatsits at Batu Ferringhi’s huge night market. What used to be a calm sidewalk by day, transforms into a frenzy of activity, full of shoppers trying to strike a deal. ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/malaysia/night-market-madness-at-batu-ferringhi.html The hotel we were staying at in Penang was one of the many which sit on the beachfront strip of Batu Ferringhi (Foreigner’s Rock), Penang’s most famous resort district and nightspot. The popularity with visitors to Malaysia which gave the region its name hasn’t diminished over the years: we spotted ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/malaysia/batu-ferringhi-beach-blast.html The Penang curry still warm in our bellies, we drove to the foot of Crane Hill and prepared to climb up to Penang’s most recognizable cultural landmark: the Buddhist Kek Lok Si Temple. Built into the side of the hill, the temple’s been a work in progress for over a hundred ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/malaysia/the-heavenly-kek-lok-si-temple.html After a subpar stay at a hotel just outside of the KL airport which shall remain nameless (grungy room, malfunctioning AC and moths the size of HOLY EXPLETIVE!), we headed to the airport at the crack of dawn to catch the first morning flight to Penang. The flight was quick ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/malaysia/curry-for-breakfast-bruce-loves-penang.html We got a bit turned around during our tour of Malacca’s old quarter and weren’t entirely sure how to get to our next stop, the antique and curio district of Jonker Street. Given how small and centralized Malacca is, I’m not entirely sure how we accomplished this. I blame the ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/malaysia/jonker-street-a-trishaw-odyssey.html We went to a food court just near our hotel after exploring the town square - and after all that walking we were famished. Before I get into each dish we ordered, let me say something about Malaccan food in general.  I don't think my brain's ever released as much pleasure ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/malaysia/malacca-food-what-the-gods-eat-while-on-vacation.html We had an impressive list of historical sites to hit up during our visit to the famed colonial city of Malacca. Thankfully, Malacca’s old city square is much as it was hundreds of years ago, with most of its attractions within spitting distance of each other. Our feet were happy ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/malaysia/historic-malacca.html