Penang Weekend Trip

Id booked a long weekend to go to Penang and by the Thursday night, being my usual unorganised self, I still hadn't booked my coach for the trip. After spending a few hours Thursday night doing my research and looking to book, I thought I would get up early Friday and just turn up. After all there were plenty of coaches. They all just leave at stupid time in the morning. So u set my alarm for 6 and went to bed. Morning came, I rolled over and hit the snooze button, again and again and again till I thought, umm I'm to tired for this I'll go tomorrow and sort myself out properly. So spent Friday doing my research, booking my hotel and ticket.

So 7am Saturday, I spring out of bed, jump in the shower to wake up, get ready, grab my things and rush downstairs for breakfast to set myself up for the day. I got to the bus station at 8.30 to collect my ticket and get on the bus ready for my 5hr journey. I took my bag on the bus not trusting anyone but the company looked quite reputable so I don't think I need to worry. You here dodgy stories about these bus trips. The bus was big and nicely air conditioned so I plugged my iPod in ready to leave. I slept for most of the journey on and off but did see some amazing scenery travelling through the mountains and I woke in time to view the bridge crossing into Penang. A 13km bridge takes you from the main land to the Ireland.

View through the bus door on the bridge going home

 

Once in Penang after a fairly comfortable journey I jumped off and looked for a taxi. The bus station was a few miles from George town where I would be heading. By now it had been raining solid for about 3 hours and I didn't bring my umbrella. Luckily there was no need to go outside. So I got my taxi an headed to the hotel. Once checked in I relaxed a little and thought I would wait for the rain to stop before heading out. I'd picked up a map so I plotted my route.

Harbour in the rain @ Straits Quay

By now it was nearly 5pm and I was hungry. I was close to George Town so I headed to little India which has been recommended by Ginny. Kapsitan was the restaurant I was after. Ginny and Zoe ate here 3 nights running stating it was one of the best meals they had the whole trip so it was a must, and I must say it was rather good. After this I had a good walk round, taking in the Indian culture here in little India before heading to the more touristy part. I managed to find a converse outlet store and pick up some new converse for £16. Steel I think. By now it was 8 so I headed back to drop of my new purchase,tidy myself up before I heading out to find a pub for a drink.

Harbour in the sun George Town

What I managed to find was a strip of 2 or 3 bars showing the football. So stayed there for a bit and watched the end of the Chelsea game while listening to a mix of live Chinese and English music. The guy singing wasn't great and it started to grate on my ears after a while but I hung it out. Penang was rather quite for a Saturday night and there didn't appear to be many travellers, but I guessed they in a backstreet pub somewhere and I didn't have the time to explore to find it so 3 pints and Man Utd win over QPR later I headed back.

Looked better in the sun on SUNday

I had breakfast included in my hotel but missed it getting up to late as usual. I got myself and my stuff together and left by 11. I was told I had to try the local Indian breakfast so I got some directions to a good restaurant and went for a Nasi Kandar. Curry for breakfast again but it was worth it. After I jumped on a bus to the closest beach about 30min away. When I got there I was a bit disappointed. Not the clear, sandy beaches I ha hoped for. The water was rather murky but this might have been due to the rain, but luckily the sun was scorching hot so jade the most if it and relaxed for a couple of hours. After this I headed back to George town and planned to head round towards the old jetties. I had quick look round Penang fort which they used to defend the island during the war and had a but of a history lesson though there wasn't much information.

The Streets of Little India

 

Slightly overcast shot of the beach

 

I then headed to jetties which was much more interesting. I walked down the first one and watched some young locals doing some fishing. I went for a walk weaving in between the old wooden houses on stilts. In one the front door was wide open and I could see an old lady just sleeping on the floor. No Mattress or nothing living in a house with no furniture. The was a young child couched in front of tiny TV in black and white. The house only appeared to have 1 room and a small kitchen and toilet.

 

Fishing of the jetty

 

The next jetty I went to more was clearly the tourist one. Walking down every house had been turned into a miniature shop selling all the usual arts and crafts or different types of fresh fruit drinks or sweets and cakes. There was lots of holiday goers here snapping away at the scenery with there big zoomed cameras, and having group family photos doing the usual 2 finger pose all Asians do in their photos. By now the sun had started to get to me and I was worn out and starting to tire. I had an hour to kill before I had to head back so i grabbed some food and then jumped in a taxi to bus station. The sun had definitely taken its toll because when I got on the bus home I was sleep before we got across the bridge. Overall it was a good journey and I think if it hadn't of rained on the Saturday I would have enjoyed it more and got out a bit and seen more sights. It was a long way to go for night and not seeing much. Lessons learnt, give yourself more time to explore as I think Penang had a lot more to offer.

 

Funny painting on the side of the house

 

 

Of the end of the Jetty

 

Pavilion Shopping Centre - KL. They have nothing on Queensgates Decs

 

 

 

Crazy Nights and Malacca Day Trip

Monday night would see my good friend Edd touch down on Malaysian soil for 2 weeks. I was looking forward to seeing a friendly face, a few nights after work, maybe a crazy Saturday night, some beers, good food and great conversation. None of this happened in the 2 weeks he was here however! I was quite grateful for the giant bars of Toberlone he had bought here for the team. Mainly because I ate my way through a good portion of it hiding at the back out of sight where I hoped it would get forgotten about.

The week was generally quite quiet at work, it was like a gentle breeze you get leading up to a storm. The storm in this case was the team night on Friday where everybody seemed to want to let off a lot of steam. Thursday I play futsal again and this time I played much better and the games more competitive. We won 4 out of 4 and I banged in a few goals. My skills still need some work but the touch is improving. So Friday came, we hadn’t been out together yet and I didn’t realise what I had let myself in for. An hour in and the Tequilas were flowing and night in full swing. The remainder of the night will be left unsaid here but let’s just say I woke with a pretty large hangover the next day, smelling of sick that wasn’t mine. You can purchase the uncut version of this blog for £1000 at the end of my journey.

Saturday was another night with the usual crowd down Changkat. To my disappoint Edd had deserted me, so it was a last minute night with my Malaysian friends in the usual club. Always a good night however and I met rather cute Malaysian Girl. They really know how to dance, Ill give them that and put English Girls to shame. Sunday, waking up with no hangover, I went food shopping and met Edd for a quick drink before being taken for some Banana leaf rice. Now if your, like me, wondering what Banana leaf rice is, believe it or not its rice in a Banana leaf. Well at least I think it is, still not quite sure. Whatever it is, it tasted very good but sadly no Banana flavour. However no matter how nice it tasted, it did not agree with my stomach for the next day and a bit. This was the first bad experience I had eating out in the local places.

Curry for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. This was breakfast

Wednesday night came and it was time to try a new club. It was one of the Malaysians lads birthdays and we were going to a club called Rootz. It was a huge club at the top of a shopping mall. It was ladies night so you had to keep your wits about you. Though I entertained myself by playing “guess if that girls a girl” for some of the night. I never got close enough to any of them to do the cough and drop though.  The club itself was like a worse version of a Liquid back in the UK playing some terrible music over an even worse distorted sound system. Anyway I had work the next so it wasn’t a late one but I still felt a bit rough Thursday morning, mainly though tiredness.

The KL Liquid but with LadyBoys

Thursday, futsal night, boring futsal night. Not this time, after futsal one of the lads wanted to introduce me to infamous Beach Bar. I’d heard many rumours about this place, but never really believed them till I arrived. The rumours were true. A bar full of Thai, a few African hookers and lady boys. If I was drunk, I probably would have embraced the experience and gone with it, playing along with them and leading them on. But having only one beer, I felt rather uncomfortable and didn’t know where to look. After a while I started to find it rather funny. It’s not many times in your life you go into a bar and every “girl” that walks past you tells you “you’re gorgeous” and grabs your bum.  If only they wasn’t all hookers! I didn’t stay long, but long enough to know I won’t be going back anytime soon unless I’m still here when I’m 40, turned ugly and have to resort to paying for their company. Just looking at some of the guys in there that these girls could have been with turns me off, and to think I would be having their seconds and paying for the pleasure. No thanks! Its quite sad to think that the girls life’s are that bad that this is what they have to turn to. Maybe that’s how all these shopping malls are surviving, through prostitutes and pimps money. Still there were about 10 girls to 1 guy, so maybe not, they can all be getting business.

The Beach Club, Hookers were sheltering inside

 

 

Friday was a managers at works leaving due and also Edds last night. I was going to Malacca early the next day and Edd was flying at 2 in the morning, so I went and said my goodbyes. Edd fly’s out here for a long time on the day I fly home so there is a chance I won’t see him for 15 months after this night. Which, I hate to admit, is actually quite sad after sitting next to the guy for almost 9 years of our working life and being great mates. To sit next to someone for 9 years, hangout outside of work and get on so well and never argue I think is a pretty good feat.

See you in 15months!

 

So Saturday my alarm went off at 7.30! Boy was I not happy at waking up at 7.30 on a Saturday morning. I was so determined to eat breakfast before getting picked up at 8, I rolled out of bed, straight into my clothes, cleaned my teeth and left looking like id been dragged through a hedge. I was that tired I didn’t even put my contacts in, which is a first as I never step foot outside without them.  Anyway I jumped in the car, laid on the back seat and tried to sleep for the 2 hour journey. When we got there we went for the traditional breakfast of naan style bread and curry. Yep, curry for 2^nd breakfast. We headed to the town at which point the heavens opened and it battered it down with rain, so we took shelter in a shopping centre until it calmed down, 2 hours later. I amused the guys by doing my best Geri Halliwal impression and dancing in the rain (not to raining men). 

View at the top of the hill of Malacca

Once it calmed down we headed for the historical part of the day. There is a big Dutch and Portuguese influence here and you can this by looking at the architecture. We climbed up lots of stairs to this ruined religious building (St Pauls) where a few important Dutch historical figures were buried. I’m not to sure what it was but there was good view out the ocean sea. Id not seen the sea for at least year so I got little excited. After lots of photos and stair climbing we were all a little hungry so headed for some food. We replenished and then headed for the famous Malacca Coconut Milkshake, and I have to admit, it was very good.  Fresh Coconut milk and ice cream through a straw mixed with a few sexual references, what’s not to like.

Jonker St Night Market

Next came my favourite part of the day. Only because we were going to street that had the words Joker and Conker mixed together. Childish I know but we were heading to Jonker street, a night market full of food and well, crap it turns out. I didn’t buy anything, tried a few local delicacies and found a handmade chocolate shop. At the end of Jonker St was a nice river walk, which if the day had been nicer is where we was going to take a river cruise. After seeing the river I had wished it had been sunny. After walking round in a circle back to the top of Jonker St we found they had set-up a little show. Now this was no ordinary show, but was home to a performance from a man with a “SUPER POWER INDEX FINGER”. I found it funny as there was a tape on repeat with a Chinese guy trying to sell him, telling us all about his records. You had to be there and have a slightly immature personality. After waiting 30min for the man with a SUPER POWER INDEX FINGER to smash through 3 coconuts we gave up and headed back to the car. We were all pretty tired and the long day had started to take its toll. I managed to stay awake for the 2 hour drive home but passed out as soon as my bed hit the pillow at 1am. I woke up and headed to work on the Sunday at 6pm, till 12.30 that night after a 13 hour sleep.  Good weekend but a tiring one. Luckily I only have a 4 day week ahead.