乔治城第四周 -家人来访 Week 4 In George Town-Family Visit

2024年3月19日-3月24日，来到马来西亚槟城的第四周 – March 19-24, 2024, the fourth week in Penang, Malaysia

周一，我和PJG从吉隆坡返回，度过了一个平静的一周，上班下班，夜晚外出散步放松。到了周五晚上，我们迎来了一个特别的时刻——我的姐姐Wei平安抵达槟城，这是她首次踏出国门旅行，无疑是一件令人兴奋的大事。她为入境时可能遇到的语言障碍和心理准备似乎都未派上用场，一切都进行得很顺利。

On Monday, PJG and I returned from Kuala Lumpur and had a peaceful week of working during the day, and taking relaxing walks in the evenings. On Friday night, we had a special moment – my sister Wei safely arrived in Penang!

This was her first time traveling abroad, undoubtedly an exciting event for her. The language barriers and mental preparations she had made for possible issues upon entry seemed unnecessary as everything went very smoothly.

3月23日，周六上午， 我们去了槟城最高的建筑光大大厦，位于顶层的观景台为游客提供360度的壮观城市和海岸线景观。观景台上还设有一个名为“Rainbow Skywalk”的玻璃天桥，让游客可以在高空中步行，享受令人心跳加速的体验。

On the morning of Saturday, March 23, we went to the tallest building in Penang, the KOMTAR Tower. The observation deck on the top floor offers tourists a spectacular 360-degree view of the city and coastline. The observation deck also features a glass skywalk called the “Rainbow Skywalk,” allowing visitors to walk at high altitudes and enjoy a heart-pounding experience.

下午，我们前往热带水果农场，没想到从乔治城出发，乘坐Grab竟花费了近一个小时。接近农场的路段异常蜿蜒，加之不幸遇到了一位驾驶技术欠佳的司机，令整个行程充满了惊险。他似乎有某种紊乱症，除了长时间的抖动双腿外，有时会无故地急刹车，还经常偏离车道，我一度在脑中闪现“今天我的小命儿就葬在槟城开往热带水果农场的路上了”。幸运的是，我们最终安全抵达目的地，尽管我和姐姐都濒临晕车呕吐的边缘。

In the afternoon, we headed to the Tropical Fruit Farm. Unexpectedly, it took nearly an hour to get there by Grab from George Town. The road near the farm was exceptionally winding, and unfortunately, we encountered a driver with poor driving skills, making the entire journey awful. He seemed to have some kind of disorder. In addition to shaking his legs for a long time, he would sometimes brake suddenly for no reason and often deviated from the lane. At one point, the thought flashed through my mind, “Today, my life will be buried on the road from Penang to the Tropical Fruit Farm.” Fortunately, we finally arrived at our destination safely, although my sister and I were on the verge of getting carsick and vomiting.

参观农场必须加入导游团，每人48马币。既然来了，我们就决定全力以赴，购买了三张票。出乎意料的是，这次游览成了一次意外的惊喜。导游不仅向我们介绍了各种水果的知识，我们还尝试了许多前所未有的水果，比如带有玫瑰香味的玫瑰苹果，以及能够让酸变甜的神奇水果等。水果的样子可看另外两篇嘉宾贴。

To visit the farm, we had to join a guided tour, which cost 48 Ringgits per person. Since we were already there, we decided to go all out and bought three tickets. Unexpectedly, this tour turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The guide not only introduced us to various fruits, but we also tried many unprecedented fruits, such as rose apples with a rose fragrance and a magical fruit that could turn sour into sweet. The appearance of the fruits can be seen in the other two guest posts.

在日落前，我们前往了巴都丁宜海滩，为Wei打造了一次独特的体验——她人生中第一次在海滩边品尝美酒，同时欣赏着夕阳西下的壮丽景象。海风轻拂，潮声伴随着落日的余晖，为这个特别的时刻增添了几分浪漫与宁静。我们在柔软的沙滩上找到了一个理想的位置，手持清凉的饮品，眼前是一片金色的海面 (忽略隐藏的那些马粪，哈哈），太阳缓缓沉入海平线，将天空染成了一片绚丽的色彩。

Before sunset, we headed to Batu Ferringhi Beach and created a unique experience for Wei – her first time tasting special cocktails on the beach while enjoying the magnificent view of the setting sun. The sea breeze gently blew, and the sound of the waves accompanied the glow of the sunset, adding a touch of romance and tranquility to this special moment. We found an ideal spot on the soft sand, holding cool drinks in our hands, with a golden sea before us (ignoring the hidden horse droppings, haha). The sun slowly sank into the horizon, painting the sky in a splendid array of colors.

3月23日，周日上午，我们去了升旗山，并登上了上次我和PJG错过的升旗山栖息地。根据栖息地的介绍，马来西亚的热带雨林历史悠久，达到了1.3亿年，它是全球最为多样化的热带生态系统之一。据科学家估计，世界上约有20%的动物物种栖息在这片雨林之中。槟城升旗山的永久雨林保护区（自1911年起公告保护）是一个生物多样性的宝库。2017年进行的“栖息地生物大调查”中，这里记录了超过2500个物种，包括一些此前科学界未曾发现的种类。

On the morning of Sunday, March 23, we went to Penang Hill and visited The Habitat, which PJG and I had missed last time. According to the introduction at The Habitat, Malaysia’s tropical rainforests have a long history of 130 million years and are one of the most diverse tropical ecosystems in the world. Scientists estimate that about 20% of the world’s animal species reside in these rainforests. The permanent rainforest reserve on Penang Hill (officially protected since 1911) is a treasure trove of biodiversity. During the “Habitat Bio-Blitz” conducted in 2017, over 2,500 species were recorded here, including some that were previously unknown to the scientific community.

栖息地是需要另外购买门票的，每人60马币，里面的树顶步道是槟岛最高的公共观景平台。穿越栖息地内有360度景观树顶步道，我们仿佛步入了一个完全不同的世界，高高在上的步道让我们得以近距离观察到树冠层的生态，感受到雨林中那种独有的生机与活力。不禁思考着这片古老雨林与现代社会的共存之道，不由自主地对自然产生了更深的敬畏和保护的意识。

Entrance to The Habitat requires a separate ticket purchase, 60 Ringgits per person, and the Tree Top Walkway inside is the highest public observation platform on Penang Island. Walking through the 360-degree panoramic canopy walkway inside The Habitat, we felt as if we had entered a completely different world. The elevated walkway allowed us to closely observe the ecology of the canopy layer and feel the unique vitality and energy of the rainforest. One can’t help but ponder the coexistence of this ancient rainforest with modern society, spontaneously developing a deeper awe and consciousness of protecting nature.

参观完升旗山，我们去了附近的极乐寺，一座著名佛教寺庙，被认为是东南亚最大的佛教寺庙之一。它坐落在爱情角的山腰上，自1890年代末开始建造，一尊高达36.5米的铜制光明山观音像，是该寺庙的标志性象征。不过我们三个一致认为这个寺庙有些过度商业化，很多用来付费祈福的瓦片，橘灯，香，签等等。

After visiting Penang Hill, we went to the nearby Kek Lok Si Temple, a famous Buddhist temple considered one of the largest Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia. It is located on the hillside of Air Itam and began construction in the late 1890s. A 36.5-meter-tall bronze statue of the Goddess of Mercy is the iconic symbol of this temple. However, the three of us unanimously felt that this temple was somewhat overly commercialized, with many tiles, orange lamps, incense, divination lots, and other items to be purchased for blessings.

这个周末，陪伴Wei的游览转瞬即逝，明天起她将开始自己的探索之旅。

另外，明天我们就搬家啦！搬去一个离乔治城更近，更便利的地方。

The weekend spent accompanying Wei on her tour passed by in a flash. Starting tomorrow, she will begin her own exploration journey while I work!

Also, we are moving tomorrow! Moving to a place closer to George Town and more convenient.