Balik Pulau: "The Back of the Island"

After visiting a friend in a nursing home yesterday, we adventured on the other side of the island. Balik Pulau, or "the back of the island," is much more quiet and rural, making it a nice escape from the hubbub of city life. While it rained most of the day making us uncomfortably wet, our family fun far outweighed the thick stench of wet dog packed in our small car. 

On the far corner of the island is a small fishing village that's swarming with massive 6-foot-long Malayan Monitor lizards (2nd most dangerous lizard on earth). We saw at least 10 of them without looking very hard... We’re not exactly sure why there's so many more here compared to other places around the island, but we concluded that it's probably related to the food supply. We imagined that the fishermen throw their rejected salt-water ocean spoils into the freshwater stream, providing easy prey for the lizards. These guys looked very well fed (like small gators).

We later visited a small animal farm that opens its doors to the public, housing primarily goats but also bunnies, prairie dogs, puppies, and even an ostrich! Not sure what it is about kids loving animals, but there seem to be few things as engaging and interesting to youngsters. After one of our kids had a sensory meltdown, a quick cuddle with a baby goat calmed him down sufficiently for the time being (if only we had a goat at home…). Before leaving, we tried some mango-infused goats milk and ice cream made from goats milk, which tasted surprisingly creamy and delicious.

Penang also has beautiful sunsets! At home, Ellie has the best vantage point for sunsets from her balcony on the top floor, overlooking the trees, hills, and a partial view of the ocean:

Nature is very inspiring to us. By design, I believe, life will always have its stresses and troubles. And, no matter your circumstances or background, your struggles are real to you. Nature can provide a subtle reminder that life on earth has endured a lot of unfairness throughout history, yet it remains strong and beautiful today. For one example, historical weather blips that seemed to threaten entire forests often resolve itself in the next season, leaving minimal long-lasting visual impacts (as seen in the thickness of tree rings). The good news is that humans, unlike trees, have a unique ability to reason and problem-solve, often changing their individual situation and/or attitude for the better. In the natural world, that’s truly a superpower!