After Vietnam, we went to Penang, Malaysia to meet up with Rachel's cousin Janeen who lives there. We hadn't seen her for a couple of years, and it was so good to reconnect, to learn about her life, and get to ask real questions about the lives and perspectives of Malays.
Janeen lives in a beautiful apartment complex outside of the main city of Georgetown. While we spent much of our time outside of the Georgetown, we did go to the historic center one day, and learned so much while there. We wandered the streets and observed the many different cultures represented in the city, most notably the Islamic influences. We learned all about how the government is official Islamic and enforces Islam for the local indigenous population, but is very tolerant of the cultures and religions of foreigners and non-native people living there. In fact, we were very surprised to learn the official language of the island was English!
The city is famous for its street art, which can be found everywhere. Some of it is really amusing!
Penang is world famous for it's street food. Everywhere you look you can find small restaurants with chairs set up outside. The food is cheap, diverse, and full of flavor! We were told that the mainland does not have the same level of diversity or development, but that this island is unique in this way. We enjoyed almost everything we ate... with the exception of the infamous fruit Durian, in the form of a cream puff. Although Durian is known as the "King of Fruits" in SouthEast Asia, we have yet to meet a single person who admits to liking it. We had to try it just to satisfy our curiosity, but once was definitely enough!
Sitting along the water is wooden passageways and clusters of houses built on the sea. The houses were built on stilts and inhabited by the Chinese immigrants who worked on the port many years ago. Although not used in the same way now, the Chinese community continues to reside here, and now many tourists stroll down the Jetty, observing this interesting style of life.
Our last full day in Penang, we hiked through the national park to the beautiful Monkey Beach. Besides observing (and actually trying to avoid) the monkeys, we also ate some delicious beach food, drank fresh coconuts, climbed rocks and played on the rope swing. It was a lovely day!
We ended 2015 with a fun evening of card games with Janeen's friends, and then went to her apartment's roof to watch the city fireworks. It was a great way to bring in the New Year!
We are so grateful for Janeen's wonderful hospitality and the chance to experience this beautiful island.With one more trip to the rooftop for a morning view, we said goodbye to Malaysia, and set off for Thailand.
