Thursday July 29th—Penang

Today was a FULL ON day!We allowed ourselves a little bit of a sleep in, in order to recoup for the previous night!Then we headed downstairs for breakfast in the sun before venturing off on the city bus to Georgetown (the main city on the island of Penang).The bus cost 3.20RM ($1 CAN) and we rode it for probably about 45 minutes!Jenn had an awesome Lonely Planet book of Penang, so we decided to follow one of the self-guided walking tours of the colonial part of town, visiting:

1)Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower: 60-foot clock tower commissioned by the wealthy Cheah Chen Eok, built in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.Each foot represents a year of her reign.

2)Fort Cornwallis: Built when Captain Francis Light first landed on Penang, these ruins stand guard over the island's cape.

3)Esplanade: a seafront promenade bordering an open field where festivals and events are often held.

4)City Hall: Built in 1903, this is the headquarters of Penang's Municipal Council.

5)Town Hall: Previously a social venue for Penang's elite back in the 1880s.The classic colonial architecture was used as a backdrop in the movie Anna and the King.

6)Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion: The "blue mansion" former home of tycoon Cheong Fatt Tze is a famous location to film movies and television series.

After our sweaty walking expedition, we opted to see a little more of the city via trishaw (aka rickshaw). For 30RM, ($10 CAN) Jenn and I were escorted around the city and had our own local tour guide.Our first stop was at Khoo Kongsi temple--- a beautiful temple completed around 1906 and owned by the Khoo Kongsi clan.The temple features intricate Chinese architecture and craftsmanship.Visitors beware… do not roll the granite ball in the dragon's mouth as it is strictly forbidden!

Our next stop was at the clan jetties.This village, located along the Weld Quay is comprised of historical homes built on stilts during the 19th century and connected by wooden walkways.The clan community is made up of fisherman, dockworkers and traders.

After an exciting (as in… cycling into on-coming traffic) ride through Little India, we arrived at the Goddess of Mercy Temple.This temple is dedicated to Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy.The first foundation was laid in 1728 and completed by Chinese settlers in 1800.

After our exploration, we were feeling a bit puckish, and since we were in Little India, we opted for some garlic and butter naan bread.Mmmmmmm!I think Jenn may have an addiction now!On the bus ride back, I nearly fell asleep; so, while Jenn went for a swim I had a wee nap and then was good to go for our fancy dinner out on town.

One of our first days out wandering about we came across a fancy "little" restaurant and decided to check it out one night… tonight was the night!Great food, great drinks, awesome atmosphere and lovely Aussie company.We sat beside a wonderful couple (Dean & Karen) from Melbourne and by the end of the evening we had exchanged emails and were invited to join them for happy hour at their hotel the next evening!Their little boys Ethan and Carter were the best entertainment!They had been visiting Penang for a few years and always came for dinner at the restaurant, so the boys would play with the waitresses and behind the bar with the bartenders and it was no problem!