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Published: January 23rd 2008
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View from boat
Leaving Penang Well, after a hellingshly long bus trip on the dirtiest bus in Malaysia (with no air-con again), I finally arrived in the island of Penang. The island is linked to the mainland by bridge so the entire journey was made on the bus. As I arrived around 9pm in the evening I decided to stay in the Georgetown, the main town, for the first night as all I wanted after that 7 hour bus journey was a some food, a cold beer, and a bed to lay down on. I stayed in a hotel called Blue Diamond which was in Chinatown area of Georgetown - I heard a bustling busy place with a colourful side late at night (so the taxi driver told me). When I told him the name of my hotel he said 'oh, big ladyboy problem at that hotel!' - He then tried to get me to stay at another hotel another 10 mins drive away. I wasn't sure whether he was just trying to get a few extra quid off me so I went to the Blue Diamond as intended. First impression was good as there was a lively bar out the front of the hotel with
a band setting up to play. I went to my room (which was like a prison cell - but in my mind at that time it looked like a penthouse sweet! Then I took off to the bar to have a drink & something to eat. All pretty good so far. I thought I'd take a wonder to the internet cafe which was just 5 mins walk down the road. Wo! - in that short journey, no fewer than 5 'laydees' shouting 'hello baby' at me on the way to the net cafe. Scary at that time of night!! I went back to the bar after the net cafe & the band started playing - the singer was really good. About midnight all of a sudden I looked around the bar and it was full of 'laydees' attaching themselves to drunken westerners. Funniest thing I ever saw. I was stood by the bar watching the footy & met this dutch guy who lived in Thailand and was in Penang while waiting for his Thai visa to be sorted out (common thing for foreigners resident in Thailand, have to cross border while visa gets renewed) and he was full of usefull
tips on travelling Malaysia and Borneo. Had a good laugh & a few beers. Crashed around 3am - phew long day..
Next day i set off early to the beach resort Batu Ferrigni ('Foreigners Rock') which is the beach strip where most tourists go & sun it up. At first it appeared a nice place. I found a guest house with a basic room for 25 bucks a night. It was one of the better places, it was clean atleast, and mosquito-proof windows which is a bonus. Set off to the beach and promptly lobster-fried myself. I spend the rest of the day nursing my burning body infront of the fan in my room.
Second day I spent milling around Georgetown. There aren't many sights, a few colonial buildings but not much else. I did want to visit the Snake Temple but some people staying in the resort next to me said that it was practically closed down. It was so unbelievably hot that I headed back to the beach resort in the avo and chilled under a tree by the beach with a book. Lazy day... Early start the next morning. Ferry to Langkawi at 8:15am...
Lebuh Chulia
Backpacker area in Georgetown where I was staying. At night, this became quite a 'colourful' area (!) On the whole pretty disappointed with Penang. Onwards I go to my last stop on the Peninsula...
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