Thursday, 14 October 2010

Postcard from Penang

Penang, Malaysia
6 April 2010


Actually it's not a postcard but a gallery of images of George Town, the splendid capital of the Malaysian island of Penang - an ex-British 'possession' once dubbed the Jewel of the Orient and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. That's because it's lovely.

Although Indonesia had brought us much joy with its people, culture and nature, it has some limitations (poor town planning and a diet often restricted to fried noodles or fried rice) and arriving in George Town was a real treat.

The greatest thing perhaps was knowing nothing about the town and then turning up in such a splendid place. Suddenly we had access to a variety of Chinese, Western and Indian food, and wonderful architecture: from extravagant Chinese temples to elegant English-style mansions and exuberant Indian temples. This faded jewel really is a treat for sore eyes and neglected palates.

The boys relished the joys of naan bread and dhal; proper, safe ice creams from the 7-Eleven; their new Batman kite; the big modern play park next to Fort Cornwallis; and shopping for decent clothes and shoes in the lovely, artificially chilly g-plaza mall. As did we.

We stayed in the wonderfully named Love Lane, at the Old Penang Guesthouse - a cheap but unusually neat and well-managed period building that was the perfect place to relax for a week while we got our Thailand visas. It was an easy walk from the Chinese and Indian parts of town with their completely different but equally buzzing atmospheres.

Anyway, I think Maja's pictures tell more about the vibe of the town than I can in at least thousand words, so here goes...





























































































































































































































And here's a few of mine:


























































































Well, actually that one's Maja's but it was on my camera. The view is from the balcony inside the guest house

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