Return to Penang, by ferry.

Having been unsuccessful in my less than enthusiastic attempt to find a way to get ashore in Penang, when northbound, we returned by ferry.

As mentioned before, the issue was access. Had there been secure access I definitely would have stayed when northbound. The choice however was hanging off the anchor in an anchorage that didn't have rave reviews for its holding ability, and more to the point, finding somewhere to safely and securely leave the dinghy whilst we explored ashore. It was not to be!

Next best move, was to return the 60nm to Penang by fast ferry. Booked rooms in a very comfortable hotel and set forth.
We had been enroute for about 25 minutes, when I noticed that the sun had shifted from my left to my right hand side and that we were in fact doing a very incrementally slow (still at the same revs though)  and heading back from whence we came. Shortly thereafter an announcement in Bhasa undoubtedly revealed this to the majority of the passengers. Back to the terminal , disembark, follow the mob , embark on another ferry and off we went again, just an hour behind schedule.

Georgetown, Penang is an interesting town.The old centre of which, is protected by a world heritage listing in 2008 , so nothing more can be destroyed.

one piece of street art.there were others with swings, motorbikes etc

That afternoon we went to visit friends of Ros and Peter, that they had met years before in their own travels. Great afternoon.The next day was spent entirely in exploring Georgetown. Ros was interested to find the location of various pieces of street art. Some of which are great.
Like many old cities and towns as well as the Malays,there was a Chinese sector,an Indian sector,a Muslim sector and then the Europeans arrived.
Cheng Ho sailed there and trade started with China from such an ideal location.Arabs arrived. The East India company arrived in town and claimed the island for Britain (changing its name in the process to Prince of Wales Island) and King George - hence the name of Georgetown. Eventually it became a Crown Colony , the British garrison was invaded by the Japanese during the WW2.Penang became a member state of Malaysia in 1963.
So lots to see from the melting pot of cultures. A short walk takes you from the Black Mosque,which is actually white with black domes, to the Hindu Temple, Chinese temple , Catholic Church, Anglican Church, Fort Cornwallis,the Blue Mansion- home of a Chinese tycoon built in the 1880s. The still occupied shop front houses of the Chinese quarter, it all just adds up to a fabulous place to catch a glimpse of Asia as it was, before it turned in to "just another  glass skyscraper city anywhere  in the world".

black mosque

St Georges Anglican Church-totally white interior.

the Blue Mansion  of  Cheong Fatt Tze

Chinese Temple

The pylons of the old Tanjung Marina, minutes from town but destroyed by the Tsunami

Waterfront  location-of course .High Tea still a daily option. doorman wears safari suit and pith helmet.

Shop houses-still in use.

Port Sweetnham Pier. This is where passenger ships would have come when Penang was a way of getting to Kuala Lumpur by ship. Now the major port is on the mainland at Butterworth. This seems to be used now by a couple of "gambling ships",which leave each evening - destination ,"High Sea", which amazingly seems tostill be within the charted port limits!