Slightly in culture shock after sleepy Langkawi, boy Penang has it all going on.
Still very hot, 38°degrees, 80% humidity. Too hot for exploring but we braved it and were rewarded with many sights, every corner a new photo op.
We are in Georgetown which is the defacto capital of the island. It's just 20 minutes by ferry to mainland Malaysia and the port town of Butterworth. We will be going to Butterworth in a few days to catch the train to Kuala Lumpur.
There is such a lot of history here. Beautiful buildings from early settlers - British, Dutch, Malay and Chinese. Some early Chinese shop houses are well looked after and some looking very sad, but still elegantly shabby.
We found hairdresser street😊
Lots of old shop houses screaming for a reno.
The Anglican Church of St George's. This is the first purpose built Anglican Church in south east Asia. It was completed in 1818. When the British East India Company took possession of the island in 1786 they wanted a church for their colonists. It took a while to build. The church was looted in the Japanese occupation of Malaya and it took until 1948 before the doors could open again for services.
Right next door was the Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption, pic below. It was built in 1860. The story goes that it closed during the 1941 Japanese invasion apart from a few services. A Japanese soldier didn't like the sound of the bells and tried to cut the bell ropes. All went back to normal in 1945 after Japan surrendered.
Yap Temple below, is a small, striking temple dedicated to the Chinese God of prosperity. In the building next door ancestral YAP tablets are held. The green roof tiles and dragon carvings are fantastic. It is said to be built in 1924.
Kapitan Keling mosque was built in 1801 by Indian Muslim settlers. It's the largest mosque in Georgetown. The domes look Moorish, Indo/Moorish, a beautiful building.
Sri Maha Mariamman temple was another stunner. Five minutes walk from the mosque and different architecture again. Established in 1833 this is the oldest temple in town. The entrance features a 23ft sculpture of 38 gods and goddesses and inside the temple is decorated with gold, silver, diamonds and emeralds. The area of Little India dates back to the 18th century when British traders bought silk, cotton, spices and pottery from Indian traders. You could wander around here for hours and your eyes would be on stalks, there is so much to see.
Goddess of Mercy Temple below was built in 1728 and cost of $4000 Spanish dollars. It was dedictated to Mazu, a sea goddess worshipped by the Hokkien settlers as patron saint for seafarers. With increased trading and immigration many diverse Chinese groups settled and the temple mediated between the Hokkien and Cantonese factions. It's another beauty.
Lastly the Clan Jetties, a series of 6 jetties that form part of the heritage trail. This is one of the old Chinese settlements on the island. Originally a wood yard and later trading jetties, settlements and clans emerged along with rivalry and factions as communities staked out their turf.
Seven clans still live here. There is a temple, lots of food stalls, fishing boats, washing hanging up...an active community all on top of the water of Georgetown Bay. It's pretty amazing.
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