“I PAGE YR NAME. CHOONG WEAR GREEN N FLOWERS WHITE, C U”
A text message from a local guide that I’d been referred to (after finding four previous approaches were already booked for the day) sets the pace (with no expectations) for our walking tour of UNESCO protected Georgetown on Penang Island today: “I page yr name. Choong wear green n flowers white, c u”.
Choong turns out very good,, especially with Jim and I fading in the humidity, he sits us down and buys us a refreshing Coke while he races off to get his taxi to continue the tour ariound the Cultural Enclave and the old British fort on the Waterfront.
Our planned relaxed luncheon in the dining room overlooking the sea at the 19th century Eastern and Oriental Hotel is hastily abandoned when we see three tour buses disgorging passengers from our ship. Better we eat on the aft deck back on board ‘Silver Wind’ (with a few glasses of chilled rosé to put us to sleep for the remainder of the afternoon).