Visa Run!!

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Hello again, and what a suprise that it's not a month between entries eh?

The reason being is that I am on the dreaded visa run, having not planned properly and used up all my 30 day visa exemptions in 2 months, I had to leave the country and get a real proper visa that will let me stay for 2 months. I was really not looking forward to having this trip because I will miss my lovely Sarah's IE party and 5 WHOLE DAYS of hanging out with all me dive buddies and getting experience. AH WELL, it seems it is not to be but never fear, I am back tomorrow, in time for the massive post-full-moon-party rush, and in time for a couple of sad farewells that must be bid.

Penang has actually been fairly interesting, it's very odd to be around a lot of road traffic, and multi-storey buildings again.... I couldn't get the train I wanted from Chumphon (the local town for Ko Tao ferries) to Butterworth (the local town for Penang ferries), so I had to go again to the small town of Hat Yai, in the middle of martial-law-land, and spend an extra couple of hours in Chumpers. Regret I did not! I hit up the night market and stuffed myself silly, Pad Thai, small sweet pancakes, iced green tea, crazy Thai deserts, I almost had to roll myself back to the station! DELICIOUS! and so cheap, the whole lot cost maybe 70 baht - just over 1GBP. Much cheaper than the island!

The train journey and Had Yai were non-eventful, I got a crazy minibus from Had Yai across the border, I swear, the driver was in need of some serious adrenaline fix, he was driving like a madman! So to combat my feelings of utmost panic, I went to sleep. It was very successful and the next thing I knew we were being herded off to our guesthouses. I gave up the ghost of independence and allowed them to charge me commission to deal with my visa themselves - I've had my fill of embassies in London, and besides, I read on online forums that the taxi rides to the embassy/consulate would end up costing more than the commission. I spent the next 2 days eating, basically. Oh, and shopping - and once Skyping my bank fraud line so they would unblock my card. Again.

I met a very odd but quite nice Australian teacher called Nori who, despite him creeping me out a little bit, gave me a nice little tour of this part of the city, and took me to somewhere to get a good thali - it turned out to be the same place that Siva, who works in this guesthouse, recommended. It was AMAZING! Oh man I miss Indian food - and boiled eggs and toasted soldiers. Sorry, I miss people as well, but food always seems to be foremost on my mind whilst writing these blogs.... I also caught some Beijing Opera (there is a MASSIVE Chinese population here, the whole place is a Chinatown) which is that one where they half talk/half sing to each other in very high pitched whiny voices, wear immensely ornate costumes, and no one knows wtf is going on. A bit like Neighbors!! (that's the second time i cracked that joke). And the shopping, I bought earrings! Lots of earrings, and Jane Austen (Persuasion & Sense&Sensibility, in a rather dramatic looking cover that seems more suited to a Tom Clancy novel), which gave me one of my odder moments, sitting in a loud, bustling, very sunny Little India, eating rice with my RIGHT hand, and reading about 19th century Bath. The other odd moment was wandering through Tesco (where I'd gone to get knickers and mine have been over-zealously washed and many have holes in now), seeing all the shelves arranged, the bakery and the fruit & veg section all seemingly identical to back home.... just filled with completely exotic wares. Fantastic!

That's it I'm going home now! Hopefully I should arrive back in about 20 hours.....

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