georgetown, penang

First of all i would like to thank everyone for sending me all those lovely e-mails over the past month. It's so much fun for me to hear what everyone is up to - thanks so much!

Firefly Air whisked me away from Koh Samui yesterday morning - right on cue, as my visa was only valid until yesterday - and after crossing the Malaysian border at several thousand feet, unceremoniously (it is after all a low cost carrier) dumped me on Penang. Immediately upon walking down the stairs from the twin-propellored flying machine, the unmistakable smokey tang of Malaysia enveloped me.

According to the lonely planet, Georgetown's Chulia Street is the destination of choice for street savvy travellers, so I dutifully instructed the taxidriver accordingly.

chulia street

After checking out three or four of the local flop houses, as is traveller etiquette, i finally shrugged off my inexcusably heavy backpack in a fan room at the illustrious Blue Diamond Hotel. The place is okay, although far from attaining the status of hotel. The diamond association baffles me, but i did manage to find some peeling paint that may have once been blue.

Spent an uneventful evening slowly sipping Tiger beer and chatting with the other travellers, who seemed to have one common goal: getting out of Georgetown as quickly as possible. With that in mind, i set out this morning to explore what used to be known as the 'pearl of the orient'.

Penang, a tiny island in the straights of Melakka, has quite an impressive history for it's size. If you're interested in that stuff, please google it ;-). What has been super though is riding around in rikshaws. Hadn't done that in ages!

The centre of colonial Georgetown is Fort Cornwallis, founded by a certain Captain Francis Light, to whom I bear a striking resemblance, i am told...

Anyway, turns out that you can quite easily see the town in a day, which i did. You'll find more pictures in my gallery, if you enjoy temples, shopfront houses, etc. Well, it makes a change from those sickeningly white beaches and azure waters, doesn't it!

Tomorrow morning I'll be on a bus nosing up the arterial highway through the lush, green countryside of peninsular Malaysia, on my way to Tanah Rata, the epicentre of the Cameron Highlands.

From Georgetown, Penang, I'm Iain Howe for Travellers Network. Back to you in the studio!