Touring Penang February 19-22

Our last few days in Penang were spent touring the island, on two-lane roads, and enjoying the capital city, Georgetown.
On the 19th we took our rented car around the island, stopping first at the war museum. This private museum is housed in a British fort that was built by the British to defend Penang against naval attack. It was captured by the Japanese when the British abandoned Penang ten days after Pearl Harbour, when the Japanese attacked Malaysia and bombed Georgetown for several days. After the war it was abandoned for many years until being purchased by the current owners. The fortifications and installations are somewhat intact, but need refurbishment, and the exhibits are incomplete, although they do show the cruel treatment of the Allied prisoners kept there during the war. Somewhat disturbingly, part of this property including some bunkers from the British period, are being used for paintball games.
Many large hotels are located on the northern side of this beautiful island, and more are being built, as mass tourism inevitably leads to this type of development. There are efforts to preserve the mixed Malay, Chinese, and Indian heritage that make up the ethnic blend of the island. This ethnic mix reflects historic trading patterns. Chinese shophouses (where the family runs a shop and lives at the back and upstairs) are still the main architechtural form found downtown, although larger, more modern buildings are found on many streets.

One place we visited was the famed Cheong Fatt Tze mansion, a 38-room, 5 courtyard house of a famous Chinese businessman. Carefully restored after a century, this is now a boutique hotel that offers tours during the day.
In the same neighbourhood is a Bhuddist temple,

ornate and lovely.
One Chinese restaurant we went to several times was right near the harbour, and had a tree growing in the middle of it. The kitchen, right at the front of the restaurant, was a wild scene at meal times as the several cooks scrambled to keep up with take away meals as well as eat-in diners. One could choose dinner from the tubs of fresh fish, sea food, several kinds of cooked chicken and all manner of vegetables on display. An order made at the front on the way in was already sizzling by the time we sat down, and served just minutes later. Their fresh prawns in garlic and butter were just fabulous.