Penang - Day 1

---

Arrived in Georgetown, capital of Penang, Malaysia, around 10AM, and took a taxi to the Traders Hotel. Walked around Georgetown all day. Visited the Penang Islamic Museum, the Goddess of Mercy Temple, and several of the kongsis, or traditional clan-houses, including Cheah Kongsi, Yap Kongsi, and Khoo Kongsi. The clan-houses are family-specific and serve as gathering places and places of worship for generations of families. We also got a tour of the Kapitan Kling Mosque, which was quite interesting, and the first time either of us had been to a mosque. We had to go to the education center to get a guide, who shared with us many different aspects of Islam. Walked down Lebuh Pantai, a street lined with old colonial buildings, which begins near the water. Across the water we could see the Malaysian mainland. By late afternoon we were pretty worn out so we stopped at Ten Yee Tea Trading for a break. At first we thought it was an antique shop, but discovered that it was a actually traditional Chinese teahouse run by a family. We were shown how to make tea using a traditional tea set and had some really good ginseng oolong tea. We had to get back to the hotel by 6PM for complimentary drinks at the Traders Club and ended up eating dinner there as well.

---