Blogs from Penang, Malaysia, Asia - page 79

Hi all, sorry for the lack of photos, we have been having loads of problems finding a decent connection - probably due to the enormous amount of internet cafes and theere is only one internet line! We arrive in malaysia today, our first border crossing which was fine, they organised everything for us and as we have british passports there are no problems - you can pretty much go anywher eyou like! Arrived at our hotel after about an 8 hour drive, and it is a massive tower block type one which is fine, but we are on the 16th floor - eeeeks! Off to a night market in a minute hopefully pick up some bargains. Phi phi island was amazing - it is such a beautiful palce, bit of a change arriving on Penang - ... read more

March 20th - 26th This weekend we finally did something I have wanted to do since we got here; go to Fort Cornwallis. The fort was established by Francis Light, a British trader who is linked with the Western colonization of Penang island. Since I am writing this a month after we visited it, and all our souvenier brochures are on their way back home, I can't tell you much more. The Penang tourism website has some good info. Also, this new site, Penang.ws, is a little more concise, not so touristy. The two Walks through Penang are a nice way to see downtown, and the fort is part of one. The fort is pretty nice looking. Some of the original buildings are still standing, as is a mysteriously lucky cannon. Supposedly infertile women come and ... read more

March 6th - 19th We didn't do much our first week and weekend back in Penang from our home visit. Those six days were some of the busiest we have had so far, plus the long plane flights made us sick. The week after, however, we were up and running as usual. We had dinner with our friends Carla and Steven at one of the cutest little restaurants along Gurney Drive: The Crepe Cottage. The proprietress cooks delicious crepe-based food from a tiny outdoor kitchen one order at a time. Because of this, it's a very good idea to get there early. We were the first customers that night so we got our choice of tables and all the cooks attention. And she is VERY attentive! They take your dinner and dessert order at the same ... read more

Left Thailand on 3rd April and crossed the border into Malaysia, was such an easy border crossing- Yeah you look handsome enough in you get typed mentality! Was really curious as to what Malaysia was going to be like, the country's 85% Muslim so i was wondering how this would affect the pepole's attitudes and way of life. Our first stop in Malaysia was Penang Island, particularly the port town of Georgetown (named after King George III). We Crossed into Georgetown from mainland Malaysia by a short Ferry trip (There is actually a 13km bridge that joins Penang to the mainland, one of the biggest bridges of its type in the world apparently) First thoughts on Georgetown were: this place could be in Thailand! Malaysia wants to be a fully industrialised nation by the year 2020, ... read more

Hey Nat Yeah Phi Phi was awesome, thats wicked your back in sydney but i dont have your email any more, email me and let me know - would be wicked to meet up in sydney x x... read more