Penang Island, Malaysia

Our latest adventure had taken us to a unique destination with an amazing blend of old culture and tropical paradise.  Within the island of Penang there exist well preserved historical builds within the entire city of George Town being, which is declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.  We found Penang to be a melting pot of cultures from the food to the architecture; Indian, Malay, and Chinese.  Of course we were also drawn to the island due to the tropical climate and beach.

Let me first start with the Hard Rock Cafe Resort where we stayed.  The pool with the close proximity (literally steps) from the beach (Batu Feringgi) made relaxation very easy.  Of course we enjoyed the western food selection at the Cafe and the kids enjoyed seeing all the "old" singers and instruments on display.  We enjoyed the beach, water slides, poolside drinks, and entertainment each day to the fullest.

Now I have to take time and mention the food.  There are few places in Southeast Asia where the food is a main attraction.  Penang, with its unique blend of Indian, Chinese, and Malay influences, is an attraction within itself.  The majority of the "hawker" (open air street food complex) food is very cheap and so delicious!  Our favorite place to dine was at the Long Beach Cafe which had various food Hawker stalls specializing in Satay (below), Fried Char Koay Teow, and so much more.

Of course we took some time to do some exploring when we were not relaxing at the resort or eating.  We took a day to enjoy Penang heritage via a Trishaw Tour.  What is a Trishaw you ask...?  Well here are a few pics!

On our tour we saw the City Hall, built in 1903 which is the headquarters of the Municipal Council.

Continuing our Trishaw ride we saw the Town Hall which was built in the 1880's.  Following this we passed Esplande which is a seafront promenade with a war memorial for fallen soldiers.  Next we stopped at Fort Cornwallis which was built by captain Francis Light upon first landing in Penang.

Then we rode past Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower built in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee each year.

A very interesting part of our tour was visiting the Clan Jetties, located along the Weld Quay which is home to families of traders, fisherman, and dock workers.  These were built during the 19th century as traditional houses built over the sea on stilts and connected by wooden walkways.

Traveling on we stopped at Khoo Kongsi which was completed in 1906, a temple belonging to the Khoo Kongsi Clan.  The temple features fine Chinese architecture and craftsmanship.  

Riding onward we passed Little India, a quarter of South Indian culture.  Early immigrants settled down here to make Penang their home.

Next we visited the Mahamariaman Temple built in 1883, it is the oldest temple in George Town.  Lastly we stopped to take some photos of the Floating Mosque which accommodates up to 1,500 worshippers with local and Middle Eastern architecture.

Another day of our vacation we decided to hire a driver and take us around to some of the key attractions that we could not travel to via a Trishaw.  Our first stop was at Wat Chayamangkalaram.  Built in 1845, the Thai temple has one of the largest Reclining Buddha statues in the world.

Located across the street we then went to see the Dharmikarama Burmese Temple.  This is a traditional temple used to celebrate New Years Day in Thailand.

Next stop was at Penang Hill.  This offered a panoramic view of the city (2,000 ft above sea level) and reaching the top via a funicular train.

We then arrived at Kek Lok Si Temple which is the largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia.

We spent many evenings on our way to and from the Food Hawkers by passing through thr Batu Feringgi Night Market where the locals would sell souvenirs and fake merchandise.

We had a such a great vacation and it was a beautiful mix of culture and relaxation!

Michigan & Tennessee Summer 2014

Each year we make the long journey back "home" to Michigan to see all our family and friends that we miss dearly.  Natalie and the boys also spend valuable time with Grandma and Papa in Tennessee, creating priceless moments.

It is impossible to capture in words the memories of summers back home with friends and family, which photos can clearly show the smiles the visit brings.  Living abroad we always feel challenged and little out of our comfort zone.  However we love the departure from the "norm" our lives have taken.  Life for us never seems to feel stale, the new experiences keep us growing and learning as a family.  However each summer when we come home we fall in love again with the close comforts of friends and family.  It is great to see our kids growing throughout this experiences and gaining independence.  Yet at the same time understanding how important family and relationships become, regardless of where you live.

Here are a few photos from the wonderful memory of our summer which we reflect upon often throughout the year.

Taipei, Taiwan

Sometimes it is just nice to get away for a long weekend and explore a nearby country while knowing there would be little chance of returning to from the United States.  We decided to take a three day island weekend and explore the city of Taipei, the capital of the Republic of China.

We quickly discovered that Taipei has an exciting mix of western and eastern influences.  As a result we found the food to be excellent reminding us of home as we ate at Chili's, Macaroni Grill, TGI Fridays, etc.  However the most important western influence, at the great pleasure of Natalie, was our first stop in the city....  Costco!  It may sound funny to our friends back in the US, however the ability to find many of the comforts of home in one store was refreshing and exciting for us.  After hours in Costco we set to explore the more important eastern influences of the city.  In the evening we stopped at the Shilin Night Market.  The market contains a centralized street food section and then another large section of stores for clothing.  We had a good time randomly exploring the various sections within the market.

For our first full day in the city we began by visiting the National Palace Museum.  The museum serves as a collection of over 700,000 pieces of ancient Chinese artifacts and artwork (8000 years of Chinese history), making it one of the largest in the world.  During the Chinese Civil War the collection was moved from Beijing to Taipei to maintain protection from the Japanese.  

After touring the museum we visiting the Zhishan Garden which is in the same location.  The kids enjoyed feeding the fish and we enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere.

Next we went to see the second tallest building in the world, the Taipei 101.  This completes our viewing of the top three largest buildings in the world now.  They had a great audio tour at the top of the building as you walked along the indoor observation deck.  

Our next stop was the National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall honoring the former President of the Republic of China (1928 - 1975).  Here we explored the grounds and watched the changing of the guards performed with such great precision.

We then headed to see the Longshan Temple, founded in 1738.  As a top religious spot symbolizing mercy there are over 100 gods worshiped here.  It is always fascinating to see the spirituality of the people from the city as they practice their respects within the temple.  

Concluding day two we headed to the Jianguo Holiday Flower and Jade Market located under the overpass of the highway on the weekends.  The collection of jewels and flowers were amazing to see and take in.  

Our final day was upon us and we started by visiting the Maokong Gondola.  Built in 2007 it takes you from the Taipei Zoo for a 25 minute ride through the mountains.  Some of the cars had glass bottoms so we of course waiting in the proper line for this and we all got a great view.

The Gondola ride concluding at the Zoo station so we decided to take a very brief walk inside.  However when you have actually held Koalas, rode Elephants, held Tigers, and walk with Lions a trip through a zoo in 95 degree heat loses it's appeal ;)

Following our short zoo visit we went to Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, commemorating the first President and founder of the Republic of China.  His Mausoleum is currently located in our home town of Nanjing, China.

In conclusion of our trip we visited the Taiwan handicraft Market to take home a remembrance of our visit this weekend.  We had a great time visiting Taiwan and would encourage anyone to visit in the future if you need a good break from mainland China.