Penang - traditional, colourful & more Aussies!

View from Penang Hill
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Even after some late night drinking games on Wednesday night, I was still up and ready to leave by 8am.  The journey to Butterworth was long and pretty dull (about 6 hours).  A guy on the same bus (who by concidence was staying at the same hostel) showed me where to get ferry tickets from and where to go.  I was thankful for his help - just wish he'd been a little less energetic and a little less of a knobhead.  His luggage was about as big as my day sack and for every stride he took, I had to take two.  It was about a 10 minutes walk from the ferry and I was close to collapsing by the time I got there.  He was 'oh, you must be hot carrying that rucksack' and 'c'mon, not far now' (in a patronising Mr Motivator kind of way) and 'volunteer work, why would you want to do that.....'  Avoided him in the hostel for fear that I might put his head through a door.

Trraditional street in Georgetown
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The hostel was much cleaner than the last place.  Toilet a bit grim but had a lovely cold shower when I got there.  (Could still hear a Malaysian guy fleming from the building next door though).  I went for a walk round Penang late afternoon.  There is a shopping mall and the KOMTAR building which is like a rabbit warren, but the rest of Penang has got more of a traditional feel to it.  In the evening, the thunderstorms started. I got soaked so got some Peanut M&Ms for my tea and went to bed.

The skies had cleared the following morning so I went to Penang Hill.  There is vertical train that takes you to the top and you get great views over Georgetown.  The bus on the way back was full of school kids so I got hit over the head a few times and had a few armpits in my face.  But still I'm getting used to taking public transport and resisted the urge to get a taxi.

In the evening I went for a wander around Little India - it was really colourful and had a real charm about it.  I got some dinner from a tandorri place (chicken, naan, sauce, salad and drink for a pound!).  On the way back to the hostel, I decided to go for a beer and just wandered into the busiest place I could see.  The bar was being monopolised by a group of Aussies who were celebrating a 50th birthday.  They had been in the bar since 2pm so I soon got chatting to them. An English couple soon joined in (they came in the bar for the same reason as me) so it turned into a pretty good evening.

The bar takes photos and keeps them in the albums.  Paul (who's birthday is was) had been based in Malaysia back in the 80s. For his 50th, all his family had decided to go back for a holiday.  So if anyone passes through Georgetown and calls into the Hong Kong Bar on Lebuh Chulia, you will see a photo dated 13th April of some very drunk Aussies and 3 slightly bemused English people having a very good night!

(12th & 13th April 2007)