This is mixed with a solution and rolled until it looks like an aged rubber bath mat. These mats are then shipped to rubber manufacturers throughout the world (and some of the products are returned for purchase back in Thailand).
We next boarded a boat powered by a motor that looked like a long weed-whacker to tour among the limestone karsts of the national park. We saw “cave” drawings on the walls of a karst and skimmed under a cave, actually a natural arch between two karsts. The park was the setting for two James Bond movies. If you recall The Man with the Golden Gun, this karst is where the solar reflector came out as part of the bad guy's efforts to end the world.
A 120-year-old Muslim Village is mounted on stakes near one of the karsts. We traversed it on raised wooden paths finding restaurants, a school and many stalls of products for locals and tourists.
Next we sailed to Penang, Malaysia, to tour three different and wonderful gardens in one morning. The botanical garden emphasizes indigenous foliage like the cannon ball tree with its football size fruit sprouting bright flowers (we saw only an early season one). Our path through the gardens led to a group of tai chi practitioners, their music making a pleasant accompaniment.. We finally saw monkeys in the wild, a family of long tail monkeys grooming and climbing the trees. We were warned that they are demanding pests who expect food from visitors and sometimes think fingers are food.
Our drive north on the coast took us past fabulous condos with equally fabulous views. This is a popular ex-pat destination for Europeans. The Butterfly Garden was one of the best we have seen, it was like walking through a flittering rainbow. The strangest creatures were the sticks camouflaged as wilting leaves. Our third garden was the most aromatic, a spice garden. Though a smaller spice exporter today, Penang still produces nutmeg and cloves.
Unlike many of the other cities we have visited, George Town, the provincial capital has maintained its many beautiful old colonial buildings. These must be preserved and are expensive to maintain so owners have found a way to keep them in the family and make money. Many have been turned into businesses, like KFC, which is a strange way to follow the rules but works for them.
With our afternoon free, we wanted to see more of George Town, a World Heritage Site. Our transportation was via a tri-shaw pushed and pedaled by a man of indeterminate age with few teeth and who may have weighed 120 pounds. We didn’t know it but he had a plan to avoid really pushing us too far. He took us to the Penang Peranakan Mansion, the two-story home of a Chinese tin merchant, where we spent about an hour accompanied by a personal docent from Burma. The house is filled with hand carved, abalone shell inlaid furniture, including the requisite opium bed.
Among the collections are museum quality china and glass works. The attached temple has carvings depicting heaven and hell as described in Buddhism.
Our next stop was at a small Buddhist temple where we wandered getting a chance to study many of the ritual items up close.
The driver had another temple for us to see but we were out of time and reluctantly had to return to the ship.
No comments:
Post a Comment