The bags came in quite fast and we quickly headed out of the airport to find our ride into Georgetown. Our driver, Francis, was right there waiting for us with a placard, with toothless grin. Francis was a Pernankan with mixed-ancestry - Malay, Indian and Chinese, but looked very, very Indian, I would say Goan to be precise.
Our cab was a Proton car, the Proton Waja, which is said to be the national car of Malaysia. The car was a pet project of Malaysia's legendary Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. Work on the car started in the early 1980s and the first car rolled out in 1985. Later, in the heady 1990s, Proton tried to expand internationally, and India was one of the targets, but nothing really moved. Today, the Proton remains the preferred brand of most Malaysians as it's cheaper and easy to maintain.
Our 30-minute drive into Georgetown, the capital of Penang state, located at the northern end of the island from the airport at Bayan Lebas in the south, was quite uneventful.
We passed by the legendary clan jetties and took a turn left into Little India, a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Georgetown, where our hotel, the East Indies was located.
The manager, JC, greeted us and asked to wait as our room was being prepared. So we had a look around. East Indies seemed to be an interesting property, and that's why we chose it in the very first place. And yes, it was undoubtedly cheap, but incredibly classy at the same time!
To be honest, we weren't disappointed. East Indies was exactly what it promised - a charming and cozy heritage property right in the midst of the protected UNESCO World Heritage Site. Indeed, there couldn't have been a better welcome into Pulau Pinang!
Chinese guardian lions, or the shi, welcoming us...
Antiques from the heydays when Penang was an important commercial centre...
Photographs of people who had been associated with this mansion in the past!
What a great place to relax...
Small, neat and amazingly beautiful...
A portrait of Koh Lay Huan, a Chinese trader who had constructed this mansion...
As we waited for our room to get ready, we stepped out next door to the Sri Ananda Bhawan to grab a quick meal. And there was authentic South Indian food on offer, as they call it "meals"...
The food was simple and delicious, though we order a plate of bhurji - spicy scrambled eggs for an extra kick of protein to go with the meals...
In sometime we got our room...
Quaint and tastefully decorated with Chinese symbols and motifs, the room looked very inviting...
There was barely any time to rest, we have packed afternoon on our schedule as we head out to Kek Lok Si Temple at Ayer Itam and the Bukit Bendera (Penang Hill)...
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