Penang in Pictures

Firstly, I have to apologize for the lengthy time that has passed without a blog post. We had some trouble in paradise over the last week, and the internet was costly. However, before we embarked on our trip of “relaxation” on the islands of southern Thailand, we spent a couple of days wandering Penang, where we took enough pictures for a little gallery. Penang is a little city of heritage-enriched houses, all containing a family and countless stories. Our area was very chinese; every house had its two lanterns with their trade and a sign with the family name. There were used book stores, little guesthouses, and cafes that had been passed down through the generations. There were countless delicious hawker stands and street food and markets, as well as temples filled with smoky incense (so smoky you could barely see a thing, much less actually breathe –  this takes a seat behind the teachings of Buddha for a while). There was, as there usually is in Malaysia, a Little India filled with vibrant colors and the smell of fresh naan and tandoori chicken, and a colonial part of town, still wearing the outer shell of white washed buildings and western historical architecture we are so used to. The becaks rode around giving rides, the sign maker hammered away at his trade, the people set up their food stands in the morning light, and the entire atmosphere was one of going back in time, if only for a little while.

If you are receiving this as an email, it is easier to go to the actual site to avoid having to click on each picture separately in order to see it larger.

Chopstick wielding skills – check!

Swinging chapatti bread

The newspaper man

A house (or should I say tree?) temple

Sir Thomas and his Lady

I’m coming to get you!