Malaysia

     Curses... Why do I always manage to be hungover on a long day of travel? Such a dummy, but I have no choice other then roll our of bed at 8am so we can catch the ferry back to Krabi and then a bus to Penang, Malaysia.

     Fortunately the ferry ride back to the mainland was not nearly as horrendous as getting to the islands. When we arrive, a group of 10 catch a minibus to Hat Yai, one of the last transfer cities in Thailand before Malaysia. It wasn't a bad ride except we were the last to arrive and got the 2 front seats with the driver. The passenger seat was comfy as all the others were, but the middle was like sitting in a high chair. For the first 2 hours, my head was pressed up against the ceiling and had no view because the rear view mirror was in the way. The seat was rock hard and at a 90 angle. Heather got the next 2 hour shift and both of our backs were killing us by the time we got to Hat Yai. We're only half way to our final destination. Thank god we switched minibuses and got a decent seat to Penang. It was about a 4 hour ride, plus about a 30 minutes of mayhem at Malaysian immigration.

     Before I tell you about the wonderfulness Malaysia has to offer, I'd like to wrap up my thoughts about Thailand... Thailand was at the top of my list when putting together my crusade's itinerary. I always dreamed of immersing myself into the rich culture, the phenomenal food, and the white sand beaches. That's exactly what I did and more. I love Thailand and will recommend it to anyone whether you like urban jungles, outdoor activities, cultural heritage, or beach paradise. The people here are friendly and always smiling which makes you feel at home despite being 9,000 away from it. I'm so impressed by the county and look forward to spending more time here in the future. In particular, I'd love to have spent more time in the north. There is so much to do, see, and explore there. Moreover, I regret not going to Laos. If we didn't have to be in Koh Phangan for the full moon party, I would have definitely trekked through the smaller northern Thai villages and made my way into Laos.

     While I had 3 weeks of backpackers paradise, I wish there weren't so many of them... the backpackers.  One of the best things about traveling is meeting all sorts of great people from all over the world. But too many tourists spoils the experience. And although we were touring during the monsoon season (which by the way is the best time to go!), there were still plenty of tourists to make the Thai tourism board happy all year round. I can't even imagine how overcrowded it would have been during peak season, especially in the islands. In the end, I give Thailand mad props. My stories and pictures don't really do it justice, but I tried, and hopefully it will inspire you to make your own crusade to the "land of the smiles".

Malaysia!

     Penang is an island in the northeast part at Malaysia and the second most popular travel destination in the county after Kuala Lumpur. It's a fairly large island with the main city being Georgetown, which is easily accessible via a bridge from the mainland.

Heather and I at the Georgetown bay

     I'm not sure how many of you have been to Malaysia, (or even know where it is for that matter...) but I guarantee your presumptions about it are completely wrong if you have not been here. When crossing the border, you instantaneously feel like you are in a western world. The roads are nicely paved, the signs are clear, lights glistening from every shop and shopping mall, the cleanliness, and while the language is not English, all the characters are familiar. Heather and I both thought we were entering a third world and it is most definitely not. It is far superior to Thailand in terms of modernity.

     So when we were crossing the bridge into Penang, we were stunned by the row of lights from skyscrapers, hotels, cruise ships, and the like. Our minibus stoped at a particular area in Georgetown where there are several hostels and guesthouses to choose from. Since it was nearly 9pm, we decided to tag along with an English couple, Pete and Sophie, who we met on our bus. They had already booked a place to stay and since we hadn't, we followed them to theirs. The Red Inn Heritage was a newly renovated hostel with only few other travelers and was a perfect place to settle for the night.

     Although we only intended on using Penang as a place to crash for the night en route to the Perhentian Islands, we decided that because it was such a great area, we'd stick around for an extra day to explore the city. So we booked a private room for 2 nights for $11 a night each.

     It was about 10pm and we really hadn't eaten all day, so we were all starving. Since Pete an Sophie were so helpful in leading us to a great hostel, we asked them if they wanted to join is for dinner. They obliged and the front desk gave us directions to the Red Garden Food Market.

     When walking up to the giant food market, we were all stunned to see about 30 different food stalls selling everything from Malay food to Chinese to Western to Japanese to Indian and more. In addition, there was (crappy) entertainment where they basically karaoked to American and local songs. Good? No. Entertaining? Yes.

     All of us decided on Indian food and Heather and I ordered vegetable masala which was absolutely amazing and made me nostalgic of my recent times in India. While we waited for our food, Pete and Sophie told us about their year long world travel escapade. They are on month 9 and have already covered the ENTIRE continent of South America as well as Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. Next they're onto Bali and Australia for a couple months and finally to India. Wow! So envious but I'm not sure if I could really handle a year of living out of a backpack. Could you? Ps, remember Pete and Sophie, as they were a crucial part of our amazing time in the Perhentian Islands.

     Needless to say, we slept like babies that night after traveling ALL day. The following morning we slept in and missed the free breakfast downstairs... Dammit! But we decided to get in gear and do a walking tour of Georgetown. Our first stop was little India which then led us to the marina and finally to Fort Cornwallis. We toured around the fort which had been there since the 1600s. It had gone through several occupations from the French, English, Japanese, back to the English and now Malay.

     It was lunch time and we found another, smaller food market with different options to choose from outside Fort Cornwallis. We were the only tourists there and some of the food stalls didnt have signs in English as to what they were selling. So while Heather chose the safe western option of chicken cutlet, I was daring and chose the Malay squid noodle dish. Heather gobbled hers up but mine, hmmmm how do I put this.... Mine was bloody awful and gives me a gag reflex thinking about it now. Perhaps it was partly my fault but I took two bites of it and it was crunchy as if it had sand in it and it smelled like seafood. Like as if the seafood had turned a couple days before. Nasty... But good thing I only spent 4 ringgit or about $1.30, otherwise I would have been pissed. So I went without lunch that day and got a coconut shake to fill the stomach instead.

     Next stop was the Chong Fat Tze Mansion, a famous Chinese house that has been a world heritage site since the 1980s. Chong Fat Tze was a wealthy Chinaman that made his home in Penang in the late 1800s with his 9 wives and who knows how many children.... Anyways, we took a guided tour of the mansion for $4 and it was absolutely fascinating. I know nothing about the Chinese culture so it was quite interesting to hear about feng shui, the symbolism of a dragon in building a house, architecture, culture, etc. And while the entire island was bombed during WWII, his house was not touched because the Japanese thought it was a temple. The mansion is beautiful and is also a popular tour site for studying architects due to it's sculptures outside the house. They are unique because they are made from ceramic bowls. The bowls were glazed according to the desired color, the broken into the shape they wanted, and used to make these ornate designs all throughout the inside and outside the house. I was vey impressed.

Chong Fat Tze

     Upon returning to the hostel after a long day of walking, we showered, relaxed and watched the movie Hangover 2 on a pirated DVD that was left in our room.

     Our bellies were starting to rumble (especially mine since I basically didn't eat anything all day) so we headed to the Red Garden Food Market again cause we knew we'd be in for a good, cheap meal. I got the crispy pork with noodles and Heather got the duck noodle soup. They were both good but didn't quite satisfy. So we went to the sushi stall and ordered a roll each for about a dollar. Sooooo good! I love Malaysia already.... And wait till you hear about the Perhentian Islands. That's when you all will truely be jealous. I guarantee it!