Penang

Moving south by another 2.5 hr ferry ride we arrive at Penang in Malaysia. Expecting some semi-historic post colonial style town and surprised to see a skyline with towering buildings appear on the horizon! I guess Penang (which is also an island about 20km squared and with hills up to 2500 ft high) is one of the more populous and bustling cities of Malaysia. A complete different experience from the Langkawi we just left which is really just a tourist destination. It's nice to be in a city again where the tourists are far outnumbered by the locals and you have more of a sense of blending in. So we start at the remnants of the old British fort...with the condo skyline in the distance....

Mind you, there is a historic core a few km squared which is where we holed up for another 4 days (or was it 5?... I can't remember anymore) in a simple hotel/guesthouse run by extremely friendly Chinese folk. In this core we have lots of run down old colonial style buildings with a Chinese neighbourhood, and a little India....and shops galore.

Then there are the forever present roadside stalls with foods particular to the neighbourhood you happen to be walking through. While dining at a roadside Chinese foodstall, we sat with a Chinese couple and their son - Lori is very proud that the Chinese man commented on her chopstick skills being much better than his!

Below you see one of the eateries that we frequently find ourselves in (this was an excellent spot for Indian fare).

The first thing you notice here in contrast to Thailand is the racial mix. Lots of Chinese and Indians in addition to the local Malays....and that means a lot of religious diversity... mosques, hindu temples, buddhist temples, churches often within close proximity to each other. This makes things really interesting and you wonder if there is a lot that could be learned from places like this. However, on the other hand if you scratch beneath the surface a bit, some people will tell you that there is a subtle positive discrimination toward the Malays (muslim) with respect to opportunities in education, and the good jobs and there is clear delineation between the types of occupations you will see the Chinese in, vs the Indians, vs the Malays. For instance, the bike taxi below....mercifully these replace the ubiquitos, stinky tik-tuks of Thailand and almost universally they are powered by elderly chinese gentlemen.!

So how did all these Chinese and Indians get here?.... Well, in Penang, the colonial past is dominated by the British (whereas in south Malaysia it is the Portuguese and the Dutch). So when the British needed workers, they brought in the Indians. Meanwhile one of the main raison d'etre for Penang is being a trading post for exchange of goods between India (and through India to Europe) and China. This has to do with the trade winds here where for 1/2 the year it blows boats down from China and India converging on Malaysia where the goods are traded and then for the other half of the year the trade winds reverse enabling both parties to sail back home again. Imagine what kind of meeting place Penang must have been over the years....British, Indian and Chinese boats in the harbour and people of all types frantically trading or indulging in the excesses of sailors who've been at sea for a little too long....

Here's some evidence of the chinese presence with the decorations for the upcoming Chinese New Year....

...and then there is the fact that in this country of 24 million or so people there are now supposed to be 2-3 million migrant workers...mostly from Indonesia but also a lot from Nepal and Bangladesh as well. You can see evidence of it by the adverts for cheap long distance cards and which countries are being promoted with the cheapest rates! So here is the typical place of worship for the native Malays and visiting Indonesians.

And not to be left out....the gathering place for the chinese. All of these different places are within the cluster of just a few blocks from eachother!

Did I mention that it is hot? During the afternoon, even being in the sun for 15 minutes and you feel like you're being baked alive. There is only a little wind and it tends to weaken during the afternoon which is weird as we're so used to wind increasing in the afternoon. After a couple of hours in the afternoon, you just have to find A/C, trees, fans, umbrellas...anything to cool off your core temperature a bit.

All in all, Penang was very interesting....a mix of old colonial British, Chinese, and Indian things to see, eat and experience.

We also took the bus out to the edge of town where you can take a cable car up the 2400 ft Penang Hill for panoramic views over the city and ocean, especially as lights come on at twilight. It's almost like being on top of Grouse mountain and watching the dark settle over Vancouver.....Definitely a place worth visiting...Below the view from Penang from above.

Last....but not least....our blog from Penang is not complete without mentioning that John had to bail Lori out of jail for causing a disturbance in the street. The locals were so taken by someone of such beauty that they had never seen before that the whole street was blocked and the police had to get involved. Luckily Lori had a faithful husband who was able to get her out of trouble once again!