Penang–Malaysia

So we finally decided to catch a train up to north Malaysia, Butterworth and catch a ferry to the island of Penang.  First we caught a tube to Woodlands station, then a bus to Woodlands train station, then a bus, over the causeway which links Singapore to Malaysia, to Johor Baru, the closest Malaysia town past the border.  We bought tickets for a train to Kuala Lumpur, then a sleeper train to Butterworth.  Once we had the tickets we crossed the border back into Singapore to spend a last night with Paul before repeating the whole thing again the next morning.  The reason being that tickets are mega under half price in Malaysia compared to Singapore. Next morning with packs we had the easiest border crossing ever!!!!  This is me waiting for the causeway bus.

We were really excited about getting the sleeper train (first train was 2pm until 9.30pm, then sleeper from 11pm until 7.30am)

    

    

So we arrived in Butterworth and caught the ferry to Penang easily.  We arrived so early we decided to do one of our famous walking tours!  First, a bit of history…
Penang Island was part of the ancient Buddhist-Hindu Kingdom of Kedah in 7th century, Kedah became a Muslim Kingdom in 12th century with pre-british settlements on the island.  It was founded as the first British outpost of SE Asia in 1786 by Captain Francis Light.  Penang was home to Malays, Chinese, Indians, Armenians, Achehnese, British, Burmese, Japanese, Germans, Siamese and the distinctive Peranakan culture (straits-chinese) which makes in one of the most ethnically diverse places in Asia.  Penang’s capital, Georgetown (where we are staying) in 2008 was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Georgetown is listed for ‘Malaysia’s best restored and readapted colonial buildings as well as traditional Chinese, Malay, Indian and Straits eclectic architecture, and UNESCO recognises the city’s amazing religious pluralism and living heritage in the form of traditional trades, crafts, arts that are still widely practised’!

First photo on our walking tour is the Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Clock tower completed in 1902.

Next was Fort Cornwallis, built by Captain Francis Light in 1786 originally built of nibong palm (palm trunk), but later to brick.  It still largely intact and has a chapel, gunpowder magazine, and lighthouse.  It was used by all empires in WW1 and WW2.

    

statue of Captain Light

lighthouse

    

The first photo is the city hall built in 1903.  We also saw town hall (no photo as Andre was in charge of the camera) which has an amazing concert hall upstairs built in 1880, which had an exhibition on of celebration of 50 years of the Peace Corps! And also used to be Penang’s National Library.

The next photo is St George’s church, which was the first southeast Asian Anglican church designed by a military engineer/painter Captain Robert Smith in 1818.  This church is located on the street of Harmony along with the Church of Assumption (1787, with original manual pipe organ still in use) and near to Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Sisters (1859)(where we felt we shouldn’t take photos) and close to a mosque, Taoist temple, and Hindu temple, no wonder its called the street of harmony!

city hall

    

This is Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (blue house) took 7 years to build from 1896-1904 by master craftsmen from China. The mansion has 38 rooms, 5 courtyards, 7 staircases, 220 windows.  It is also where Oscar-winning Indo-chine was filmed.

    

We even got guided to the Christian cemetery, where we did find someone we recognised!

    

So our question is how come she got married in the movie as she was already hitched? We think the movie ‘The King and I’ is a sham of a mockery of a mockery of a sham…..

The last photo is Andre going into the reggae bar opposite our hostel