Publicados: 02.06.2018
Malaysia - Langkawi - GEORGE TOWN - Kuantan - Taman Negara National Park
🎥Video for the article:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbcl9IZN3ks
From the first steps fully packed, we felt that it will be our city, and in the days here, our feeling was confirmed.
The thousand alleys that can quickly lead to disorientation enchant you with their charm and flair. In one alley, there were people enjoying the street art, like me (Emely); Finn said: "Emely sometimes looked like a Pokemon Go player!". In another alley, there were small cute shops or restaurants and cafes. In others, there was street food, and if you turned twice, you could suddenly find yourself in a very quiet alley where only locals have their apartments.
As you can see, it's enough to walk through this city aimlessly to get to know it. But this time, thanks to the travel guide, we went a bit more planned and took a bicycle to visit some temples, mosques, or churches. Yes, you heard right, almost all religions together in one city. It's hard to believe, but they have been living peacefully together for many years, making the city what it is.
The island of Penang was a gift to the English East India Company because in 1786 Sir Francis Light helped the Sultan of Kedah in their name to defend against the attacks of the Siamese, and so George Town became a trading post and gained its cultural mix. In addition to the Malays, the Chinese and Indians are also more represented, practicing their culture very traditionally from their home country. Only the language was lost, so now everyone speaks Malay. This is why there are mosques represented by the Malays, Hindu temples by the Indians, Buddhist temples by the Chinese, and churches by the English. These different influences are also reflected in the architecture, with many English influences mixed with all other cultures, but that's exactly what makes it so interesting and cute. Most houses only have two floors, which makes the streets seem cozier. But on the outskirts of the city, you can also discover a few skyscrapers, as well as a large container port.
In George Town, there is "Little India" and a British quarter near the ferry port. The nice thing about "Little India" was that you could get Indian delicacies there, and of course, loud Indian music was played on the streets. A little Indian flair in Malaysia for us.
In general, we really liked the diverse food culture in George Town and the cozy homey feeling it gave us. Finn found a basketball team to play with on the second day, and the people in the city welcomed us with open arms at any time.
Originally, only two days were planned, but they were quickly extended.
But don't worry, we won't stay in George Town, we will say goodbye with a heavy heart and move on. Maybe we'll see each other again 😊