"The way they do things in Penang"

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hi,

Thanks for the post, Papaya and glad that you enjoyed Penang. I like Fort Cornwallis. If the authorities could get rid of the car park, and put back the moat/ditch it would moved from being something to being really something.

I don't suppose that living right in the middle of Georgetown would be a great idea. Too much noise, traffic, crowds, urban heat. Anyone have any ideas on this?

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Hi Scott,

The moat/ditch at Fort Cornwallis was taken away because it was a breeding ground for mosquitos. It wouldn't be a good idea to restore it.

Bill

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I don't suppose that living right in the middle of Georgetown would be a great idea. Too much noise, traffic, crowds, urban heat. Anyone have any ideas on this?

Obviously I'm no expert on Georgetown, but we had a look at a couple of units in older blocks in Georgetown (just to get a flavour of condo availability).  One was the Sri Pangkor (road behind Gurney) and the other was on Gurney itself, Gurney Beach Resort.  They were both on high floors and when we opened the windows up - whoosh, like a gale blowing through.  Very surprised.  I don't know if this is typical.  You did get a fair bit of traffic noise even up high and we are told that it can be very noisy in the evenings.  Maybe someone else can comment on that.

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The Penang expats seem to divide themselves between living North of George Town and south of George Town. In the North the one who are retired (or working from home in my case). In the south the one's that work in the Bayan Lapas area or on the mainland. Not many I know seem to live in centre George Town or on Gurney Drive and the few I know who live there want to leave.

Here a link to my earlier post about Tanjung Bungah
http://www.my2home.info/index.php?topic=693.msg6383#msg6383

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Yes, T Bungah looked nice, and up the hillside too.

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I agree with Scott, the car park is only open to cruise customers most of the time anyway. Lets have the Moat back as there aren't any mosquitos hereabouts.

Except for those riding Honda's of course

Please vote for the return of the moat.

Bob

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hi,

It could be a dry moat which it probably was when it as built.

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http://thumbnails.thestar.com.my/view.asp?id=5049

Surely this view is not worth a million Ringgit?

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When was the pic taken Fizzy?  Couldn't see any date on the link.

We drove up and down Gurney probably about a dozen times when we were there last month and didn't spot that pile of trash.  We also wound the windows down each time to give it a "pong test".  We'd heard about the silt problem at low tide but, frankly, I couldn't smell anything.  Though maybe it's only at the very lowest of low tide?

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I live at Tanjung Park. It's now 2:30 in the afternoon and from my balcony I have a wonderful view of Gurney Drive, mud and haze. In the evening the view is beautiful with all the lights reflecting on the water, if there is high tide. The last time I drove along Gurney was last week and the trash was there. I remember my first visit to Penang about 4 years ago when I stayed at the Evergreen Laurel. The hotel website advertised a beautiful beach and seaview. I still haven't found them. You would think the expensive hotels and condo developers would be interested in cleaning up the water and beach.

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When was the pic taken Fizzy?  Couldn't see any date on the link.

It was taken from today's Star (Tuesday 4th August). Usually the photos you find in the 'thumbnail photo section' are only a day or two old.

steveso we made that point to the MD of the RasaSayang, about 8 years ago. We were there for a 4 or 5 day stay. There was a huge storm on the 1st night. Consequently the beach was like a refuse dump the next day including a dead turtle.

24 hours later the aftermath was still there. The GMs response was that it was the local Councils duty to 'take care of the beach', and if the Hotel Management started to clean the beach then the local council would cease their responsibility!

We suggested that as it was their 'prime asset', they should be more proactive. We got the usual 'shoulder shrug' response.

We stated that we would never return, and we have kept our word!

You don't get this negative attitude/response in Thailand. Even Senior Management of some hotels do their stinnt in helping to keep the hotel beach front clean, and I have witnesssed this myself on several occasions!

Malaysia Boleh!

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hi,

I always thought that Gurney Drive was the pits. Lousy food from toxic hawker stalls, loads of grim smells, food waste everywhere, rats (of course) and rackety old tables and chairs, and all advertised as a gourmet paradise - dream on sunshine. At this time the foodstalls ran all the way along the seafront wall.

Look out across the sea and there's rubbish, piles and piles of it, and something that's supposed to be sand but looks like a swamp. And the odd sewerage pipe jutting into the sea.

These were pretty much my impressions on Gurney Drive when I first visited the place in 1979. 30 years on, wait long, long.

Also 30 years ago the taxi drivers seemed to hang around the ferry jetty looking for Westerners to rip-off. I wonder if this has changed.

I do remember the big culvert that ran through the middle of Georgetown close by where Comtar currently sits. I think it was supposed to be a river but it was an open drain, especially the bit where the open meat and vegetable market once thrived. Well, that's all gone.

Pearl of the Orient my   

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It seems like people are just passingthink  the buck here. Also a lot of local people's attitude towards the environment is one of  "it's not my concern". A short time ago I was eating dinner with some local friends at popular seaside restaurant hawker stand. There were about 4 hawker stands and the seafood place situated richt on the water. While eating we were horrified to see a woman worker from one of the hawker stands take 2 or 3 large plastic bags with garbage and styrofoam containers  walk over to the waters edge and throw it all in the water. No one else seemed to think this was odd. It probably all floated down to Gurney Drive.

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Found these 2 links: from 2007 to present 2009

4 pages of STP by E&O:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=552100

15 pages of Magical Penang:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=509646

Regards,
BB

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You don't get this negative attitude/response in Thailand.

A bit of a sweeping statement for the whole of Thailand, even the whole of Phuket I would say.  Some beaches are kept really nice on Phuket especially on the west side which is easier to keep clean with the waterflow.  But some are not and you'd be surprised what goes into the open sea in some places too.  It's still a good place for a holiday though IMO.

The Gurney trash pile doesn't look too good.  Don't think I'll be paddling down there in a hurry.  But y'know, like every country, good and bad.  Take a look at some of the Langkawi beaches.  I may be wrong but don't think I remember it being litter-cluttered.