There are many things to do and see in Penang Island. Like most tourists, I managed to squeeze in an all day highlights tour of Georgetown, Penang’s bustling and historic capital city.

Cultural Heritage and Temples To start my day of touring, I stopped at Khoo Kongsi, a classical Chinese clan temple. At one time it was an active temple but now it is strictly a heritage exhibit for visitors. The elaborate wall ornamentation as well as the exotic statues, murals and paintings pay homage to the clan’s rich history and to their deities. This temple was far different than what I am accustomed to seeing during my numerous trips to Thailand; it made me feel like I was in China.

Many tourists visit a replica of a Thai Wat – inside the temple complex is a mock version of the famous reclining Buddha. Across the street was a replica of a Burmese temple - again I’ve seen Burmese style temples in Northern Thailand and those were the authentic article. Needless to say, I didn’t spend much time here.

Next up was a Hindu temple – many Hindis gathered here on this Sunday, most of them dressed up in their traditional garb. Apparently there was a special festival being celebrated on this day, and everybody was enjoying the vegetarian feast that was hosted by the temple. They invited me - a total outsider - to partake of the feast. While I helped myself to lunch, I also made a donation to the temple.

The View at Penang Hill The biggest tourist trap in Penang. Most people take a funicular to a viewpoint located about 830 meters (2750 feet) above sea level, the highest point in Penang. While I am not fond of tourist traps, I admit that there are some absolutely spectacular panoramic views of Georgetown, the Straits of Malacca and Peninsular Malaysia. You can even see the long causeway which connects Penang Island with the mainland.

As I visited Penang Hill on the last Sunday of the holidays, the place was jammed with tourists – mostly from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Besides the view, there was a ‘horse and pony show’ going on – a crowd gathered around to watch fellow tourists pose with pythons draped around their necks.

The Monkeys of Penang Botanic Gardens If you have a limited amount of time, can take “A mini-shuttle bus” for a quick tour of the gardens. The star attraction of the gardens are the long tailed macaques, medium sized monkeys that freely roam the park. These monkeys can get very nasty - baring their sharps fangs and making threatening postures - when surrounded by too many camera toting tourists, who aggravate the situation by trying to feed them. One of the monkeys even had the audacity to make charge at me but I scared him off by making whooping noises and shaking my fist at him. Grrhhhh

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Having just returned from a 43-day odyssey to Southeast Asia, I would start off the New Year by sharing with you some random observations (and thoughts) of a traveler

• Be Safe! When storing your monies in the hotel safe, make sure to have an accurate count of your traveler checks and currency before trusting it to the hotel. This is especially true, when all the front desk people have access to the safe. I believe that I was victimized twice in Thailand on my last trip – I was missing the equivalent of $150USD in currency in one instance and $200USD in traveler’s checks in another. Oh well, shit happens!
  
• My favorite city in THAILAND continues to be Nan. At least 4-5 new coffee shops have opened up in the last year – reflective of Nan’s increasing popularity as a tourist destination
• One of the most spectacular views that I have experienced during my travels is from the top of Penang Hill in Malaysia. At an elevation of 800 meters above sea level, the view of Penang Island is absolutely incredible!



• Singapore is FINE! A small island city of about 5 million people, not only is Singapore one of the cleanest cities in the world, but its mass transit system is heads and shoulders above anything I have seen. If all the nations in the world, adopted, Singapore’s laws (and fines) towards littering, this world would be a lot better place.
• Compared to Thailand and Malaysia, Singapore is somewhat on the expensive side!
• Most currency exchange bureaus in Singapore(and Malaysia) will not cash traveler’s checks – you will have to go to the bank. On the other hand, it is very easy to cash traveler’s checks in Thailand as the banks operate most of the many currency exchange bureaus.



• Who let the dogs out? Compared to Singapore and Malaysia, Thailand is overrun by dogs, especially in the rural countryside and in small villages. Most of the dogs are your typical Thai mutts - short, stocky with closely cropped tan or yellow fur. Popular pedigreed dogs include Shiatsus, Lhasa Apsos, Pomeranians, Toy poodles and Pugs!
• In THAILAND, where at least 93% population is Buddhist, you’ll hear Christmas music being played in most of the major department store complexes in Bangkok and in the major tourist centers up until New Years Day. They do this primarily to accommodate the tourists, most of whom are Christians.
• Walking into a Starbucks across from my hotel in Bangkok on Dec. 29, they were playing the traditional Christmas fluff until I aggressively suggested they change the music. LOL