Penang
After a breezy 10am flight lasting just twenty-five minutes, we touched down in Penang, ready to drop our bags at our new Airbnb, a towering thirty-storey high-rise apartment right in the centre of George Town. Talk about a change from our chill, hammock swinging days at Langkawi! We tossed our bags in and set out to explore the island. A previous Grab driver in Kuala Lumpur had told us that George Town, the vibrant and multicultural capital of this island, would be buzzing with Chinese New Year festivities, given that over 40% of the population here is Chinese. We were excited to explore!
Our first stop was an incredible cake shop owned by a friend of a friend of my Mum’s - proof that the six degrees of separation theory is alive and well! It was the perfect starting point, and even better, the cakes were absolutely to die for! Unfortunately, they had just sold the last slice of apple crumble, which would have been Floss’s pick, and there wasn’t anything that took Fin’s fancy, but the rest of us were more than happily indulged. We chatted with the lovely owner, who had pictures of Guildford and Surrey adorning the walls, and asked for some tips and recommendations for the area. Her enthusiastic advice - go anywhere, there’s so much to see!
We strolled through the streets, soaking in the new atmosphere and searching for some lunch. Everyone was pretty hungry now and we could feel everyone starting to unravel. Despite the quick and breezy flight, it was still a travel day, complete with the joy of getting six people ready to be at the airport at 8am, returning the rental car, printing boarding passes and luggage tags x6 while the kids test our patience and turn into tornadoes in the long queue, waiting around in the airport, the buzz of the plane, and then the overwhelming arrival in a new place. Even though it was a short flight, all of these factors all add to the “happy family” mix! Now add hunger and heat to it and we were all one step away from a meltdown.. in fact Fin was already well into one! We ambled past all the charming markets and then the kids spotted the iconic golden arches... of course, they couldn't resist. Cue a peaceful twenty minutes as they devoured their gourmet nuggets, and we were ready to hit the streets again.
It quickly became clear we were fighting a battle we were destined to lose. I was super keen to dive into George Town's famous street art scene, hunting down the famous streets covered in artwork. It's meant to be like an open-air gallery with paintings on the walls and creative installations. The routes I had in mind were between two and five kilometres, so all easy to do, but dragging tired and grumpy kids along? Not ideal, especially in thirty plus degrees. Sure, we could have just powered through, and Dan was all for it, but sometimes you just need to pick your battles, right? Knowing there was an infinity pool waiting on the top floor of our apartment building, I was more than happy to call it a day and head back. Everyone could unwind and tomorrow is a new day for adventure. Plus, an early, relaxing movie night sounded perfect. Lets not forget that they've just had over a week of late night frog hunting with their little Argentinian friend, whose family doesn't even start making their dinner until 9pm. It had all caught up with them - and us!
It turns out that tonight was the grand finale of the Chinese year, with the Lunar New Year kicking off tomorrow on January 29th, ushering in the Year of the Snake. And wow, do they know how to celebrate! The fireworks were a nonstop show for hours, definitely rivalling the Bali New Year festivities. We even learned something new - the fireworks are not only a celebration of the New Year, but also a way to ward off evil spirits. Plus, whoever sets off the first firework of the New Year is believed to be blessed with good luck. No wonder everyone was in a race to be first, starting from around 8pm! Forget about the film night, we had front row seats to the fireworks from our balcony. Watching them with a viewpoint from above on the 19th floor was a first for us and was a whole new level of awesome. And let me tell you, it went on for hours!
I'm glad to report that the next day, everyone woke up in better form and slightly more balanced energy levels after a good rest, and we set out to discover the famous street art. We started at the vibrant Armenian Street, a pedestrian-friendly area renowned for its rich cultural offerings and the perfect starting point for the trail, all of it nestled within the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site. We ended up doing the 5km loop around the Old Town, uncovering most, but not all, of the incredible installations. Searching for the art turned into a fun task, with the interactive artworks and iron installations looking amazing against the town's weathered facades and eclectic mix of buildings. Plus, with Chinese lanterns adorning every corner in celebration of the Chinese New Year, the entire area was extra beautiful and festive. I absolutely loved exploring all the art and how it brilliantly captures the daily life of the people of Penang with such sweetness and humour. It was a delightful way to experience the area.
But oh, the joys of travelling with four kids! It's always like playing a game of, "Who's Unhappy Today?" Yesterday, it was Fin's turn and today, Floss took the spotlight. She just couldn't handle the heat and the busyness of the city streets. Just as our art hunt was turning into a quest for survival, we stumbled upon a charming little cafe. Milkshakes to the rescue! With everyone’s energy levels plummeting with the heat again, we collectively decided to head back to the hotel. I totally get that adjusting to new places can be a lot for them, and Floss is never a fan of city life. So, back we went, ready to relax for a few hours. The girls fancied a gym session, and of course, another dip in the rooftop pool was mandatory! It would be rude not to.
The plan was for all of us to venture out for dinner, being that George Town is also renowned for its street food, but rallying the troops was quite the challenge! Dan and I surrendered to the idea of a peaceful evening and decided not to drag them along. The cupboards were stocked with plenty of essentials, they could easily fend for themselves for a couple of hours. Pops had a change of heart and decided to join us, and we had a perfect little evening exploring the authentic, rustic, and most importantly, cooler streets of George Town, and soaking in the vibrant culture with just one kiddo in tow - what a breeze!
We had grand plans to escape the city chaos and head up to Penang Hill the next day, dreaming of fresh air, greenery, and a morning without bumping into a million people! It also meant taking a ride on Malaysia's one-and-only funicular railway, which we were excited to compare to the Corcovado funicular at Christ the Redeemer in Rio. But when we arrived via our Grab, we were met with absolute chaos! Although the ticket queue wasn't too daunting, we were shocked to be told that the wait for the train was over two hours! With Fin bouncing around like his usual energetic self, there was no way we could manage to wait in that bustling, noisy and confined space for so long! It was such a pity as we were all looking forward to enjoying the views of the city from above.
So, Plan B, we decided to take a trip to The Upside Down Museum that Phoebe had spotted yesterday back in town for a bit of fun and to re-capture the kids' attention. Talk about a brain teaser! This place does a number on your eyes and balance, flipping everything topsy-turvy! The museum is designed to mimic old Chinese houses in Penang, complete with living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and more. Even the outside area has the street art we found yesterday (though I'm not sure how effective it is with the sky painted upside down?). Spoiler alert - everything, from the sofa to the bathtub, is glued to the ceiling. The detail in each room is incredible - toiletries by the sink, cleaning products on the shelves, toilet paper, products in the fridge, and more. It's all so well done that we couldn't work out how it was going to look until we got home and had a blast flipping through all the photos. Absolutely worth the visit and a load of fun.
We've become obsessed with Boost Juices since arriving in Malaysia - a juice and smoothie bar chain whipping up healthy concoctions from fresh fruit and veggies. With the challenge of finding our usual meal ingredients in different countries and not always feeling like we are hitting our 5-a-day, discovering this chain has been perfect. It became our go-to ‘elevenses’ in Langkawi with the girls getting into the routine of walking into the nearby town to grab them for us. Anyway, we found one here too so eagerly ordered our "usuals" and headed back again to the Airbnb for a relaxing afternoon. Everyone got online with their learning - English, maths, Duolingo - everyone seeming happily engaged with this side of things again. After a couple of hours, the girls hit the gym again, the younger ones splashed around in the pool, and we all soaked up the sun from the rooftop for a couple of hours, finishing off with fifteen minutes in the sauna. Maybe we're finally mastering the art of enjoying city life!
With everyone in high spirits tonight, we all head into town together! The night before, after exploring China Town and Little India with Poppy (and devouring a delightful curry), we had our sights on the other side of George Town at the Chew Jetty this evening. Conveniently located right across the way is The Jetty Food Court - like a street food market but all undercover. We picked from several different stalls - there must be around twenty to thirty different options - and selected a delicious mix of rice and noodle dishes to share, and yes, a couple of portions of chips as our trusty sidekick! Everyone handled the chaos brilliantly - imagine the noise in a school dining hall multiplied by a thousand. They all settled in and enjoyed observing the local eating habits and the interesting array of foods available. Plus, seeing the different dining techniques - mostly chopsticks or hands, with a couple of forks thrown in! It all went much better than expected, which was fantastic, as we were definitely anticipating the noise and crowds might be challenging for the AuDHDs. I believe (and hope) that through this journey, having the space to reflect and time to talk about our different brain setups, has given us all an opportunity to learn how to handle these diverse situations, which will hopefully stick with us when we head back home.
With our tummies stuffed, we bravely darted across the bustling road to meander through the Chew Jetty. It's one of six wooden stilt-house waterside villages dating from the 19th century, where everyone belongs to a specific Chinese clan. At the entrance, a gorgeous temple welcomes you, and inside, shops offer everything from snacks and drinks to quirky trinkets and souvenirs, all nestled among the residential homes. We reminded the kids to respect the residents' privacy, but we all couldn't resist the intriguing glimpses into their homes as we strolled by - it's so interesting. Reaching the end, the sea view and another undiscovered piece of street art was a perfect bonus, and it was wonderful chatting with the kids about how the daily life here contrasts so much to our own. Really glad we all made it out together tonight to experience this.
As our time in Malaysia comes to a close, we are so pleased that we spontaneously decided to include it in our plans! We've loved the unique vibes of all three places we've visited and, as always, wish we could explore even more. Penang has been a perfect end point with its vibrant melting pot of culture and religion. As mentioned in a previous post, it's been amazing to see everyone living together in harmony, with acceptance, respect and kindness. George Town stands out as the perfect showcase of this diversity, all reflected in its architecture and lively street life. We've wandered the streets, joining people as they light incense sticks at colourful temples, feeling the spiritual connection as the scent of the joss sticks fill the air. At the same time, the Call to Prayer resonates through the town, all while we stroll under the red Chinese lanterns adorning the city streets. We feel incredibly fortunate to have experienced a place that so brilliantly blends diversity - something that's quite a challenge when living in a small village in the South of England!
Time to soak in one more city sunrise before heading back to Indonesia again, where North Sumatra and another jungle trek awaits... trying not to get our hopes up too much but we're crossing our fingers, toes, and maybe even our eyes that the orangutans decide to join the Destecroix party!
