today is New Year’s Eve. That’s the Chinese Lunar new year of course. It’s a big thing both in Malaysia and especially Georgetown due to its huge Chinese community. After the good old East India Company founded Georgetown on the Prince of Wales Island (modern day Penang) the Chinese started arriving looking for work. They founded their own community but were prone to falling out and fighting between the different clans. To sort this problem each clan built its own “Clan Jetty” out into the bay. Each named after a different clan such as Wong, Wo and Lee.They are still here and are part of the UNESCO site. People still live and work on them and each is its own little town. Shops, cafes houses all strung out on the wooden piers.
This morning we made our way to the two large Buddhist temples on the outskirts of Georgetown. About a forty minute walk along the main road. It was hot. The temperature is nudging 40 degrees most of the time. We could have got a taxi but the walk did Crispy good. We were both sweating like pit ponies when we got there but once she had rehydrated I feel sure she enjoyed it. The two temples face each other on both sides of a small side street. The one on the left Burmese and the one on the right Thai.
We spent all morning and most of the early afternoon looking around both of these temples. The architecture and style are quite different. The Burmese temple understated and serene and the Thai overstated and brash. The outside statuary of the Thai temple really reminded us of the Golden Palace in Bangkok. Both temples were busy with people preparing for the celebrations. Thousands of candles and incense sticks stood at the ready for lighting this evening to welcome in the new year. Crispy and I received a blessing from an aged Monk. It doesn’t matter if you believe in this kind of stuff or not it is still beautiful and emotional . After all what harm can it do and I’ll take all the help we can get. Crispy bought a candle for everyone we know and loved ones we have lost. The monks will light it tonight at 9pm with the thousands of others already there.i hope they have a big box of matches as it’s going to take a while.
After a glorious couple of hours we set off back into Georgetown. A bite to eat and a walk around the Clan Jetty’s. They were very quiet with people celebrating the coming new year in their houses with their families. If we get chance we will go back as they are supposed to be really special when they are busy.
The Hawkers markets are closed for the next two nights so we had to eat elsewhere. We settled on a little bar in Love Lane. Supposedly it is where the rich and famous gentry of Georgetown kept their secret ladies away from their wives. It became famous as a backpackers strip and as such has hawked up the prices because it is famous. Similar to the Kho San road Bangkok Or St Marks Plaza in Venice. Needs must when the devil drives so we had to bite the bullet and pay top whack. Tomorrow we will try the Little India quarter as it will be open and considerably cheaper.
I’ve not mentioned prices or the local cost of essentials thus far. In Vietnam the exchange rate was 30,000 Dong to the pound. Hence ten pounds Sterling gets you 300,000. The average cost of a street food meal is around 30,000 and a restaraunt around 120,000. Beer costs between 10,000 and 15,000 . Wine and spirits are very expensive with a glass of local wine costing 200,000 to 300,000. Malaysia is only slightly more expensive at only 5 ringit to the pound? Street food at the Hawkers market between 7 and 15 ringit. Beer on average works out at 7 - 15 ringit depending where you go. Transport, soft drinks and essentials are very cheap compared to the uk. In both countries buses are incredibly cheap. Grab bikes. Reasonable and taxis pricey.
Fireworks and fire crackers were whizzing and banging in different parts of Chinatown all evening.
Tomorrow is when the celebrations start in Ernest so it should be interesting to see.
Bare and Crispy signing off, Georgetown Malaysia 🇲🇾
This morning we made our way to the two large Buddhist temples on the outskirts of Georgetown. About a forty minute walk along the main road. It was hot. The temperature is nudging 40 degrees most of the time. We could have got a taxi but the walk did Crispy good. We were both sweating like pit ponies when we got there but once she had rehydrated I feel sure she enjoyed it. The two temples face each other on both sides of a small side street. The one on the left Burmese and the one on the right Thai.
We spent all morning and most of the early afternoon looking around both of these temples. The architecture and style are quite different. The Burmese temple understated and serene and the Thai overstated and brash. The outside statuary of the Thai temple really reminded us of the Golden Palace in Bangkok. Both temples were busy with people preparing for the celebrations. Thousands of candles and incense sticks stood at the ready for lighting this evening to welcome in the new year. Crispy and I received a blessing from an aged Monk. It doesn’t matter if you believe in this kind of stuff or not it is still beautiful and emotional . After all what harm can it do and I’ll take all the help we can get. Crispy bought a candle for everyone we know and loved ones we have lost. The monks will light it tonight at 9pm with the thousands of others already there.i hope they have a big box of matches as it’s going to take a while.
After a glorious couple of hours we set off back into Georgetown. A bite to eat and a walk around the Clan Jetty’s. They were very quiet with people celebrating the coming new year in their houses with their families. If we get chance we will go back as they are supposed to be really special when they are busy.
The Hawkers markets are closed for the next two nights so we had to eat elsewhere. We settled on a little bar in Love Lane. Supposedly it is where the rich and famous gentry of Georgetown kept their secret ladies away from their wives. It became famous as a backpackers strip and as such has hawked up the prices because it is famous. Similar to the Kho San road Bangkok Or St Marks Plaza in Venice. Needs must when the devil drives so we had to bite the bullet and pay top whack. Tomorrow we will try the Little India quarter as it will be open and considerably cheaper.
I’ve not mentioned prices or the local cost of essentials thus far. In Vietnam the exchange rate was 30,000 Dong to the pound. Hence ten pounds Sterling gets you 300,000. The average cost of a street food meal is around 30,000 and a restaraunt around 120,000. Beer costs between 10,000 and 15,000 . Wine and spirits are very expensive with a glass of local wine costing 200,000 to 300,000. Malaysia is only slightly more expensive at only 5 ringit to the pound? Street food at the Hawkers market between 7 and 15 ringit. Beer on average works out at 7 - 15 ringit depending where you go. Transport, soft drinks and essentials are very cheap compared to the uk. In both countries buses are incredibly cheap. Grab bikes. Reasonable and taxis pricey.
Fireworks and fire crackers were whizzing and banging in different parts of Chinatown all evening.
Tomorrow is when the celebrations start in Ernest so it should be interesting to see.
Bare and Crispy signing off, Georgetown Malaysia 🇲🇾
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