Bye bye Phuket Hello Georgetown

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Finally left boxing camp and I was quite sorry to say bye to my little hut and all the trainers, but not altogether sorry to say bye to the punchbags and the skipping ropes and the little lead weights they make you hold to shadow box (they look so harmless, and feel so nonsensical at first... but after 3 or 4 rounds when your arms are dropping off you're sorry you didn't give them the credit they deserve).

I left Kata beach which, while a little ghost town like in the off season, is really quite pretty to come to..... Georgetown, Penang. I'm sorry, but it really is a sh*thole. I haven't seen a rat yet but there's so many open sewers it's easier to dice with the cars and the mopeds on the road than risk a walk along the "pavement". Opted for a backpacker joint rather than a hotel in the hope of meeting some fellow travellers but I think I picked the wrong one. They're either young enough to be my kids (do I sound old??) or the ones of more substantial years all seem to be talking a walk on the wierd side. Done the tourist thing and been round a lot of old houses which used to be inhabited by rich Chinese people who have, quite sensibly, now fled. Not my cup of tea.

So I'm off to the Cameron Highlands which does sound like it does a nice cup of tea (and scones) in the hope of meeting some more normal travellers. Although perhaps I need to reconsider my sense of "normal".....

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