Happy New Year celebrate with Chicken Rice

Well it's another year gone and we are marching towards 2017. Is it me or are these years barrelling away at break neck speed. We have been busy during 2015 meeting new YouTube friends being the highlight. Camping, a trip to Malaysia, cooking, videoing, editing, more home improvements, trying new gadgets and catching up with relatives.our latest gadget is the Flavorchef and from the outset it has been fantastic. At least three of our viewers have bought one in the strength of our recommendation and have been just as pleased with their results too. Thank you for trusting our advice, we're glad you found this appliance useful. A great New Years Brunch is our Cheekyricho Chicken Rice

It's super easy, tasty, cheap to make and is perfect in the Flavorchef. For the video recipe http://youtu.be/yOC_quhq8M

You know you have to make it, uses up all those leftovers and when everyone is feeling a bit partied out its a good standby.

Taco Pie Video Recipe cheekyricho

Vegan Pavlova

We have been getting a lot of requests for Vegan recipes lately and to be honest I find many recipes I have tried to be lacking in flavour and texture. Even the ones that come highly recommended often tend to leave me disappointed. 

Except this one, it's a Vegan Pavlova using a readily available cheap ingredient that is usually discarded as waste. Who would've thought something so simple could end up being so delicious. Served with lashings of delicious Vegan Chantilly Cream and sliced fresh fruit.

Richo my most honest and often tactless critic nearly knocked me over rushing back to the kitchen for a second helping, spruiking his gushy praises long and loud. 

I had t even tasted it yet as I was busy finishing filming and tidying up yet I was in grave danger of missing out altogether.

It was truly as good as he claimed and I am deeply ashamed to admit there were no leftovers... Yep we polished the whole thing off, completely rewinding all the good we did having a salad for dinner.

In its raw state it tasted exactly like raw meringue without the raw eggs so it's safer to eat then anyway but cooked you have a crispy like meringue brown crust over a softer, moister than meringue, texture that is perfectly flavoured and I dare say even a chicken could tell there was no egg in it.

Vegan or not you will want to try this uber easy dessert. Check it out on our cheekyricho YouTube channel.

http://youtu.be/

Unusual Cafe McLean NSW

Today we stopped at a very unusual Cafe at McLean on the far north coast of New South Wales. They roast their own coffee and it has a glass partition behind which the coffee preparation takes place.

We enjoyed a lovely cup of local coffee and a slice of Carrot Cake.

It's like a warehouse/processing plant. They seem to have coffee tasting and lots of information about my fave hot drink. Unfortunately we got there just before closing time so we didn't get to take full advantage of what they had to offer but the coffee and cake was good and hope to stop in again sometime.

We opted to sit out side. There was plenty of free on street parking with views of the mountains and the mighty Clarence river.

It was spotlessly clean and there was ample seating inside and out with a little dedicated play area for little ones. I loved the fact they had different varieties of coffee to choose from and even take home packs were available for purchase. We opted for take away as it was very late in the day and they were ready to close and even the packaging and cutlery was environmentally friendly. 

McLean is a lovely quaint town with plenty of river side walks.

A Gorgeous lookout overlooks parts of the town, the river and farmland with covered picnic tables. It was hot and these joggers ran up that steep hill, after we had we had eaten our big fat slice of Carrot Cake we probably should've done the same thing. We are definitely going back for a picnic. 

On the road to the Lookout is a pile of rocks set in amongst the rainforest. There wasn't even a breath of wind but I image rain torrents down that ravine during storms, to meet the valley below. After recent rain everything looked lush and green. McLean is a lovely place to stop and explore.

Apricot Bliss Balls

With  6 weeks of School Holidays just around the corner, it's time to look for done healthy snacks for the kids. Ideally something they can help with. This is like edible play dough. It's made in about 2 minutes and then you can get the kids to make them into animals, cars, sporting goods or even fake food items. No cooking involved and they are healthy, packed with fibre and nutrition, gluten free, vegan and no added preservatives, artificial colours or refined sugar. They taste yummy and aren't full of sugar like the store bought ones.

We hope you give them a try, there's only 5 ingredients, no cooking, great for picnics lunch boxes and mid afternoon snacks.

http://YouTube.be/alRjffz8uGo

Vegan Cheese Video Recipe, another cheekyricho Thermo Cooker Idea.

Some time ago, like about a year, where did that time go. I posted a Vegan Mushroom Soup Video Recipe on our cheekyricho Youtube Channel, since then I have had numerous requests for the decorative little Home Made Edible Vegan Cheese Spoons I served it with.  The wait is over. Today we posted the recipe and you can view it here https://youtu.be/Aavg1uc1J8

This Vegan cheese can be used in cooking, salads, pasta, pizza dishes and he grills to a gooey warm texture on Sandwich melts.

We have an ever expanding Vegan and Vegetarian Array of recipes on our respective Cheekyricho Youtube Playlists. There is something there for everyone and you may even surprise your friends to know your latest creation is Animal Product free. We aren't Vegan but we can appreciate the need to find nice tasty Vegan recipes that the whole family can enjoy.

We are adding to our recipe repertoire very regularly and there really is something there for everyone. We do hope you check it out and keep those requests coming, it helps us to know what you want us to share. If we can get the ingredients we will endeavour to make it for you.

INGREDIENTS for Cheekyricho Vegan Cheese.

400g soy milk ( we have a recipe for that on our channel too)

100g raw cashews

100g raw almonds

150g boiling water

20g apple cider vinegar

100g miso paste

30g cheekyricho concentrated vegetable stock (another of our recipe videos)

2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast (available from health for shops and imparts a cheesy flavour)

2 Tablespoons AgarAgar (a Vegan gelatine substitute made from seaweed)

20g Chia Oil (any mild flavoured vegetable oil will do)

400g soy milk

100g raw cashews

100g raw almonds

20g apple cider vinegar

100g miso paste

2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast

2 tablespoons AgarAgar

30g Vegetable Stock Concentrate400g soy milk

100g raw cashews

100g raw almonds

20g apple cider vinegar

100g miso paste

2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast

2 tablespoons AgarAgar

30g Vegetable Stock Concentrate

Cheekyricho Cook4Me one Pot Kransky HotPot

Our feet have hardly touched the ground since our return home. We attended an engagement party weekend. Caught up with relatives. Collected our darling fur friends from their doting grandmother. Had a few Medical appointments to attend to. 

Built our mega carport and caught up with the necessary home maintenance required when one is absent from their country for a fortnight. The spiders seemed to have sensed our absence and have Decided to take up residence. The neighbours all around have reported numerous snake encounters but the biggest news of all according to Richo is the crabs are ON and the fish are biting!! All else pales into insignificance. 

As we have been so busy outside I have been making meals that are quick, easy, nutritious and tasty. A few one pot meals plus more experiments with my new pasta maker.

 This recipe for a One Pot Kransky HotPot cooked in the Tefal Cook4me was a real hit. The recipe idea was suggested to us by Frank, one of our viewers, it is delicious. So easy to make really tasty and fantastic comfort food. You can check out the easy recipe at https://youtu.be/wgw9Guu8g8U

Just what you need after you've been scurrying around on ladders building a very tall car cover for the motorhome. We have a double garage but Richo's Ute is too long for it and the Merc. Is too tall for it, wanting to protect these oversized vehicles from the elements proved to be a bit of a challenge. We opted for a portable shed which is permanently erected. To provide shelter for the cars and when we want to work outside out of the weather we have a large open space to built stuff. The plumber was coming yesterday to level the driveway into it and prepare the site for the new rainwater tank to collect water from

It's roof and provide free water when required.  The plumber didn't turn up so we have these 2 huge loads in sandstone rubble in the yard waiting to be tamped down for a driveway.

We are subject to strict water restrictions occasionally and watering the vege garden, washing the car or flushing out the boat motor and cleaning the boat after the day at sea is difficult during these dry spells. Our local council offers a  cash rebate as incentive to install a tank to alleviate the pressure on the town water supplies during times of drought. We thought we'd take advantage of the rebate offered plus it solves the storm water runoff issue from the new car shed.  I can't wait to have the whole system up and running.

We will be gearing up for our Christmas cooking very shortly so I have some lovely festive ideas in store for our Cheekyricho YouTube viewers. Hope you stick around for those, we like to share new, innovative and unusual Ideas to make your Christmas more fun and hassle free. Whilst we adore cooking and eating it's great to have a stock of Christmas goodies made ahead of time for unexpected guests that inevitably drop in around this time of year. We have an extensive Christmas Recipe Idea Playlist  already on our channel but this year we plan to expand it for your entertainment and joy.

Malaysian Holiday Goodbye Malaysia day 15 Cheekyricho travel diary.

Today we check out of our lovely hotel and head back home. A breakfast swim. A walk and a refreshing shower in a dedicated room after check out was very welcome. A shuttle bus to the airport with many hours to spare. We ate our home made egg and lettuce roll with a bottle of still partially frozen water. It was fresh, healthy, satisfying, cheap and simple to make.

This was where the worst part of the journey begins.

We had previously checked into our flight but the AirAsia baggage drop off counter was a joke. Exceptionally long, painfully slow queue put an end to any hopes of taking the shuttle bus to an outlet centre nearby for a last minute wander. People pushing in at the counter in front of me after we had already waited an extraordinarily long time had me hot under the collar. Some guy pushed into me and told me he was running late and would just go in front of me, flashing his airline ticket at me. I am the most placid, generous patient person I know but that was the last straw. I told him "No!" He just kept pushing, by my third even louder "no"!! He got the message and went off to hassle someone else. 

This little sick boy was crawling around coughing a very phlegmy cough with thick  streams of mucous streaming from his nose, touching everyone and everything. He was very unwell and unhappy his parents did nothing to comfort or control him. I hoped he wasn't on our flight because whatever was ailing him was really nasty and We did not want to catch it. 

There was this incredibly loud band playing live music close by the baggage counter. You couldn't hear yourself think or the important instructions being given by a softly spoken staff member in very broken English. AirAsia dump the stupid band and put in some more counter staff. It's an airport not a bloody rock concert!!!

It was off to the tax refund counter, my day just got worse! The one and only attendant was playing on his phone and made me stand in line for a good 5 minutes. Ignoring me and I was his only customer. He refused to accept all but one of my receipts because some shops were not accredited with their private, not government run company, tax refund system. Or the sales staff at one shop in particular had entered my ID details incorrectly. There was no dispute about the legitimacy of any of the receipts or that they belonged to me but this was the first time I encountered anyone sticking to the rules so diligently in a country where absolutely everything including red lights, speed limits, work safety, hygiene and building codes were treated as purely advisory. This man refused to valdate 4 of my claims. The only one he did accept was duly stamped but I then had to take it somewhere else to be refunded. This other counter was out of the way to my boarding gate and get this. I have to wait 5 more days to get my refund on my credit card, it's not even a cash refund. All this  trouble for a refund of $5.25 AUD which was the smallest claim and when they refused to accept legitimate much more valuable claims. I told the attendant I was sick Of being ripped off in Malaysia and he thought that was very funny. That's Malaysian customer service for you.

The plane was on time, however, you have to go through the boarding gate in a plane full of passengers lined up to be sent back out to pick up your duty free purchases outside the gate, then queue again. Onto the plane, it was hot, crowded. And aircon was all over the place hot  short bursts of cool air Followed by more sweaty heat. The only constantly maintained temperature was in the toilet. How long can you spend in there? Remember the snot  laden sick toddler I told you about, well he is now 4 rows in front of us, he screamed for the next 7.5 hours Barr one hour after they put the lights on to wake everyone to sell them drinks they were out of stock of. No gin on the way to Malaysia and now no gin on the way back, oh and only 1 can of tonic. Considering there is less than 6 varieties of spirits available on board you would think who ever is in charge of stock would have organised the supply a little better. You can purchase food  and beverages in either Aussie dollars or Malaysian Ringghits but your change will only be in Malaysian Ringghits, they're going to come in handy upon your return to Australia on an Australian bound flight. 

   I understand sometimes you have to travel when you're sick but this little boy did not get any rest so he did not do any healing. Most of his screaming appeared to be about him wanting to be with his mother and his father forbidding it because when his mother held him and walked around the plane she allowed him to play with the toilet doors and every public surface with mucous laden hands. Not once did she wipe his nose, hands or restrict him from spreading germs amongst her fellow passengers. If the other passengers survive this flight without getting very sick it will be a miracle.

Richo asked for some ice for his drink 4 hours ago, I can assume it's not coming because we are about to land and it's still not here.

I do hope the young lass sitting in the seat next to  US. Is feeling better soon she vomited into her air sick bag all night. Richo thinks it's airsickness I hope he's right. I felt so sorry for her travelling alone and crammed in to a tiny seat next to a stranger and trying to be sick discreetly. This is the first time we have been quizzed and warned and required to make declarations regarding Ebola and our possible exposure to the deadly disease. I really hope that girl hasn't been to Africa.

Touch down in Australia to 20 degrees Celsius. Everybody who winge-ed about the temperature and had the aircon turned to a sweltering sweaty, uncomfortable temperature all managed to find suitable clothing in their carry on bags whilst waiting at the baggage carousel, where the selfish ignorance continued. Perhaps it's my fault, I stood back at the line allowing people access to collect their bags as they approached I just didn't expect a man to manoeuvre  not one but two bag trolleys to the carousel completely blocking access to everyone else collecting their bags and his weren't even in sight yet.! I saw people muscle in with their children who were incapable of collecting a bag and the gathering of passengers was so thick, I have a bright pink bag and almost missed it because I could not see through the crowd of people jammed shoulder to shoulder along the carousel and were indignant if some one tried to collect their bag past them. Someone should teach these people manners and courtesy and do it quickly.

Here ends my rant. I have been travelling for 22 hours I am sweaty hot and overtired. I have seen more incidences of blatantly rude, selfish,  arrogant and obnoxious behaviour by people in service areas, fellow passengers and airport staff than is good for you. Bad management, stupid systems and inefficient procedures also contributed to a most unpleasant journey. 

Makes me want go camping away from humans to regain a sense of calm. Crowds breed disease, crime,  contempt and ignorance. You will never convince me there is safety in numbers.

Malaysian a Holiday day 14 Cheekyricho

Today is our last day. We have seen many things, eaten more sizzle plates than I can count. Somebody from our last hotel helped themselves to my iPad charger so I have had to shuffle charging between a 5w charger and my iPad and iPhone. Had to buy another one tonight. Very disappointed, it's the first time I've had something knocked off from inside a locked hotel room.

We caught the shuttle bus to a shopping plaza and wandered about in the aircon after a swim.

Richo had a go on this wobble board excercise machine. Apparently you stand on it and lose weight. After a few minutes he had worked up a sweat just standing on it. Reckons it would be good to use while he watched TV, I would agree with him if I didn't know he likes to snack  watching TV. Yep he's a sneaky snacker, waits til I'm out of the room and goes hunting and gathering.

We almost went to this Japanese restaurant for lunch these tables have heated bowls which are filled with stock and you dunk things into the boiling liquid until they are cooked to your liking. I thought it was a grand plan but we actually weren't hungry after a recent full breakfast.

No prizes for guessing what Richo had for lunch. Another sizzle plate believe it or not. 

I went Bento and it actually looked a lot better than it tasted.

Richo subscribes to the fat cooks are good cooks theory so when deciding where to eat he considers the size of the chef in the equation. Works for him.

The Pavillion Mall has a display board showing which restaurants prepare what food and where. It is a bad thing giving Richo  too many choices regarding food because he procrastinates a bit too much and then settles for the same ole same ole.

We did end up at a Japanese tea room and had these delicious little things. A milk bun, cherry brioche and a Hakkaido something or other. They forgot our coffee or didn't understand our order, we eventually got served. A quick overpriced taxi ride back to our hotel for a swim before we hit Jalan Alor for another Vietnamese Crepe. We took lots of video of food being prepared. Ice cream made using a painter scraper on a plate. Satays being grilled, Mongolian BBQs the sugar Cane juice being pressed, chestnuts being roasted, spicy sweet bacon being cooked. There were frogs, snails, eels, fish, oysters, cockles, clams,  prawns and crabs either swimming around live in tanks or just huddled awaiting their fate. A while lamb on a spit.

There were ducks heads, tongues, feet, wings and whole ducks ready for the table alongside coconut drink makers and fruit and vegetable stores. The smells and smoke, the bustling throng of diners and the constant steady stream of cars weaving in and out of people and little cats, spruikers trying their darnedest to get you to come to their stall and eat. There were massage people encouraging you in for a massage or relax little stalls selling everything fr mobile phone accessories to bags, groceries and shoes. It is impossible to describe how crowded and diverse the experience was. Selfie takers, selfie stick sellers, beggars, street performers, tourists young, old, well dressed or backpacker types. Every nationality of diners or dinners were represented. The video is going to take some editing to try and represent the vibe of this crazy atmosphere but I will do my best and hopefully you will understand what an interesting experience Jalan Alore is.

Malaysian Holiday day 13 Cheekyricho Kuala Lumpur

My glasses are ready. So we booked transport to head to Chinatown to collect them. Hot breakfast first. The guys that make these omelettes are fascinating to

Watch. I do love a good omelette.

My shoe strap broke and it was very difficult to walk until I could change them. Richo remembered seeing some sidewalk cobblers repairing shoes so we took them to one and he fixed it better than brand new. He glued stitched and repaired the sole,  I'm really happy with the job he did,

We made a Tuna  Salad roll for lunch

And caught the shuttle bus to Chinatown. I swam 1.5 kms today and walked around for about 5 hours no wonder I'm tired. We have lost count of how many sizzle plates we have eaten. I am soooo making them when I get home provided we aren't sick of them by then.

This is the view of the Petronas Towers from the roof top pool at night the water is cool. It's a no kid zone and so relaxing.

It has 2 jacuzzis and a steam room.

You can sit here in the warm bubbles and watching the bysy city bellow or above. 

I adore this pool it's only 1.2m 

deep but great for doing laps and cooling off. There are plenty of lounges and tables to sit and enjoy a quite drink too. That is the 5th highest telecommunications tower in the distance above the rooftop. We are on the 31st floor. 

Tomorrow is our last day😢

 

Malaysian holiday at 12 cheekyricho Kuala Lumpur

We heard some pretty ordinary reviews regarding the breakfast at the hotel. I am here to tell you there was nothing wrong with it. Eggs, sausages, toast, pancakes, pastries, juices, tea and coffee, cereal, tropical fruit and egg station out in the garden cooking omelettes and eggs to order. There was dim sum, potato gems vegetarian rice and noodles salads meats and cheeses. What on earth is wrong with that. It was fresh, readily replenished and spotlessly clean. We enjoyed it and the free shuttle bus to the Petronas Towers for a photo op.

So we've had breakfast and a swim. The view from the rooftop pool is lovely, you can see the Petronas Towers. I wish the sky was clearer but at least we will appreciate the nice blue unpolluted Aussie Sky we simply take for granted.

We went to the sky bridge on the towers last time and it was free if you queued for a ticket. 84 Ringghits this time to see what ... More smoke so we didn't bother. We bought some groceries and headed back to the hotel, I made a video of our lunch and edited it on the fly. We just felt like a nice Chicken Roll and this was perfect.

I had big plans for another swim and heading out to Jalan Alor again but Richo was tired after I had skull dragged him all around KLCC plaza. We had a blueberry drink and a nice chat with an English couple we met. Richo is either battling s bout of tonsillitis or else the smoke is getting to his throat. So many people wearing surgical

Masks in the streets and even the automatic hotel lobby doors were disabled to improve the entrances air quality. He bought some lozenges to help his throat and decided to take it easy for a while.

So he retired for a nap  and I snuck a pic of him sleeping. Haha he's gonna kill me for that!!

Malaysian Holiday day 10 cheekyricho

The hotel is still full until lunchtime there were people everywhere. Richo woke with a sore throat, I guess yesterday was a bit much for the poor old dear. After breakfast he strapped on his cpap and had a nap. I love the pool here it's 4 metres deep with a swim up bar. Richo went off to take hotel and beach photos while I did some laps. Then into town to sightsee.

But before we go Richo thinks it might be his ears that are giving him grief. So I filled his ears with swimmers ear drops. He is such a winge-er. Walked around for 10 mins with tissues poking out soaking up the excess. He had them in so long he forgot to take them out and went to leave the hotel looking like a poor imitation of Baa Baa Black Sheep. We ended up at the Chew Clan Jetties where the families live in stilt houses over the water like they have for many generations. We drive through little India and got stuck in traffic behind two Oxen towing a cart through the city traffic and ended up at a Chinese Food Court where we had Crispy Skin Pork  Belly, pork clay pot and pork sizzle plate with rice with a long neck of icy cold tiger beer to share. I was mighty sorry when that beer ran out especially after placing a large piece of barbecued chilli cleverly disguised as a piece of BBQ pork into my mouth. It took a few seconds to register but when it did Oh My it was HOT!!😡😜if I hadn't been nervous of catching Richos sore throat his beer wouldn't have been safe! I swear it looked like pork. We fuelled the car and toddled back to the hotel to shower and pack for tomorrow's return trip to KL.

Malaysian Holiday Day 11 cheekyricho Goodbye Penang.

Breakfast at 6am I am seriously struck on these omelettes and preserved nutmeg. Never heard of it or tasted it before. We have been using Google Maps on the iPad and iPhone to navigate around. It has been fantastic saved money and it was very accurate. We did take one wrong turn enroute to the airport and nearly ended up back at butter worth which wouldnt have been good because our toll pass was empty and time would've been a bit tight for our flight! We got here with time to spare and its 4.5hours since breakfast and I'm wishing I had eaten more then.  I must say Richos  navigation skills have improved which saves a lot of fights.😉

The smoke is even worse here in Kuala Lumpur.  Many flights were cancelled. Ours was late and you couldn't see the end of the runway for the smoke. Apparently they are Peat fires burning in Indonesia. The Malaysians and Singaporeans are furious, this happens every year. Schools are closed again today, the kids are happy but their working parents aren't. You could smell the smoke coming through the planes aircon. A bit disconcerting when you are on a plane.

It's an hour to the city so we decided to get a bite at the airport yep another chicken sizzle plate, with noodles and egg. This stuff flicks black sauce all over your shirt, doesn't matter how far from it you sit. Richo uses serviettes as a bib.

We get about 3  Malaysian  Ringghits to the Australian Dollar. This sizzle plate with a chicken leg, egg, noodles, greens and enough sauce to destroy an entire wardrobe cost about $3 AUD @ the airport it's cheaper elsewhere. 

We are off to an apartment to stay in the city. I can cook if I want, 

it has a kitchen. First we had a swim on the 31st floor rooftop pool which has 2 jacuzzis a steam room and a long tiled pool with a view of the smoke shrouded city. The water was cool and refreshing. Shower , change and off to Jalan Alor or food street for dinner. A Vietnamese crepe for me it's huge about the size of a folded over garbage bin lid. A long neck of Tiger beer.

It wAs seriously hot and steamy in the open air food street.the little guy serving turned up with gloves to fold and turn our pancakes into rice paper rolls. It was so yummy and filling.

This street is packed with tables stalls, pedestrians and diners.

This is the bedroom of our apartment.

The lounge area with these weird little couches that are very close to the ground and surprisingly comfortable.

The island kitchen bench.

And the work section of the kitchen. I was particularly impressed with the the bench that slides out from under the kitchen bench and doubles as a dining table then slides back out of the way when no longer needed. A great space saving idea that isn't really needed in this room as it's very spacious but a splendid touch nonetheless.

The bathroom is the best we've had so far, separate bath, huge shower and plenty of light. We make a habit of washing our smalls everyday and in many hotels thru are flat out drying. Here our clothes, towels and even swimmers dried in no time yet the room itself doesn't dry you out.

The bathroom is almost the full with of the unit, this holiday makes a nice change from our Motorhome where space is very limited, 

Might make a cooking video tomorrow.

Malaysian holiday day 9 Penang cheekyricho

The place was chockers. Breakfast was packed. Everyone wore red shirts even the babies. A photographer running around taking photos and videos. Trolley after trolley filled with gift baskets and hampers, some guy running around with a megaphone, really loud announcements in foreign languages. A big speaker set up and kids everywhere. We left them to it and took off to Kellies Castle near Ipoh

This beautiful building was built in late 1800's with hand made and imported materials by a Scottish Painter. It was never finished, never lived in, filled with secret passageways and stone, carved timber, wooden floors. Up until about 20 years ago it was full of monkeys and jungle the government took over its care and now you can visit it for 10 ringgits . It was incredibly hot and humid. Perspiration runs in your eyes and makes your clothes stick to you. I really enjoyed the visit and felt very sad the man who built it never saw it finished. Dying of pneumonia in Portugal on his way to pick up an elevator for it in England. It was to be the first lift in Malaysia. His son became a pilot and was killed in world war 11. 

The heat was overwhelming so we headed up to the Cameron Highlands to cooler weather. The road was unbelievable, tour buses negotiate blind tight curves using the whole road. There were land slips everywhere hungry dogs and cats all over the road. Green lush jungle flanking over 100 kms of 

hairpin bends. They grow tea, vegetables, flowers and herbs there. Huge towns filled with skyscraper hotels, markets, pubs, hawkers, street food of every type . A couple of these satellite towns exist. 

It was a huge day we didn't return to our hotel til after midnight. A hot shower and a sleep in was definitely called for.

Malaysian holiday day 8 Penang cheekyricho

A lazy day today watched a movie, had a lovely swim, picnic lunch and went for a walk for dinner.

Richo had ginger chicken with fried rice and I had chicken satay sticks with spicy fried rice and a serve of spring rolls for an entree. Ot was hot so we had an icy cold Tiger beer with it.

I really liked the satay sauce but the chicken tasted like it had been cooked over an oil fire. You know the flavour you get when you light heat beads and try to cook on them before the surface is ashes over, well

That's what the satay sticks tasted like. It was cheap but I couldn't recommend it. So far we have preferred the food courts they are fast, you can see it being prepared and they are clean and very busy with a big turnover and variety no wonder all the locals eat there.

Today the resort hosted a family function weekend for the local

Electricity suppliers. A sudden influx of 300 guests made it quite crowded here. There car park was overfull so we decided not to use the car lest we lose our car parking space. The convention is due to leave at lunchtime tomorrow so we will make ourselves scarce. 

Malaysian Holiday Day 7 cheekyricho

There is a typhoon brewing off the Phillipines. We have been told to expect awful weather as a result. So today we head off to Penang Hill and the Funicular Railway. It rained on the way and it did not look hopeful.

The rain stopped and the skies were clearer than they had been all week. The tram was crowded and it is new and unbelievably steep. Last time we were here it wasn't operational so to come and take the unusual ride to the Top of Penang Hill was a first for us. 

The carriages pass each other in laybys and the timing is perfect. It travels to 850m above sea level and it felt a lot faster coming back down.

From the Peak the views are spectacular. Probably the very best time to visit. There is an Indian temple at the top.

The mosque wasn't open. There is an owl museum, a snow house and 5D theatre, what ever they are at the top. My favourite attraction were the monkeys.

Unfortunately they were not as brash as others we have encountered so most of my photos were of their retreat.

We also went to the Komptar building which is the tallest building on Penang island to visit the viewing platform but the

platform Is no longer working. Is there a pattern here or is it just my imagination.

Richo was hot and bothered from the heat and the exercise at the top. The steps around here are either really short or really tall nothing in between.