Dear Pipsqueaks,
Normally, I dread hearing the alarm ring at any hour. But not this morning. Not today. For today, is our cuti cuti Malaysia trip to Penang!
First regret: not having done my packing the night before. Why? Because upon unpacking at the hotel did I realise I forgot to grab all my beach wear! Well, that's what happens when you pack half awake. But seeing that it's not suitable for me to swim anyway, it doesn't kill as much now.
So what's the best way to start a long drive? A hearty Malaysian breakfast: Nasi Lemak. And there's absolutely no better place to have Nasi Lemak than Village Park in Uptown. Even my friend gave me a fist pump when we both put in the same order because you just GOTTA order teh ice with a huge piece of perfectly fried chicken. A pure masterpiece that brings droplets of drools to the corners of your mouth. I think this is THE place I bring all my visiting friends to give them a real chance to taste a truly Malaysian dish. Enough said.
(Ayam Goreng with teh ice! My kinda Nasi Lemak~)
Not a moment to waste, we were soon on the road to Penang. Of course, we needed to top up the tank in case we run into any traffic. Our last experience traveling during holidays was a near 11-hour jam back all the way from Terengganu. Now that was really something. Blinking petrol light, starvation, in need of toilet and pure frustration all in one pot, and yet there was nothing we could do to speed things up. Every petrol station we came up to had lines up all the way from the highway exit. The lesson from then was that we made sure we at least had petrol because Jessy ain't pushing no cars on highway during her holiday. Nuh-ah ain't happenin'.
While the petrol poured, my friend decided to give her wind shield a good clean. As she reached to lift the wipers...what do you know? The right one just fell off. It seemed to be missing a screw. Which totally didn't make sense as she had use the wipers perfectly the evening before during the usual KL rinse around 6ish pm. What to do? We stopped in Ipoh at some random car shop to replace the wipers. Knowing the weather in Malaysia can be a real surprise, we better just get that done. Rm45 later we were back on the road.
(Luckily we found out before it started to rain! Or else, some car might just get a flying wiper out of no where!)
Luckily we got them new wipers - it started to drip the moment we crossed the Penang bridge. We drove around looking for that famous Sister's Cha Kuey Teow only to find out it was closed. After making turns and turns looking for potential food source, we decided to check in to our hotel first instead with a KFC snack take-out.
(LOOK at those clouds! Definitely a good idea to have gone down to Ipoh to replace the wipes)
Side note: not a good idea to have KFC out on the balcony unless you want to see some monkeys. Yes, we literally had two monkeys in view on the tree looking at us before we decided to play it safe and brought the food inside. When in doubt if targeted, just run for it! Don't monkey around!
When my Penang friends heard where we were staying, they wah-ed. I wasn't quite sure why until now. This place is really something different. It gives a 'antique but relevantly decorated cottage in the forest' kinda feel with the greenery cloaking the whole place. You definitely feel like you've walked into another place, and maybe time too. First impression, as you can probably tell, was a pleasant one.
(Lone Pine. The reception area looks so comfy - absolutely love the spinning doors!)
Checked in, we eagerly managed our way up to our room. No short of good first impressions, the spacious bathroom and balcony were above expectations. I don't think I've gotten into my swim suit as fast as I did in my lifetime upon arriving in any beach resort. Why? Because the balcony had a mini-tub!!! Just adorable and perfect for someone who isn't ready to show the world her new swim suit. So I soaked for a little before we went downstairs to see the rest of the hotel.
(This is where you will find me for the next two days: Either soaking my feet in the tub or on the day bed that didn't make it into the photo)
Gym, check. Lepak Corner, check. Bean-bag filled tents, check. This place is awesome. We quickly found pool chairs to park our bottoms. There I spent the next hour reading my new thriller novel. This is EXACTLY how I imagined my holiday. Reading an exciting action-packed novel with the sun lightly gracing its pages while the breeze chilled the remains of the sunbeams. This. Is. Perfect.
All of a sudden, I had finished 15 chapters and could feel hunger screaming. So we followed the suggestion of one of the staff and found a decent food court within walking distance of our hotel.
(No better place to disappear into my thriller novel than by the pool)
Tummy-filled, we wandered to this new (it wasn't there the last time we visited so it's new to me anyway!) Starbucks on the beach. It is an impressive branch with its own boutique and seats all the way out to the sand. I could come here everyday, lying on the beach chair with a cool cup of iced latte in my hand while the other my novel. Ah, what a life eh!
(Keep walking and you'll hit the beach! They even have a frap only order place~ totally appropriate for the sandy branch)
We spent the rest of the evening chit-chatting there before we called it a night. Boy am I ready for a good rest! Ready for day 2? Definitely.
Nights peeps!
Jessy out.
Jessy out.