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Lebuh Armenian (Armenian Street) is the core zone of the Unesco World Heritage Site of Georgetown on the island of Penang – Malaysia.
Penang – My (temporary) island home
Where I’m At: Penang – Malaysia.
Greetings from Penang. I have been here for nearly a month now, staying in the World Heritage City of Georgetown. I have been here several time before on shorter visits, and I always knew I would come back to stay for an extended period. I wanted to spend some time to wander the old streets of Georgetown while getting some work done in a wifi and budget friendly environment.
[Dogs on a Trishaw - Penang]
While I have been here I have been working on this site and I am going to try out a new category: Where I’m At. The plan will be a for a weekly update, reporting from “Where I’m At”. I’m still toying with the idea of calling it Where I’m At Wednesdays, as Wednesdays seems to be my least busy day for scheduled posts on other sites I run. Plus it is cool to have a day in a category name, you know.
Seeing I am just starting this, I’m going to recap my time in Penang, rather than the week that was. I came to Penang with the intention of hunkering down for a month to work on some website projects with as little distraction as possible. In my time here I have had some welcome relief of the work day from visiting friends.
On my second day here I was working away when I noticed a Facebook update from Johnny Jet (yes I can work and check Facebook news at the same time). He posted an update: “On the ferry to Penang”. Hey, I’m in Penang as well! I quickly mesaged him, and half an hour later I was down at the Eastern and Oriental Hotel where I met up with Johnny and Natalie.
[Johnny and Natalie]
For those who don’t know Johnny, he has been putting out a weekly travel newsletter since 1999. I picked up the story around 2000, so I have known him online for ages. Johnny and Natalie were on a quick stop-over on a remarkable train journey, which you can read about in Johnnys weekly newsletter.
Apart from that surprising unscheduled meetup, I have also had scheduled meetups with other friends. Two of my friends I used to work with, in Melbourne way back in 1999, are now living in the region. Paul is in Singapore, and Tasha is in Jakarta. One of our friends of this group was missing, so we took took a photo in honour of his missing in action-ness.
[Paul, Tasha, (MIA Macman) and James]
During this old work mates reunion I had an overlap of friends visiting from Chaing Mai. While Paul went back to Singapore, Tasha stayed on and met up with Shannon and Paddy, who were here on a Thai visa run. Having already been here for a week, which was a week longer than everyone else, I got to play local tour guide.
[Maysie, Shannon and Paddy]
Living In Penang
When Johnny was here he was asking me about the cost of living for food and accommodation here. So here is a brief overview. Penang has a worldwide reputation for being a foodies paradise, and I can attest to that. I’ve had to stop myself from falling into the trap of going to my favourite food places, just so I can try out some different dishes.
Some of my staple favourites are:
—Roti Canai—
[Roti Canai and Roti Telur]
Roti Canai (plain) and Roti Telur (with egg) with dahl. What a great start to the day. Haven’t got sick of it yet. This and a coffee is 3.50 MYR (1.16 USD).
—Asam Laksa (Penang Laksa)—
[Asam Laksa]
I abhor hyperbole, so I can’t believe what I am about to say. This is possibly the best laksa I have ever had. I have been back to the same vendor numerous times just to make sure, and each time the laksa is as good as I remember it to be. This laksa is the large bowl with extra fish balls, and it costs 4.5 MYR (about $1.50 USD). This was at the Gurney hawker market, which is a big open air food court by the bay.
—Hainan Chicken Rice—
[Sorry - no photo]
I go to this run down looking shop where all they do is chicken and rice, in the Hainan style. You sit down and they bring it out to you. You don’t order because that is all they have on the menu. Brilliant. Chicken and rice is 4 MYR.
—Indian—
[South Indian Thali]
Sometimes I think I shouldn’t have Indian twice a day. The indian food is so good here though, I can’t help myself.
This South Indian Vegetarian Thali is 5 MYR ($1.66 USD). A mango lassi is 3.50 MYR ($1.16 USD). If you go the the banana leaf restaurants (where the food is served on a banana leaf), the same meal is about 4 MYR, and they tend to keep topping up your meal until you tell them to stop.
—Cendol—
For dessert, have a go of Cendol, which is popular throughout Southeast Asia. It looks weird, but it is alot of sweetness on a bed of shaved ice, which is welcome in this heat.
—Accommodation—
For accommodation, I wanted to stay in Georgetown as I knew I could get cheap accommodation with good wi-fi. I have stayed in Georgetown previously, in a typical flophouse style place, and even that had wi-fi. I am now staying at a guesthouse with ensuite bathroom, wi-fi and a desk in the room for 40 MYR a night ($13 USD).
So this is my last week in Penang. I’m really quite comfortable here and could easily stay on, but I have to make an unexpected return to Thailand next week. Until then…
Eating Your Way Around Penang
Penang is well known for being a foodies paradise, and it is one of those destinations where people go just to eat. If you don’t know your Hokkien Mee from your Wan Tan Mee (that would be me), there is a great brochure that lists the most popular dishes of the Island. It gives a description of each meal and a map of where to find them around the George Town area. Pick up the brochure from your guesthouse or the tourism office.
- Penang Food Guide -
I have been to Penang twice before so this time I was only passing through on the way to Langkawi. This short stay meant that I only had three possible eating opportunities (without being gluttonous). I had a morning ferry to catch so I didn’t think I was going to get a good breakfast either.
I found out on the way to the ferry terminal that there are 24 hour Indian restaurants here. To be able to get a curry 24 hours a day must surely be the pinnacle of civilisation.
- Indian Restaurant – Open 24 Hours -
My favourite breakfast dish is Roti Canai. When I am travelling to Malaysia I usually start drooling about a day before I arrive, knowing that I am going to get a good roti canai. A plain roti is about RM0.90 (25 cents USD) and there are different varieties with egg, cheese and meat fillings.
Sometimes restaurants will have a pile of premade roti, but the best ones are made to order, so your roti arrives steaming hot and melt in the mouth good.
Roti Canai With Curry Dips – Breakfast of Champions
The Five Foot Way of Georgetown Penang
Georgetown Penang in Malaysia is one of best preserved colonial cities in Asia. The city is dominated with shophouses from the 19th and early 20th century in varying states of conservation.
[Georgetown Covered Walkway]
Every shophouse has a five foot way (kaki-lima), which is a sheltered walkway in front of each shop front. As the name suggests the walkways are five foot across, providing shelter from the tropical heat (and tropical downpours).
This style of architecture and also be found in Malacca, Singapore and other Asian cities.
[Georgetown Covered Walkway Ramps]
The shops are lined up continuously so the shelter runs uninterupted between streets. However the height of the shop floors can vary, so it is never an even walking surface.
[Georgetown Covered Walkway Bike Parking]
The walkways of the five foot way are a mixture of private and public space. Business activities spill out onto the walkways, from cafes and restaurants to wholesalers and metalworkers.
[Georgetown Covered Walkway Industry]
In front of private homes motorbikes are usually parked in the way. It is not uncommon to find the shop front open to reveal the living room of the home.
[Georgetown Covered Walkway Open Gutter]
Thankfully the historical city centre became a UNESCO world heritage site in 2008. So while many shophouses are slowly decaying in the tropical heat, many of the shophouses are being conserved and restored.
[Georgetown Covered Walkway Shrines]
Nomads of the sea
This advertisement was posted on walls around George Town the last time I was in Penang in 2006.
I don’t know if it is the same ad or if it has been reposted since I was last here.
It sounds like an idyllic lifestyle but I am too addicted to the internet to go long stretches at sea without.
George Town the UNESCO World Heritage City
I was in George Town Penang in 2006 and left it a mere mortal of a city. I have returned to George Town in 2009 to a UNESCO World Heritage City.
I have enjoyed the city more on this second trip. The first time here I had read such good things about George Town that it didn’t really meet my expectations. Now on my second time here I have come without expectation and have found this city to be one of my favourites in Asia. Now that I have told you this I have loaded you with unfair expectation and you may thus arrive disappointed.
I came back to George Town to get the ferry to Medan in Sumatra. I try not to back track to cities I have been if I can go somewhere else. Sometimes though you end up passing through visited cities to get to new ones. I would be happy to come back to George Town again.
Wireless internet access in Malaysia
So far I have been impressed with the wireless situation in Malaysia. In Kuala Lumpur I paid 10 MYR ($2.75 USD) for the privilege of gaining the wireless code at the guesthouse I was staying. You can use that code for the length of your stay.
In Tanah Rata in the Cameron Highlands the rate was 5 MYR ($1.37 USD) for unlimited access for the length of your stay.
My final stop in George Town Penang has been even better – Free! was looking online to find which place offered free wireless but it is not prominently advertised as a feature. My first night here I stayed in one of those classic backpacker flophouses and I was surprised to find when I opened my laptop that I had access to free wireless.
- In George Town even the flophouses have wireless -
I upgraded myself to a nicer guesthouse on my second and third night also had free wireless.
It is good living for a nomad in George Town. There is so much great food, accommodation is cheap and good access to wireless.
Trishaw, Georgetown – Malaysia
Trishaw (cycle rickshaw), Georgetown, Penang – Malaysia.
George's Georgetown Postbox
GR (King George) Royal Mail Post Box in front of the Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Georgetown, Penang – Malaysia.
[Royal Mailbox - Georgetown Malaysia]
