Georgetown, Malaysia

Malaysia, first impressions:

• Immigration card with mountains of warnings, threats and general nasty questions (Drug dealers will be executed, fire arms smugglers will be executed, if you bring too much money in we will put you in prison, "have you been to south america in the last 6 days?", "When did you last change your underware?")


• Great food


• An amazing cultural mix Indians, Chinese, Malayans, head scarves, red dots on the forehead (embarrased to say I don't know what it's called), turbans, monks...
  

Georgetown itself is on the island of Penang and is the oldest British settlement in Malaysia. The first Briton, Captain Light, set foot in 1786 on what was then a virtually uninhabited island and founded a free-trading area. In the middle is Fort Cornwallis where childless women are recommended to place flowers in the barrel of the Seri Rambai cannon ('the big one'!) and offer special prayers.