Malaysia – Georgetown, Penang

Wo ai George Town, Living history
Soul of the City, 
Swee cha boh (pretty girls), En tau gor (handsome boys), Lai lai come and sing with me
Ho chiak (good food), Ho lim (good drink), ho ku scenery
Memories for eternity, 
Wo ai Georgetown, Penang
George Town living history
A treasure by the sea.  
Wo ai George Town 
"Wo Ai George Town" - I love George Town was written and created by Francis Yip Cheng, who described his patriotic song as a personal love letter to his hometown, the UNESCO World Heritage City of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. You can listen to it here (and I encourage you to do so).
https://www.facebook.com/francisyipblog/videos/full-song-wo-ai-george-town-penang-is-here-%EF%B8%8F-its-my-love-letter-to-the-place-tha/1650110622707635/

This is a beautiful song dedicated to a wonderful place. If we went to Langkawi to chill out and relax, we went to George Town for its history and food. A forty minute plane trip to Penang International Airport and a half hour taxi ride along the motorway to our hotel in Georgetown city centre on the western part of the island quickly introduced us to the difference in holiday places. Penang is a state of Malaysia with a part of it, Seberang Penai on the mainland  and linked by a bridge to Penang Island on which is the state capital, George Town.  The island makes up about 30% 0f the state, is 40 kms in circumference and houses around 800,000 people. George Town, the city is a UNESCO World Heritage site so named because of its five hundred years of trading history between the east and the west, its architecture, street art and cultural diversity. It is also the food capital of Malaysia. We were ready to explore

There are many good hotels and guest houses in central George Town, all looking well maintained and welcoming. We stayed in the Yeng Keng , a nicely appointed hotel with clean, large rooms, a lovely pool and restaurant which provided a very good breakfast with both western and local options. Again, as we have found in all our stops the staff were friendly and helpful. This boutique hotel is a restored (2010) Anglo-Indian bungalow of the 19th century on Chulia Street and a hop and a skip from George Town’s famous historical sites, restaurants, bars and night food markets. The Lebuh Chulia (Chulia Street) food hawker market is nearby and a wander through is to be greeted by numerous food stalls that offer local dishes such as duck kway chap (a noodle soup), pork, beef and chicken satay and char kway cheoh (a fried rice and noodle dish). Of course many local fruits and vegetables are on offer and all can be eaten in a vibrant and relaxed atmosphere. We wandered the streets eating off stands and looking at the amazing street art which adorns the walls of buildings throughout the city. In 2012, George Town commissioned the Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic to create “living” exhibits throughout the city. The attraction of Zacharevic’s artwork lies in the interactive installations. Many incorporate real bicycles, motorcycles, swings and other props so visitors can become part of the artwork rather than just photographing it. It is possible to spend hours wandering the streets following the art trail. The fun is in inserting yourself into the pieces.

Of course George Town and Penang are not all about food and art. We spent a day exploring the architectural diversity of Penang. It is a mix of Chinese, Malay and British colonial styles. The Oriental and Eastern Hotel on the seafront is a great example of the colonial style buildings which exist throughout Penang. Established by the Sarkies brothers in 1889 (remember them from Raffles Hotel, Singapore) the O and E has been extensively renovated into the luxury hotel it is today. For a while Asia and the rest of the world fell in love with the film “Crazy Rich Asians”, released in August 2018. The final scene of the movie set in a mahjong parlour (and apparently a metaphor for east/west relationships) was filmed in the spectacular Blue Mansion – a marvel of Chinese style and a hommage to the art of feng shui. The teenage and not so teenage members of our party got quite excited. Interestingly we were turned away on our first visit as they were filming the Mark Wahlberg movie “The Big Fix” there. The Blue Mansion, so named because of its distinctive indigo-blue outer walls on Lebuh Leith is another heritage listed building and operates as one of George Town’s top hotels. Actually named the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion and established in the late 19th century it served as the private residence of Cheong (1840-1916), a Chinese trader and politician who left China in poverty and amassed a fortune in shipping and banking becoming known as the Rockefeller of the East. Cheong is also known for having eight wives, each one younger than the other, the consequence of which is obvious. A few minutes stroll around the seafront is Fort Cornwallis, an historic star-shaped fortress located on the northeastern coast of George Town. Built by the British East India Company in the late 18th century, it is the largest and oldest intact fort in Malaysia and stands on the spot where Captain Francis Light landed in 1786 to claim Penang for the British. The British colonial style in Penang is obvious along with the Chinese influence.

We spent a morning exploring the Kek Lok Si Bhuddist temple in eastern Penang, – the largest Bhuddist temple in Malaysia. It is a 20 minute drive from central George Town and shares the Air Itam suburb with another of Penangs must visits – Penang Hill Resort and funicular. The influence of Chinese culture is vast in Malaysia and no less so in Penang. The design of the Kek Lok Si Temple is a mix of Chinese, Thai and Burmese. The temple is arranged over several levels on Crane Hill and the various prayer rooms and hallways feature bright yellow, red and white tiles, many stone carvings and statues of Bhuddist imagery. Features are the PAgoda of Ten Thousand Bhuddas (with seven tiers), The Bronze Guanyin Statue: a towering 36.5-meter statue of the Goddess of Mercy located at the upper level of the hill and the the Turtle Pond and Gardens, a peaceful area at the temples lower level and entry featuring sacred ponds and prayer halls. The religious significance is obvious but the sprawling walkways and gardens on the different levels are worth the visit in itself. Built in 1891 the temple and its various buildings and grounds serve as a monastery and retreat for the monks. And there is a small cable car up to the first level to save a walk.

Penang is famous for its food and we weren’t going to miss out. The best way to experience the different cultural food offerings is to sign up for a food tour. We went with “Get Your Guide’s – Penang Plates Food Tour”. Grace, our guide, is local Chinese and was a marvel. Great fun and good knowledge. She took us through tastings and meals representing all the cultures and flavours of Penang. George Town is known for its street food and come dusk the night markets and side streets start to fill with the food carts of the street hawkers. The markets in Lebuh Chulia and Lebuh Kimberley are well known and start to buzz with hungry locals and tourists early in the evening.

Our tour started in Little India where we sampled pani puri, a popular street food of fried hollowed out dough stuffed with potato, chickpeas, a tangy water and chutney. This was a great start followed by chicken and vegetable samosas from the self styled “Best Samosas in the World” stall. It lived up to its name. What followed was a cornucopia of Malaysian, Chinese, Indian and Nyonya, the local food style which is Chinese and Thai influenced and based on spicy and tangy flavours. We tried fried chicken Indian style, Chinese influenced noodles and fried rice dishes, Malay style soups, curries and a variety of vegetables fried or steamed. We finished at an Indian Muslim restaurant where, sated though we were, we enjoyed the most delicious fried dishes of chicken, bitter melon and green beans along with various curry dishes – both meat, dahl and vegetable. It was time to thank Grace and roll home. Not so fast. There is always dessert. George Town has plenty of dessert bars open late and all famous for their coconut icecream and chocolate brownies. Malaysian desserts feature coconut milk, pandang leaf and palm sugar. Very sweet but if you prefer something lighter there are plenty of options. And a final word about the Malaysian native fruit, Durian. Known sometimes as the King of Fruits, Durian is large with a thick outer skin and a creamy, pudding like flesh that has a distinct and strong odour due to the sulfur compounds contained in it. It has a sort of sweet and savoury tone and you either love it or hate it. I found it pleasant enough tasting although it is not going on my favourite fruits list. It is banned by most hotels as the unpleasant odour can hang around in hotel rooms for days.

So, ten days after arriving in Singapore we were back for a night and an early morning flight to Cairns in Queensland before reuniting with Mr. Gato D.U. Our winter sojourn in Port Douglas and the last minute trip to Singapore, Langkawi and George Town, Penang in Malaysia were now just wonderful memories. When our daughters suggested a trip away together we spent some thinking time on where to go. What was easiest? Not too expensive? The War in the Middle East (which apparently is not a war even though bombs are falling and people are dying) took some destinations out. We looked at the Pacific, Vietnam, the Philippines, even parts of Australia. We are so glad we made the choice we did of three vastly different (yet very much the same) places. Travelling with family is a joy. Travelling with family to such beautiful destinations is a privilege.