Northern Malaysia

Upon arrival in Kota Bahru we quickly noticed things were run differently here. The provincial government is run by the PAS party which adheres to strong principles of Islam. Examples would be no alcohol can be found Anywhere and the lineups at the grocery store are segregated for men/woman/couples. It makes for a strong cultural experience with mosques on every corner. We attended a free cultural experience performance which turned interactive as you can see in the photo with Renee staring on the drum! We were also shown how to play the Malaysian "marble game". I played the locals, and won of course.

Within our Hostel, Renee quickly made a 3 foot little buddy who draped off her for hours (see photo). In Kota Bahru the number 1 attraction is the "food night market". Oh man, it is very very delicious!! No forks or knives here...eat with your hands of course. When you haven't practiced your whole life, eating rice with your fingers takes some time and patience, but we managed to get every last grain. 

Rat Attack

A side attraction at the market is the cats and rats. Funny to see the giant rats chasing the cats; reverse roles. I was photographing the big guy in the photo below, when he bolted at me headed at my feet. There was a loud sqweal then I jumped out of the way. I didn't know rats squealed like that? Renee later informed me the rat didn't squeal; it was me doing the squealing. None the less I survived the rat attack.

Next stop was Georgetown where our arrival was a bit late as our bus blew a tire inroute.  Luckly where the bus came to rest was 100m from a tire shop, so it worked well. Georgetown was a major stop for the boats of the major spice trade for 450 years, so as you can imagine the food is incredible!!! Our first meal was a Malaysian/Indian curry fusion which lit your hair on fire, but was soooo good. We also treated ourselves to a local specialty dessert (Gelly noodles, crushed ice, palm surgar, coconut milk and red kidney beans!) Sounds crazy, but it is good. We finished the day off with several many many beers with a some Germans and English tourists. Many laughs and good stories.