Malaysia Take 2

We decided to add this page to share some pics that didn't have a home elsewhere in our narrative. We have been based in Rebak Island but have gone elsewhere in Malaysia.

One place we went is Penang, one of the Straits Settlements. It's similar to Singapore, though not nearly as wealthy. This picture was taken from Fort Cornwallis, overlooking the channel that separates Penang Island from Malaysia. It's hard to see but this cast bronze cannon is marked VOC, or Dutch East India Company: the Brits ripped it off.

Busted! The admiral has the Capt just where she wants him.

We were surprised to find a "hot sheet" hotel in Penang. This one charges about $12/hr. We don't have to wonder too much about what kind of Fantasies are involved, though they may be described in Chinese. Penang does have its seedy side, though the opium dens have been cleared out. At least we didn't see any.

The entrance to Khoo Kongsi, a combination clan clubhouse and temple. Many of the temples in Penang are devoted to guilds or families. The Chinese of Penang, like most Diaspora Chinese, are from south China, in this case Canton.

This is the ancestors' hall, where the old folks are revered. Here we see the standard feng shui lions, both male and female.

Tourists just never behave.

A small detail from a temple roof.

Exquisite detail on another small ornament. Few things are more interesting than a Chinese roof.

It's never complete without our old friend Budai, the laughing Buddha.

A major reason Penang resembles Singapore is its ethnic mix: mostly Chinese, with Indians and Malays adding to the curry. Also like Singapore, eating seems to be the main pastime since the opium biz dried up. This is Sri Mariamman Temple. Although ruled by Muslim Malays, Malaysia is fairly tolerant of the religions of the other 40% of its population.

This infidel couldn't leave without his bindi, though we suspect it was mostly to extract a donation .We are happy to give to the temples.

The admiral does like her hunky gods...

That's a look at Penang.

Moving right along, here we see the Capt sitting on his throne. In practice, the boat mostly drives itself but with the new bimini and seat we can comfortably sit there.

This the entrance to "Hole in the Wall", a very large hong on the NE side of Langkawi. It is very peaceful inside, albeit rather still and sweaty.

Deep inside we see a major feature of the place, a long-term parking lot (graveyard, really) for boats. We count about a dozen in the shot but there are many more. Its a cheap place to leave your boat for the season. The waiting list was about a year!

One of the more interesting inmates is this sailboat made out of a Russian ship's lifeboat, out of Vladivostok. Not too comfy or stable looking, but it appears very seaworthy, complete with sublike conning tower. We met the people who sailed in it last year in Sebana Cove after they had been rescued by a friendly Australian. Not sure how the boat got up here.

What's this? A gathering of eagles, 8 in this picture. They feed on sardine-sized fishes that think they're safe here. They look like little brown bald eagles. In fact, Langkawi means "strong eagle". It's a major tourist attraction on this island. From a distance the sun reflected off their wings and they gave the appearance of gigantic butterflies.

Most of the tourists we saw were Arabs. Invariably, the guy would the totally casual, sometimes even shirtless. By contrast, the Muslimah would be miserable-looking in an abaya or niqab. When they travel in a car the woman always sits in the back seat.

On a totally different note, here's a view from Gunung Raya, the highest peak in Langkawi. On a clear day you can see Thailand from here.

We weren't too sure what was on the peak of Gunung Raya, but they obviously take their private property pretty seriously.

It was the admiral's birthday and she wasn't going to be happy w/o a shot of the Capt playing with a baby Burmese Python. Naturally, machismo required him to oblige. What was strange is the snake was warm and soft. Just think hand bag or shoes. Actually, there is a brisk trade here with croc accessories and we don't mean a diver.

OK folks, that all for Malaysia now. We may add more stuff if we go somewhere interesting.

The latest Thailand stuff is here.

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