The Cenotaph at the Esplanade is a memorial in George Town erected by the British to remember those who died in World War I. In reality, Penang saw very little action related to World War I, with the possible exception of the sinking of the Russian ship Zemschug by the German cruise ship Emden. A boay in the sea marks the spot of the attack.
The year was 1914. The German ship Emden, helmed by Captain von Müller, was on its way towards Penang. Trailing after it were the allied vessels of France, Britain and Russia. The Emden, learning that the British destroyer Yarmouth was on patrol, erected a decoy funnel, and came close to Penang, fooling the authorities into believing that it was the Yarmouth returning. that's because the silhouettes of both ships were similar.
When the Emden got close enough to the Zemschug, it removed its disguise, pulling up the German flag and trained its guns at the Zemschug. The Zemschug was caught totally off-guard. Its captain had gone ashore. Captain Cherkassov was at the E & O Hotel, and from there, he could only watch helplessly when at 5.10am, the Emden began to fire at his ship.
89 people on board the Zemschug lost their lives, while another 143 suffered injury. Captain Cherkassov was found guilty of dereliction of duty, and a court martial put him behind bars for three and a half years. Two of the sailors from the Zemschug was buried at the Tuberculosis Hospital on Pulau Jerejak, their grave markers still visible today. The rest of the Zemschug lies at the bottom of the Penang Harbour.
Stretching your budget in Penang
If you are a prudent traveller, you can spend less than $20 per day in Penang, including your accommodation! Here's some useful tips for budget travellers to Penang, to help you manage your budget and have a great time.
Penang Tour Guides
If you're on a shoestring budget, you can explore Penang using the travel articles in Penang Travel Tips. You may print them out for your own personal non-commercial use. However, nothing compares to having a professional tour guide to show you around. If you need a tour guide, contact me and I'll arrange one for you, according to your schedule and interest. If I happen to be free, I would gladly show you around too. Just write to me at:
Finding Budget Accommodation in Penang
If you're coming to Penang on a budget, you'd be pleased to know that there's quite a number of places in George Town as well as in Batu Ferringhi that offers good clean accommodation without costing you an arm and a let. If I am allowed to be biased, I would recommend Hotel Mingood, which happens to belong to a friend of mine. If it is occupied, there are plenty of other places that cost less than US$12.00 per night. Here are some suggestions:
Hutton Lodge, from US$8.25
Baba Guesthouse, from US$7.57
E.T. Budget Guesthouse, from US$6.05
YMCA Penang, from US$6.53
Ali's Ferringhi Guest House, from US$9.63
Despite the best intentions to provide you information that is as accurate as possible, do be aware that prices may have changed and exchange rates fluctuated since I wrote this. So please personally and carefully screen through the available accommodation before making your booking, to avoid any disappointments.
Cenotaph
|
|
