Hello from me Janet for the first time but not the last.

What amazing families we heard about today. The Khoo family of Penang. They are a Chinese family into their 43rd generation. Their wealth, influence over the whole world, and educational achievements are legendary. Their personal temple was destroyed by the Japanese in World War II, but has been completely re-built, slightly different from the original one to appease the spirits.

Every Khoo who travelled overseas and obtained a university degree is commemorated on a golden plaque in a special part of the temple. Many of them studied to become barristers, doctors, businessmen, scientists, musicians, etc, in London, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand and USA.

On their death a gold plaque is inserted behind glass in the memorial. Oldest generations at the back, and the younger ones on steps towards the front.

Their private temple is guarded by two stylised stone lions, one a female with a lion cub, and the other a male holding a rod between his paws. on which are the Chinese coins. The amazing thing is that each lion has a completely spherical granite ball in its mouth, the size of an orange. As the ball is larger than the mouth opening it had been carved inside the almost-closed mouth, through the narrow slit between the jaws. The whole mouth cavity had been carved out from between the clenched jaws!

Beyond the lions are two more statues before the entry to the temple. One is of a rich man who is happy, and the other of a poor man who is not. The Chinese really appreciate wealth. Behind the happy rich man are coins inserted into the wall.

The second family is much more recent and it is the family of Cheong Fatt Tze, who died in 1916. On his death, he was so highly thought of that the Dutch and British authorities ordered that flags be flown at half mast. He arrived penniless from Guandong province in China at the age of 16. He was eight years old before he could speak and today would probably be described as intellectually challenged. However he went on to create a huge commercial empire and built one of his many homes in Penang. It was his favourite and where he felt at home. It is called the blue house because he was a dealer in indigo which he purchased from India and so he painted his palatial house blue. The house has 38 rooms, 5 courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 windows. The plumbing for the rain water is a fascinating study. It was collected from the room, then into guttering, from their into pipes and so into the courtyards, which it cooled the whole house by running under the floors from the lower portion of the courtyards. The water as it dries rises through the walls and is evaporated by the sun on the walls, again giving a cooling effect. For this reason no modern acrylic or oil paints can be used, because they would peel, so the house remains today still treated with the indigo which allows for this cooling mechanism. In the same way as colonial homes in Australia, the doors have carved openings in a semicircle above the doors for the cross ventilation of the house.

He appears to have designed the house to make it unsaleable because he wanted it to be kept in the family. He therefore built a row of five houses opposite it, which in fact overlook it, a feature not liked by the Chinese. Incorporated into the house are many features from Europe, for example the windows have some beautiful blue lead lights and the floors are tiled with ceramic tiles in a complex pattern bought from Stoke-on-Trent in England.

Towards the end of his life he wanted to go to a meeting in New York. He was travelling with a German friend and two other Chinese business men. Back came the tickets, one first class for the German and three second class for himself and his two Chinese friends. He out-manouevred those who insulted him by creating a new shipping line with first class service for everyone and undercut the opposition by 50%. The original shipping line conceded defeat and thereafter gave him first class tickets and also made them available to all nationalities. A good story in the year 1914.

KL tomorrow. Goodbye from Janet and Penang and Richard.

Bye-Bye Penang, We'll come back sometime. Today was better and we found the locals more friendly. Janet's new pink opalescent toenails were a hit on Penang Road and in our two-hour rickshaw ride, people stopped to admire her feet. Naturally, that required buying two pairs of shoes and, as we were in a shopping plaza, Janet bought a new Tissot watch. I bought her a colourful cloth bag and she has been so happy.

The watch people said they could spot my fake Tag Heuer from across the showroom floor. God, I thought, they'd say anything to get customers to buy a watch from them. I almost fell into the trap of buying a new watch except that we will be in Cambodia on Saturday and I'm likely to lose an arm in the streets if I have a genuine Tag Heuer watch.

Today, as I have said, was the rickshaw ride. This old Indian pedalled behind us, imitating Peter Sellers, and telling us of the stroke he suffered and his slow rehabilitation. He wandered all over the road, missing lamp-posts and buses coming straight for us, oblivious to Janet and me clutching each other and becoming all religious. He said that he had the right of way. At that point, Janet just turned and stared at me.

He took us to some amazing Chinese temples, ancient waterfront houses, places of interest we would never have found and, at the end, stood silent with his hand out. How much, I asked. Whatever Sir thinks it was worth. Janet again turned and stared at me. Finally, he cycled off, richer by $US33, still cursing the Malays who get so many handouts from the Malaysian Government but none for the Indians.

I had lunch - Chicken fillet Gordon Brew - and later some Chinese sweet and sour. Tonight we had dinner at the open market place where the total cost was $US4.54 plus two bottles of beer. Janet drinks from the bottle - some childhood habit she's never overcome. Then the night market lost its electricity supply and we called it quits, but the music in the streets continues. On Friday and Saturday, it stops at 3 am. At the moment, just after 11 pm, at least four musical events are competing for attention - same every night we've been here. Oh, who cares?

Now, to get ready for our departure after breakfast. Penang used to be the capital of Malaysia but since the 1950's it has been Kuala Lumpur, home to the Petronios Towers, recently considered to be the world's tallest building. The flight is only a matter of dollars and our hotel will be post-Kremlin style until we fly out on Saturday for Cambodia and to meet up with Para, the 18-year old schoolkid who met us at Angkor Wat in January, and who is travelling down from Siem Reap to greet us at the airport. Para has adopted me since his father died this year from liver cancer, leaving his little ricefield, a wife and four children to battle on their own. Almost daily emails through this year have encouraged Janet and me to try to do something to help and, of course, there's Geraldine, whom we will be seeing next Monday. Bring Para, she said, and we'll have lunch together with the kids.

Janet is going to write the next blog. She's going to talk about the amazing blue-indigo Cheong Fatt Tze mansion here in Georgetown, Penang, and the equally amazing Khoo dynasty which has put descendants into power all over the globe.