Day 76: Penang Indonesia - The Bitter Nut

 

Penang got started in 1786 when the British East India Company agreed to pay the local Sultan 8000 Spanish pounds in exchange for the rights to establish a trading port. The port was named Georgetown (after King George III), and the island Prince Edward Island (after his son). The locals called the island Palau Pinang (Bitter Nut Island). The Brits, showing their usual inability to comprehend foreigners, heard “Penang”. .. and the name stuck .. so that's the history of Penang in a nutshell.

But, let's crack on and learn more. Some additional payments (bribes) to the Sultan allowed the area to become part of the Straits Settlement (Malacca, Singapore, and Penang). However, Light acted without the full authority of the BEIC, and tried to renege on the deal. The Sultan attempted to use his military to regain his territory but was repulsed by Light and additional British forces. By 1792 there were 10,000 inhabitants of the city, now established as a freeport, and it continued to grow. About this time, Fort Cornwallis was built (see above) 

By the early 19th century, Penang was the spice capital of this part of Asia, trading in pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and, of course, copious amounts of rice. Fast-forward a century, and Penang was barely impacted by WWI, except for a small naval battle in the harbour between the French, Germans, and Russians. 

WW2, however, brought devastation. In December 1942, the Japanese indiscriminately bombed Georgetown for ten days and then invaded, retaining possession until eventual surrender on August 15th, 1945. The British Royal Marines retook Penang on 2nd September, marking the first territory in Malaya to be repatriated. 

Our tour of Penang covered two different areas. I explored the Funicular up to the top of Temple Hill, and the Kek Lok Si Buddhist temple, while Allison toured Chew Jetty and Market, and Khoo Kongsi. 

The funicular is a nice ride - about 6-7 minutes up 2,000 ft to the top of the hill.

Unfortunately, the air was a bit hazy, and you couldn't get any clear shots of the city. The carriages are "typically Asian" in that there are a few seats, but usually, you're surrounded by a mass of humanity crammed into each section. I learned my lesson from the way up and got a prime standing view on the way down, which I steadfastly refused to give up despite much pushing and muttering. 

The Kek Lok temple is a hike through two parking lots, multiple ramps, and flights of stairs. We are met by a smiling Buddha, probably laughing at us for climbing that far. Then, we can climb at least eight more circular flights of steps to reach the top of the pagoda—all in 93F / 34C temperatures. 

I bought a worry-prayer ribbon for 1 Ringit (about 20 US cents). You can buy different varieties and colours for different prayers. Some are noble - like World Peace, others more practical like "Let My Children Listen To Me" or "Cheerful Mother-In-Law"! My red ribbon was for the health and happiness of family and friends - so I hope you're all feeling better and a little more enlightened.

My Final thought was that the guy selling beer and soda on the way down made a killing!! 

Bonus shots below:

1.    Deity from the Temple Hill.

2.    Shot from Chew Jetty Market across the river.

3.    Tree squirrel. It's 1m ( 3 feet+) long and has a patch of orange fur under its        chin. Friendly and inquisitive, much like our squirrels - only much larger!!

4.    The tortoise pond. You used to be able to drop a tortoise in the pond and              gain an additional level of enlightenment. 

5.    Taking a pause before the final climb. I did that. It's a long way with                     progressively smaller and steeper steps as you get higher.

6.    Inside the halfway-up Buddha temple - this is where I prayed.