If you shot many differently-coloured paintball pellets at a canvas it would be somewhat reflective of the cultural mix of Georgetown, Penang. You have splatters of traditional Chinese, Indian and colonial British culture through the city with modern Malaysia exploding up through the very fabric of the canvas of Georgetown. Georgetown is not simply transitioning from old orient to new Asia; both new and old are thriving side by side. Winding lanes feature a host of stalls, stores and restaurants. Old colonial buildings, such as the 130 year old town hall, are still on active duty. And yet the skyline is dominated by the high-rise hotels and enormous shopping centres including Komtar and the Prangin Mall.
Icon of A Nation
Before the Patronas Towers, Malaysia’s most recognisable structure was the Ten Thousand Buddas Pagoda (Ban Po Thar) at the Kek Lok Si Temple. It stands 30m high amid a community of temples, walkways, stair cases and gardens. High on the hill overlooking the complex stands a 36.5 m bronze statue of Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy. For 30 rm ($10 AU) you can have your name written on a tile which will be used to complete the roof over the giant goddess. Visitors come to pray or appreciate the aesthetics and tangible serenity of the temple (the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia). The temple is rich in colour with lanterns hanging from almost every available space. Small flowering and fruit-baring plants fill the gardens and rows of candles, braziers burning incense, and the presence of monks attending to the items of prayer and faith set the mood of the temple as a true place of worship and reflection.
Food Glorious Food
The food in Malaysia has been delicious, of a high standard and dirt cheap. Penang provides an overwhelming array of hawker stalls, food courts, cafes, restaurants with a diversity of cuisines seen nowhere else in the world. Chinese, traditional Malayan, Indian, Thai, Nonya (traditional Chinese cuisine combined with Malaysian and a pinch of Thai) and a host of western cuisines (including the omnipresent KFC) make deciding what to have for lunch or dinner almost impossible!! The best approach is to try as many places as possible which means you want to try and cram in a couple of extra meals per day whenever you visit Penang!!
A Slice of India
It seems almost every city in Malaysia has some variation of a Chinatown. But of the places I have been, only KL and Georgetown have a large enough Indian presence to comprise a Little India. A visit to Little India, Georgetown, is a step into tradition, tourist-centric souvenir markets and an amazing sensory experience all at the same time. While all stores and restaurants are on the ground level, the signs, flags and decorations extend up one or two levels throughout the district. The colours are bright and almost exclusively primary and secondary colours with rich blues, reds and yellows being the most prominent. Every other store blares its own music which adds a colourful sound track to your explorations. Cars and mopeds shuffle along as they snake their way through the throng of people. Richly decorative Sarees hang from one store while the cardboard cut-out of an unnamed Bollywood star directs you into another. And all throughout Little India you are greeted by bouquets and aromas: cinnamon, sandalwood, ginger, onion, garlic, coriander, chilli and a rack of mysterious spices all enliven and entice you into sampling the traditional India fare. Whether it be Samosas from the stall by the roadside or a complete meal from one of the many café’s and restaurants vying for your patronage, you can’t help but indulge! I had chicken biryani – you have it served on a plate with spoon and fork or more exotically on a banana leaf and eat with your hands!!
Stowaways: Part 5
The turtles had still not reappeared but I knew they were in Penang. I heard a taxi driver mention them to a colleague but when questioned he demanded money for information. I doubted anything he could tell me would lead to their whereabouts so declined to entertain his extortion attempt. Here and there I picked up signs of the turtles but nothing concrete until I saw them in Little India. They were talking to a man in front of a small café and pointing to something I could not see through the crowded streets. By the time I had pushed myself through the herd of tourists both the turtles and the man were gone. I knew they were looking for treasure but what possible set of clues could lead them both to Borneo and Penang? And what kind of treasure were the turtles looking for? Only time, and a bunch of rum, would reveal the answers . . .
I Want to Stay at the Hard Rock Hotel (sung to the tune of YMCA)
By any comparison, the Hard Rock Hotel is a nice hotel, with excellent facilities catering to those who wish to lay next to the pool, soak up the rays of the sun while sampling from the list of classic and contemporary cocktails on the pool bar’s menu. It is situated on a stretch of beach known as Batu Ferringhi which is famous for its idyllic coastline and gentle waters which make it a very popular holiday destination. By day the area is almost deserted as visitors to Batu Ferringhi remain within crawling distance of either the beach or their hotel’s pool. However, at night the hotels empty onto the streets as tourists hunt for bargains and souvenirs among the many stalls of the suburb-long street market. I visited Batu Ferringhi 9 years ago. At that time a handful of sellers spruiked watches, sunglasses and some basic unframed prints. Today the market rivals those of KL for diversity, quality and quantity of products. I recalled eating freshly caught and lightly spiced Tiger Prawns at an open-air restaurant on the main street. I returned to the same location hoping to re-experience the same delicacy again but to my disappointment all that remained of the restaurant was a set of tiles. The adjacent buildings were similarly demolished and the block lay vacant behind a blue, aluminium fence no doubt awaiting the development of yet another resort along the already crowded famous beach.
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