Historical Walking Tour of Georgetown, Penang

It all begins at the end.

For what is an ending, 
but a beginning?

We started at the Old Protestant Cemetery.

Stepping into the shade of the trees overshadowing the sole gravel path meandering through the graveyard, suddenly the external world seemed muted. We barely noticed the noise of cars zooming past on the motorway just beside the cemetery, It seemed as if we both were the only people in this little bubble on Earth. I couldn't resist taking a picture:

It reminded me of the Dark Hedges famous in Northern Ireland. 

We decided to go off the beaten track and venture forth between the gravestones to search for the tombstone of the founder of Penang: Captain Francis Light. Angel and I would stop once in awhile to read what was inscribed on the headstones, many of which were artfully crafted. We were sorry to see that many actually died young, around the ages of 20-35, though of what exact causes we weren't exactly sure, but an information board at the front gates of the cemetery stated that people in that period of time were particularly affected by tropical diseases such as malaria. 

Angel showed me the grave of one Thomas Leonowens. Extracting a particular statement from this website, movie buffs will be interested to know that Tomas Leonowens was the husband of Anna, the self-same Anna of the King & I or Anna & the King fame. He was 31 years old when he passed away in 1859, leaving his widow stranded in the East. 

Finally, we came upon the object of our search: the tombstone of Captain Light. It was surprisingly simple, as compared to many of the bigger and more elaborate tombstones surrounding him, However, his was the first in that cemetery so perhaps that is the reason of its size and simplicity.

 After satisfying our morbid affectations for the day, we entered a place as close to heaven as you could get just opposite the cemetery: the Eastern & Oriental Hotel.

We had a pleasant stroll admiring the beautiful scenery guests at the E&O could be expected to see on a daily basis: a gorgeous swimming pool ringed with several coconuts gently swaying in the salty sea breeze, with a waist high sun-warmed wall separating the land from the crashing waves below.

The view from the wall overlooking the waves crashing onto the rocks below

 Regretfully, we left the cooling environment in the E&O Hotel and continued our walk down the Street of Harmony. in which Angel proceeded to point out the four main religion's places of worship which gave the street it's name.

 St George’s Church was the first Anglican church in Southeast Asia, being built in 1816. And right beside it is the Cathedral of Assumption, of Catholic faith. Walking straight down the road, we then came upon the Kuan Yin Teng, a temple dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy and Ma Chor Poh, the protector of sailors. Just next to the temple is a shrine which is another testament to Penang's multicultural diversity: devotees offer joss sticks to a statue of the Hindu Lord Ganesha. Continuing onwards, we pass the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple and suddenly see the minaret and domes of the majestic Kapitan Keling mosque. The mosque is a curious blend of Mughal and Moorish design by a German architect, but the overall effect is that of a tall and impressive building standing proudly at the head of the road of its namesake.

Finally it was time for a bite to eat. We had the famous Penang char koay teow before locating another Penang locality to quench our thirst in burning the heat of the afternoon sun. 

Angel took me  to have a taste of Ais Tingkap, translated as Window Sherbet. It is so named for the location of the stall where a chilled sherbet drink is sold  through a window in the wall of the stall.

As I watched the man start measuring out the concoction of ingredients that I have never seen before with practiced ease and stirring it into a tall glass which turned redder by the second, I started to have doubts about the safety of consuming the mix.

Holding the packet of drink in my hand, I glanced once at Angel to assure myself that she wouldn't trick me into taking anything that would be life-threatening and took my first cautious sip.

It tasted sweet, with a tangy aftertaste, which was rather refreshing, but it was the tiny little balls that were going 'snap' and 'crackle' on my tongue which surprised me...

I LIKED THIS!!!

No wonder it was called 'Window Sherbet'!!!

She asked me if I liked the drink, and my answering smile must have been too wide for her to resist taking this picture:

And so we carried on, me happily sipping my packet of ais tingkap, she patiently explaining the various styles of the shophouses one could find on the streets of Penang. 

By the end of the tour, mine was a happy stomache and a good history lesson on the capital of Penang. I could also correctly identify the various heritage shophouse styles accurately 8 times out of 10 which wasn't bad considering I only learnt about them today.

I must thank Angel for being my gracious tour guide, hostess and great company for the day. I had learnt so much from her, from history to architecture, and even found little hidden gems in Georgetown that I doubt even some of the locals knew about. All in all, it had been a long but fruitful day and I cannot thank Angel enough for her patience and company :) 

Thank you Angel! Do let me know whenever you decide to visit Cameron Highlands again and this time I will take you on a walking tour of Cameron Highlands :)