PENANG - kicking up my ankles

Arrived in Penang feeling hung-over from the night bus trip without actually drinking a drop. I dont travel well on night transport but it saves on time as well as a few bucks on accommodation. I get both envious & furious when l hear someone snoring loudly & contentedly before take-off.








Anyway after then catching the first ferry over from Butterworth to Georgetown, I watched the dawn sky lighten over the Malacca Straits. Not my favourite time of day & not even the beauty of Penang at sunrise alleviated my irritability. I just wanted to find my hostel & shower. That's when l slipped & turned my ankle.
I went down like a bag of excrement. There was no one around to help scrape me back up, nor any taxis around at that hour on the quiet streets of Georgetown. Those are the times when it hits home that I am actually travelling ALONE. So I was forced to hobble painfully & so slowly to find The 80's Guesthouse. It's a fairly new establishment, rating well & thought I would give it a try. The staff greeted me so compassionately and as there was a bottom bunk available, they kindly checked me in immediately.

The 80's Guesthouse is situated on the infamous Love Lane. The street is so named for the many mistresses in the old days, kept by wealthy business men, in that lane. Im sure there must have been a brothel or two as well. Nowadays, it is a lovely trendy street with many historical guesthouses.
Oh if only those walls could talk!!

Georgetown is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, partly due to its unique architecture & townscape. An interesting mix of Chinese & British colonial styles surrounded by modern towering buildings.

 The 80's Guesthouse is a heritage house converted into a guesthouse. While retaining it's antique century old vintage charm, with exposed beams, 12 ft ceilings & timber stairs, it has also added some some modern amenities with large tiled showers, wifi & air-con in bedrooms. Staff are so very helpful & hospitable. I am so very grateful that they helped me get to hospital for x-rays. That was an experience on its own! But anyway, no fractures, thank Shiva! Just a sprain but so friggin painful!



My sight seeing was limited with the sprain but I have visited there many times. Georgetown has a wonderful charm & the back lanes are loaded with historical character & modern art. The food is the best in Malaysia, particularly the Chinese food. The street food is gourmet & so very cheap. A bowl of my favourite Hor fun noodles costs 5RM ($1.70) Seafood is fresh & bountiful and Penang is the where the spicy laksa first originated.


 The back lanes of Georgetown are uncluttered by traffic & easy to walk, when you dont have a sprained ankle. Being an island, it occasionally catches a sea breeze & is slightly cooler than other parts.
Quaint restaurants & antique shops are around every corner. As well as colourful temples of all denominations and rowdy produce markets.
A great place for Chinese medicines & I bought a liniment there that is working a treat & I'll be back dancing on tables in no time.
Penang was the first British colony in SE Asia & a fort was built in the late 1700's. Penang has been a famous trading port for centuries being on the Malacca Straits, a safe body of water formed between Malaysia & the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It was the main trading route between India & China.
 It is now one of the major shipping channels of the world connecting the Indian & Pacific Oceans. One quarter of the world's oil passes through the Staits of Malacca.




Immigrants from all over the world were enticed to Penang with the promise of free land. Legend has it, that a British ship fired silver dollars from its cannon, deep into the jungle as further incentive. Many of the first setlers died from malaria and the island became known as the 'White man's grave.'

The legacy has been an amazingly colourful island with a mosaic of ethnic & cultural people. Festivals are diverse & many. Cuisine is extraordinary. And there are many really interesting museums & galleries.

Penang has much to offer the tourist. The east coast of the island is popular for its beaches & 5 star resorts.

 I recommend whilst in Georgetown, stay at The 80's Guesthouse. An extremely comfortable & friendly backpackers hostel on Love Lane, costs 35 RM pn for a dorm. ($12)