Butterflies and Frog Soup

We woke up late-ish. Another great breakfast at the hotel. This time they had scrambles with big slices of yellow peppers. We decided to go to the butterfly park. We got stuck trying to cross the river by foot and almost got trapped on a freeway. We had to double back. We found an old train station. Nick was pleased. It's close to the hotel, too. Figures. We got across the river, checked out the tracks, then found the KLRT headquarters. It is an amazing, gothic building. We love all of the British influence.

We then went to the National Mosque. I had to wear a lavender robe with a hood, Nick did too. We discussed how once you cover up a woman, they get seductive eyes. The people at the mosque were so polite and welcoming. It was breathtaking, but the sounds of jackhammers as they fixed the fountains detracted from the “holiness” of the experience. I loved the feeling of the large, cool slabs of marble under my bare feet.

We finally got to the butterfly gardens. Awe. 120 species, over 6000 butterflies. We were like kids in a candy store with our cameras. We enjoyed all the little paths and dense foliage – even though there were other people there, we felt isolated. It was magical with all the water features and fluttering insects. Such vibrant colors! I found a part of a butterfly wing that we kept as a souvenir. We chased butterflies for over an hour. I freaked out over the poor mouse in the monitor lizard's tank – he just sat there shivering as the giant lizard watched him, biding his time. I couldn't stick around to see him get eaten.

Next, we went to the Islamic Art Museum. Such a great design for the building. Very open, LAEGE spaces. Immaculate domes. Lots of white stone surfaces. Great lighting. We were mind boggled by the Qu'arans, the calligraphy, the sultan's thrones and royal objects. I want to be an Indian princess. They had incredibly large detailed models of all the important mosques in the world. I wish we could visit them all. Nick loved the weapons – intricate, carved bone handles, wicked twisting blades, weathered battle axes and even a mace. Again, the people were overly polite and so welcoming. We felt like honored guests, not sweaty tourists.

As we left the museum our stomachs rumbled, so we had street food for lunch. We devoured some chicken schwarma in a bun with crunch cabbage, mayo, and a sweet and spicy red sauce for 3 ringgits. Back on Petaling Street we also had some fried curry dumplings with hard boiled egg – flaky, hot, savory, and utterly delicious. We bought 4 for 5 ringgits and some change from an older Chinese lady with a great voice and warm eyes. Got some interesting fruit pudding. Nick had kiwi and I had pineapple. It was like milky fruit jello. Odd, but refreshing.

The afternoon was lazed away as we napped. For dinner, we had to try the frog leg soup with mushrooms, greens, and large flat egg noodles that was around the corner from our hotel. It was served in clay pots in this alley that had rats crawling underfoot. I squirted lime juice and spooned chili paste into the soup to make it tart and spicy. The frog soup was made by a nice lady and daughter working together. The frog was chewy and salty. The broth was fulfilling. I enjoyed the noodles the most though.

We're in love with the dried coconut. We've gone through three bags and also bought brown sugar toasted coconut tonight. We are coconut fiends and completely addicted.