Fish therapy anyone?

Garra rufa or the reddish log sucker live and breed in the outdoor pools of some Turkish spas, where they feed on the skin of patients with psoriasis. The fish consume the affected and dead areas of the skin, leaving the healthy skin to grow, with the outdoor location of the treatment bringing beneficial effects.

Read a little bit more here.

But have you wondered what happens to the fish from devouring all that dead skin... they grow!

For M$5*, you get to while away 10 minutes, with you feet dangling in the tank and fish gnawing away those tootsies!



M$3 = A$1 = U$0.80

Food, shopping and stuff...

Sometime ago Vixel mentioned that she would love to try durians. Finally, after almost a decade, I've reacquainted my taste buds with that fruit. Durians have this hard thorny shell, quite difficult to open. Nowadays, one can buy them conveniently prepacked in Malaysian supermarkets. Bought four packets for M$ 10*.

The taste, heaven. The smell? Er... not unpleasant. My mistake however was to carry the recently acquired durian around in the shopping center.

On shopping centres... visited Berjaya Times Square. Can you imagine ten floors of shops, with cinemas, bowling alleys and a theme park as diversions. The shopp-a-holics can leave the kids and partners...

(I was exploring the food hall !)

The month of Ramadan has just started. This is when Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown (not even a drop of water !).

For the non-astronomers, sunrise and sunset times are published in the dailies.

During this month, there is a proliferation of little roadside stalls selling typical Malaysian fare. The daily breaking of fast in the evening is one of celebration. People buy their evening meal (...cooking is the last thing on your mind if you've been working and starving the whole day).


... and these stalls sell a famous Malaysian dish... satay!


... and Nasi Lemak (coconut rice) was a dish for the poorer members of the community, now it's found in all the 5 star hotels. It comprises the rice cooked in coconut milk, a sprinkle of fried peanuts and ikan bilis (anchovies?) and a dollop of sambal (a kind of thick chili paste).


... and I had my nasi lemak with beef rendang (a mild dry coconut curry). Not going to tough it out with a couple of peanuts and anchovies...



More weird and wonderful fruits, bought a kilo of mangosteens for M$3*. This sells for A$1* each in Sydney. Unfortunately, rambutans (the red hairy ones) weren't in season.



Much better than the Aussie Beef jerky is the Long Yok. It's thin slices of pork, marinated and then smoked.... sweetish and it's yum!



Wandering the wet markets, spotted mud crab for sale at M$22* a kilo. Crab sells for A$40* in Sydney. The poor crabs landed up on the dining table looking a little... er cut up?


Finally, Bak Kut Teh (literally translated spare rib tea). Ordered my bowl at this place, it's spare ribs cooked for hours in herbs and soya sauce.


Planning my next trip... who's coming?


* M$3 = A$1 = U$0.80 = £0.50

Temples, Churches and Mosques...

Back from a short holiday to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, population a tad shy of 7 m inhabitants (including the suburbs). A friend asked for snaps of a church, managed to do better.

Malaysia is a Muslim country but enshrined in the country's constitution is the right of worship. So, Buddhist, Hindu, and Christian places of worship are a commonplace around town.

We'll start with Po Ling Chinese Temple. Serves pretty good vegetarian dishes. (Yes, it's all about food... and shopping in Malaysia!)


Dropped by the Sri Mahamariamman Hindu Temple. Paid my M$2* for what I thought was the admission fee. Was I wrong! It was a 'donation' for a blessing. Cleansed my soul over the fire and was handed a packet containing two bananas, betle leaves and chalk (smear the chalk on the leaves and chew!)


It's said that all distances out of Kuala Lumpur start from St. Mary's Cathedral. It's located next to Selangor Club and the Padang (the Field) where the old colonials sipped their Scotch and swung the cricket bat.


Finally, there's Masjid Negara (the National Mosque).


No, its not a sect nor freemasons in purple. A condition for admittance, us foreigners had to attire ourselves in this robe :)


* M$3 = A$1 = U$0.80