Sunday Penang

Todays program - rest and recovery.
Todays weather - misty but sunny morning, more of the warm zephyr breeze.

Picture of early morning view from hotel room.

Buffet breakfasts and some early morning swims washed away cob webs.

A quiet day for "looking around" finding out what's what and where things are ... discovered that locally purchased sim cards for mobile phones have very cheap call costs.

It rained early afternoon, which did not seem to change the heat or the humidity. Still a warm zephyr breeze. Still misty in the distance can only vaguely see the mainland.

Spotted walking fish chasing each other on the mud flats when the tide was out - actually it was not a game it was the big ones trying to eat the small ones.

Some of the team had shopping on their "to-do" list (we can expect a few great looking guys in tailor made suits) - others went on the city tour, Thai Buddhist Temple (Wat Chayamangkalaram) the 3rd largest reclining Buddha in the world 33m long- across the road from the Burmese Buddhist Temple, quite different but very beautiful. Fort Cornwallis, where the British first landed and set up their "base". Visited a pewter factory, tin is one of the major resources mined there, and the pewter was high quality and lead free. Next the Museum & Art Gallery, followed by George Town area (Church Street Jetty) where the British apparently wanted to tax people for building so said they would tax everyone who put a building post in the ground, consequently the locals started building over the sea, with jetties out in to the bay (posts ere not into the ground so not covered) thus did not pay the local tax (take that Great Britain) and ended with a visit to a coffee and chocolate shop ... we suspect this was operated by a friend of the driver having quickly driven thru China Town and Little India shopping areas. And for oddities, saw a couple of horses grazing on the rooves of the buildings at Fort Cornwallis (???) and the first monkey has been spotted.

For dinner the Hotel's restaurant and the buffet was absolutely great, something for everyone - the desserts were a big hit ... yam flavoured ice cream was okay - all bets were on for the yellow Sweatcorn flavour ... it certainly openned your eyes and was Bizarre (with a capital B). Chocolate sauce and nuts could not improve it.

Teams are now starting to pour in, Monday we visit the venue and there will be meetings for referees and managers. So from here on in more about the fencing.



So, more to follow.

Martin