Breezing On A Malayan Float - Penang

Apologies, for time runs short and I will have to rush through if I am to complete my postings on Peninsular Malaysia.

Right, Penang. Another island in Malaysia that is well-known to Singaporeans. But is it only an island? There is Penang island but fewer people give thought to the fact that the state of Penang consists also of the area across the island. Known for ages as Province Wellesly, it is now called Serberang Prai.

Right. Pictures. Most people have seen all this already... The bridge...

There are two of them now actually, the 2nd having been completed only recently. It doesn't seem very utilized, there weren't many signs leading to it when I tried to find it, and it is curved.... Ya curved, making it, at 23km, much longer than the 1st Penang Bridge. That was in issue in Parliament actually, where the opposition asked why it was necessary to build a curved bridge and whether that incurred a lot more costs in terms of materials used and engineering. The response was that it was curved so that people would not lose concentration and fall asleep on this long bridge. Don't know but just thinking... Wouldn't it be harder to fall asleep on a shorter bridge?

Speak of bridges, when the first bridge was built in the 1980s, it changed Penang's economy and prospects significantly as getting in and out was now a cinch, compared to before. The traditional mode of transport still exists, and that is something I had to try.

Who hasn't heard of the street art....

The arty-farty cafes in the tourist district trying (too hard at times) to appear cool....

And of course the street and hawker food....

And you have Penang Hill, Kek Lok Si Temple yadayada... The place is a treasure trove of culture and heritage, as the other original two Straits Settlements territories are... But I'm not going to bore you with more touristy pictures...

Sometimes, I like to go off the beaten track... To kampongs, which despite the intense urbanisation of Penang, still exist...

And also to rolling green hill scenery, which can be partook (partaked? partaken?) from this fruit farm on top of the other side (the non-touristy one) of Penang Hill..

And that's Penang in a flash...