Mar 29

Mar 29 Our Neighbor Malaysia: Penang

Penang island and it's main city Georgetown were not on my radar 2 weeks ago. I could not have found them on a map. But there is a Thai consulate there that has come highly recommended by several ex-pat blogs. I needed a different visa for my new job so chose to go get it in Penang because of it's price and proximity. While I wish Rebecca and Mike were there to see it, I had a very interesting 2 days.

I started with Gurney Drive, which was hailed as a street food must-do on the water. I arrived early in the evening so there was no atmosphere and I chose my food badly. It was of average quality. That turned out to be an omen for all my Penang food choices. Despite all the hype about the quality of food there, I munched from one blunder to another. Even My Mom knew that I was doing something wrong in eating a BLT bagel for breakfast. So next time Mike is choosing.

Day 1: Bike Ride

After dropping off my paperwork to the Consulate, I borrowed a bike from the hotel and rode aimlessly around the old town all day. It was sauna-hot and overcast, but a good way to see all the famed street art. Penang commissioned a sculpture company to create informative and funny pieces as part of their bid to be a UNESCO world heritage site. The installations are very attractive and make for great focal points as you explore the many many layers of history. The history we should :(

Day 2: A guided tour

The hotel was offering a 3 hour tour for the bargain, can't miss price of $10. A lovely Chinese man called Allen picked me up in his SUV and spirited me around town to a great selection of sights. We chatted about Penang, Bangkok and America and I assured him that Jimmy Choo's were not affordable "even for me".