I was born in Malaysia, and so have been back on numerous occasions. Unfortunately I have seldom had time to document the culture, people and places there due to family commitments. This most recent trip was no exception, but here are a few shots which will hopefully offer a glimpse into what Malaysia is like:
The above shot was taken in a hawker centre in Penang. It is a picture of one of my favourite dishes – Char kway teow – stir fried rice noodles with dark soy, prawns, egg, chinese sausage, cockles, chilli, beansprouts and chinese chives. For those interested, the best char kway teow in Penang can be found along Lorong Selamat (look for the lady with the red beret and goggles).
Night shot of a hawker stall along Gurney Drive in Penang. It was named for Sir Henry Gurney, a British High Commissioner in Malaya who was unfortunately assassinated by communists during the Malayan Emergency.
Another night shot of a hawker along Gurney Drive taken around 10 PM. Unfortunately my mission to find muar chee in my one night in Penang was unsuccessful as all the muar chee vendors had already closed. Muar chee are sticky rice balls coated with ground roasted peanuts, sugar and sesame seeds and are highly recommended should you ever have a chance to visit Malaysia.
Gurney Drive at dawn.
My brief visit to Malaysia was that actually just a stopover on my way to a wedding in Bali. I managed to sneak away for a day whilst in Indonesia and go diving at Tulamben, a small fishing village on the north-east of Bali. It is an idyllic setting, sitting in the shadow of Mount Agung (the highest point in Bali) with a water temperature of approximately 27 degrees celsius.
School of Jackfish swimming near the wreck of the USAT Liberty. Unfortunately we did not get a chance to see The Chief (massive old barracuda) during that particular dive. The underwater photos were both taken with an Intova digital camera with marine casing, no external strobe. I have now had the opportunity to use several Intova underwater cameras and would not recommend them. The picture quality, feature set and user interface are sub-standard compared to other underwater digital cameras. Given the choice, I would much prefer spending more money on a Canon or Sony compact with their respective marine casings.
Local kids playing at Jimbaran Bay with the sun setting in the background. We had dinner here at a BBQ seafood restaurant on the beach. Whilst pricey and somewhat touristy, the food was actually surprisingly good.
Mount Batur, Kintamani in the afternoon sunlight. A long drive from Seminyak, but the views from the hillside overlooking Mount Batur are worth it. Make sure to bring a jumper if you visit, as it can get cold due to the elevation.
Stay tuned for more updates.
One Comment