Georgetown, Penang - Malaysia

Our final stop in Malaysia is here in Georgetown on the island of Penang in the north, close to the border with Thailand. We checked into the Western Oriental hostel and managed to grab the last triple room in the place. We're only halfway through February at this point, but the heat and humidity are really starting to set in and all three of us are eager to get back to the water. Once we get to Thailand, our first stop is going to be in the Surat Thani province where we're going to get our scuba diving certification so that we can explore the underwater worlds of Thailand and Australia. Here in Georgetown we've been exploring the historical sites as we did in Melaka, as Penang is important for the colonial implications it had in both Malaysia and Thailand.



Most of the population in Georgetown is of Chinese descent, so we were hoping to arrive in time for Chinese New Year, but it turns out that the real celebrations won't get underway until the 18th, and we can't handle another week away from the beach. An appreciation for the sights and sounds of Georgetown notwithstanding, we're going to pack it up and move on tomorrow. We did get out yesterday to visit Fort Cornwallis on the edge of town as well as some different Hindu and Buddhist temples. The ladyboys are out in full force here along Love Lane, the street that runs perpendicular to our road. Some of them are more convincing than the actual women! We're trying to avoid eye contact.