Komtar from Penang Hill

I went to Penang Hill yesterday. The last time I was there, I was still lugging around my Nikon SLR. So, it was a refreshing change to carry something lighter (my Dimage Z5) for telephoto shoots.

At last, I managed to capture the view of George Town that I've always wanted -- showing both the KOMTAR tower and the geodesic dome in their full phallic glory. Come to think of it, I used to be able to see the same structure from a different angle but the sight of the KOMTAR podium and the dome as you cross the North Channel by the ferry services had been blocked ever since the Prangin Mall was completed many years ago. What you see below is a magnified view from my original picture, so it's a bit off-colour and rather noisy.

I'll tell you later what I was doing up the hill but for the moment, enjoy the view of the city from up there.


By the way, don't you think this night scene (below) -- looking towards the Penang Bridge with Butterworth in the distance -- is gorgeous? I had almost forgotten how nice this part of Penang can be. It was taken at about 8.15pm as I walked back to the funicular train station. Unfortunately, the picture does not do even an iota of justice to the actual sight. You really have to be at the summit of Penang Hill to enjoy it.