I return from Medan, Sumatra to Penang, Malaysia but realistically it's only a pit stop. I jumped the bus from the airport into Georgetown and check back into the Rainbow Lodge where I've stayed a few times and it's nice to see familiar faces again as I didn't think I would return here.
The staff at Rainbow arranged my journey onwards to Penang which was the same price if I booked it myself, and it was easier getting uplifted from the guest house instead of walking down to Komtar and the main bus station.
I spent the day wandering around Georgetown and headed down to the Reggae Bar in the evening where I know the owner and staff. It's a great spot sitting in Labuan Chulia which is a main tourist area, I love sitting people watching.
After an early night for an early rise, I was pleased when my lift arrived at the guest house on time, I got loaded up and headed off on the journey to Phuket. It's very well organised with the minibus driver arranging our border crossing into Thailand, he collected all the passports and started the process of checking us through Immigration. So another stamp on my passport and I seriously only have enough space left to get back into Malaysia to renew my passport. Secretly I'm pretty chuffed, I always wanted a passport that was filled with many different stamps from different countries. So from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Borneo, Philippines and Indonesia, many of which I have been in and out of, it's been an incredible journey.
After a long day I arrive in Phuket and find a hotel not far from where the bus dropped everyone off, and contacted Drew. Because it's late I've arranged to meet him at the marina in the morning and get reacquainted, it has been 8 months since I've seen him, and the first time seeing his boat Malmuirie.
Here's to a new adventure of sailing down through many islands in Thailand before our return to Malaysia. I can't wait!!!
