GEORGE TOWN, MALAYSIA
2015-10-25, 17:10, JASON
STAY: THE 80'S GUESTHOUSE
After going to Ipoh, we took the bus to George Town on the island of Penang. There was an old uncle there that sat in our seat and when I approached him about moving, and he just kept saying "boleh boleh boleh," Bahasa Malay for "can." So, too polite to do anything else we just sat in one of our assigned seats, and someone elses seat. Of course, this caused so much confusion among other members. But, it eventually sorted itself while we just hung our heads down. We didn't want to have to explain..
We only had a few days in Penang, so what we did immediately was go on this walking-tour map provided by the tourist office. Honestly, half of the things I can't even recall what they were, probably some statues to some Brits who were there beforehand. Some clocktowers erected to Queen Victoria, some colonial style buildings (including a McDonald's.. see the picture below). And, of course the usual spread of cute temples around the city as well. For all the main tourist cities in Malaysia, there is usually a Chinatown and a Little India. Check and check!
The best part we remember about George Town was at night. This is when most of the hectic traffic in the morn and avo have died off and people flooded the streets. There were a lot of duck-in style shops that had Chinese desserts and we had some pretty delicious cold dessert soups. The vibe was relaxed and the temperature moderately warm, with good food. Kind of like the night markets you find elsewhere in eastern Asia.
The next day, we decided to go to the main temple (yes, this is like the Sistine of temples) in Penang called Kek Lok Si. It required us to take a bus fa DAYS to get there, but once we did and took the funicular to the top, it was well worth it. Buddha's rockin' everywhere. One Buddha two Buddha red Buddha blue Buddhas galore. There was even this X feet tall Buddha statue that had made its way all the way to the top of that mountain. The things people do for faith!
A side story that ties in (I promise): while we were in Ipoh right before this city, we met a lovely Dutch family of 5 who was traveling together -- parents with their 3 boys -- who had just come from Penang. They said that a good beach to go to was Monkey Beach which you could either hike to or take a boat to. Naturally being cheapos (but really partially wanting the experience), we hiked through the Malaysian jungle to get there. The hike itself wasn't so bad, but it was pretty much trotting to humid, dense foliage.. probably one of the more fun one's I've done in the past.
The beach itself is actually littered with both litter and monkeys, which makes it a bit more real. A lot of Malaysians were just chilled there under the trees and hanging out by the beach, with monkeys walking around and soliciting for food. One monkey actually had a baby hanging down from her stomach -- the same monkey who had given birth, I presume, a few days prior as told to us by the Dutch family in Ipoh. It was KAWAIIX22. After the end of the beach, you could choose to do another hike to the top of the lighthouse. I don't know why anyone put one up there, but it was there and we hiked all the way up to the top of the mountain, again, through dense Malaysian rainforest. Was it worth it? I mean, come on, it was a lighthouse, I'll let you decide that one for itself. It built character more than anything.
On our way back to the Penang airport, we rode in a bus that took 1 hour long to arrive, bit met a lovely lady of Chinese-Malaysian descent living in Bradford with her two kids (not at the time of meeting her, she wasn't in Bradford then). The kids had full on English accents but were from Penang.. just goes to the show the internationality of the world. Hopped on a plane, and landed in Singapore. Home at last!