Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa and Georgetown!

Georgetown Street

Well our day began at the Rasa Sayang Resort, at a shopping event put on by a company called "Spiral Synergy" we have hooked up with them twice before, for the Orang-utan reserve trip and the Tri-Shaw treasure hunt. This was an event showcasing local artisans and crafts. We of course found 100 things we could not live without. We only bought a few, mostly Indian linens, however Roxanne and Brenna both got some small art pieces, Roxanne a small clutch purse and Brenna a sewn hamster key chain. We also saw some original Chinese Flags that were antiques. the detail and craftsmanship were astounding and for the price we almost bought one of them as well, we took the card of the seller though and will get back to him after the rug and furniture event next week (when we see how much we spend there!). We hurried home, to get down to Georgetown and meet a colleague of Roxanne's at Amelie's Cafe, which is supposed to be a great "off the beaten path" place to eat. The rain made things a bit rough, but no problem getting there, we met "Victor" at the cafe, and had a really nice lunch, to include some delicious "Longan and Lime freezes"!!

Amelies' Cafe

We pressed on to the Cheah Kongsi Clan house, one of the nicer clan houses along the Armenian Street walk, and I would say in Georgetown itself, not as big as the Khoo Kongsi, or as opulent, but very nice indeed, and offered up some great picture opportunities for us all. It was however getting HOT!! the rain had cooled it down for a bit, but the sun was out and it was broiling in the sun!

Cheah Kongsi Clan house

We walked onto the Kooh Kongsi Clan house which Roxanne and I had seen and photographed the last time that we were in Penang. Since then they had done allot of work on the house itself and the surrounding property. You see the surrounding buildings were also part of the clans ownership, I think that over the years they had fallen into disrepair and that they had decide to renovate, when they are done it will really be quite a stunning complex of buildings, there is even a stage for operas! That would be very very cool to see, we have heard that it is difficult to purchase tickets however! This Clan house is a photographers paradise, there is so much to see and so many opportunities at great pictures, it is always crowded though, so getting the perfect shot without someone else in it is tough, we managed with a few of our shots though.

Khoo Kongsi Clan House

We were all pretty heated up and needed a cold drink, so we made our way up to a small cafe that makes its own ice cream and cakes. We got ourselves something cold, Brenna got to pet a few dogs, Heaven for a Brenna boo, and we moved on to see a few more of the sights before calling it a day. Including the clan house that Roxanne likes most, the Han Jiang TeochewAncestral Temple, Which in comparison to the others is quite simplistic, but still very beautiful, especially when the entrance way doors are closed, the doors are beautiful!!

Han Jiang Teochew

One of the doors

The last and possibly the best was the Kuan Yin Temple, the oldest Chinese Temple in Penang, It is also know as the Goddess of Mercy Temple, and today there were many, many incense candles burning and many, many people praying, so it was very smoky and very crowded, so we looked, but we did not take any photos out of respect for those in prayer. Our final task was walking to a Taxi stand. We were all tired and despite the fact that it seems as though we saw very little, this was a trip that began at 1 and ended at 4, so three hours of walking around in the Penang heat is enough, especially after a morning of shopping! so home we traveled, bidding a fond farewell to Victor. Once home, we all got in some down time and then had some Pizza for dinner. We had a very good day today in Penang! Until tomorrow, goodnight all!!