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Published: December 5th 2009
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We can confirm that Malaysians don't begin their day as late as the average Thai, and they make far more noise in this train at least! A gaggle of bubbly, veiled women shout and laugh from 5.30am until we reluctantly rise. There's a lovely guy looking after everything including bringing us a flask of boiling water to make drinks! Border formalities at 10am are easy, although they take our temperatures for swine-flu screening. We note that some of the formal words are like phonetic English - a mark of the (fairly recent) colonialism. The green, unspoilt scenery of Malaysia unfurls out of the train window as we enjoy our breakfast: a banana leaf stuffed with rice, fish, chilis and tomato: gorgeous! We arrive 2 hrs late, having been informed of the 1hr time difference, and easily find the 15min ferry from Butterworth to Georgetown (Penang island). We notice how the queue is incredibly multicultural: Chinese, Indians, Malays, a few tourists; everyone seems to speak excellent English and we are helped to the free, A/C bus in Georgetown, no hassle.
On arrival, no hesitation. It's treat time! We go straight to the famous Eastern & Oriental (has hosted the likes of
The E&O
Bring it on! Charlie Chaplin, Joseph Conrad etc etc) and get a fantastic huge sea-view suite, silmultaneously watching TV in the lounge and from the bed, and enjoying the luxury. Despite exhaustion, force ourselves to do a walking tour in the evening, admiring Victorian buildings; Chinese shops; huge Chinatown; busy, loud and fragrant Little India where we have fantastic friendly meal; huge clouds of crows and later, little bats. No beer here: prohibitively expensive!
Next morning after sleeping soundly in our luxury bed until 8.30, we drag ourselves to the outdoor pool for a few laps. It's already almost too hot and sunscreen, towels and iced water magically appear! Breakfast is a feast by the sea (bit Hitchcock with all the crows), and we agree we could stay forever. Nonetheless, we are leaving for cheaper lodgings. First, we hire a motorbike - our first manual (not sure why the guy says we should tell police we "borrowed" it if we're stopped!), which proves very hard work for L and uncomfortable. We still manage an 80k island circuit in the full sun. Starting down the West side Expressway we realise a little late there's a separate lane for bikes! No signage at entrance
to each town and no cafes to be seen, so we are confused and thirsty! Finally we stop on East side at a market town for Laksa (lovely noodles) and a local "drink": bowl of ice with fruit, flourescent juice and beans: hmmm. We then pass through a never-ending durian growing area and stop at a waterfall where we chicken out of buying the King of (stinking) Fruits, and buy rambutans instead. The Northern coast is scenic, sprinkled with stunning coves backing onto jungle, but then we reach Batu Ferringhi resort - so built-up and busy roads, yuk. Back in Georgetown we reluctantly move from the E&O into a pretty, relatively run-down old Chinese merchant's mansion guesthouse. All the bars & L irestaurants are quite empty and desperate for the trade of the few tourists. We have excellent Malay food at Opera, watching embarrassing groups of pissed Brits (how do they manage it at $8 a pint?!) perplexing the locals.
We are off to the idyllic honeymoon island: Pulau Langkawi, in the morning and head off early to the ferry terminal. M finds ludicrously sweet coffee (served by lovely non-English speaking old Malay couple in plastic bags!) and cakes
for £1! Although this proves un-necessary as the ferry staff amusingly convert the stairwell (fire-exit!) into a refreshments stall. Arriving in a super-modern shopping centre, we take a taxi the 20km to the main beach: Pantai Cenang, with a couple from Dubai. The beach is stunning, quiet and unspoilt as promised, but bungalows bit disappointing, though finally we find one on the beach with sea-view: Malibest resort; much more $$ than usual at $40. After enjoying shade of the cocnut palms on our beautiful beach, we enjoy drinks at the phenomenally friendly Irish bar (Langkawi is duty-free!) and wonder about social cohesion here as there is a sign saying they don't cater for Muslims...ie, Malays...
Next day we chill on the beach all day, narrowly missing being checked-out as we hadn't realised we had to pay, and eat at the resort's Indian together with 100 rowdy Indians: excellent! Next morning we stay on the beach and enjoy the warm water until the rain comes, then shelter in a cheap Malay snack bar before taking a taxi down to the Duty Free centre at the terminal; we realise there are tons of bars and a market on the main drag.
Ther are 200 DF ciggies for £3! But M really wants swimming shorts and even the L size is too small! We amuse ourselves at the bowling alley whilst awaiting our ferry and L is literally bowled over my M's initial brilliance, and then wins dramatically. Onn return to Penang we decide we must explore the lovely Victoria pub only to find it's now a tacky, overpriced kareoke hall so we find ourselves instead in the 24hr cafe before bed.
Our finaly morning in Penang is foiled by rain, and everything being shut for breakfast (at 10am) except rubbish backpacker place. Fail to swap our guidebooks (it's no Bangkok here!) then walk, wet with sweat, to Komtar shopping centre for airport bus. There's absolutely no information, but one does arrive in the nick of time and takes us, and a hoard of veiled schoolkids, out past Penang's pretty coloured and shuttered Chinese shophouses, temples and mosques, to the busy, modern airport. The AirAsia flight to Kuching (Sarawak, Borneo), is full but very few Westerners.
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