As I mentioned in my last post, I had booked a sleeper train from Chumphon, Thailand to Penang, Malaysia that was scheduled to leave Chumphon at about 1030pm (the train didn't show up until 11- shocking right?) and was scheduled to arrive in Penang around noon. When I got on the train, all the other beds in my car were full from people who had gotten on further north (mostly Bangkok). I was in an upper berth (i.e. top bunk) because even though I booked 6 days ahead, that was all that was left. Most people were already asleep, meaning I had to try to get settled while being very quiet, and the guy across the aisle from me appeared to be the only one on the train snoring, and it was loud. Awesome.
Once I got my bearings and got up into the bed, I quickly noticed that the length from wall to wall (i.e. headboard to footboard) was about 6'2" or 6'3". In any case, I definitely didn't fit by at least a few inches, even without a pillow, and the bed wasn't wide enough to simply turn at a slight angle. I'm also not a fetal position / side sleeper, and I pretty much always sleep on my stomach with at least one leg stretched all the way out. So I had to hang about 1/3 of both my legs off the corner of the bed, through the curtain and out into the aisle. I'm guessing it was a humorous/odd sight for others as they walked by. That, combined with Sir Snores-a-lot, and constant stops and jolts throughout night, didn't make for a very good night's sleep. I was also hoping (though not expecting) that I might be able to shower - but no showers to be found. And finally I was hoping for some hot water to make some instant noodles with, but none of that either. So it was not an ideal situation, but it still beats the heck out of 15 hours on a bus.
Penang is an island off the western coast of Malaysia. So the train stops in Butterworth on the mainland and then there's a ferry that heads over to George Town, the main city on Penang. It's not exactly a picturesque skyline, but here's picture of George Town from the ferry:
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| From Malaysia - Penang & KL |
After having my own private room in guesthouses/hotels ever since arriving in Thailand because accommodation was so cheap, I had switched to a hostel for the last couple of nights in Ko Tao and realized that I missed the social atmosphere in a hostel and how easy it is to meet people. I had also heard good things about the Reggae hostels in Malaysia, so I opted for the Reggae Penang Hostel. Which, like my hostel in Ko Tao and Bali, had little cubbies built into the walls for the beds, which is so much better than the stand-alone framed beds throughout NZ and Oz. And in the Reggae hostels (I also stayed in one in Kuala Lumpur) the beds go into the wall long ways, kind of like drawers at a morgue, which was actually quite nice.
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| From Malaysia - Penang & KL |
My plan was to only spend 2 nights in Penang, just enough time to see it and move on, but when I looked at trains to Kuala Lumpur (KL), they were all booked for a quite a few days. So then I looked at flights and found a cheap flight to KL on Monday, meaning an extra night in Penang.
Day 111 - Saturday, May 12
The hostel provided free breakfast from 730 to 1030. And since I had an extra day to check out the city, I didn't see any need to get up early. So I slept in until about 930, then got up showered and headed downstairs around 10. When there was no breakfast to be found, I politely inquired and was referred to the clock on the wall that said 11:05. Son of a...! It appears Malaysia is an hour ahead of Thailand and no one bothered to tell me (okay, I can't seriously blame this on anyone but myself, but still, the stupid time change cost me a free breakfast).
Penang, more than anything, is probably known for it's food. The primary influences on Malay cuisine seem to be Thai, Indian, Chinese and Indonesian. Having spent a month eating almost exclusively Thai food, I decided to steer clear of classic Thai dishes and sample some of the other fare, all of which was quite good, including some of the best Indian food I've had. And like everywhere in SE Asia, it was quite cheap.
While food tops the list of attractions, and George Town is among the oldest cities in Malaysia with considerable historical significance, there's not a whole lot to see in Penang. Among the few attractions is Penang Hill, the highest point on the island with great views. I had read that you can climb it, which seemed like a good way to get some exercise and work off some of the delicious food I had been stuffing my face with. A girl staying in my room mentioned that you can take the 204 bus from George Town to get to the bottom of the hill. I also read on Wikitravel that you can take the 204 bus. But when I talked to the old man at receptionhen I asked the old man at reception, he said take the 10 bus. Hmmm...I think you're confused old man. So after double checking wikitravel and gathering up some laundry to leave at the front desk, when I was headed out the door, I asked the girl who had replaced the old man and she said the 204 bus. It seems we have a consensus.
I walked to the bus station and got the 204 bus and rode to the bottom of the hill, and then tried to find the trail to walk to the top. But, the only thing I saw was the train/tram that carries people to the top. After looking around for a bit, I asked someone, and they said that you couldn't walk from there and that, to climb the hill, you have to start from the other side of the hill at the botanical gardens, which you can get to by..[wait for it]....bus #10. Sorry for doubting you old man. When I asked what the easiest way was to get to the other side of the hill, the bus driver told me that it was to ride all the way back to the bus station in George Town and then get the 10 bus from there. Ugh.
I glanced at my map and decided that I could just walk/jog from where I was to the botanical gardens or at least to somewhere on the bus 10 route rather than go all the way back. So I walked and I jogged and I walked some more, and sometimes I walked into a dead end and turned around. And then eventually, after a combination of walking and jogging for a couple of hours, I came across a sign for the botanical gardens, and then after about another 30 minutes I saw the 10 bus, but at that point, it was already like 330, so I figured by the time another bus came by and I got to the hill, I probably wouldn't have enough daylight to climb the hill, so I just kept walking all the way back to the hostel in George Town and figured I'd just try again with the hill the next day.
That evening I was planning to go check out the main nightlife area. So after I got back, I showered and went to get dressed. I had dropped off the vast majority of my clothes to get washed, but still had a pair of jeans to wear out. Or at least I thought I did. Turns out I had lost my only pair of jeans - no idea where - last time I remember having them was Bali. So that meant my options to wear out were the sweaty shorts I had worn all day or pajama pants that were a bit short and looked a bit like capri pants. How do you lose a pair of jeans? I mean really.
Day 112 - Sunday, May 13 - Mother's Day
Rather than messing with the bus again, I decided that I'd just rent a moped and drive myself to Penang Hill and then use the rest of the afternoon to check out some other parts of the island.
So I got to the hill and headed up. It's a little over 5km to the top and a fairly steep climb, but the views from the top are worth it.
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| From Malaysia - Penang & KL |
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| From Malaysia - Penang & KL |
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| From Malaysia - Penang & KL |
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| From Malaysia - Penang & KL |
And of course, Mother's Day wouldn't be complete without skyping with the parents, which given the 12-hour time difference ended up being just before bedtime. If anyone else is on skype (or any of the other myriad communication apps that use the internet) and you want to chat some time, just let me know - it's always good to hear familiar voices and see familiar faces.
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