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TRAVEL
228
June15
Walk: Cool breeze
At 800 metres,
Penang Hill
is an escape from the tropical heat.
A half-day trip to the hill combines a swift funicular ride with
sweeping views, and a welcome cooling breeze. Prior to its
opening in 1924 (the newest train came into service in 2011),
the British reached the hill station via horses and sedan chairs.
Aside from city views, a mosque, an Indian temple and short
buggy rides, there’s little to keep tourists for long at the top.
Some stop for a cool drink and a meal at the hawkers, or at
David Brown’s Restaurant and Tea Terrace
. Keen to work
up an appetite, we chose to walk the roughly five kilometres
down hill on a combination of sealed road, paved residential
thoroughfares and a rough dirt mountain-bike track. In the lush
forests we were rewarded for our efforts with the sighting of the
very cute spectacled langur (or dusky leaf monkey), named for
the white rings around its eyes.
Unsurprisingly, given the absence of signage, there were
few people walking on our route, although several spritely
60-somethings (and that’s a conservative estimate) did pass
us in the other direction, making the steep, calf-burning ascent.
Shop: Heritage traders
Much of the pleasure of a visit to Georgetown is the aimless
wandering and casual observation of the city’s diverse and
industrious people. It’s always been a trading port, with a
harmonious confluence of Malay, European, Chinese and Indian
cultures.
Many traditional businesses remain in shophouses in varying
stages of decay or restoration – rattan weavers, flower garland
makers, bookbinders and perfumers. A metal forger, complete
with massive ship anchors, sits alongside a pastry-maker
famed for egg tarts, and across from a bike hire shop. This
jumbled chaos has its own charm, especially when contrasted
with Singapore’s orderliness and modernity. Shoppers will find
18-ringgit knockoff Fedora hats, kitsch souvenirs, old-school
enamelware trays, art and high-end street photography.
Georgetown has so much to discover, and I’m looking forward
to another visit soon.