Postcard from Penang

We decided to take a train from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok which just happened to have an eight hour layover in Butterworth on the way there. Butterworth is a short ferry ride away from Penang island so we decided to make a quick trip there.

While there we visited Fort Cornwallis

Fort Cornwallis was founded in 1786 by Fracis Light and named after the Governor-Generl of Bengal Charles Cornwallis but is probably more recognizable to Americans as the British General who lost the last battle of the Revolutionary War. It was set up as the first base of the East India Trading Company and was strategic but unattacked throughout the colonial period.



Above is me storming the fort near some cannons. One of them is Seri Ramai which apparently is a really famous cannon from that era. It was originally built by the dutch and you can still see the VOC on the barrel. They gave the cannon to the Sulton of Johore who later gave it to Aceh and in 1871 the British seized it and move it to Penang where it has been ever since.


I don't know how many times I've seen "No Littering" signs but luckily at Fort Cornwallis littering is allowed. I guess they wan't to leave more clues for future archeologists.

Penang also included some very impressive victorian era buildings including a clock tower presented to Queen Victoria on her Diamond Jubilee, all of which I didn't take pictures of.

Here is me on the ferry back to Butterworth.


And Stephen in our sleeper car to Bangkok.

We have now traveled by train, bus, ferry and taxi. Seeing as we are going to Thailand and Laos, maybe we will add elephant soon.