Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Pearls of the Orient: discovering Asia's pearl necklace II

Soon enough the Mum arrival day dawned and she was picked up and almost instantly whisked away to Penang where there a whole town waiting to be explored.

While KL doesn't try to pretend it is any kind of jewel , Georgetown does pride itself on being as such even though its a little decrepit. Its old colonial building gave the place a little grandeur even though the British had long gone as well as making it well worth the visit. Like Macau, it was interesting to see the Dutch, Portuguese, British, Chinese and local Malay influenced this Malaysian town and the role that it had in the spice trade.


Two days later we took the coach back down south for a whistle stop visit to Malacca. Although not appointed a pearl, like both Georgetown and Hong Kong had also been strongly influenced by the Dutch and British.

But what really struck me about about all of these places was that their charm really stems from international trade and colonization. While these topics are seen as the source of the world's problems and equalities, their impact on cultures and societies, is what makes Hong Kong, Georgetown and Malacca such pearls. I can't really pick a favorite pearl so I prefer to regard them a a string of pearls.

No comments:

Post a Comment