Georgetown, Penang

Images

Above map shows Penang island off of Malaysia mainland.  (courtesy to Ben Bochner)

Geogetown is the capital of the Malaysian state of Penang, a small island off of NW Malaysia.  The first British settlement in the 1700s, an important port for trade and known as the gastronomical hub of Malaysia.  Throughout history people immigrated to this area and there is a mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian culture which is often reflected in the cuisine.  We are staying in the heritage district, an area filled with prewar buildings, small winding streets with jagged sidewalks and filled with the goings on of the average Penang citizen.  This town lacks the Jonkers vibe of Melaka, not as many tourists flock here.  The city feels gritty, edgy, real.  European and Chinese style converge, and there are old British buildings graced with large Chinese doors, shrines and lanterns.  Penang is known for its amazing food and horrible traffic–both we experienced.

The hard edges and authenticity of Penang is what we like.  It is the first city that we could envision ourselves living in.  However, since there is so much English that prevails, are mystical talents of native language are not sought after (however life here would be relatively easy to navigate considering the wide-spread use of English).

We are staying in a prewar building, turned into an Airbnb and cafe.  It is a nice setup and our room is large and airy.  There are small birds that Addie and Jack enjoy playing with and feeding (supervised by the owner Patrick).  There is a simple well-appointed cafe downstairs that is open from 8-11 and serves breakfast.  They are family run with a very limited menu, but the food is exquisite, cheap and delicious.  I wake early and do computer work downstairs in the cafe.  I enjoy my time alone, listen to music, write emails, research or work on the blog.  I drink “Butterfly Pea tea” an herbal tea that is colored blue.  The cafe also cooks the rice in the tea water lending the dish a blue color.  I eat Nasi Lamak, a traditional Malay breakfast of coconut rice, dried fish, egg, peanuts, crackers, cucumbers and sambal paste ($.90).  I love it.

We also saw our first Hindu temple.  It is called the Waterfall Hill temple and it is atop a long staircase.  Kind of amazing.  It is an active temple with worshipers and since we were wearing shorts, we did not go in.  There were monkeys all over, we saw a few with babies clinging to their undersides.

We also ventured to see the Buddhist Temple Kek Lok Si.  It is again high atop a hill and faces the sea, the view is impressive.  The seven-storey Pagoda’s walls are lined with 10,000 bronze statues of Buddha.  Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy stands at the forefront, about 120 feet tall, and stares at the Sea.

We spent a full week in Penang.  We visited the municipal park which was tropical and grand, 172 acres filled with exercise equipment, playgrounds, a skate park and practice fields.  It also has wading pools, fountains and swimming pools, but sadly they were under repair when we visited.  It was designed as an open air oasis for the locals to escape city life.  The large green space is well taken care of and allows one to breath in deep and forget the traffic congestion of Penang.

Penang has put some serious money into its tourist resources.  There is a double-decker HoponHopoff bus that can take you around the sites.  There is a free bus as well that you can take locally.  We took the bus to Entopia, a large educational park dedicated to insects, snakes and butterflies.  There is a steamy outdoor garden covered by a glass cieling that is home to thousands of butterflies.  The $10 admission was worth it.

We really enjoyed Penang.  After seeing the Anthony Bourdain episode on Penang, we already feel like we need to go back.  Now, a five hour bus to Kuala Lumpur for a few days and then a flight to Hanoi, Vietnam.  We spent a month in Malaysia and had a great time.  It was a great place to begin our adventure. Relatively easy travel with a family.  I expect Vietnam to present new challenges…