With its lingering colonial history, and a past that precedes this by many centuries, there are layers of civilizations in Penang that have left their mark.  There are also fascinating changes that it’s facing in contemporary times, that also affect the landscapes and the cityscapes here.  That is all to say, Penang is always evolving, and its appeal as an island getaway will always be very strong.  There are plenty of excellent restaurants, a hearty night life, as well as a fantastic selection of hotels.  Penang has something to offer visitors of all ages.

One of its biggest draws is its rather gorgeous weather.  There is a lot of sunshine here, as well as an awful lot of rain, so travelers looking for the tropical island of their dreams should be able to recognize it here.  There is also an enormously interesting cultural scene, that is currently developing and evolving in some exciting directions.  Keep an eye out for Bangun, the Penang Clan Jetties Arts Project.  This is from the Lost Generations Space, one of the more cutting edge local galleries in the city, along with Anak-Anak kota, one of Penang’s non-profit arts education organizations.

The aims of this project are to mount new works of installation, visual, and performance art, along with poetry and spoken word, as well as offering workshops to the community.  It is also designed to bring attention to the Clan Jetties, areas settled by Chinese immigrants who share a common geographical origin and lineage.  The projects mark the jetties’ historical significance in the evolution of Penang.  They have remained untouched for a hundred years, avoiding development, and represent Penang’s past as an important port city.  This is a fantastic effort by the local artists to create an event that is extremely focused on the specific area, honoring its history while also giving contemporary art a space to grow.  A the same time, Bangun has an international significance that the art world at large might one day wake up to.

Barcelona, Spain is one of the great cities in the world. Toby and Al were well aware of this as the headed off for what they were expecting to be a great summer vacation. Toby is an architecture major in school and he has studied the works of Antoni Gaudi and is greatly looking forward to seeing his work in person. Al is a business major, and while he is a strong student his biggest intent while he’s in Spain is to have the time of his life. He is more interested in the nightclubs, the beach and while he will certainly go to a museum or two, that is not the focus of his trip.

The two friends arrived at one of the luxury Barcelona hotels and while Toby was hungry and tired and wanted to get something to eat and go to bed, Al was eager to get out and dance the night away in a disco. Toby decided to make a compromise and they two of them had a great meal of tapas before hitting the dance floor in the El Raval area. Toby was more than ready to crawl into bed when they returned, though Al could have been happy to find a new place.

The next day Toby found the neighborhood where much of Gaudi’s works are located. He also found La Sagrada Familia, which is a giant temple and one of Gaudi’s most famous buildings in Barcelona. Toby noted the difference in colors from the front and back of the building and recognized some stylistic changes and deviations. This was actually a slight controversial element with the temple. Since the building is not yet completed, it has been under construction since 1882, there are Gaudi purists who say that the building is not how he planned it. Guadi himself was constantly making changes and requesting modifications in the work until his death in 1926. This was all extremely fascinating to Toby, though Al was anxious to stop off at a local club. The two friends did have an amazing vacation, though it seemed in part to be a constant pull between their interests.

The city of Agra is often times thought of as synonymous with the Taj Mahal hotel.  The Taj Mahal does attract thousands upon thousands of tourists each year.  Now classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the structure is considered to be one of the man-made wonders of the world, due to the architecture and the artistry of those who created it.  And while the it is a must-see attraction, the city has much more to offer than Taj Mahal.  Tourists, no matter which city they are visiting, love to shop.  And there are many markets located close to any of the luxury hotels.  Agra shopping is about more than the bargains.  There is something about walking through the markets of a foreign city that you just do not get by going to the museums and the historical museums and the heritage sites.  And that is the feel for daily life, the here and the now and the people as they are, full of culture and rich with tradition.

The museums are where the people came from, the market places are who those people became, who they are now.  And then there are the treasures to be found, the bargains to be made.  One of the most visited markets by tourists and locals alike is The Gangotri Market. This is a state run emporium which contains some of the finest hand crafted items and products in the country, all to be found under one roof.  Artistry and craftsmanship is well known in many of the cities of India, but no more so than in Agra.  For those who are seeking to find the perfect gift or souvenir, this is the place to go.  Variety.  That is the name of the game at theGangotri.  You will find everything from fine crafted leather goods, to stone carvings and marble tables.  Also close to the Gangotri Market are the Sadar Bazaar, the Kinari Bazaar and Munro Road.  Find the markets the next time you travel to Agra, you will leave with much more that you paid for.

Thursday evening, we flew Kingfisher Airlines to New Delhi. Earlier, Thursday morning, we spent most of our time with the hotel administration talking about how they ruined our stay and what they were going to do about it. By the time we had to catch the bus to the airport, the hotel management satisfied our complaint with crediting us one nights stay.

We took a bus from the airport and got dropped off at the Palace hotel India where we had made reservation previously. We’ve stayed here before, so we know they won’t disappoint us like that last hotel. As soon as we got in our room we fell fast asleep. My husband’s teaching commitment only was for our first week here, he had split off from the other teachers so we could explore the jungle safari when we were in Mumbai and Goa.

Friday, we called a driver service to take us sightseeing around the city. We saw the India Gate and we tried to walk around the park surrounding the gate, but we were consistently pestered by Indian men. So much so, we got very unpleasant and basically just headed back to our car and driver. We found out that we had to just get used to this, because crowds of Indians followed us everywhere we went. I mean everywhere. Guides tried to literally force their service on us, and this little boy pursued us all around a temple trying to get us to buy a postcard. People would walk right up to us and ask us to take their photos! We walked around the Parliament and the Ministry buildings and some guards ushered us away while other guards were taking their own photos of a fountain. Plus, it was so hot, we felt like pigs roasting over an open pit.

Our favorite place was the Lotus temple, it’s a fairly new structure that resembles the shape of a lotus flower, the Hindu’s symbol for prosperity. But, what was more interesting was the temple isn’t Hindu. Our driver began to frustrate us because he didn’t speak a word of English and he kept burping, loudly and never excused himself. Other than that, he was very nice. We didn’t finish our full day of driving around the city, we were too tired. It took all our energy just to stay on our feet with all the heat and to fend off all the street urchins. When we got back into our hotel room, we ended up sleeping for almost four hours! But, ready and refreshed to find a place to have dinner.