We stayed in Georgetown, Penang at about the same amount of time it took us to get there – a total of 10 hours from Kuala Lumpur, and back. It wasn’t really much of a bother as the ride was smooth and it afforded views of the Malaysian countryside I haven’t seen.

Add to this my determination to go to Penang because of all the things I’ve read about it in publications like 1000 Places to See Before You Die and more recently New York Times’ 44 Places to Go in 2009. Curious old me wanted to see what the hype was all about.

And glad to say I wasn’t disappointed. Sure,it had all the tourist traps like not being picture-pretty clean and those trikes possibly overcharging me in their quest to earn a living. The place wins on the fact that it had oodles of character, if those ancient shops, buildings and temples aren’t proof enough.

Most of all, Penang lived and breathed food 24/7. The hawker food was far from antiseptic but it was whipped up so delectably from the stalls of seasoned cooking mamas. It should rightfully be put on top of any foodie’s must-go-to list.

Anyway, our trip to Penang began and ended with a passage through the beautiful Penang Bridge, the third longest in the world. I was only able to take this candid shot from our tourist bus.

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