The Quantum Physics Quest: Penang "we live in harmony"

We arrived at our first hotel. It was a converted heritage building in the heart of Georetown, Penang. We checked in and booked onto two tours of the island; taking in all the cultural hotspots. The main hall was beautiful, with a fountain and fish pond in the centre. We went straight to bed after a day of travel.

At 9.30 we met Mr We, our tour guide for the day. We were the only people on the tour. We had our very own private guide around the island. Mr We simply said, after I asked about so many cultures existing in such close proximity, 'we live in harmony'

With a packed schedule we headed to the Spice Garden. Stepping out of the bus we were met with the most amazing smell. Sensory overload. We were guided around the tropical garden, with explanations of what each plant was and the health benefits of each. Living in Hong Kong it is easy to forget the beauty of nature, and the power of plants. The garden was so luscious, green and fresh. The sun broke through the trees and the waterfalls glittered in the rays. Heaven on earth.

The next destination was a Batik Factory. We saw fabrics being printed by hand, dyed and carefully created with wax and fabric dye. The prints we stunning and I bought a table cloth/bed sheet for my new home, which I move into when I return from Penang.

We hopped back onto our private tour bus and headed straight for our next destination, the butterfly farm. We walked in and we were met with thousands of butterflies fluttering around us. It felt like heaven.

After the butterflies we made our way to the top of Penang Hill to the organic fruit farm which was situated on the mountain side. We drove up and up. Further and further into the jungle. We were dropped off and jumped into another bus which took us up even further. We were on top of the world. We were shown round the organic fruit farm and it was apparent the effects of increased consumerism on nature. It takes 8 months to grow a pineapple and 9 months for a bunch of bananas. It makes you think about supermarkets and how they meet consumer demands; and what they must be doing to speed up nature. I will be buying from the markets from now. After the tour we settled into an 'all you can eat' fruit lunch. So many fruits, so many colours and so many different tastes.

After the fruit farm we made our way to the fishing village and the beach. It was a glorious hot and sunny day. A glimpse of what is soon to arrive in Hong Kong in the coming months. We didn't stay long, well that was the intention. Our mini bus got stuck in the sand. It was like being stranded and buried by snow, but in a tropical island. Mr We asked the locals to help. At first they laughed and I felt sorry for him. It's an easy mistake and he only took us right to the very edge of the sea because we were the only two on the tour and he wanted to make it a unique time, just for us. The locals mocked his mistake instead of offering help. After some time they began to help dig the bus out. More and more joined. They pushed, lifted, dug and rocked the bus to try and set it free. Nothing seemed to free the bus from the hole it was in. More locals arrived on their motorcycles bringing their children who I sat with and we crossed our fingers. Over an hour passed as the mid day sun bear down on us. One final prayer and it was free. Mr We looked ashamed but we tried to reassure him that mistakes happen and it was okay.

We arrived back at our hotel, hot and exhausted. We showered and slept under the air con. A few hours later we headed out into the humid Malaysian evening to investigate the street food that Penang is so famous for. Exhausted we settled on a small bar and sat and had a cold beer and watched the Georgetown evening world go by. I've definitely fallen in love with this magical perfect place.

We woke up on Easter Day and planned to do the heritage walk around Georgetown, taking in all the heritage buildings and museums. Our first stop, St George's church. The oldest church in Southeast Asia. A dramatic pristine white church. It was a hot and humid morning and the chilled interior was welcomed. The service was amazing. We sung familiar songs with a community far away from our own familiar one. The vicar was full of life, taking about the heart of this special day in the Christian calendar. We were welcomed with smiles and joy.

After the service we walked next door to the Penang museum. The sun was increasing in intensity. Indians, Chinese and Malays all lived within meters of each other. Church's, mosques, and temples on the same streets. Everyone respecting each others beliefs and living in complete harmony. It made me think of the power struggles so present all over the world. Wars being fought over differences in opinion. The world could learn a great deal from Penang. The British came, the Indians came, the Chinese came and all settled without prejudice. Perfect.

Leaving the museum we stepped out into the mid-day sun. It was over 35degrees and I was reminded again of the summer that would soon be upon Hong Kong. We walked past the town hall and city hall, majestic buildings of great grandeur that lay in the heart of this town by the sea. They looked like palaces shining brightly in the sun.

As the minutes went by, the sun became hotter and hotter. My patience running thin, we walked through Little India, a district of Georgetown that resembled a town in India, filled with sari shops and food halls. I was determined to find a place called China House which had been recommended to me by a friend. With the punishing heat bearing down on us we took a wrong turn. The blaring sun has an unquestionable effect on the brain. Confused and disorientated we walked down streets which didn't appear on the map, wrong turn after wrong turn in the sun was frustrating. Each street sign told us we were walking in circles and were lost. We retraced our steps and finally came across Beach Street. Tired, hot and very bothered we found China House. It was the perfect destination.

A cool place filled with art, food and atmosphere. We ordered a starter, a main course and indulged the famous cakes for dessert. After lunch, and a few beers and cocktails we made our way to the art display on the upper floor. An amazing collection of photos from around the world from artists from each corner of the globe. I left the China house feeling like I had discovered my heart in this little town on Penang island.

We walked to another gallery and I met with the assistant of a street artist I had discovered months ago. I had seen and read about a Penang artist, Ernest Zacharevic and was determined to find some of his original art while I was here. And here I was, at the heart of street art. I had stumbled upon Ernest's gallery and core pieces of his work, twenty minutes before the closing of the exhibition. Serendipity. I was just in time. Ammar showed me where to find the piece I had so longed to see, it was down Love lane, right behind our hotel. I purchased some art and a scrap book, swapped contact details and made my way to the 'Balancing Act' a huge painting on the street wall. I am glad that steer art is starting to build a name and people no longer consider it graffiti. Art makes cities come alive.

It was more beautiful than I had imagined. In the afternoon sun, I stood on the street looking up at this amazing piece of street art. I felt my balance restored in my heart. I felt alive again.

After another day filled with exploring and discovery we settled back at our hotel. I left mum reading her book and sat in the evening having a cold beer and writing. I thought that four days wasn't enough to explore a new place. How wrong I was. Two days in and I felt I had discovered a new and wonderful place. A place I will remember forever. A place I will tell stories about forever.

I sent Ammar a note to see if he was celebrating the last night of the gallery. We met at a bar. My phone not working and his with no Internet we met 'blind' relying purely on trust that each other would be there at the place and time. I sat waiting, talking with some travellers living in Thailand on a visa run. Ammar arrived and we headed to a local bar down some small streets. I could walk this town all night. So many interesting buildings and people around. Some of Ammar's friends joined us. Ammar, from the Sudan was so full of life, his friends, one born and raised in Penang and the other a Chinese/Malay. We talked about art, travel and inspiration. There was an international music festival happening on the island and we met with two French journalists living in Kuala Lumpa who were in Penang documenting the festival. We sat and shared beers, stories and life advice till the early hours of the morning. At 3am we went on a tour of the street art of Georgetown. Ammar, being Ernest's assistant knew where all the best pieces were. We sat and ate some street food and then I headed back to my hotel. My mum would be worried. I felt 15 years old again, creeping back in, trying not to disturb her.

In the morning we packed and began tour number two. We would take in the temples of the island and then be dropped at hotel number two: The famous E&O (Eastern & Oriental) I was tired but I wasn't going to let this dampen my enthusiasm for seeing more of this little island. Mr We greeted us and one other joined our tour for the day, a French Canadian. I love multi-cultural Asia.
We visited Buddhist and Hindu temples, and giant statues of the Buddha. We started with the Buddha lying down, then a Burmese temple, followed by a Hindu temple. It was interesting to see where other religions worship. Just as grand as cathedrals and church's.

The practice of religion is something I am fascinated about and will continue to read and discover the stories that inspire millions around the world.

Mr We then took us to the Penang Hill tram. It was much much steeper than the Hong Kong Peak tram, almost vertical. The humidity meant the view wasn't very clear so mum and I opted for a buggy ride round the top. There were some beautiful old houses, it could have been any country road in Surrey. There was police station right at the top. We laughed as we couldn't see much crime happening all the way up there, not enough to warrant a full police station, we think they provably are the luckiest policeman in the world. We were thankful of the sit down on our buggy ride as my 4am night was starting to impact my energy. We took the tram back to ground level and went for lunch at a Mr We recommended restaurant. I was now very tired and yearned to check into the E&O for some 5* treatment.

Kek Lok Si was next and it was truly breathtaking. The largest temple in Southeast Asia with a giant Buddha on top of a hill and a maze of beautiful buildings all connected with colourful mosaic. The last temple on the list was the snake temple. Mum and I were both nervous, although a completely irrational fear of snakes, being so close to them sent shivers down our spines. It was less dramatic that I had thought, luckily. I was overwhelmed by the developments going on around the island. 5* hotels were erected to only close months later. Huge housing estate were going up and large shopping malls. Corporates coming in, in a big way to feed the factory workers. A middle class developing. I spend a great deal of time hearing 'emerging markets' a work, the reality was staring me in the face and it made me sad. Huge conglomerates moving in and sweeping local businesses aside. A quick buck for them, a huge loss for the people of Penang. I still feel strongly that this is what changed the face of England and part of the reason why Penang still has so much charm. The corporates haven't ruined it yet.

Mr We dropped us at the E&O. It was very grand and our room was beautiful. The E&O has the longest sea frontage in the world and all the rooms have a sea view. I ordered a massage to the room and we settled in to two nights of luxury.

I was sad to see that even the E&O was being greedy. Appealing to the masses (a huge new development stuck out the side of the heritage building) rather than keeping its exclusivity. I've become a bit of a 5* snob. I would never opt for a 5* over a local boutique style hotel, but my job and friends have meant I am lucky enough to have stayed in a few around the world. You expect a certain standard in these hotels, described as 'treated like royalty' and 'exquisite and discreet service'. Things are meant to be flawless, hence the award of 5*. I accept that 5* standards differ around the world, but I couldn't help but be a little disappointed.

We spent our last day sitting by the swimming pool sipping cocktails and reading. This made all stress drift away. We made our way to afternoon tea. We packed up for an early morning flight.

The world could learn a huge amount from this small island off the coast of Malaysia. There is a tranquil feel on every corner of the little island. Harmony is present everywhere. People seem to enjoy living here. No one seems to complain or have a bad word to say about the people who share the island. Three core religions live in harmony and there is a mutual respect for each others personal decisions. The island is stunning in every way possible. Tropical jungle, rolling luscious mountains, beaches, beautiful heritage, oodles of history and definitely a sense of harmony. I can't wait to go back.