Day 2, Wednesday 23 October 2013 - Georgetown

Chasing wild geese..... I wake up to a hot coffee and snack left over from yesterday, but there is just one thing on my mind. I'm aware that I have only booked for one night at Grand Inn and have to secure another night, at least, here. Rather than extend this booking I decide to check out alternatives: Something cheaper or closer to the city, perhaps. This notion will lead me on a wild goose chase and practically waste a morning. The only options I find are either more expensive or fully booked. I don't need the Ritz but neither do I need some backpacker's room with shared facilities. I make my way sheepishly back to Grand Inn having covered a couple of miles on foot. At Grand Inn the room is available, but it will cost me more. Why? It's because I get a discount through booking online. Ok I say. So I will sign in online and get the discount. Yes that's acceptable they say, so I log on. The problem is the system says the hotel is fully booked. Unable to proceed further I pay the extra. OK it's only 5 Ringgit more. While writing up these notes I do get one bit of good news off the TV. Chelsea has just stuffed Shalke 04 so that's a real lift!
Street Art..... It's time to see really what Penang has to offer, so I hop on a city bus to see where it takes me. The inbound bus 101, I know, heads for the Jetty but when it arrives it's packed full. The only consolation is that it's very small change. Wishing only to have lunch first, I get off in Kontar. I had walked it in the morning. Now in a side street I find a Thai style restaurant but still struggle with the names of dishes in the local language. Fortunately, they almost always taste wonderful. From here I head further into the city into Chinatown finding myself in Jalan Penang. Now, without realizing it, I stumble across Georgetown's 'Street Art' which has popped up all over the city since the Georgetown Festival of 2012. They consist of unique wrought-iron caricatures with anecdotal descriptions of the streets that they adorn. There is even a map listing 52 sites. How many will we find? A kind lady suggests I use the shuttle bus which does a circuit around the city for free. Good advice! It helps me find my way to the Esplanade.
Past conflicts..... From the bus stop outside St Georges Church it's just a 5-minute walk. Here you get a good view across the bay to the mainland and this area is certainly not without historical significance. I come here principally to get a timeline on the history of the island and there is no better place to start from than Fort Cornwallis the landing point for the island's founder, Francis Light but before that there are other clues to the island's past. To the left near the waterfront is the old City Hall, now under restoration. Then, on the waterfront are several reminders of recent 20th century conflict. A 1914-1918 war memorial stands proudly on a pedestal. Curiously it is surrounded by an iron rail and locked: Protecting it from what, I ask? Besides the memorial is a Malaysian war veterans' association memorial stone reminding us that conflict continued here well into the second half of the century. Along the waterfront to the left is another of Penang's food courts, but before that is a simple iron post marked 'German Heritage Trail'.
An information board explains the significance of this site and a pointer to an incident which took place at the start of WW1 when the German cruiser SMS Emden was in dock after a raid on Penang. Finally, along the waterfront to the right of the esplanade is Fort Cornwallis itself. It's well worth a visit for a minimal entrance fee and I spend a good hour here. The significance of this location and the first landing here of Francis Light in 1786 needs to be given a chapter of its own.
More lost time..... It's getting late in the afternoon and I need to head back. There is a bus terminal near the Jetty where the service 101 terminates. It's another walk, although I could have waited for the shuttle bus. I instinctively inquire about my return to Grand Inn, but the driver is hesitant about me using this service. He's right to be. Grand Inn is on a one-way street which is fine for inbound traffic. Outbound is a different matter. He drops me off along a parallel road but quite honestly I miss several opportunities to get off the bus and save time. The extra walk was not what I wanted after my morning's excursion and I still need to go out again for dinner.
Hong Kong Tea Garden..... As mentioned the previous evening, I had a Guinness in a Chinese food court. This evening is a repeat except that I take my evening meal here too; fish sweet and sour. I've done plenty of walking today but to sum up I've managed to keep well within my budget by eating local food and using local transport and followed an important heritage trail as well.
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