Georgetown

---

I swear Malaysia gets hotter as the day draws to a close.....

We spent our one and only day here wandering around the colonial buildings, taking in Fort Cornwallis, the City Hall, the Art Gallery and the State Museum. Other than that, we did very little else - just sweating away some of the toxins in our bodies by walking! We booked our overnight bus to Kota Bharu for tonight so that we can get on the Jungle Railway.

For those of you who don't know, it's the very old track that takes you through the jungle (!) right into Negara National Park. But that's not the reason for taking the train. The reason is that we get to observe a completely different way of life, as tribal peoples still use this track to move their produce and agricultural stocks. It's the chance to meet people from a very primitive lifestyles that appeals to us most.

My thoughts on Georgetown is that it is a very quaint, walkable city with lots of character. The place is dominated by working Indian and Chinese people on their street stalls. It's quite interesting to note the dichotomy that exists - grand colonial buildings and swish high-rises first catch your attention (and that's where the tourism board tells you to go) but in the shadows of the high-rises sits little delightful streets, full of character with excellent temples and spice shops. But it's the warmth of the people in every greeting that we encountered that I enjoyed most. It's this I'll remember rather than the old English buildings and the story of Francis Light.

---