Happy New Year!

Leaving Pulau Pangkor was not so easy for me. I'd become accustomed to our lazy sleep ins, swims, hammock swaying and reading. I wasn't really looking forward to another big city but we headed off regardless knowing that there was plenty more of Malaysia to see. Our ferry off the island was quiet and serene compared to the chaos that was the previous Saturday and our bus to Penang straightforward-that is if you didn't look out the driver's window to see how he liked to overtake motorbikes on winding roads...

Penang was an interesting mix of Chinese, Dutch, British and Indian heritage and we arrived on another important weekend to celebrate the conclusion of Chinese New Year. Everywhere we went, there were firecrackers, burning pillars and shops shut as families met to eat, drink and celebrate.
We spent our time wandering through the streets, admiring the architecture and hanging out in restored Chinese mansions. One was the 'Blue Mansion' and the other the 'Green Mansion' which were really interesting. We had a guided tour for the first one and learnt loads about Feng Sui as well as the Chinese people's history in Penang through the meticulously restored house that they've turned part of it into a hotel now, charging

US$500+ a night. The green mansion was a self meander through the many rooms, also fully restored complete with impressive collections of posh crockery from the UK, crystal, linens and silk, gold jewellery and my favourite, the beaded shoes and handbags collected from all over South East Asia. Given mandarins as a blessing for a happy new year, we sat outside the mansion and watched the festivities prepare around us.
One novel tourist trap which I was eager to support was the cat cafe. It had two stories- the first was full of cat souvenirs and the menu for drinks and snacks. We had to order food before we could go upstairs to see the furry friends and Tony was less than impressed to see the prices were three times

the average cost. My pleading eyes must have convinced him however and he kindly relented and accompanied me upstairs. There were two sections- one a cafe with cushions on the floor and a familiar looking IKEA decor and the other, an air conditioned room for my furry friends to relax in and watch the stupid humans who had paid good money to see them sleep.
I immediately went in and chatted to my feline friends, lapping up the opportunity to pat some cats that didn't have mange or fleas. These were beautiful pedigree pusses and one had fur about 10 cm long. They were well loved and clearly I am too by my wonderful supportive husband who detests said creatures.
The rest of the time we wandered the streets with

vague plans to check out the numerous street art murals and sculptures that lured the tourists down narrow lanes in the world heritage area. Many were 3D and my favourite was an old bike that had bamboo steamers on the back with a painting of children hanging out of a window trying to grab out the sweet snacks that the steamers contained. On one of our walks I spotted a puppetry shop which ended up being the only place in Malaysia where Chinese puppetry and opera is performed. We returned later on that night to watch a performance of life size interactive puppetry mines with opera. The puppet was amazing - the actress had it attached on her hips and her costume suggested that her legs were in fact a man's. A man's head and arms had been created to look like

she was sitting on his back. Very cool. The story was of a woman who had married a lovely man and her sister was jealous so she had set fire to her house in jealousy. The sisters brother had rescued the lady out of the burning house-hence the need to carry her on his back. Waiting for the show to begin, we started chatting to the lad next to us who was Malaysian and he explained the significance of the costumes, puppets and subtle Chinese clan meanings that he also was a part of. I felt very lucky to have been able to talk to him and learn so much about a part of Chinese culture that I have known very little about. He also shared with us many stories about his own upbringing and shine light on the Malay customs.
The rest of our time in Penang was spent eating our way around town and in doing so, I particularly noticed the intricate architecture- particularly doors and windows in the Chinese homes and got a greater appreciation for Chinese culture and traditions. Being in Malaysia for Chinese New Year has been really fascinating and I think I'd like to go to China now.....
We returned to KL for one last night and found the restaurant open that Mel had suggested to us to eat at. The laksa was super, the antiques beautiful and we reflected on what had been an amazing few weeks in Malaysia. We had seen so many things and had found some special places as well as having an easy and enjoyable trip.
Thanks Malaysia!