Penang

Penang, an island off the coast of Malaysia, is not a place we ever expected to visit. But, here we are and it's been another great experience. It's very hot and humid and we are here at the beginning of the rainy season. We're experiencing the third downpour of the day right now. The locals tell us it will end soon, the sun will come out and the heat and humidity will return. An interesting thing we've learned is that the people from the mideast really enjoy the rain because they so seldom experience it. We're enjoying the 'downtime'.
Malaysia is dominately Muslim so we're having an interesting cultural awareness session. One is the call to prayer which begins at a minaret by the mosque and ends up being broadcast through speakers throughout the town. The first call is at about 5:40 A.M. and is loud enough to wake you out of a sound sleep. In each of the hotel rooms we've stayed in, (3 so far), there's been a small triangle placed on the ceiling which points to Mecca. Penang is also a tourist destination for mideastern people so we see many Muslim families. It's not uncommon to see a lady on the beach covered from head to toe in black with only her eyes showing. Seems like it would be unpleasantly hot.
We met a tour guide in the hotel yesterday. We were the first people he's met from the United States. The restaurants reflect the fact that this is not your typical destination for North Americans. Most restaurants feature foods the mideast or India as well as Malaysian foods. We did find "Mario's" which featured all of the above plus Italian foods. The lasagna we had last night was so good that we're returning again tonight.
If you're a bargain hunter Penang is the place for you to come. Everynight from about 7:00 P.M. until 1:00 A.M. the 1 and 1/2 mile long main street is lined with merchants selling all kinds of merchandise. From typical tourist t-shirts to fake designer watches and purses you can find it here and the rule is "bargain".
Tomorrow we're back on the bus headed for Genting, a mountain resort near Kuala Lumpur. The people who made the arrangements for this vacation did a first class job.