Going troppo.

Saturday 27^th Feb 2016.

It was very overcast this morning and we’re sure that the clouds held in the noise of the fighter jets as they performed their touch and go practice today.

Disappointed to find that we hadn’t been to Batu Feringghi yesterday we decide to give it another go with the added goal of finding the Tropical Spice Farm that we discovered is out that way. We set out a bit earlier but being Saturday the buses are very busy anyway and we have to stand all the way to the Spice Farm, about 45 minutes. Arriving just before a guided tour is about to start, we sign up for it because you usually get more out of a place if someone shows you around. We have a lovely guide called Lee and it’s just us and another couple. The tour lasts for over an hour, nearly an hour and a half really and of course it ends in the souvenir shop, or Boutique de Souvenir as written on the door, so much classier!

The trip out on the bus was very interesting, I think the driver may have been related to Lead Foot Lucy, our driver from the other day. The road from ‘civilisation’ out to BF is a bit winding in places and we were certainly bracing and hanging on for grim death in parts. My arms will probably ache tomorrow! On the way back, Trevor sat up the front hoping to take some video of the hairy ride, but the driver was much more sedate and the traffic heavier, so no luck.
We took the 101 to the end of the line, not a lot there but apparently the beach is quite pleasant and not as busy as the beach at BF. There’s a Hard Rock Café in BF so we stop there for a look and photo op and end up having lunch as well. Potato skins again (yay!) and chicken tenders with honey mustard dipping sauce and the smokiest bbq sauce you could imagine. Pints of Carlsberg for under $10 AU to wash them down.

The bus on the way back was fairly empty when we boarded to return to G Town but it filled up quickly, luckily we had seats this time. 

Dinner is going to be back at the Red Garden because there was such a good choice, we want to try some other dishes.



Update – Trevor got his fried squid, but not quite as he expected, as is to be expected here! He asked the seller for ‘no spicey’ and of course old mate says yes, no problem. So, it arrives, and it smells of ‘spicey’, and Trevor tells the guy he asked for ‘no spicey’. Doesn’t seem to compute….. least ‘no spicey’ is stir fried with black pepper, and seeing as they were prepared to cook another meal, Trevor says ok. The 2^nd plate arrives and it’s quite palatable, obviously a little peppery but nothing a Tiger can’t fix - 13 MYR. I had some Char Kway Teow, 5.50 MYR, this one had a couple of prawns but no chicken or scallops. Very nice all the same. Couldn’t bring myself to try another Malaysian dessert but wanted something, so settled for an ice cream cone, 3.50 MYR!! Crazy price!
We got talking to a family at the next table, the bloke was Irish, his wife was English, Grandpa and 2 kids, and they live ex-pat in Singapore. They had ordered so much food, they couldn’t eat it all and they also ordered 4 Asahi beers expecting small bottles but large ones arrived and instead of sending 2 back, they paid for all 4. There was no way 3 adults were going to get through all that beer (not Aussies), and the guy ended up offering one to Trevor, so, score!! We had a nice chat with them, the kids were 7 and 9 and probably don’t have many if any, memories of England, they’ve lived in Singapore for 4 or 5 years.