There are some things that just fascinate me, like an old fort! I found one here in Penang, right on the water's edge. There's a lighthouse and just across the road are large, modern cruise ships waiting for passengers. The fort is what interests me, though!

There are 17 cannons around the fort . Positioned for defense of Penang Harbor. The fort itself is star-shaped. In 1786, the fort was built using trunks from palm trees. It's one of Penang's oldest sights.

The British had made an agreement to take ownership of Penang, and in exchange they would defend Kedah from Thailand. The British didn't come through with their defense agreement and the Sultan of Kedah, Sir Francis Light, got angry. He started gathering help form the pirates around the islands to take Penang back from the British. 

The British learned of this and struck first, though. They attacked the Kedah Fort in 1791 and Kedah surrendered. But, the British government agreed to pay 6,000 Spanish dollars a year to continue their occupation of Penang.
 
The fort was intended to protect Penang Harbor - a strategic port for trading spices from India - from pirates, the French, and even Kedah - an ally and the former owner of Penang!

Napoleons wars were going on in 1804 and pirates were becoming an increasing threat to Sir Francis Light . So, he decided to use convicts form India to reinforce the walls of Fort Cornwallis. He used brick and built a 27 foot wide moat around the fort.

By 1809 the 17 cannons had been added to the fort. Sir Francis Light paid for the construction of the fort himself. The fort was never actually in battle, though. 

You can walk around inside the fort and look at the many structures built over a hundred years ago. There is a church, prison cells, storage places for the ammo and a harbor light.

The walls are built in a star-shaped pattern around the fort. They are 10 feet high, and you can walk around on the top of them and see the beach and city of Georgetown.

I went to see a mansion, also. It's been called one of the 10 most amazing mansions in the world, the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. It has 38 rooms, 5 granite paved courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 windows . It was built in the 1890's. It has an indigo-blue Chinese Courtyard for which it is known. It was the home of a Chinese merchant that married into a wealthy family and became a success on his own.

 But, I only got photos from the outside. I saw a sign saying 'no photos' on the inside. I have mostly stopped paying high entrance fees to places that do not allow photos. Usually, they just want you to buy their over-priced printed cards and photos. I think most people today rather have their own digital photos anyway, rather than printed ones.

I included other sights around this historic Malaysian town. A couple are of the trishaws that are used here. It's a bicycle with a seat attached for passengers. 

I rode a similiar thing, called a clyco, in Vietnam. But, the seats for passengers were in front of the bicycle, whereas these seats are hooked to the side of the bike, like a side-car would be on a motorcycle.

Next: I visit the largest temple in SEAsia!