Crystal Blues finds good medicine in Penang

by Neil and Ley Langford on 11 Nov 2014 Crystal Blues had health issues, with 'something' around the propeller. So after a few days of rest and recuperation in Penang, I dived on the propeller and removed an indecent chunk of rope. What a pain - visibility in the marina was less than 12 inches, and cutting it away was a slow process. I'm still amazed that we managed to maneuver the boat into the berth with this around the propeller.

In Penang we were medical tourists - we had our own schedule of tests and specialist visits (mainly dermatology), but we were surprised at the massive numbers of foreign visitors here purely for the medical facilities. At Hospital Lam Wah Ee, the specialist surgeon who removed Ley's 'lump' (a small BCC) said his business was directly linked to the number of Air Asia flights coming in from Indonesia. Things have changed.

Penang is still a most attractive Asian city, one of our absolute favourites. It am not perfect, but it is a shining example of racial tolerance and self-awareness, welcoming visitors with a quirky sense of humor, great food and a multi-cultural social history that is alive and prospering.

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Our friends there made us welcome, celebrating our visit with embarrassing repeated dinners and seafood specials - what a great time we had. It has been wonderful to watch Eileen and Gerome's children blossom into delightful, articulate teenagers who are now planning tertiary education. It is also great to see how Onomichi Marine, their business, has grown and transformed over the eight years we have known each SV Crystal Blues website

Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca.