Penang.1

George Town, Penang - also a place of longing, a melting pot of cultures. How often I have been here since 1988 - I don't know. If we were ever to seek a base, a hub in Southeast Asia, this is where we would likely settle.

We travel by night train from Thailand to Malaysia. At 2:00 AM, I wake up to go to the bathroom. Looking out the window, I realize we are stopping at the Surat Thani train station, from where the ferry to Koh Samui departs. Not an option! At 8:00 AM, we reach the border crossing at Padang Besar. Immigration procedures, train transfer, a modern commuter train runs between Padang Besar and Butterworth, from where the ferry crosses to George Town. What strikes us immediately: Malaysia is incredibly clean. No litter!

We have booked three nights, two full days before proceeding to the island of Langkawi. We spend the first day on an excursion to the beach at Batu Ferringhi, 20 km outside the city, popular especially with local tourists. We don't remember it like this: The cleanliness is impressive here as well. Malaysia seems to be doing a lot against the plastic that otherwise desecrates the environment everywhere.

Unfortunately, this weekend the funicular does not operate up to Penang Hill due to maintenance work. Instead, we take a walk through the old town of George Town on the second day, a UNESCO World Heritage site, famous for its street art. Just like in Thailand, there are many vacancies here, barred doors where undelivered, unopened letters accumulate.

At 'Edelweiss' on Armenian Street, which has been run for many years by Urs, a Swiss man, and his Malaysian wife, we learn that Penang has also not recovered from Covid. Many shops have not reopened, tourism has changed. Every day, streams of tourists flow through Armenian Street. Urs complains that some come in, order coffee and cake, take a picture, then leave everything behind.