Apr. 11, 1978 - Malaysia

Rushed from the train and caught the ferry for Penang, a 10 minute trip across the harbor.  We decided we needed a treat so we went to the E&O – a real step into the colonial past.  We couldn’t quite bring ourselves to take a 1st class room so we settled for 2nd best (and cheaper) which still included the swimming pool.  We checked out the tourist office and changed money and took a bicycle trishaw to the MAS airline office where we booked a flight to Sumatra for Thursday.  Our trishaw man was friendly and talkative and promised to give us “best rate” if we would let him give us a trishaw tour of Georgetown.  We said ok later and he peddled us back to the E&O.

The pool was great and refreshed us.  After a shower we met “our” trishaw and he took us on a delightful 3 hour tour, including the monkey gardens (botanical gardens) and an elaborate Chinese clan house.

Here I am in said trishaw in front of the Khoo Clan House in Penang.

The high point was a drive through the lighted stalls and stores at dusk in Chinatown.  At one point we said we wanted satay, the grilled chicken pieces on a skewer that you dip in spicy peanut sauce.  He took us to some outdoor stalls and waited while we ordered a plate.

The waiter brought a heaping fresh platter of skewered meat and we groaned and dug in.  That was a lot of meat.  Then as we were almost finished I noticed the man at the next table counting skewers. Woops, you only pay for what you eat and we weren’t expected to finish!  Our total count was embarrassing – at 8 cents a stick we paid a lot.  They must think we foreigners are gluttons and we didn’t even order rice.