Leaving Thailand

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So with Ben and Carl gone we started to wind down our time in Thailand as we prepared to leave and travel down to Malaysia. Thailand, especially Ko Samui and the villa had become very familiar to us, so much so that it had become a day to day life for us in many ways but that may have been reason enough if for no other that it was time to move on.



We were booked on the night train with another 11 hour journey ahead of us except this time there wasn't the option of first class, a much smaller 3 carriage train with 2nd class as the highest option. I wasn't looking forward to this journey and as we waited, just to add insult to injury the Eastern Oriental Express pulled into the station, I could see through the windows and it was exactly what I had pictured in my mind as to how I had naively expected the previous train from Bangkok to look like. All wood lined polished walnut, a dinning car, it looked the nuts, then about an hour later than expected our three carriage tin shack on a track finally rocks up at the station and we get on board.



In fairness it actually wasn't that bad inside at all and it felt oddly more comfortable than the private first class carriage we took from Bangkok. Maybe it was because I knew what to expect this time.



The journey was fine until the train broke down just half an hour away from our destination in the middle of nowhere surrounded by jungle and we had to sit there and wait for an hour while they fixed it.



Upon arrival at Butterworth station we got in a taxi rather than wait for the ferry to take us to the island of Penang. This is made possible by a bridge that connects the island to the mainland, apparently the longest bridge in Asia at 13.5km long. Penang is nothing like the other islands we have been to it is very developed is pretty much like a city.

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Photos

Dead dog afternoon.
So we caught the afternoon ferry with a dead dog and said goodbye to Ko Samui for the last time

Roadside dining.
Been travelling for about 8 hours now and the train still isn't due for another hour, with very few options available I grab something to eat by the roadside. That's a different dead dog behind me I didn't take the one from the ferry.

The Night Train
James gets a god nights sleep and trys to stay in his bed through out the next day.

Bay View
Our first hotel in George Town with revolving restaurant at the top