7/10 Mansions & Forts

Sunday 7^th Oct Mansions & Forts

Today we wandered North passing St George’s Church, Town & City Halls until we reached Fort Cornwallis.  The smallest fort yet – brick walls retaining earth filling and barely 15’ high. It was always an administrative rather than a military centre. The first of the day’s squalls arrived just as we approached the powder magazine so we ducked in there for 5 minutes. It had been quite comfortable until then but the humidity lingered after the rain stopped and it was pretty sticky.

 St George's

 

Cannon overlooking the strait

We looped back heading for Subway but at the last moment we veered off to have a look at a local café where we found some tasty local food. There was some uncertainty about the whereabouts of Chinatown. We eventually a rather fine looking, well maintained house.  It turned out to be ‘Pinang Peranakan Mansion’ and is now a museum showing how the well-off Baba Chinese lived.  The double storey main house is set around a square courtyard with each room full of elegant furnishings and carved wooden panelling.

Dining room across the courtyard

Bridal bed

Right next door and of equal size to the main house is the private family temple, complete with bats in the ceiling. The whole place was being cleared and prepared for an elaborate party/ceremony/whatever in the evening. It rained intermittently while we were there and when we tried to leave.

Carvings high on side walls

From entry door to altar area

We aimed to do some shopping in the evening and headed West. It was pretty scruffy and deserted and generally unappealing. We found our way through to the main road but it was starting to rain again and that seemed to be the final straw for the stallholders, who were dismantling their stalls and packing away the stock.

We popped into a sushi shop and settled down with some tasty Japanese food. The Malaysians certainly enjoy good food and this place was buzzing. We walked home down one of the larger streets which had a few more people out and about, including some who were clearly soliciting for clients.