People visit Penang for its food as well as the confluence of cultures and religions on the island. Unfortunately I was stricken with what I'm calling "Malaysian Malaise" for the 6 days we were in the country. No fever, just generalized weakness and random symptoms. I don't blame Malaysia for this, but it definitely put a damper on the week in country.
Due to the malaise, we didn't really get to enjoy the supposedly amazing food in Penang. Most of it seemed to be meat-based anyway, which we're not eating. We did walk around a bit and loved walking past the temples (Buddhist and Hindu) and mosques. The smell of incense, the brightly colored facades, the breathtaking calls to prayer. In Penang, we also began our tour of Malaysia's malls.
Then we hopped the subway to the "Times Square" mall -- 13 floors! - and checked out the amusement park inside. Then we saw the American movie, "Red."
The Batu Caves are a Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Murugan (that's him standing out front). They are loaded with macaques, which also makes for a fun time. We climbed the steps to the top and checked out the 400 million year old caves. Maybe a good spot to ride out the apocalypse?
One night Brandon tried to order a masala dosa and the waiter said "no, too small." He suggested the paper dosa. Brandon obliged and look at it!! The potato filling was served in a separate dish. If I were eating it, I would have squashed it down first, but he kept it nice and rounded the whole time. So disciplined he is!