Short Trip to Penang

Short trips are sometimes good. They leave us with little time to get bored and often, when we realise we are tired, we are almost home. It's been ages since we step foot on Penang Island so whe our Italy trip was cancelled owing to the Icelandic volcano ashes and cancelled flight, we went to Penang and Langkawi instead.

Staying at The Gurney Residence at Gurney Drive was a good decisions as it's very convenient with views of the sea. On our last trip, the view of the sea was rather disappointing, more mud that sea but this time changing weather made the same view a kaleidoscope of colours.

Most of the shots were taken from the bathroom where one can enjoy the view while

showering or taking a bath.

The eateries along Gurney Drive - we decided to give the hawkers at the end a miss this time and tried the others. The mango dessert at this quaint little Malay house on stilts called the Crepe Cottage was the best. It brought back child-hood memories of afternoons visiting my classmates and friends in the Malay kampong nearby.

We also went to this heritage mansion called Cheong Fatt Tze, also known as the Blue Mansion. Decades ago when we stayed with Daddy at the cheap but clean Warldorf Hotel across the road, I remembered seeing this run down old building inhabited by some labourers.

Wardorf Hotel with the little old shops which were Cheong's servants' quarters but

are now upmarket restaurants

This multimillionaire Cheong was a big shot with 8 wives and tons of dough and international connections, and this was his favourite house built for his youngest wife and son. But unlike the Chinese saying that wealth cannot be protected handed down for more than three generations, his immediate heirs could not even protect it for one generation and the place became derelict and was destined to be demolished. Fortunately, some Penangnite who appreciated the value of the building managed to salvage and restore it to its former glory. Who could foresee that his success, wealth and glory would be in vain he was once gone!

Below are the rickshaws used for transport and pulled manually

Another ruin of a school with Komtar in the background. The school's name is familiar, I'm sure Mum mentioned it before but I'm not sure if she went there. It's so sad when we come across something and wish we could ask some body, only to realise that the loved one had passed away and we will never be able to talk to them again.

This Thai temple in Burmah Road houses the famous sleeping Buddha.

Local pancake store outside coffeeshop. Everyone waited patiently for ages in the light drizzle for their turn. Penang logic is : anything worth eating involves some hardship and inconvenience so the longer the queue, the more people will want to buy.