There’s no electricity, no telephone. Except for crabs, lizards, and bugs only three Indonesian rangers live on the island. They earn just over 100 US dollars a month, live in isolation and patrol for poachers.
The day begins with garbage pick up, because of all the trash which washes up: plastic bottles, cans of paint, children’s toys – The ocean has become the planet’s garbage can, harming not only turtles but all sea life. For hundreds of years, the island’s beaches have been a favorite nesting ground for sea turtles, leatherbacks and green turtles. They lay about 100 eggs at a time, but only a small amount will ever hatch, and fewer survive to maternity. Poachers and lizards threaten to steal many of the eggs, while other simply collapse under the weight of the sand.
With darkness, the island comes alive. Female turtles, sometimes dozens of them on a single night, crawl up the beach to lay their eggs in the sand of the islands beach. It takes 2 months for turtle eggs to hatch, if they hatch at all. And when they finally dig out of the sand, it’s a mad dash to the sea – as fast as possible to escape the lizards, eagles, crabs….
Without the rangers, turtle island has no protection, and without you, the rangers have no resources. Help save Turtle Island. Find out more by visiting www.haka.or.id. HAkA is an Aceh, Indonesia based NGO. Their name stands for Hutan, Alam dan Lingkungan Aceh (Forest, Nature and Environment of Aceh.
It’s the cultural mix that makes life in Penang so spicy. Just ask the food blogger Ken who has easily eaten over 1000 restaurants in and around Penang.
“Today we’re going to try 5 different dishes which represent the different cultural mix you’ll find here in Penang.
We start at Macalister Road and we’re going to eat a very nice hokkien mee.”
A typical bowl of Hokkien Mee consists of yellow noodles, lightly blanched, and assembled with hard boiled eggs, pork ribs, shrimps, and completed with a spoon full of chili paste.
Next up is Ravi Devi and his wife who have been cooking Indian Apom since 1974.
“From 7:30 until about 12:30 we cook here non-stop. Eggs. Sugar. All mixed together. You must make it crispy, so when you eat it you can feel the crunchiness and fluffy in the middle.”
Having tasted authentic Indian food in George Town, we’re heading to Balik Pulau for some Assam Laksa. This particular stall is special because they make their own noodles which are springier and bouncier compared to other places in Penang.
A short ferry ride over the mainland is a hidden gem filled with the flavor of Malaysia. At Sungai Dua you can try the famous mee udang at Aur Gading. Mee udang is a type of prawn noodles served with a very rich and thick seafood sauce.
Last stop is Hameediyah, famous for serving nasi kandar for over 100 years. A typical plate of nasi kandar will consist of boiled egg, fried chicken and veggies drenched in plenty of curry sauce.
It’s because Penang has so many ethnicities, that the food on the island is so lively.
OXLAEY