As much as I disliked Batu Ferringgi, I find that the opposite is true of Georgetown. It seems an uncrowded, gentle place, quietly elegant with the echoes of Colonial times, with nice people and polite taxi drivers. Perhaps the fact that I am staying at the Eastern and Oriental (E & O) hotel may have something to do with it!
The Grand Dame of Penang has reinvented itself and is back to its former glory of fab rooms, huge colonial bathrooms, quiet efficient service, but particularly the free drinks and canapés in the Planter's Lounge each evening!
This tradition was started almost a year ago when the new wing was re opened and is available for two hours each evening. Good timing being here now, at the year anniversary next month, it goes down to one hour. What happens a year after that I'm not sure, but am certainly enjoying the current plan! The most exciting thing, apart from decent wine on tap, is real cheese, a complete rarity out in this part of the world, so I am wolfing down Cheddar and Stilton with gusto! But a nice thing is that Kev and Ant stayed here back on the 90's so I feel I am on familiar territory.
From my room, and from the terrace of the Planter's Lounge with the ceiling fans moving lazily overhead where I write this, is a view over the Malacca Straits to mainland Malaysia and Butterworth. Watching the various boats and ships go by including the odd cruise liner. Pity I don't like boats, I could actually take a one day cruise up to Phuket. One was in today but even with that disgorging its thousands on to the streets, the place still felt quiet. And listening to the conversation around me back at the E & O, I could be back in the hey day of the place in the twenties and thirties. Still almost all Brit's here but with accents less the Scouse and Mancunian of Batu Ferringgi and more Home Counties. But wherever they are from, they are still hoovering up the free booze... Plus ca change... I think some of them really may have been out here in their youth... I have made the effort but do feel slightly underdressed compared to some.... Not a backpackers haven then, oh no, I forgot I'm flash packing for a while, haven't done it in so long! As I walked around the old town, checking my map, I was accosted by locals asking to help. And that's all, just asking if I needed help or directions. Not asking to "go to my shop" - how nice.
Yesterday I went shopping to Gurney Plaza and even though the pound has regained some of its value, shopping still isn't the bargain it once was. But you can't get away from UK shopping anywhere anyway. I have got used to seeing the huge Tesco's here and in Thailand and the Topshop's and Dorothy Perkins in the malls, but I was still surprised to see a Waitrose section in the supermarket sporting the best of expat necessities including HP sauce... I also visited Gurney Paragon mall and thought I was in Bluewater until I realised there isn't a Debenham's in Bluewater so I couldn't have been there, but yes, there is a big one here...
Day 2 I did my own walking tour of the old town which since 2008 has had World Heritage status - tick. A wander through China town and Little India. Visits to the Penang museum and Art Gallery, only just worth the 1 ringgit (18p) entrance fee, perhaps I'm being a little unfair, the curator is perhaps an amateur.... I also visited the Pinang Peranakan Mansion, this one well worth the 20 ringgit (£3.60) entrance fee. What a great place, a mansion of the Nyonya (Strait's Chinese), but kept as it was when they lived there in the thirties with the cosmetics still out on the dressing table and the clothes still in the wardrobe. Really good. I also took a walk along the avenue of peaceful harmony where many faiths are represented side by side. But this peaceful harmony had been shattered recently. Apparently, people of all faiths here have always referred to God as Allah. The local Muslim population have recently taken umbridge at this and a judge has ruled that they are right and only Muslims can use the word Allah as their God. Firebombed churches are the result. So much for peaceful harmony - how stupid is that whole thing. If he is up there, I can't see he cares what people call him as long as they live in peace and hold the bombing. Madness.
Day Three I braved the funicular railway up to Penang Hill, a hill station from the old days. Compared to other hill stations I've visited this was a bit small, just the odd original bungalow. And despite the haze some pretty spectacular views of Penang itself and a few degrees cooler than at sea level. The mercury hit 35 today so even for me this slight drop was pleasant. But I braved the heat and walked back along Gurney Drive and took a look at the local architecture. The old town still maintains the old shophouses in various states of repair and new "boutique experience" places are opening up. But the rest of the island is condo city with so many towers already in place or being built. I hope the economy holds up, it's hard to see how such a huge building programme can make economic sense at the moment. But there are still some examples of the old Penang around, albeit gradually being encased in a tower block...
And along the beach road are some examples of fine buildings which in their heyday would have been the spectacular homes of the great and the good of the East India Company, backing on to the sea. I felt my silver umbrella I use to keep the sun off turning into a gracious parasol as I walked along. But however much I tried, my shorts were never going to turn into a crinoline....
So today, visa run sorted, I return to Thailand and drive north from Phuket to Khao Lak. Can't believe I'll have to start paying again for my early evening why why...
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