Penang pastimes

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Penang is a small island off the coast of Malaysia and is another bit of the world that used to be pink on maps. The British left after WW2 but there were plenty of historical its left to see.

After the Squalor of KL we splashed out (4 pounds a night) on a lovely little hostel which cheered us up as soon as we saw it. From here it was a short walk to the bus station from which you could get to any part of the island very cheaply.

We visited fort Cornwallis, built by the British to defend the straits of Mallaca, it was complete with thick stone walls and cannon guarding all corners and had a very 'Pirates of the Carribean' feel to it and even had a suitable sound track playing on hidden speakers. Next door was a more modern British relic, a light house you could climb to get views of he coast. Penang Hill over looks the town and a ride in the funicular railway (again British built) to he top gives great photo opportunities (as I was waiting patiently to get off at the top station I was viciously barged aside by an old lady and embaresingly ended up bleeding, Malaysians dont believe in queing).

Trips further in to the Island took us to a snake temple, where people go to make offerings to the live, venomous snakes on the alter and a WW2 museum in what is left of a british big gun emplacement. This was paticlarly haunting with long dark escape tunnels and bullet holes in he plaster where the Japanese had executed prisoners when they had over run the island.

On a lighter note Valentines day saw us taking in the delights of a spice garden, an area of jungle that had been planted with local spices and exotic plants, very romantic.

all in all we were very sad to leave Penang but Thailand was calling.

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Photos

Fort Cornwallis
get off my land

Fort Cornwallis
you will always remember this as the day you almost caught captain Trevor Dyson

Penang hill
steep

snake temple
very Indiana Jones

local temple
giant jossticks