Penang, I should say, is a family-friendly town. It is not as prosperous and city life like Singapore, but not as crowded and polluted as Philippines. Art & I in fact considered to work there and start a family.
En route to Penang via Coach Bus. SG$50/person each way.
We were welcomed by Penang Stay Cable Bridge across the morning horizon. (Sorry I just have to mention this as an attraction for me, being once a bridge engineer)
The spacious ferry to Georgetown, Penang from Butterworth Ferry Terminal. Width of the ferry is twice of what you can see in this photo, transporting hundreds on their way to work every morning. Fare costs around SG$1 for a ten minute ride across the channel.
Georgetown in sight!
First Night. Naza Talya Hotel along Tanjong Tokong.
A brighter photo of us in the room balcony.
This time with my good friend, Leah, our hostess.
View from the top. Yes, there is a swimming pool near the shore. We were so happy with the room. It is not a star rated hotel, but at least it was not one of those shabby ones you get fooled with in online bookings. For roughly SG$30 a night, it was quite a deal! The balcony allowed us to sunbathe our asses to a tan!! Yes, we bared our bottoms!
Sitting pretty.
First Stop : Batu Feringgi. Probably the nicest beach in Penang.
Batu Feringgi is a beach for water sports like this parasailing couple or like us, you can just sit under an umbrella and listen to the waves as they approach the shore.
After an eight hour bus journey, I'd rather have a massage.
He dared try ear candling, which we later found out to be bad for the ear wax, that should be naturally occuring inside the ear.
This made Art jump out of surprise or fear, I am uncertain of which! We were down the sidewalk when we saw this. Obviously, meant to scare out passers by like us!.
Komtar walk. The biggest shopping mall in town!
Georgetown Restaurant. Could be the oldest label for their famous white coffee.
Immaculate Conception Church. We never fail to visit a Church in all of our trips, and through the help of a kind-hearted parishoner, we were able to attend mass in this Church.
"Bulan" in Malay means month."Buwan" in Tagalog means the same thing as well.
"Let's get lost!" Nat Geo's tagline. and that was exactly the theme of our trip. We just walked into streets and looked for something "touristic". Like this street, which reminds me of Vigan in Ilocos Sur.
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Burmese Temple. With an erect giant golden buddha. Thai Temple, where the other big buddha can be found but this time the buddha is in a lying down position (not seen in this photo) |
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| Floating Mosque. Mosque on piles.period. |
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Georgetown's "Big Ben".
Penang's City Hall.
The next photos will give the highlight of our trip - One night stay in Star Cruises Libra Ship! It was the reason why we opted to go to Penang, aside from the fact that I wanted to visit a good friend. It was a dream come true (again) for Art.
THE ultimate entertainment showcase.
The cruise ship itself from the port.
Up close.
Our tiny cabin. Rate is around SG$200 per room, including buffet dinner and breakfast. Tiny as it looks, but 4 people can squeeze in this miniature!
Pool deck with jacuzzi.The jacuzzi was so super hot, we could not even dip our feet into it.
Glass everywhere! Magnifies grandeur (and therefore priceyness) of cruise ships.
One of the ship's grand lobbies.
The Hostess. In a night, I was able to see the lives of the staff in a cruise ship. It was pretty tough for most of them. Role # 1. Ship tour guide.
Role # 2. Dancer. She was the best among the group!
Role # 3. Host.
As Leah's "special" guests, I was asked to participate in "Hep, Hep, Horray" Filipino fun game, wherein I won a souvenir medal.
Role # 4. Model. (Spot the girl in black with pink fans)
Role # 5. Lounge Singer. She even sang and memorized a bunch of mandarin songs! Five roles in a night. That's how colorful and maybe tiring, Leah's life is in a cruise ship. The ship experience reminded me of how NatGeo documented the lives of the people who run a cruise ship, in Cruise Ship Diaries.
Newly weds. With another newly wed Indian couple.
Instax photo souvs.
We ended that one night afloat the seas on the ship deck, looking up the stars and sharing all the stories we missed. The day after, we did our own ship tour.
Basketball half-court.
Never missed my chance to practice my breast strokes.
Few hours later, we were off to see the city via sidecar bike!
The only Hindu temple in Penang.
Blue Chinese Temple.
Our third hotel for the entire leg. Bayview Hotel. Our room wasn't really giving a view of the bay though.
I forgot what museum is this.
In every city, there is always a China town. Like this one.
Mosque. :) Due to the hot weather we didn't bother to enter each temple/mosque.
Streets of Penang.
PS : We never planned to visit Penang if not for Leah and "her" cruise ship. At the end of the trip, I was little heavy-hearted thinking of the uncertainty of when to spend time again with her. I may not be popular or sometimes can be unfriendly, but I am very thankful to have found true friends even if they are halfway across the world!!
