From Taiping it was a short trip to the island of Penang (Malay: Pulau Penang). Situated in a strategic location just off the west coast of Malaysia in the Straits of Melaka, Pulau Penang was the first capital of the British Straits Settlements, and the colonial influence is strong in the islands’ main city, Georgetown. About the same size as Taiping (our previous stop), Georgetown is firmly on the backpacker circuit. As such, it offers the usual assortment of guesthouses, bars and restaurants catering to tourists, and souvenir shops – a stark contrast to untouristy Taiping.
In Georgetown, and Pulau Penang in general, we really started to see the interesting cultural blend that makes up Malaysian society. Chinese and Indian descendants, several generations removed from their homelands, coexist with the predominantly Muslim Malays. Every city seems to have a Chinatown and a Little India, while the Malays still dominate the culture. A random walk through town would generally pass a handful of Chinese temples, a few Hindu temples, and, of course, some mosques.
We spent two days on Pulau Penang. On the first, we explored the town on foot, visiting the impressive Khoo Kongsi (the city’s first “clan house”), as well as a number of small Chinese and Hindu temples and running into an interesting fair at Padang Park along the waterfront. Within a few minutes, we realized that the hundreds of vendor booths each represented some faction of Malaysia’s military or police, and this was a job fair of sorts. We had learned in Taiping that the ubiquitous, huge, blue-and-white apartment blocks that we had seen everywhere were police housing. We hadn’t been able to believe that a small city like Taiping could support such a large police force, but the hundreds or thousands of high school age students at this fair suggested that it must be one of the biggest employers in Malaysia. The fair even featured a dramatic police demonstration. The central area of the park was cleared and two SUV’s filled with “bad guys” roared into the park, swiftly followed by police cars with sirens blaring. As the cars sped in circles, a “shoot-out” started, and the police got the vehicles stopped and dragged the “criminals” to the ground. Suddenly, two helicopter swooped low over the park, a gunman mounted on the side, and a rope dropped out, quickly followed by a swat team to provide backup. As quickly as it started, the “show” was over, and a marching band took to the field playing patriotic sounding tunes. It was quite the show of force.
Our second day, we rented a scooter and headed a little further afield. Besides just getting lost in the winding roads in the hills, the highlight of the day came when we visited Kek Lok Si temple, a huge Buddhist temple complex set into the side of a hill with impressive views back towards Georgetown. That night, back in town, we tried the night food market, sampling a variety of foods, both new and familiar, including chicken satay and rojak (fruit salad in sweet tamarind and palm sugar sauce garnished with crushed peanuts). The next morning saw us jump onto a ferry in search of sun, sand, and a little “R-and-R” on Pulau Langkawi.
Click on the photo below for our Pulau Penang photo album.
In Georgetown, and Pulau Penang in general, we really started to see the interesting cultural blend that makes up Malaysian society. Chinese and Indian descendants, several generations removed from their homelands, coexist with the predominantly Muslim Malays. Every city seems to have a Chinatown and a Little India, while the Malays still dominate the culture. A random walk through town would generally pass a handful of Chinese temples, a few Hindu temples, and, of course, some mosques.
We spent two days on Pulau Penang. On the first, we explored the town on foot, visiting the impressive Khoo Kongsi (the city’s first “clan house”), as well as a number of small Chinese and Hindu temples and running into an interesting fair at Padang Park along the waterfront. Within a few minutes, we realized that the hundreds of vendor booths each represented some faction of Malaysia’s military or police, and this was a job fair of sorts. We had learned in Taiping that the ubiquitous, huge, blue-and-white apartment blocks that we had seen everywhere were police housing. We hadn’t been able to believe that a small city like Taiping could support such a large police force, but the hundreds or thousands of high school age students at this fair suggested that it must be one of the biggest employers in Malaysia. The fair even featured a dramatic police demonstration. The central area of the park was cleared and two SUV’s filled with “bad guys” roared into the park, swiftly followed by police cars with sirens blaring. As the cars sped in circles, a “shoot-out” started, and the police got the vehicles stopped and dragged the “criminals” to the ground. Suddenly, two helicopter swooped low over the park, a gunman mounted on the side, and a rope dropped out, quickly followed by a swat team to provide backup. As quickly as it started, the “show” was over, and a marching band took to the field playing patriotic sounding tunes. It was quite the show of force.
Our second day, we rented a scooter and headed a little further afield. Besides just getting lost in the winding roads in the hills, the highlight of the day came when we visited Kek Lok Si temple, a huge Buddhist temple complex set into the side of a hill with impressive views back towards Georgetown. That night, back in town, we tried the night food market, sampling a variety of foods, both new and familiar, including chicken satay and rojak (fruit salad in sweet tamarind and palm sugar sauce garnished with crushed peanuts). The next morning saw us jump onto a ferry in search of sun, sand, and a little “R-and-R” on Pulau Langkawi.
Click on the photo below for our Pulau Penang photo album.
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