Floating and hanging around Penang

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On Saturday we took the bus out to the town of Air Itam, where we marvelled at the magnificent Kek Lok Si temple with it's famous Ban Po ("million Bhuddas Precious Pagoda"). We were also particularly delighted to find a turtle pond (although, yep, you've guessed it, there was a 'floater').

In the afternoon we took the 30 minute Fenicular railway ride up to the top of Bukit Bandera ("Penang Hill") an 821m Colonial Hill Station and a very welcome 5 degrees cooler than the city. Lunch on the garden terrace of the Bellevue hotel was somewhat spoiled by the appearance of a green PIT VIPER in the vines above our table...oh yes, wait 'til we develop the photos!

Up on the hill we also saw wild Resus Monkeys, strangely striped squirrels, a red lizard and numerous oversized butterflies, birds and bees.

On Sunday, we explored more of Georgetown's colonial past (Fort Cornwallis, the 1897 clock tower, the esplanade and Penang Museum) before catching the 21h30 train for KL.

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Photos

A young pit viper
They're fully green when they get older