Penang
TL;DR
Day 1
Flight to Penang
Short, probably slept through it
Really shouldn’t have skimped on this. Not that we were deceived, but in hindsight cramming five men into one room was an awful idea, made worse by eating a messy pasar malam dinner.
A time machine to 80s Singapore. Three times cheaper and three times bigger than pitiful S'pore pasar malams. Parking is a shambles, with vehicles stopped roadside and even along the central divider. Of course, I contributed to the chaos. The street was crowded, but not to the extent of having to jostle. Seating is available, but scarce. Had to make do with eating in our miserably cramped hotel room. The typical pasar malam fare- twister potatoes, fried fritters, Penang Laksa, Thai milk tea, apam balik etc. Oh, the apam balik was extraordinary- crisp and savory when eaten on the spot. Thai milk tea was sock-brewed on the spot, and frothed like a latte, well worth the sleepless night afterwards.
Day 2
Dim Sum Breakfast (Tai Tong)
The mostly Chinese Penangites seem particularly civic minded, with a vast majority voluntarily wearing masks. In fact, our maskless-ness ended up attracting the service staff's chagrin.
More objectively, at about RM20/pax, it's an excellent value option. Was worth the wait outside for seats. Typical Malaysian dimsum place with no menu- just point to order.
Bad idea. No wonder the rates dropped from RM25 to RM20 in the past months. Staff were quite indifferent, but the city was the real problem. Georgetown seems designed with horse carriages rather than e-scooters in mind. E-scooters are banned on the roads but more often than not, there are simply no flat pavements to scooter on. Besides a few half-baked attempts at bike paths, Penang is more suited to pedestrian traffic.
Santorini-style minimalism and an attempt at ‘authenticity’ with gelato served in a cup and kept in metal containers. A welcome relief from the Penang heat and bustle
Election Season
Party flags everywhere. Blue weighing scales personnel spotted at the pasar malam.
Lunch
Excellent and affordable western cuisine in a shophouse.
Driving
Don't drive in Penang. In fact, just don't go to Penang. Some locals drive like lunatics with death wishes and the endless congestion is just unbearable.
Parking
Legal lots are scarce, and expensive. Free parking is available for the imaginative
Bowling (Penang Bowl)
Your typical Malaysian alley- complimentary pity points and strikes included.
Going Airport
Worst possible time to be stuck in traffic. A crazed drive and a lot of anxiety later, we arrived at the airport a mere 25 minutes before take-off. Captain and a stewardess were literally waiting for us at document check. Boarding gate closed the moment we stepped in. Guess we fully utilized our time in Penang.
Flight to Singapore
Relief more than anything to even get onto the flight.
Cab Home
60kmh in condo roads, 140 on the expressway, this cabbie was in a real hurry. Missing an exit didn’t help. Apparently had a scheduled booking after us.