Penang
Trip Start
Sep 11, 2008
1
24
87
Trip End
Jun 05, 2009
Georgetown,
Pinang,
Malaysia
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Next day we went to the chinese market area and bought chestnuts and some Hokkien coffee which is not roasted but fried in butter and sugar and has a popcorn aftertaste, not nearly as good as the Vietnamese coffee I had just run out of. We got a bus to Air Itam from the main bus station, we paid for 3 people as everyone here thinks I say 3 when I say 2, despite the fingers held up. From there we went up the funicular railway to Penang Hill, built by the British in the 1800's reminding us of Victoria Peak in Hong Kong. We only went halfway though as it was under repair but still great views of the city. From there back to the city to the Esplanade food courts for some lovely Laksa and Char Kway Teow, both local specialities. Had a quick look at the museum which was very interesting, turns out the guy who founded Gerogetown for the Brits, Sir Francis Light, was from Suffolk! We get everywhere. Went to a great little pub on Pitt Street with Liverpool footie pics on the walls. We ate in Little India that night at a proper Indian that reminded us of being in India, the curry just didn't go down too well, I'm now not sure I'll eat Indian curries again after the horrors I've been through.
Georgetown has just been named a Unesco World Heritage Site days before we arrived because of all the old chinese shopfronts and houses in Chinatown. Its a great place, very sleepy and quiet and well worth visiting.
