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Published: January 9th 2008
Fort Cornwallis Cannon
Looking out from Fort CornwallisWelcome to the world of jet lag!
We kicked off our Southeast Asia vacation with 36 hours of travel before reaching our hotel in Penang. Like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
2 hours at Dulles airport.
14 hours onboard Korean Air flight to Seoul.
4 hours in Seoul airport.
6 hours onboard Korean Air flight to Bangkok.
7 hours in Bangkok airport.
2 hours onboard Air Asia flight to Penang.
1 hour bus ride to our hotel in Batu Feringgi, Penang.
Oh look, a bed!
All of the flights were very smooth, operated to perfection. We had a very difficult time sleeping on the first Korean Air flight. I managed to pass the time by watching a couple movies, reading a book, and playing several games of Tetris. Not the ideal time killers, but it certainly beats a screaming baby.
By the time we reached Bangkok, we were both extremely beat. If we had to do the trip over again, I think we would book a room in Bangkok. I can’t tell you how much money I would have spent for a bed and a shower after sitting in
the airport for 7 hours. Lesson learned.
Next was the Air Asia flight. When it comes to low cost carriers in Southeast Asia, this seems to be the preferred choice (1 way flights for around $40). The plane was brand spanking new and the service commendable. We have several flights booked with Air Asia throughout our trip, so this was a reassuring sign of things to come. The boarding process was a tad chaotic, as it’s first come first serve once the boarding announcement is made. Also, all food and drink is ordered and paid for from a menu probably comparable to Hooters. Kind of odd, but seems to run smoothly.
Once we arrived in Penang, we met up with other wedding attendees and the groom (Tim). It was certainly an appreciated gesture for Tim to meet us at the airport. We hopped on a bus and headed for Park Royal resort in Batu Feringgi. The one hour ride at about noon on Thursday was a great opportunity to see a bit of the island on our way to check-in. As an FYI, Penang is 13 hours ahead of east coast time.
My initial impressions of Penang
Beach Buddies
Two stray puppies we found while walking the beach. were very positive. Colorful architecture with some forested hills in the background. Mild signs of poverty often mixed in with more modern developments. New housing construction seemed to be everywhere. British influences were spread all throughout the island. The ride along the picturesque coastal roads always kept our eyes glued to the scenery that gradually passed by. Even our transportation guide left a good impression on us with his friendly suggestions and introductions of Penang. In all, it seemed like a good launching point for our vacation in Southeast Asia.
Our resort, Park Royal, did not disappoint. Sitting on a small stretch of beach, the large outdoor area filled with beach chairs and a spacious pool always seemed comfortably busy. The staff was always willing to answer any of our inquiries about local attractions. The room itself was very clean, with all the desired modern amenities. We couldn’t have been happier with the resort.
When we finally arrived at Park Royal around 2pm on Thursday, our jet lag sleep deprivation got the better of us. We crashed pretty hard and didn’t wake up till about 7:00. At 7:00, we finally forced ourselves to get up and go grab
Gun for hire!
I've enlisted in the sniper division. some dinner. Leaving the resort, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the sidewalks in Batu Feringgi spring to life in the form of a night market. Canvases cover the small stations of various crafts and goods as you make your way along the road. Unfortunately, our current hunger and lack of energy didn’t encourage us to do much shopping, but it was still a nice opportunity to experience the process. “Maybe tomorrow?” was the frequent question we’d hear as we politely declined any offers. While subtle, I felt the question delivered with a happy tone and a smile further confirmed my feelings on the level of friendliness from the locals. At one station, filled with DVDs (many illegally reproduced), I couldn’t help but laugh as I overheard one tourist say to another, “I Am Legend! Is that even in the theaters yet?” I think I’m going to like shopping here.
We decided on a nice tourist trap of a restaurant not too far from Park Royal. The name I don’t recall, but the menu prices obviously catered to the tourists. The atmosphere was very nice, as we sat outdoor next to a sizeable aquarium pond with a running
George Town Street
Random view from a street in George Town. KOMTAR in distance. waterfall to enhance the décor. The food was unimpressive, but we were still very happy to be eating something other then airline/airport food. About half way through the meal, jet lag reared its ugly head again. I could barely keep my head up near the end of dinner. Once done, we rushed back to Park Royal and crashed again around 10:00.
The next morning we awoke plenty early and tremendously refreshed. We decided to head into George Town, a bit of a bustling capitol for the small island of Penang. After a one hour local detour to find an ATM near the resort, we hopped on our shuttle to set out for the day.
We started our brief tour of George Town at the coastal Fort Cornwallis. Really not much to see within the walls of the fort, but it did provide some brief entertainment and a few good photos. Over its history, the fort never saw battle, but it seems it was always a pillar of the community. From Fort Cornwallis we zigzagged our way through the streets of George Town making our way to KOMTAR. Extremely narrow streets bustling with activity. Each crowded building an entry
way to various businesses. It was definitely like no streets I had ever walked before. Eventually the mid-day sun wore us down as we headed back to Park Royal to prepare for the evening’s rehearsal dinner.
Friday evening we attended the rehearsal dinner for Tim and Mag at the Park Royal resort. The rehearsal was an outdoor buffet style meal with great décor and quality conversation. It seemed the perfect evening for the rehearsal dinner.
Saturday was wedding day. Tegan and I were changing hotels to stay in George Town at the location of the reception. The reception was scheduled for Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, a.k.a the Blue Mansion in George Town. The mansion itself is an extremely historic mansion, full of interesting décor and timeless architecture. Practically all of the walls were painted an intense blue color, hence the nickname. Seemed like a very unique place to host a reception, and therefore very memorable.
The wedding was in a small, older catholic church. The ceremony was very nice and traditional. Being an older church, it lacked air conditioning on a fairly hot day. This made for a sticky wedding for the guests, but that’s not the
Blue Mansion Interior
Looking down into the main gathering room. important part. For the bride and groom, it seemed the ceremony was a big success and went over as planned.
From there it was back to the mansion for the ceremony. The dinner was served outdoors in front of the mansion. We sat at the table with the three groomsmen and other friends of Tim’s. We had a great time drinking and eating our way through an extremely exotic nine course meal. As follows:
-sashimi salmon
-grilled bacon rolls with green-lip mussel
-baked stuffed chicken wing
-marinated jelly fish with petite octopus
-shark’s fin soup with crabmeat and roe
-roast suckling pig
-buttered prawn au spices
-sauté of hk kai-lan with Australian scallops and Chinese mushrooms
-steamed live garoupa Cantonese style
-lotus leaf rice
-chendol upper penang road
After dinner, the reception moved into the mansion for some late night dancing. We passed out pretty early knowing we had an early flight the next morning, however several guests were dancing inside the mansion with roaring music until 4:00am in the morning. Not the most peaceful night of sleep, but for this occasion how can we complain? Overall, it was a very exciting day and we’re very happy
Blue Mansion Exterior
Just a small corner of the mansion from the outside. we were here to share in it.
Sunday morning, while the other wedding guests were likely still passed out, we headed out in search of a quick breakfast. We stumbled upon a nice breakfast buffet at a nearby, moderate hotel. The food was good, the service friendly and timely, and the restaurant clean. All for a whopping $3/person, we filled our bellies in preparation for another long day ahead. Back to the mansion, we checked out and hopped in a cab for Penang airport. I always struggle with my feelings during departures. Regardless of how I feel about every destination I’ve just spent time at, I hate that remorseful feeling that I’ll likely never be back.
Next up, a short stop in Kuala Lumpur.
Random Observations/Nuisances
- The roughly 6:00am prayer callings from the local mosques blasted through the mosque loud speakers are an unpleasant wake-up call. Eventually, you become desensitized and restfully sleep through them.
- Motorcycles rule the road! Crowded, narrow streets create tremendous traffic jams for cars. Those on motorcycles demand submission from bigger vehicles as they zoom in and around traffic.
- It’s now very clear to me that Kit Kats are
Happy Newlyweds
Mag and Tim table hopping at the reception. THE international candy bar. No matter where I’ve traveled, they’re always there. M&Ms seem to be big in duty free shops, however they’re ridiculously expensive.
- Carlsberg beer is everywhere. Brian will be happy to know that Guinness seems easy to find as well.
- Locating an ATM feels like a treasure hunt.
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Brian
non-member comment
mmmm Guiness...
I AM glad to hear its readily available, I was dreading the thought that I might have to suffer our trip on water! I'm happy to hear your trip is going well, and even happier you're finding the time to update your blog, while everything is still fresh in your mind. :-) Safe travels, and I eagerly await the next entry. -B btw: Don't waste time on the Towers or the Central Market in KL.