Naza Georgetown

... Day 1:<br>We met up with Vics boyfriend, a decent chap called Ian, and I played gooseberry as we wandered Georgetown looking for the fabled English architecture. One day is poor time for good judgement of course, but still - for me it was sh*t. There's nothing to really see and do, the older buildings just look unkempt and the river is filthy. The most interesting thing that caught my eye was a man filming a building with his absolutely static ...

... In the afternoon we visited a batik factory, botanical gardens, Chew Jetty and a chocolate boutique for free tasting! In the evening we took a ride on rickshaws through the city streets to a larger market for dinner (quite a scary ride as the man was on the phone texting while weaving in and out of the traffic!

... trip on a red tail boat for us and a very special fish BBQ on our last evening, although we arrived as customers it felt like we left as friends.<br>We met other friends here and enjoyed sharing stories, playing card games (including Bonanza!) and lots of laughter. Two of them have come onto Penang with us and are staying in the same guest house!<br><br>One great thing is that Education on Lipe is now free although school uniforms are still too expensive ...

... what was going on in my head during that first bite.)<br><br>Let me back up a bit. I love curry.<br><br>I don&#8217;t consider myself a gourmand by any stretch, but when it comes to food, I live for curry. Curry-based dishes easily make up half of the food I cook for myself (and given how spicy I like it it&#8217;s usually only myself who eats it), and I&#8217;m constantly striving to ...

... a moustachioed butler, dressed in full khaki shirt, shorts, socks and pith helmet, lept out of the lobby to assist Sara out of the car, whilst the rucksacks, possibly slightly incongruous in the circumstances, were whisked away by white jacketed bell-persons.<br><br>No checking in at a desk here, you are seated on a comfy settee, provided with refreshing face towels and a complimentary, non-alcoholic, cocktail. Formalities over with, we are ...

... tomorrow, amongst the decaying backdrop of a former colonial playground.<br><br>After dinner at a street stall (Cantonese fried pork, niiiice, classic) we headed back to the guesthouse to rest before bed. Clinton pointed out that on his previous visits here, he&#8217;d noticed a number of late middle aged gents who seemed to have lost the plot. Couldn&#8217;t help but to agree. There were quite a few sitting on their own, drinking themselves into ...

... it, it's still baking hot and the whole thing is still under construction anyway. Later we took a taxi to the botanical gardens where we saw scores of long-tailed Macaques play with and torment each other (there's a ridiculously high fine for anyone fearless enough to feed them) and we had a stroll through the well-kept gardens. Another taxi later we were at the foot of Penang Hill with the clouds creeping toward us with ...

Penang: where the food consumed in the eclectic streets is as good as a top-class restaurant at home. The days are sun-bleached white and the nights are bustling with music and activity, while the two are separated by hush surrounding the evening's call to prayer. Hawkers rule all, and the centre is dominated by old-fashioned industries: mechanics, tailors and the occasional hint of the oldest profession of all. The night journey was a virtually sleepless one. Though the ...

... around the town during its final stages returning to Little India at the end of the festival it stopped outside the main Penang mosque, showing its respect for the Muslim community. I ...

... Penang Muttiara where I stayed on my previous visit. Had an expensive coke next to the pool, then walked through the resort to the town. Went looking for the batik factory which no longer existed, and then up the road to the Forest Recreation Park and Museum. <br><br><br>Had a lovely walk through the forest before heading off back down to the town. Took the bus a short distance to the site ...