George Town, Malaysia, 2023ko martxoaren 19a

Today we visited our second port in Malaysia, Georgetown. It will also be our last port in Malaysia. The planned stop in Langkawi was cancelled because Cunard allegedly had concerns about safety while tendering.

We explored Georgetown on foot. It is a relatively affluent city in Southeast Asia, similar to Kuala Lumpur. However, it is still more authentic than Kuala Lumpur. The residents are proud that their city is part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

One thing that is typical is the air quality; the smell of burning and decaying waste heaps is noticeable everywhere, and waste disposal is usually done on the ground or in the water. If no one cleans it up, it stays there.

Furthermore, you can see the different ethnicities and religions in the street life. There is a temple on every corner, whether it's a Buddhist, Hindu, Chinese/Confucian temple, Christian church, or mosque.

The 'old' Georgetown, named after King George V, is characterized by numerous colonial buildings.

The street art and the various settlements on stilts or on the water are also interesting.

After walking around and exploring in over 30°C, we returned to the ship briefly to rest and shower.

In the evening, we went to a famous old hotel in the area, the Eastern & Oriental Hotel. Originally, we wanted to dine there, but instead we had an extensive aperitif and returned to the ship. The temperature was more pleasant in the evening, and there was quite a buzz. There are also several food stalls with communal tables, similar to the market hall in Basel.

We will arrive in Singapore around noon the day after tomorrow and stay there for 2 1/2 days.