Pangkor and Penang

We were escorted to our slip in Pangkor Marina, a favorite place for boats hauling out for repairs and bottom paint. The place was not as fancy as Port Dixon (they had a pool and a big building with a restaurant, bar and meeting rooms), but still very friendly and welcoming.

We joined an impromptu thanksgiving potluck by throwing together some coleslaw and a risotto. Cruisers are not picky, they sincerely appreciate someone else cooking for a change. Take your own drinks and place settings and join in. The Marina chipped in with satay sticks which was delicious and unexpected. The potluck organizer, from the boat Second Sun, had everyone say something they were grateful for, which is something we do every thanksgiving also. I said Starlink because we can easily connect with family.

Took a ferry ride the next day to the island with the Dutch fort which is also Pankor. It was a small fort, only had 3 walls, but was popular with tours and schools. Saw our first Oriental Pied hornbill which was very cooperative and photogenic up on his post.

Piling back into our pink taxi van we stopped by a mosque situated picturesquely on the Straits. As long as you took your shoes off you could look in. It was very open air like I’ve always imagined Greek temples to be, with columns and statues in niches and respectful worshipers.

Next was a Taoist temple complex which looked like a theme park. There was a restaurant/snack shop where we had popsicles, a huge unfinished dragon that serpentined around a tower with assorted viewpoints to overlook the tower and extensive grounds on a large hillside. Tucked behind an entrance gate were open air rooms of worship and places to leave offerings and light incense. The children that were there were having a great time running up the paths and on the little floating bridge and watching the turtles and goldfish in their ponds. There was a spectacular view from the top looking over the Straits, made it worth the climb.

We left the next day for Penang, staying 3 nights at the Straits Quay. Bree and Simon took a couple days on their own and explored Georgetown separately. There were shops and murals (juried by the town council), restaurants and coffee shops. We took a half hour tour by Becha to some of the popular sights —mostly photo opportunities of murals painted in alleys and on the sides of buildings. Some were interactive and people took turns posing with the painted characters. It was a very photogenic place; we took lots of pictures.

We walked out to Jettytown, where the Chinese moved to when assessed with property taxes, so they built out over the water.

Try to tax that!

The jetties extended quite a ways and were lined with shophouses on one level instead of the two or three they’d had in town. The shops were on a porch with the houses behind and a walkway between. Jon remarked on the white buckets they’d creatively used for their pilings under the walkways and houses —just fill them with concrete and stack them up.