Penang

Some time in between Thailand and Cambodia I squeezed in a quick trip to Penang.  This is an island off the northwest coast of Malaysia, although it is connected to the mainland by a 13.5 km long bridge.  I chose to visit during that time because I knew there would be a Rotary GSE team from Oregon visiting.  GSE stands for Group Study Exchange and it is administered by The Rotary Foundation, the same part of the organization that takes care of the Ambassadorial Scholar program.  GSE is a vocational exchange between two Rotary districts and is for young professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who have been in their career for at least two years.  While in the host country, this case Malaysia, they get a chance to see how their vocations are practiced abroad.  For example, one of the participants was a physician, so she is visiting hospitals and health centers in different places around the country.  Another was a ranger at a national park, so she is visiting parks and nature reserves here.

Hiking with the GSE team through Penang National Park.

The hiked ended at a beach and sea turtle conservation center and we took a boat back.  They are just so dang cute!

There was a special “inter-city” Rotary dinner (where many clubs come together) to greet the GSE team, and they in turn gave a presentation.  All of the GSE participants were from central and southern Oregon including Klamath Falls, Cave Junction, Cottage Grove, Eugene, and Corvallis.  Their presentation describing the culture of Oregon to the Malaysian Rotarians really made me miss living in Oregon.   The time I spent residing in Ashland was quite lovely…but fortunately I am lucky to always get to live in wonderful places : )

Additionally, another Ambassadorial Scholar joined us in Penang.  I have been in touch by e-mail with Andrew, who is from Florida, stationed in Singapore, since before we left America.  He had been looking to do some exploring outside of Singapore and this was the perfect opportunity.  He met us in Penang, and then joined on for the Cambodia trip that I wrote about previously.

 

Andrew and I were hosted but a wonderful Rotary family while in Penang.  My dear Rotary host counsellor in Kuala Lumpur is good friends with this family so it was very nice of them to invite us into their home.  The father was a retired veterinarian and now his grown sons run the clinic and live nearby so I got to spend time with them and the grandkids as well!  They are Sikhs (a culture/religion from northern India) so it was interesting to learn about their religion and way of life.

Penang itself has a lot to experience.  The home we stayed in was quite near a beautiful botanical garden with tons of monkeys!  I visited an elaborate Chinese clan house called Khoo Kongsi; clan houses/assembly halls like this one were the civic and religious backbone for many Chinese people with the same surname in additional to an economic collective.  It was beautiful and ornate, but unfortunately I forgot my camera, so I’ll have to add a stock photo here (the only one in the whole blog so far!). 

Khoo Kongsi Chinese Clanhouse.

The next day, I took a tram car up to the top of Penang Hill where you get majestic views of the island and ocean, and then walked to the Kek Lok Si Temple (Temple of Supreme Bliss), the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia.  It was beautiful with pagodas, a huge bronze statue of Kuan Yin, or goddess of mercy, and thousands of other miniature statues.  I stayed until the evening and was able to enjoy the serenity of the temple while the monks performed their evening chants which filled my heart with peace.

View from Penang Hill.

Hindu temple atop Penang Hill.

This photo is significant because it shows a mosque and Hindu temple within amazingly close proximity to each other, which is not uncommon in Malaysia.

Figures within Kek Lok Si temple.

Goddess of Mercy.

The last day Andrew and I took a driving tour of the island where we visited a fruit farm, and got to try every tropical fruit you can think of, hiked to some waterfalls, enjoyed some local tea, coffee, and chocolate and visited some batik and pewter centers.  

A little note on the history of Penang, it was once called Prince of Wales Island because it was taken into possession by Captain Francis Light on behalf of the East India Company and the acquisitions date fell on the birthdate of the Price of Wales.  I find this interesting because I spent time living on another Price of Wales Island in SE Alaska.  One reason Penang was a popular stop for seafarers and spice traders is because there was a reliable supply of fresh water from a river/waterfalls that still flows through the botanical gardens today.

One of the tops draws is the local food in Penang.  I find this funny, because just about everywhere in Malaysia is highlighted for its food culture as well.  Everyone tells me “Oh, you must go to Melacca/Ipoh/fill in the blank, because the food is soooo good!”  But Penang is especially known for its delicious hawker stall food.  In fact, it was voted by New York Times readers as one of 44 must-see destinations, mostly due to the cuisine.  Our hosts took us out to a quintessential Penang meal of char kway teow (fried noodle dish), and popiah which is a type of spring roll filled with turnips, prawns, egg, peanuts, and greens. 

Sorry that these posts seem to get very long sometimes, but this blog will also act as my travel journal, so I want to be sure and document thoroughly!