AMIDST LUSH GREENS, GOOD FOOD & MOSQUITO BITES

If there’s one thing I love about weekend, it’s the opportunity to escape from my daily routine. The freedom of having time to relax, sleep all day or be in another place -inside the church where I find my weekly dose of peace of mind while attending anticipated Holy Mass, or being in my favorite coffee shop or in bookstore browsing and sniffing books, inside the cinema watching movies, dining and giving in to cravings of delicious bites, being a mall rat for a day, or simply doing anything and being anywhere far from my work desk; I always look forward to enjoying the weekend; it’s simply awesome and refreshing!

For 2 weeks now since my wife and kid arrived from Manila, my days in Penang have been happier. I always take efforts in planning and thinking of how to maximize and enjoy our weekends to the fullest; after all, it’s the only chance in a week that we can be together the whole day.

Last Saturday, 02 April, 2011 wasn’t ordinary. I was excited after my wife agreed that we bring Gabby to Tropical Spice Garden in Teluk Bahang, Pulau Pinang, a roughly 2-hour bus and ferry rides from where we stay in Butterworth. It’s a breather from going-to-the-mall, grocery shopping and other things we usually do to while away the weekend.

When was the last time you communed with Mother Nature?

How often do you appreciate her wonders ?

How well do you know those spices in everything we take in?

Would you like to see those spices in bushes before they end up in your kitchen jars?

We arrived at that piece of paradise few minutes before 10AM. At the reception, I paid RM 35 (PhP 490 or USD 12) for the 3 of us, as we availed of their family package. Citronella oil was provided to ward off mosquitoes before we entered the tropical lush greens. Unfortunately, because I forgot to wear sleeves, and wished I have those nylon slip-on fabrics commonly worn by bikers and trekkers and the fact that I easily perspire, mosquitoes feasted on my left forearm. Tina was so alarmed I might catch malaria or dengue but I guess, it wasn’t meant to happen; and the wheal and pruritus (read : itchiness) subsided few hours after. Good thing that Gabby was wearing a jacket and Tina had no mosquito bites. Nonetheless, I and my family had incredibly fun moments at Tropical Spice Garden.

The entrance to that seemingly oasis of tranquility…

Few steps from the facade, we were immediately drawn into a tropical forest with walk steps in between varieties of foliage and few blooms…

Do you play Plants vs Zombies ? Do you recognize those lily pods ? 😀

Admittedly, we saw more of huge trees and plants and less of those spices.

We had several laugh-trip and kulitan-moments…

Believe it or not, drizzling stopped before we hopped off the bus and entered this garden. The climate became so perfect for a stroll amidst that tropical forest…

We met some foreigners who were learning how to cook Malaysian dishes using fruits, veggies and what else but tropical spices, hehe…

Ms. Pearly Kee (on the far left), teaches Penang Home Cooking that includes Nyonya dishes.

Apart from being lush garden of spices, century-old-trees and exotic flora, Tropical Spices Garden houses its very own Tree Monkey Restaurant where we had our delicious light brunch.

Of course, food would not be absent in our family’s adventure….

When was the last time you ate comfortably lounging on crossed legs?

I loved the fact that great attention was given to little details of this Thai restaurant…

From the ceiling, table tops, and whatnot, not a single detail was overlooked…

Would you like to eat your meal on a tree house?

Needless to say, the ambiance of Tree Monkey restaurant is far from being intimidating; it’s so inviting and fascinating; so does their menu…

As if one soup isn’t enough –we had Mushroom soup which has surprising texture beyond being thick and creamy and that usual thin and salty soup…

Tina gave a nod to my choice : Thai Seafood Paella…

It’s not spicy as expected; just deliciously flavorful!

Sure, we definitely miss some things about the Philippines, and so I ordered what’s close to our taste buds (mangga at suman) – Mango Sticky Rice…

Were able to washed down everything by these thirst quenchers…

Daddy Gelo had freshly squeezed OJ…

Mommy Tina enjoyed iced cold Caffe Latte

Adorable Gabby sipped iced cold Chocolate drink…

What’s even more worth remembering about our dining experience at Tree Monkey was the fact that we met 2 friendly Filipinas and an Indonesian (standing at the back) and Thailander (not in photo) wait staffs…

After our hearty light brunch, we stepped inside the little spice museum right across the restaurant.

Betel Nut, Cumin, Turmeric, Star Anise, Fennel, Clove, Black Pepper, Cardamon, Cinnamon, Coriander seeds, Nutmeg, Chilli. These and more are the spices of this garden…

Apparently, we enjoyed our Saturday morning…FUNtastic! 😛

If you’re like us who, sometimes want something unconventional over the weekend, make your own adventure as simple as communing with yourself and with Mother Nature; it’s gratifying!

Look at my mag-ina, parang ayaw umalis at iwan ang lugar, hehehe! 😀

Tropical Spice Garden is such a nice respite from the hustle and bustle of daily activities. Fresh air, lush surroundings, informative trek, great food, family bonding – what more can you ask for?

For details about Tropical Spice Garden, visit their website [HERE].

Until our next family adventure! 😀

PS : After leaving the gates of TSG, we rode Rapid Penang Bus again and went to one of the malls in the island called, Midland Plaza and took the chance of 90% discount offered in Popular Bookstore. Then, we headed to another nearby mall, Plaza Gurney where Gabby and I had our haircuts done and ate our late lunch. We capped our Saturday after we attended the English anticipated Holy Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish. 😀