Penang

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Hi everyone and Season's Greetings!

We've been on Penang island for the past few days, which is off the north west coast of Malaysia. It's very hot, about 30 deg and feels hotter in the sun!

Until today we've been staying in Batu Ferringhi, a beach resort-y type place on the north coast of the island but with some good budget places down the road from the high rises. The beach was very nice with golden sands, but the water is probably best described as 'Bognor Regis Brown'; it's apparently fairly clean (there were lots of people in there anyway) just not very nice looking!

Apart from the beach though, there wasn't a great deal to do other than head to the town down the road (Georgetown, where we are now) but it was a surprisingly long bus ride so we've mostly been beach bums over the festive season! Christmas dinner was a couple of Tiger beers, Chicken Satay for Lucas and Singapore noodles for Laura (total cost, less than 5 pounds!).

Not much else to say right now... we're in Georgetown for a couple of days before heading to the Cameron Highlands for New Year and to enjoy some slightly cooler weather! Georgetown in nice though slightly chaotic and another town with practically no pavements whatsoever! Seems to be the place to bring your moped if it needs fixing too.

As that's about all we have to say right now about what we've been upto, we'll just finish for now by saying that the Malaysian peoples are some of the nicest we've ever met. For anyone who doesn't know and without trying to use the phrase 'cultural melting pot', the country is made up of mainly Malays, Chinese and Indian people but lots of others too, and mixed races between them all too. Everyone is very friendly, always asking if you need any help if you're looking at a map, or just saying hello to you on the street etc. Smashing.

Have a good new year and we'll speak to you in 2007!

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Photos

The beach
Lovely.

Christmas Merriment
Our faces are red from both sunshine and booze...

Merry Xmas!
No caption needed!

Merry Xmas!
Again!

Christmas Dinner!
Satay and Singapore Noodles! Yummy!!

Christmas Pud!
Banana Roti! In other words, a banana pancake!!

Clan Temple
Known as the most beautiful temple in Penang.

Kek Lok Si Temple
Largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia - we think.

Kek Lok Si Temple
Picture of the pretty impressive pagoda - 193 steps to the top.

Georgetown at night.
Bit blurry but pretty cool pic as a car drove past. On the street are Hawker Stalls which cook and serve food as you order it on the road side!